Matthew 5:1-48
Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Divorce
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Luke 6:1-49
Jesus LORD of the Sabbath
1 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
3 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.
9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
The Twelve Apostles
12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Blessings and Woes
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20 Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
A Tree and Its Fruit
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
The Wise and Foolish Builders
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
The two Gospels of Luke and Matthew have one universal message...The Gospels of Matthew and Luke, both are sacred and divinely inspired..The two Gospels offer two distinct but harmonious accounts of the life of Jesus Christ...Their targeted audiences is central to understanding their design and purpose...While Matthew, a former tax collector, wrote with a clear intent to prove to his fellow Jews that Jesus was the promised Jewish Messiah, Luke, an educated physician and likely a Gentile, wrote his Gospel account for a man named Theophilus, and by extension, a broader Gentile audience...Luke meticulously gathered his information from multiple eyewitness accounts, presenting a detailed, historical narrative that spoke directly to those who were not familiar with Jewish customs or prophecies, thereby demonstrating the universal appeal of Christ's message...Regardless of your background or where you are from Jesus is with us, as God is with us...His teachings, His Truths, and His Way of Life is for everyone...
This difference in focus led to unique approaches in each book...Matthew's Gospel is heavily structured around five major discourses of Jesus, frequently referencing Old Testament prophecies and Jewish tradition to show how Jesus fulfilled the scriptures...His genealogy traces Jesus's lineage back to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, solidifying His claim to the throne of David...In contrast, Luke's Gospel is a masterpiece of storytelling and compassion, often highlighting Jesus's interactions with women, the poor, and social outcasts—groups that would have resonated deeply with a broader, non-Jewish readership...His genealogy extends all the way back to Adam, demonstrating Jesus’s connection not just to the Jewish people, but to all of humanity...
Despite these differing angles, both Gospels share a powerful and common core of teachings, proving that God is for everyone...One of the most significant examples is the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew (chapters 5–7), which for me is a special passage...Luke presents a similar, though shorter, version known as the Sermon on the Plain (chapter 6)...Both of these accounts are foundational to Christ's teachings, and when viewed together, they show that Jesus's message is the same, no matter who the audience is...Both accounts contain foundational lessons on living a righteous life, including the Beatitudes, the command to love your enemies, and instructions on prayer...The inclusion of these identical ethical and moral lessons in both Gospels underscores the belief that Jesus's teachings are not exclusive to any single group, but are the bedrock teaching foundations for all who follow Him...A core aspect of the Sermon on the Mount is that all of its individual lessons are woven together to form one complete, powerful message about life...
The way we judge one another and the eye for an eye lesson have some similarity...At first glance, these two lessons might seem disconnected, but they are both part of Jesus’s larger instruction on radical righteousness and grace...The "Eye for an Eye" passage isn't about judging someone for their actions; it's about what you do in response to being wronged...Jesus's teaching here directly overturns the old law of proportional retaliation...Instead of seeking a fair punishment and what we might think is righteous judment, He calls his followers to show extraordinary Grace by turning the other cheek and going the extra mile...It's a call to be merciful rather than legalistic...This meshes perfectly with the lesson of "not judging."...The lesson isn't a blanket command to never discern right from wrong...Instead, it's a warning against hypocritical judgment...Before we can address the "speck" in someone else’s eye (their fault), we must first remove the "plank" from our own (our own fault)...Both passages redirect our focus from the failings of others to our own need for grace and humility...Jesus is teaching that a heart of mercy and non-retaliation is a prerequisite for a pure heart that can truly help others...This final parable in the Sermon on the Mount is the perfect conclusion because it ties together everything Jesus has just taught, including the lessons on prayer, worry, and judging from chapters 6 and 7...The "wise builder" is someone who listens to Jesus's Words and puts them into practice...The "foolish builder" is someone who listens but does not act on them...The totality of the Sermon on the Mount—from the Beatitudes and the call to be salt and light, to the warnings against greed and the command to love your enemies—are the foundational instructions that Jesus says must be built upon the rock...
The parable of the builders is the "so what?" of the entire sermon...It shows that these aren’t just nice ideas or good advice; they are the essential building blocks for a life that can withstand any storm...The lessons on not judging, praying without pretense, and trusting in God instead of worrying are all part of the foundation that leads to a truly stable and righteous life...It's clear that through thoughtful reflection on the connections between these verses it helps strengthen our understanding of the Bible's complete message...
Furthermore, both Matthew and Luke share many of Jesus's most famous parables...The Parable of the Sower, the Parable of the Lost Sheep, and the story of the prodigal son are all present in some form, revealing universal Truths about God’s Grace, redemption, and patience...These stories use simple, everyday imagery to make profound Spiritual Truths accessible to anyone, regardless of their background...The shared narratives of Jesus's miraculous healings, His power over nature, and the ultimate climax of the crucifixion and resurrection also serve to unite these two Gospels...The most central events of Jesus's life are presented in both books, confirming the core message of salvation for all people...
In the end, the unique paths taken by Matthew and Luke ultimately converge on the same powerful message: Jesus Christ came to save the entire world...Matthew’s Jewish focus laid the groundwork by proving Jesus’s identity to His own people, while Luke’s universal approach opened the door to the rest of humanity...Their parallel yet distinct accounts work together to build a complete picture of a God who LOVES and redeems all people, no matter their heritage or background...The fact that both of these sacred and holy accounts exist is a testament to the Truth that the Good News is truly for every soul on earth...