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.
The Truth is important, very important...And there was One who came to earth to testify to the Truth...He was Most Unique because no lie or deceit came from His mouth, and He was one who never sinned...He tried to get us to love God and love neighbor...He wants us to live in peace and harmony...
He was One who was solitary...He is One who is the wisest of all...And we see His wisdom in His Sermon on the Mount...He spread information about God, His Father and about Himself...He was not One who would spread information about academia and government bureaucracy...He really did not involve Himself in politics...He spoke outside the box, yet always spoke the Truth...He only disseminated Truthful information...He was always helping people, especially people in need...News travelled slowly in His time...He did most of His travelling by foot and walked from village to village teaching the Good News of the Gospel...He was motivated by His Father to tell everyone who would listen about the Truth, because He told His listener's the His Truth would set us free...As He walked from village to village He was spreading the Truth, the Absolute Truth...
Today news is spread very quickly...And as the local paper newspapers readership is declining, so more and more information is being spread over the internet and this information is spread as soon as something gets posted...Information is spread all over the world so quickly with less and less editing...And with academia and government and politics spreading their information, and the local social media groups spreading what they feel is right and true, one has to be careful with what one believes...For one reason or another saying and doing things based on political motivation has produced much misinformation and disinformation in recent years...People are taking sides not so much with the Truth, but which group they feel most comfortable with...And we are listening more and more all to often to polarizing speech...People like to form groups and be in a group where they feel this comfort and their closeness to their worldview...And there is a tendency for man to seek out the group the best fits there own views...
It seems that politicians and journalists and influencers get their word out quickly, regardless of editing and spread some, if not a lot, of misinformation and disinformation...The speech of many has become extreme, and there is not much one can do about it to get us back to the One and to the Truth...And if these extreme views fit the listener's view or the reader's view they are more willing to join in this group regardless of how much Truth is in the speech or verbiage...
Let us turn to Scripture to get our worldview and learn Scripture's Truth...Let us learn to love our enemy and pray for him...If we only greet people is our comfortable groups, what are you doing that is more than others?...Do not even pagans and those who worship the earth and nature do that?...Let us look for our Truths in Scripture...