Matthew 5:1-20 NASB The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes 5 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Disciples and the World 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. 17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. As a reminder, we are following the outline of the Gospel of Matthew according to the Bible Project. This would put us in the second of seven sections were calling The Announcement of God's Kingdom. Today we read the start of the Sermon on the Mount. It actually stretches from chapter 5 through to chapter 7. It is called the sermon on the mount because Jesus preached this sermon from the mountainside. Jesus often found higher ground to address larger groups of people. It is the longest recorded single message of Jesus. It also says that Jesus addressed the crowds but that His disciples came to Him. We know that Jesus was about to teach because Matthew tells us that Jesus sat down. Unlike us who are used to teachers standing up to teach, this is the position from which Jewish teachers do so. Verses 3 to twelve are referred to as the Beatitudes. I've heard it said that is because they are the attitudes that ought to be. These beatitudes show us that Jesus' Kingdom operates completely different the the way people usually think. He turns everything upside down. The things that usually make people sad He says, in His kingdom they are good--blessings--because they lead to greater things. This world should not completely satisfy us because it is cursed by sin. From the Beatitudes, Jesus goes on to explain how the life of a disciple in this world will look and the purpose of a disciple. We are to be salt, a preservative in Jesus day and light. Light both exposes and highlights. We are to like Jesus full of grace and truth. It's hard to share truth but ultimately we want to highlight Jesus who came to do what we could not. He took our sin, shame and penalty on the cross and give us His righteousness. Which is the answer to that disturbing question that should arise in someone's head after reading the last verse; “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Knowing the Pharisees and their desire to keep the Law this should cause us say- then who can be saved? Which is exactly what Jesus' disciples asked Him after He said it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of needle than for a rich man (someone who believes they have all they need already) to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus answered the disciples- For man this is impossible but with God nothing is impossible. Jesus did the impossible by living a perfect life and dying a perfect death. He was raised to new life and He gives that new life to us so that we can live out the attitudes that ought to be in order to be a salt and light to the world. If you find yourself frustrated and unsatisfied, this is not a bad thing. Allow it to lead you to Jesus who is the only one who will truly and eternal satisfy us. Have a great day, Loved Ones, and God bless you real good!
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