Matthew 4:18-25
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus Heals the Sick
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
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.
Matthew 9:9-13
The Calling of Matthew
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
When Jesus gave His Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel According to Matthew, He had just chosen His Twelve Disciples...In my opinion, they really had little of what He might be teaching because they had just met Him...They probably, in talking to Him, knew He was different and this difference in this Rabbi certainly shows up immediately as He begins His ministry...And in His Sermon He talks about those that are blessed, and it is difficult to fathom His ideas and lessons in being blessed with terms of being weary and weakened, and discouraged along the way of life...And then He adds hard teachings to His Sermon comparing murder to settling matters with your brother...He compares adultery to looking at a woman lustfully...And He asks is you get slapped, then turn your cheek to be slapped again...Yet, this is what He does beginning His ministry and teachings...He preaches His Sermon on the Mount...
The Disciple Matthew writes much about Jesus and writes about His First Great Sermon...But also Matthew, a tax collector and sinner, who was recruited by Jesus writes about the night he and others eat with Jesus after being chosen as one of His Disciples...And the tax collector writes that Jesus has come to earth for sinners...While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples...Jesus would commonly eat with sinners...When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”...I wonder what Matthew thought when he heard this question?...
I can relate this Great Sermon and Good News to many of Priest Brennan Manning's quotes...I relate to the the Disciple Matthew being a tax collector...Author and Priest Brennan Manning is quoted as saying in the start of his book, “The Ragamuffin Gospel was written with a specific reading audience in mind...This book is not for the super spiritual...It is not for muscular Christians who have made John Wayne, and not Jesus, their hero...It is not for academics who would imprison Jesus in the ivory tower of exegesis...It is not for noisy, feel-good folks who manipulate Christianity into a naked appeal to emotion...It is not for hooded mystics who want magic in their religion...It is not for Alleluia Christians who live only on the mountaintop and have never visited the valley of desolation...It is not for the fearless and tearless...It is not for red-hot zealots who boast with the rich young ruler of the Gospels, “All these commandments I have kept from my youth.”...It is not for the complacent who hoist over their shoulders a tote bag of honors, diplomas, and good works, actually believing they have it made...It is not for legalists who would rather surrender control of their souls to rules than run the risk of living in union with Jesus...If anyone is still reading along, The Ragamuffin Gospel was written for the bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt-out...It is for the sorely burdened who are still shifting the heavy suitcase from one hand to the other...It is for the wobbly and weak-kneed who know they don’t have it all together and are too proud to accept the handout of amazing grace...It is for inconsistent, unsteady disciples whose cheese is falling off their cracker...It is for poor, weak, sinful men and women with hereditary faults and limited talents...It is for earthen vessels who shuffle along on feet of clay...It is for the bent and the bruised who feel that their lives are a grave disappointment to God...It is for smart people who know they are stupid and honest disciples who admit they are scalawags...The Ragamuffin Gospel is a book I wrote for myself and anyone who has grown weary and discouraged along the Way.”...