0330509 Sermon on the Mount – Matthew chapter 5 through chapter 7 and chapter – Matthew 5:1-8, Luke 6:20-49, A.D. 27 Capernaum in Galilee
And seeing the multitudes, he went up the mountain; and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
“Blessed are you who are poor. Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for yours is the Kingdom of God and theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
But woe to you who are rich!
for you have received your reward.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be filled.
Woe to you, you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. “Blessed are you when people shall revile you, when men shall hate you, and persecute you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and be exceedingly glad, and leap for joy, for behold, great is your reward in heaven; for this is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. For their fathers did the same thing to the prophets. Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is therefore good for nothing, but to be cast out and walked on under the feet of men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do they light a lamp, and put it under a basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For certainly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in no way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach men to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to them of old, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a good reason shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of hell.
“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave there your gift before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him lest your adversary delivers you to the judge, and the judge delivers you to the officer, and you are cast into prison. Most certainly I say to you, you shall by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
“It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’ but I say to you that everyone who puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.
“Again you have heard that it was said to them of old, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your oaths.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ and whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you who hear: love your enemies, do good to them who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who persecute you and mistreat you; that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. But whoever and to him who strikes you on your right cheek, turn and offer to him also the other; and if anyone sues you and takes away your coat and from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your coat also. Let him have your cloak. And whoever shall compel you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him and give to everyone who asks you, and from him who would borrow from you do not turn away. And to those who take away your goods, do not ask them to give them back. And as you would like people to treat you, do exactly so to them. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain to the just and the unjust. For if you love them and those who love you, what reward do you have? What credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. But love your enemies, and do good to them, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore shall be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect. Therefore, be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.
“Be careful that you do not practice your righteousness before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. And when you give money, do not sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give money, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does, so that your gifts of money may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
“And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And in praying do not use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore, do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you need before you ask him. This is the way you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom comes. Your will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And bring us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with sad faces; for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to fast. Most certainly I say to you, they have received their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
“Do not lay-up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body shall be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be committed to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon. Therefore, I say to you, do not be anxious for your life: what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you of much more value than they?
“And which of you by being anxious can add one moment to his lifespan? Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, neither do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. But if God does so clothe the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, oh you of little faith?
“Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘How shall we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek you first his Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s evil is sufficient.
“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. And do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it shall be measured to you.
Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in from your eye;’ when behold, you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first remove the beam from out of your own eye and then you can see clearly to remove the speck that is from in your brother’s eye. Set free, and you will be set free. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”
“Do not give that which is holy to the dogs and neither cast your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
“And ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds. To him who knocks it shall be opened. Or who what man is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to they who ask him! In all things therefore, whatever you would have for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
“Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in it. For narrow is the gate, and straight is the way that leads to life and few are they who find it.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? And he spoke a parable to them. “Can a blind guide the blind? Will not they both fall into a pit? The disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is perfected will be like his teacher. For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit. Even so every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from thorny fruit plants. A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not grow good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you shall know them. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did not we prophesy by your name, and by your name cast out demons, and by your name do many mighty works?’ Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who works iniquity.’
“And why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” “Therefore, everyone who comes to me, and who hears these words of mine and does them, shall be compared to a wise man. I will show you who he is like. He is like a man who built his house on a rock, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. The rain came down, and when the floods came and arose, and the winds blew, and beat on that house, the stream broke against that house, and it did not fall. It could not be shaken because it had been well built and for it was founded on the rock. But he and everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand and on the earth without a foundation. The rain came down, the floods came, against which the stream broke, and the winds blew, and beat on that house. And immediately, it fell and great was its fall. The ruin of that house was great.”
And it happened, when Jesus had finished these things, that the multitudes were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.And when he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
