Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the mount __ Recently voted one of the most important speeches made in history

Introduction, 5:1-2

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came unto him, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ..."
Our Lord journeyed through Galilee "teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom" (Matt. 4:23). The "Gospel of the kingdom" is the most important subject in the New Testament (cf Matt. 3:2). The Gospel and deeds of Jesus Christ were understood as messianic, especially when Christ was "healing all manner of sickness". Christ was accepted by the multitude as the Messiah. It was at this moment that Jesus left the multitude and "went up into a mountain" (5:1), which by tradition is located about five miles west of the Sea of Galilee. On this mountain Jesus taught His disciples and other persons.
The Sermon on the Mount was destined to become the universal charter of ethics and higher ideals that have shaped the moral principles of the civilized world. The Sermon on the Mount reminds us of Moses and the Mosaic law, the covenant and the Ten Commandments, which were delivered on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:3f). At that time, God appeared in clouds and thunder; but in the Sermon on the Mount, God was present as a divine and human Being, the incarnate Jesus Christ, to utter clearly the revelation for the new creation of mankind.
The main teaching of the Sermon is not so much the kingdom of Heaven and repentance (4:17), which are presupposed, but the new piety versus the old piety of the scribes and pharisees (5:17-26). The Sermon encourages the Christian to apply in his own life these principles of piety. It opens with the Beatitudes (5:3-12), which describe the character of a true disciple, and of the Christian who glorifies God. and will enter His kingdom. The Sermon instructs the Disciples and believers, to seek the true righteousness and informs them that their good works are for the glory of God (5:13-16), not for merit and fame. It indicates that this righteousness is superior to the purely legal kind taught by the scribes (5:17-48) and practiced by the pharisees (6:1-18). For the attainment of this goal, a series of commandments are given (6:19-7:6 negative, and 7:7-23 positive), and the Sermon closes with the parable of the builders (7:24-27), all to the astonishment of the listeners (7:27-29).
The Beatitudes
"'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do 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 the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.'"
The Sermon on the Mount begins with the utterance of "moving lyrical strains of the Beatitudes." They constitute "the string of pearls" which adorn the crowning of Christian ethics. The Beatitudes are independent exhortations of blessedness to mold the character of the Christian believer.
Blessed is the translation of the original Greek word, makarios, which means much more than happy or fortunate. "Blessedness implies a feeling of being highly favored, especially by the Supreme Being, and often a deep joy arising from the present domestic, benevolent or religious affection" (Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms) (See Ps. 1:1; 2:12; 65:4, etc.)
The Beatitudes provide the specifications for the architecture of Christian character. Accepted as a whole, they provide the ingredients for the upright Christian character:
Blessed is the man who is poor in spirit, that is, one who feels so-the humble one, because humbleness is the gate which leads to the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the mourners, who long to enter the kingdom of God, but who face many difficulties, such as sin and other impediments which block the way to the kingdom of God. Our merciful God will comfort them.
Blessed are the meek, the people who are not disturbed by their own desires, but trust in the Lord (cf. Ps. 37:11, LXX). Their attitude will be rewarded with the inheritance of the earth, which means through their convictions and trust in God they will inherit the age to come.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. They feel the impulse and desire to fulfill the Will of God by their worship of and obedience to God.
Blessed are the merciful not only for giving alms, but especially for giving of themselves in helping others, who in turn obtain mercy (cf. 6:14; 18:33).
Blessed are the pure in heart, the upright, the sincere, the honest in every thought and activity (Ps. 24:4). They will feel the abiding companionship of God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, between neighbors and between nations, who have a peaceful mind to resolve human discrepancies. They should be the treasurers of divine peace from above in order to provide this peace for others who shall be sons of God.
Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness' sake. People who are armed with virtues of the previous beatitudes are well shielded to face persecutions for the establishment of divine principles of life. The kingdom of God is expanded to their hearts.
Blessed are ye (my Disciples) who resist evil and undergo persecutions by words and acts for My sake.
The blessedness of God is the source of men's rejoicing and gladness not only in themselves but also for the reward in heaven, as it happened to the persecuted prophets (cf 23:20; Lk 11:33-38).