Sermon on the Mount
Bible (Matt. 5-7), a sermon given by Jesus around A.D. 30, after he had spent a night in solemn meditation and prayer. It is thought by some contemporary Christian figures to have taken place on a mountain on the North end of the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum.
Today, many scholars think that the sermon was not actually delivered all at once, but was composed by Matthew from various sayings of Jesus which he had found in his sources.
Probably the best known portion is the Beatitudes, found at the beginning of the section. It also contains the Lord's Prayer and the injunctions to "resist not evil" and "turn the other cheek". Many Christians believe that the Sermon on the Mount is a commentary, or midrash, on the Ten Commandments.
Structure of the sermon
The sermon comprises the following components:
Chapter 5
- Introduction (Matt. 5:1-2)
- The Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12)
- Be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt. 5:13-16)
- Jesus is fulfilling "the Law and the Prophets" doctrine, not destroying it (Matt. 5:17-18)
- Establishing new commandments (Matt. 5:19-20)
- Anger and hatred prohibited, not just killing (Matt. 5:21-22)
- Contentiousness prohibited (Matt. 5:23-26)
- Lust prohibited, not just adultery (Matt. 5:27-28)
- Cut away what threatens your spiritual future (Matt. 5:29-30)
- Divorce as adultery (Matt. 5:31-32)
- Prohibition against oaths (Matt. 5:33-37)
- Loving your enemies and turning the other cheek replaces "an eye for an eye" (Matt. 5:38-48)
Chapter 6
- Do good deeds and pray in secret, not for public reward (Matt. 6:1-6)
- Pray not with repetitions, but with The Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:7-13)
- Forgive in order to be forgiven (Matt. 6:14-15)
- Fast in secret, not for public reward (Matt. 6:16-18)
- Build your treasures in heaven, not on earth (Matt. 6:19-21)
- The light of the body follows the eye (Matt. 6:22-23)
- No man can serve two masters, so choose between God and materialism (Matt. 6:24)
- Seek first the kingdom of God, and have no worries for anything else (Matt. 6:25-34)
Chapter 7
- Judge not, so that you will not be judged (Matt. 7:1)
- Remove the log from your own eye before attending to the speck in another's (Matt. 7:2-5)
- Do not cast pearls before swine (Matt. 7:6)
- Seek it and you will find it (Matt. 7:7-11)
- Doing toward others as you would want from them is "the Law and the Prophets" (Matt. 7:12)
- The narrow, difficult way leads to life; the broad, easy way leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13-14)
- Beware of false prophets; by their fruits will you know them (Matt. 7:15-20)
- Doing the will of God rather than invoking Jesus is what matters (Matt. 7:21-23)
- Who follows this instruction builds a solid foundation and will survive; who does not builds on sand and will be destroyed (Matt. 7:24-27)
- Epilog (Matt. 7:28-29)
See also
