Table of Contents
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7. Sermon On The Mount:
They Sit Down
(Matt
5:1-2 Luke
6:17-20)
Seeing the multitudes, he
came down with them, and he
went up onto the mountain and
stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a
great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the
sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be
healed of their diseases; as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and
they were being healed. All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out
from him and healed them all.
When he had sat down, his
disciples came to him. (and)
He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and he
opened his mouth and taught them.
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The Beatitudes
(Matt
5:3-12 Luke
6:20-26)
"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 you
who weep now, for you will laugh.
Blessed are the gentle, 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 in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children
of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness'
sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and
say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Blessed are you when men shall
hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw
out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice
in that day, and
be exceedingly glad, and
leap for joy, for
great is your reward in heaven, for
their fathers did the same thing to the prophets. For
that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. But woe to you
who are rich! For you have received your consolation. Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe
to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the
same thing to the false prophets."
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Be Righteous and Keep the Commandments
(Matt
5:13-19)
"You are the salt of the
earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be
salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and
trodden under the feet of men. You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill
can't be hidden. Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring
basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the
house. Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see
your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
"Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets.
I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass
away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall
in any way pass away from the law, until all things are
accomplished. Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least
commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least
in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them
shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."
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Must Be More Righteous Than The Scribes and Pharisees
(Matt
5:20-48 Luke
6:27-30, 32-36)
"For I tell you that unless
your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,
there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven."
"You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You
shall not murder;' and 'Whoever shall murder shall be in danger
of the judgment.' But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother
without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever
shall say to his brother, 'Raca
(Worthless) !' shall be in danger of the
council; and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger
of the fire of Gehenna."
"If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and
there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.
First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer
your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in
the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge,
and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into
prison. Most certainly I tell 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 tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust
after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck 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 Gehenna. 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 Gehenna."
"It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him
give her a writing of divorce,' but I tell you that whoever 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 time,
'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord
your vows,' but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by 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 can't make one
hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' 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 tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever
strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your
cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires
to borrow from you."
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your
neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I tell you who
hear, love your enemies, bless
those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for
those who mistreat you and persecute you, To him who strikes you on the
cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your
cloak, don't withhold your coat also. Give to everyone who asks you, and don't ask him who takes
away your goods to give them back again. As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to
them. that you may be children of your
Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the
evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. If you do good to those who do
good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the
same. For if you love those who love
you, what
credit is that to you? what
reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? For
even sinners love those who love them. If you only greet your friends,
what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax collectors
do the same? 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, and lend, expecting
nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be
children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful
and evil. Therefore you shall be perfect and merciful,
just as your Father in heaven is perfect. and merciful."
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Practice Real Righteousness, The Lord's Prayer
(Matt 6:1-18)
"Be careful that you don't do
your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else
you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don't 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
tell you, they have received their reward. But when you do merciful deeds, don't let your left hand know
what your right hand does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father
who sees in secret will reward you openly."
"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
tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having
shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your
Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do;
for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore don't be like them, for your Father knows what
things you need, before you ask him. Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your
name be kept holy. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven,
so on earth. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil
one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.'" For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you. But if you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses."
"Moreover when you fast, don't be like the hypocrites, with
sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen
by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell 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."
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Pursue Only Heavenly Treasure
(Matt
6:19-34)
"Don't lay up treasures for
yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where
thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don't break through and
steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is
sound, your whole body will 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 devoted to one and
despise the other. You can't serve both God and Mammon. Therefore, I tell you, don't be anxious for your life: what
you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body,
what you will wear. Isn't life more than food, and the body more
than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don't sow, neither do
they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds
them. Aren't you of much more value than they?"
"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 don't toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not
dressed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today
exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more
clothe you, you of little faith?"
"Therefore don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?',
'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your
heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all
these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be
anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient."
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Do Not Judge, Nor Condemn
(Matt
7:1-6 Luke
6:37-42)
"Don't judge, so that you won't
be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and
with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. Don't judge, and
you won't be judged. Don't condemn, and you won't be condemned.
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."
He spoke a parable to them. "Can the blind guide the blind?
Won't they both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is
fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is
in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in
your own eye? Or how will you tell your brother, 'Brother, let
me remove the speck of
chaff from
your eye;' but
don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite!
First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see
clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye."
"Don't give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your
pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under
their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."
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God Answers Your Requests
(Matt
7:7-12 Luke
6:31)
"Ask, and it will be given you.
Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who
knocks it will be opened. Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread,
will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, who will 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 those who ask him! Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall
also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets."
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Enter the Narrow Gate By Doing God's Will
(Matt
7:13-8:1 Luke
6:43-49)
"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 by it. How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads
to life! Few are those who find it.'"
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from
thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt
tree produces evil fruit. A good tree can't produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt
tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn't grow good fruit is cut down, and
thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will 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 tell me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we
prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your
name do many mighty works?' Then I will tell them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you
who work iniquity.'"
"Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does
them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a
rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat on that house; and it didn't fall, for it was founded on
the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn't do them
will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. Why
do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things which I
say. Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them,
I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and
laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream
broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was
founded on the rock. But he who hears, and doesn't do, is like a man who built a
house on the earth without a foundation, against which the
stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that
house was great." It happened,
when Jesus had finished saying these things, that the multitudes
were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.
When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed
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