Sermon on the Mount-Doug Crum

Now when he went when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.

His disciples came to him and he began to teach them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.

For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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.

In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds.

Praise your Father and do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.

I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.

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.

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 kingdom of heaven.

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.

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

Again, anyone who says to his brother Raka is answerable to the saying hatred.

But anyone who says you fool will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Therefore, if if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.

First, go and be reconciled to your brother.

Then come and offer your gift.

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.

Do it while you are still with him on the way.

Otherwise, 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.

I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

You have heard that it was said, do not commit adultery.

But I tell you, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

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.

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.

It has been said, anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.

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.

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not break your oath, but keep the oaths that you have made to the Lord.

But I tell you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is God's throne, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king.

And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.

Simply let your yes, yes, and your no, no.

Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

You have heard that it was said, eye for eye and tooth for tooth.

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.

If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

He causes his son to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?

Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?

Do not even pagans do that.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect.

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.

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 honored by men.

I tell you the truth, they have received the reward in full.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.

And your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

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 the reward in full.

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.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard for their many words.

Do not be like them, for your father knows what you need before you ask him.

This then is how you should pray.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, because yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly father will forgive you.

But if you do not forgive men their sins, your father will not forgive your sins.

When you fast, do not look somber 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.

But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face 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.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.

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! 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.

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?

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?

Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes?

See how the lilies of the field grow.

They do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

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?

Oh, you of little faith.

So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat?

Or what shall we drink?

Or what shall we wear?

For the pagans run after all these things.

And your Father knows that you need them.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.

For tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Enter through the narrow gate.

For wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction.

Many enter through.

But small is the gate, and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few finding.

Watch out for false prophets.

They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

By their fruit you will recognize them.

Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?

Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit.

But a bad tree bears bad fruit.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them.

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.

Many will save me on that day.

And in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles.

And then I will tell them players.

Away from me, you evil doers.

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.

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.

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.

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.