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Christ's Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a
mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach
them, saying:
Humility
Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Penitence
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Meekness
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Spiritual Hunger
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Mercifulness
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Inward Purity
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Peacemaking
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of
God.
Sacrificial Suffering
Matthew 5:10 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.
Salt and Light
Matthew 5:13 "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 by men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city 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 men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your
Father in heaven.
The Fulfilment of the Law
Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or
the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 I tell you
the truth, 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 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and
teaches others to do the same 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.
Murder
Matthew 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long
ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.' 22
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to
judgement. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Raca, ' is answerable to the
Sanhedrin. But 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 has something against you, 24 leave your gift there
in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; 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 with him on the way, or he 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 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid
the last penny.
Adultery
Matthew 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, `Do 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 sin, 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 sin, 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.
Divorce, Marriage Sacred
Matthew 5:31 "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 marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress,
and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths, Speech Guarded
Matthew 5:33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people
long ago, `Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the
Lord.' 34 But I tell you, Do not swear 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 Simply let your `Yes' be `Yes,' and your
`No,' `No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Non-resistance
Matthew 5:38 "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 someone
strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone
wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
Unlimited Service
Matthew 5:41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
Benevolence
Matthew 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the
one who wants to borrow from you.
Universal Love, Love for Enemies
Matthew 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbour
and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons 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
brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Divine Standard
Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Giving
Matthew 6:1 "Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness'
before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your
Father in heaven.
2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I
tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give
to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so
that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.
Prayer
Matthew 6:5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be
seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,
who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward
you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think
they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your
Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
"`Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will
not forgive your sins.
Fasting
Matthew 6:16 "When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites
do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the
truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on
your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you
are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees
what is done in secret, will reward you.
Heavenly Investments
Matthew 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store
up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and
where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.
Spiritual Vision
Matthew 6:22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are
good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your
whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness,
how great is that darkness!
Undivided Service
Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the
one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and Money.
Trustfulness
Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life
more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at
the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet
your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field
grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all
his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the
grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,
will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry,
saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?'
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows
that you need them.
Primacy of God's Kingdom
Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of
its own.
Charitableness
Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the
same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it
will be measured to you.
3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no
attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, `Let
me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your
own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you
will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Stewardship of Truth
Matthew 7:6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your
pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn
and tear you to pieces.
Divine Benevolence
Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will
find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks
receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if
he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in
heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do
to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Narrow Way
Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate
and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few
find it.
Fruit, Test of Life
Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you
will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from
thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad
fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good
fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into
the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.
Obedience, the Rock Foundation
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in
heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then
I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them
into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain
came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet
it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who
hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish
man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and
the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great
crash." 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were
amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not
as their teachers of the law.
Jesus had many Followers
Matthew 8:1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds
followed him.
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