---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the Sermon on the Mount it’s quite…"
description: "\"“In the Sermon on the Mount it’s quite clear that these are the three great barriers we have to overcome to understand Jesus and the Reign of God. But ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/richard-rohr-618_christianity_in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-cl_3074635.png"
---

#  In the Sermon on the Mount it’s quite clear that these are…

![“In the Sermon on the Mount it’s quite clear that these are the three great barriers we have to overcome to understand Jesus and the Reign of God. But in Christianity we have always been concerned with ecclesiological questions, sacramental questions, sacerdotal questions, and, needless to say…” quote by Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/richard-rohr-618_christianity_in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-cl_3074635.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/richard-rohr-618_christianity_in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-cl_3074635.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/richard-rohr-618_christianity_in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-cl_3074635.png)

> ““In the Sermon on the Mount it’s quite clear that these are the three great barriers we have to overcome to understand Jesus and the Reign of God. But in Christianity we have always been concerned with ecclesiological questions, sacramental questions, sacerdotal questions, and, needless to say, sexual questions – questions that Jesus practically never bothered with.””

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Christ’s teachings focus on spiritual transformation, yet institutional Christianity often prioritizes doctrine, sacraments, and sexuality over that core message.

**In simple terms:** Church often sidesteps Jesus’ core message for rules.

Key Takeaway

Seek the deeper spiritual truth beyond institutional concerns.

Themes

spirituality institution sexuality

Mood

reflective critical

Type

theological philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal prayer
- church reform
- interfaith dialogue
- ethical discussions

Key Concepts

ecclesiology sacramentalism theology

Questions to Reflect On

- How can believers balance doctrine with spiritual practice?
- What core teachings are overlooked in modern churches?

A Different Perspective

Institutional focus can dilute personal faith experience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Ecclesiological Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecclesiological-questions-5217939/) [Questions Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions-jesus-560964/) [Questions Sacerdotal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions-sacerdotal-5217942/) [Questions Sacramental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions-sacramental-5217940/) [Sacramental Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacramental-questions-5217941/) [Sermon on the mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sermon-on-the-mount/)

## Related quotes

> [“people have questions about Jesus. Most people don’t know much about him. They might only know what they have heard from others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-quy/people-have-questions-about-jesus-most-people-don-t-know-much-about/)

[Roger Quy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-quy/)

> [“If you are to shape your world in following Christ, you are called, prayerfully, to discern where in your discipline the human project is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/if-you-are-to-shape-your-world-in-following-christ-you-are-called/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“Thomas Merton said it was actually dangerous to put the Scriptures in the hands of people whose inner self is not yet sufficiently awakened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/thomas-merton-said-it-was-actually-dangerous-to-put-the-scriptures-in/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [ \[The Christmas story\] is as simple as was the Man himself and His teaching. SA simple as the Sermon on the Mount which still… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/the-christmas-story-is-as-simple-as-was-the-man-himself-and-his/)

[Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/)

> [Never look for right in the other man, but never cease to be right yourself. We are always looking for justice; the teaching of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/never-look-for-right-in-the-other-man-but-never-cease-to-be-right/)

[Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/)

> [“the Sermon on the Mount is God’s formula for revival. The Beatitudes are His recipe for His kingdom to come and His will to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-baker/the-sermon-on-the-mount-is-god-s-formula-for-revival-the-beatitudes/)

[Heidi Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-baker/)

> [“We heard the Sermon on the Mount and I knew it was too complex, It didn't amount to anything more than what the broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/we-heard-the-sermon-on-the-mount-and-i-knew-it-was-too-complex-it/)

[Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/)

> [Ye cannot serve God and mammon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/ye-cannot-serve-god-and-mammon/)

[Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/)

> [A person who is fundamentally honest doesn't need a code of ethics. The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount are all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/a-person-who-is-fundamentally-honest-doesn-t-need-a-code-of-ethics/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [Modern poverty is not the poverty that was blest in the Sermon on the Mount.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/modern-poverty-is-not-the-poverty-that-was-blest-in-the-sermon-on-the/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [“(Socialist Powers Hapgood)...had become an official in the CIO. There had been some sort of dust-up on a picket line, and he was testifying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/socialist-powers-hapgood-had-become-an-official-in-the-cio-there-had/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [Powers Hapgood had just come from court because there was some kind of dust-up on a picket line. The judge was so curious about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/powers-hapgood-had-just-come-from-court-because-there-was-some-kind/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [If God is not with us, we do not want to continue. If the Sermon on the Mount is simply impractical, our mission work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-baker/if-god-is-not-with-us-we-do-not-want-to-continue-if-the-sermon-on-the/)

[Heidi Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-baker/)

> [“The Sermon on the Mount is law, not grace, for it demands as the condition of blessingMt 5:3-9 that perfect character which grace, through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sermon-on-the-mount-is-law-not-grace-for-it-demands-as-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The same Sermon on the Mount that influenced Tolstoy to write “The Kingdom of God is Within You”, inspired me to a great extent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-same-sermon-on-the-mount-that-influenced-tolstoy-to-write-the/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

## More by Richard Rohr

> [“We have become human doings more than human beings, and the verb “rest,” as Jesus uses it, is largely foreign to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-have-become-human-doings-more-than-human-beings-and-the-verb-rest/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [In my opinion, most organized religion does neither agentic service nor relational nurturance very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-my-opinion-most-organized-religion-does-neither-agentic-service/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [If we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/if-we-do-not-transform-our-pain-we-will-most-assuredly-transmit-it/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [In solitude, at last, we’re able to let God define us the way we are always supposed to be defined—by relationship: the I-thou relationship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-solitude-at-last-we-re-able-to-let-god-define-us-the-way-we-are/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [Pain and suffering that are not transformed are usually projected onto others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/pain-and-suffering-that-are-not-transformed-are-usually-projected/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [“In the end, we do not so much reclaim what we have lost as discover a significantly new self in and through the process.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-the-end-we-do-not-so-much-reclaim-what-we-have-lost-as-discover-a/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [All great spirituality is about what we do with our pain. If we do not transform our pain, we will transmit it to those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/all-great-spirituality-is-about-what-we-do-with-our-pain-if-we-do-not/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [“I would wonder if you could be a hero or heroine if you did not live in deep time, that is, Past, present, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/i-would-wonder-if-you-could-be-a-hero-or-heroine-if-you-did-not-live/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [Nature is the one song of praise that never stops singing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/nature-is-the-one-song-of-praise-that-never-stops-singing/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [“I believe contemplation shows us that nothing inside us is as bad as our hatred and denial of the bad. Hating and denying it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/i-believe-contemplation-shows-us-that-nothing-inside-us-is-as-bad-as/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [We don't have much wisdom about the second half when things really open up and end up looking a lot more progressive. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-don-t-have-much-wisdom-about-the-second-half-when-things-really/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [If you do not transform your wounds you will transmit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/if-you-do-not-transform-your-wounds-you-will-transmit-them/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [The real spiritual journey is work. You can make a naïve assertion that you trust in Jesus, but until it is tested a good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-real-spiritual-journey-is-work-you-can-make-a-na-ve-assertion/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [“The soul needs meaning as much as the body needs food.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-soul-needs-meaning-as-much-as-the-body-needs-food/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

[Explore all 443 Richard Rohr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

## More Christianity quotes

> [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/)

[Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/)

> [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/)

[Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/)

> [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [“every church can treat each discipleship class and each worship service as an opportunity for continual rehearsal of what the words, stories, symbols, rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/every-church-can-treat-each-discipleship-class-and-each-worship/)

[Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/)

[David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/)

> [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/)

[Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/)

[David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/)

> [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/)

[Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/)

[Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“In the Sermon on the Mount it’s quite clear that these are the three great barriers we have to overcome to understand Jesus and the Reign of God. But in Christianity we have always been concerned with ecclesiological questions, sacramental questions, sacerdotal questions, and, needless to say, sexual questions – questions that Jesus practically never bothered with.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard Rohr"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-clear-that-these-are-the-three/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Christianity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-clear-that-these-are-the-three/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/richard-rohr-618_christianity_in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-cl_3074635.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/richard-rohr-618_christianity_in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-cl_3074635.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/richard-rohr-618_christianity_in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-cl_3074635.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In the Sermon on the Mount it’s quite clear that these are the three great barriers we have to overcome to…” — Richard Rohr",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Richard Rohr",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“In the Sermon on the Mount...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-clear-that-these-are-the-three/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-the-sermon-on-the-mount-it-s-quite-clear-that-these-are-the-three/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
