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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 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.
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.
Jesus believed in God....God is the Center of Jesus' life...He was always Teaching about God...He believed in the Bible and every verse of Scripture...He believed in God's Word, and believed that God's Word is Truth...God's Word is truly a Lamp unto His Son's feet...Jesus said He fulfills the Scripture and verses of the Bible...This is the Way He says it, “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...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...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...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...Jesus many, many times calls God His Father...St. John says that Jesus was with God in the beginning and that all things were created in the beginning through Jesus...So as we read His different Teachings and Statements, who says these kid of things?...
Other religions are not like Jesus' Teachings, with Statements such as the ones above...Buddhism is not a Divine Religion...One significant element being that while Christianity is at its core monotheistic, a Divine Religion and relies on a God as our Creator...Buddhism is generally non-theistic and rejects the notion of a Creator like God which provides Divine Values for the world...
Buddha is Buddhism's teacher, and Jesus is Christianity's Teacher...Jesus was a different type of Teacher (and a different type of Man, if it fair to call Him a Man) and through His Teachings He started Christianity...Others have started religions but they are not like Jesus...Jesus was not like Buddha...Buddha was often seen and depicted with legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, following and focused on his breath, and staying aware and awake in the present moment...Islam and Confucianism are other religions that say these things are what I teach, believe me and follow these dogmas...Jesus ask His followers, Who do you say that I AM?...Jesus ask a lot of questions with His Teachings...He said He came to earth to testify to the Truth and to call on those who sin...He said He sought mercy, not sacrifice...And the irony and the finality to Jesus' Teachings on earth was that He would be hung on a cross and die...In His first Sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, is a SledgeHammer Sermon that teaches us among many other things, to love and pray for our enemies...The Ten Commandments were the foundation of the law, and Jesus goes beyond the Teachings of the Ten Commandments...He raises the bar on the adultery Commandment -that we shall not commit adultery...It seems that adultery is a second step after lust and coveting...Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’...But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."...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...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...And He compares murder to an argument with your brother or sister...He wants us to forgive them completely and quickly...He says that we shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment...He says in this Sermon that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will also 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...If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also and let them hit your left cheek...And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well...If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles...Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you...Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect...
Who say these kind of things, and who has these kind of ideas?...One who is Divine, I say...In a world of suffering and pain, Jesus died on the Tortuous Cross...Jesus suffered for our sins...It was for us that He called, because Jesus also suffered for each of us, leaving us His Example, that we should follow in His footsteps: “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”...When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly the world...He laid aside His Being Divine and came to earth to suffer for us...He would die for the sins of the world...It was and is a Divine-Type suffering on the cross...As one looks at our world, day in and day out, they can see that God's Plan and Way of Judging the World with its sin, is the Only Right Way to handle sin and bring judgment to the human condition of sin...Jesus demands that we give Him our hearts, and somehow He asks it in such a Way that He is deserving of it...He wants it entirely and unconditionally...And His demand to us for our hearts seems like a very natural one...