The Sermon On The Mount

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The Sermon On The Mount

In The Gospel of Matthew, chapters five through seven, Jesus presented to us the standards for living, a guide for our attitude and behavior. This is the way Jesus lived His life and it is the way for us to live. In the Sermon on the Mount we learn the difference between worldly living and living in Our Father's kingdom on earth.

         Seeing the multitudes, Jesus went up into a mountain and sat. His disciples came and He taught them: Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.

         Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Great is your reward in heaven. And, likewise, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

         Ye are the salt of the earth. If the salt loses its savor it is good for nothing except to be cast out and walked on. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. A candle is not lighted to be put under a bushel, but on a candlestick. This way it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine that others see your good works reflecting only your Father in heaven.

         Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the words of the prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say, Until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter or one word shall pass from the law until all is fulfilled. Whoever breaks one of these least commandments, and teaches others to do likewise shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever shall keep these least commandments and teach them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you shall enter the kingdom of heaven.

         Ye have heard it was said of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, Whoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment. Whoever shows contempt toward his brother shall be in danger of the council. But whosoever curses his brother is in danger of hell fire.

         So, if thou bring a gift to the altar and then remember that thy brother has something against thee, leave the gift before the altar. Be reconciled to thy brother first. Then come back and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art with him; lest, at any time, thy adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt not come out then until all is paid.

         Ye have heard it said by them of old, Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say, Whoever looks on a woman in lust has already committed adultery in his heart. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it away. It is more profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish rather than thy whole body be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee. It is more profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish rather than thy whole body be cast into hell.

         It has been said, Whoever puts away his wife shall give her a writing of divorcement. But I say, Whoever puts away his wife, except for reason of fornication, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries her that is divorced commits adultery.

         Also, ye have heard it said by them of old, Thou shalt not forswear thyself but perform your oaths unto the Lord. But I say, take no oaths at all. Do not swear by heaven because it is God's throne. Do not swear by the earth because it is His footstool. Do not swear by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by thy self because you are incapable of making even one hair white or black. Let your statement be only Yea, yes; Nay, no: for anything more than this comes to evil.

         Ye have heard it said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say, Do not resist evil. Whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. And, if any one lawfully sues you and takes away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. Whoever compels you to go a mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you. From him who would borrow from you, do not turn away.

         Ye have heard it said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say, Love your enemy. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for those who spitefully use and persecute you. Do this that ye may be the children of your Father in heaven. He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good. He sends rain on the just and on the unjust. If ye love only those who love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans do this? And if ye greet your friends only, what do ye do more than others? Do not even the publicans do this? Instead be ye as perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.

         Take heed that ye do not do your alms giving to be seen by others. If so, ye have no reward from your Father in heaven. When you give, do not sound a trumpet in the synagogues and in the streets as do the hypocrites. They seek the glory of men. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward. When you give alms, do not let thy left hand know what thy right does. Give alms in secret and thy Father, who sees in secret, shall reward thee openly.

         When thou pray, thou shalt not be like the hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets so they may be seen. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward. When you pray, enter into your closet. When you shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret. Thy Father, who sees in secret, shall reward you openly.

         When ye pray, do not use vain repetitions like the heathen. They think that they shall be heard for their long speaking. Be not like them. Your Father knows what things ye need even before ye ask Him.

         Pray like this: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

         If ye forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites. They disfigure their faces and look sad so they may appear to others to fast. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward. However, when thou fast, anoint thy head and wash thy face so you do not appear to fast. Keep secret except unto thy Father, who is in secret, and thy Father shall reward thee openly.

         Do not lay up treasures on earth, where moth and rust corrupts, and where thieves break in and steal them. Instead, lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts, nor thieves can break in and steal. For, where your treasure is, there, also, will be your heart.

         The light of the body is the eye. If your eye is clear, your whole body is full of light. But, if your eye is clouded with evil, your whole body is full of darkness. And, if that light in you grows dark, how much greater will that darkness be!

         No one can serve two masters. He will either hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore, I say unto you, Take no concern for your life: what ye shall eat, what ye shall drink; nor for your body: what ye shall put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air. They sow not, and neither do they reap nor gather into barns. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not worth as much as they are? And, who of you, by worrying, can add one cubit to his stature? So why take thought for raiment?

         Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow. They toil not and neither do they spin. Even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of them. So, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is here and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not clothe you even more, O ye of little faith?

         So, take no concern by saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, How shall we be clothed? Your heavenly Father knows that ye need all these things. Instead, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then all these things shall be added unto you. Take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take care of itself. The cares of today are sufficient for today.

         Judge not that ye be not judged, for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged. And with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

         Why behold the mote in thy brother's eye, but not consider the beam in thine own eye? How can you say to thy brother, Let me pull the mote out of thine eye when, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite. First, cast out the beam from thine own eye, then thou shall see clearly enough to cast the mote from thy brother's eye.

         Do not give that which is holy to dogs. And do not cast your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn around and rend you.

         Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you. Who of you is there who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or, if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him? Therefore, all things ye would have others do to you, do so to them. This is the law and the meaning of the prophets.

         Enter in at the narrow gate. Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. Many go that way. Because the gate and the way that leads to life is narrow, few find it.

         Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? No, every good tree brings forth good fruit. A corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. So, by their fruits ye shall know them.

         Now, not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Only he who does the will of my Father in heaven shall enter. Many will say to me, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? In thy name have we not cast out devils? And, in thy name, have we not done many wonderful works? Then will I say to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

         Whoever hears these sayings and does them, I liken to a wise man who built his house upon a rock. When the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon the house, it did not fall because it was founded upon a rock.

         Whoever hears these sayings and does not do them I liken to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. When the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell. And a great fall it was.

         When Jesus finished these sayings, people were astonished at His teaching because He spoke as one having authority different from the scribes.