The Sermon on the Mount is placed relatively early in Matthew's portrayal ofJesus's ministry—following, in chapter 3, hisbaptism byJohn and, in chapter 4, his sojourn andtemptation in the desert, his call of four disciples, and his early preaching inGalilee.
Thefive discourses in the Gospel of Matthew are: the Sermon on the Mount (5-7), the discourse on discipleship (10), the discourse of parables (13), the discourse on the community of faith (18), and the discourse on future events (24-25).[4] Also, like all the other "discourses", this one has Matthew's concluding statement (7:28-29) that distinguishes it from the material that follows. For similar statements at the end of the other discourses, see11:1;13:53;19:1;26:1.
This sermon is one of the most widely quoted sections of thecanonical gospels,[3] including some of the best-known sayings attributed to Jesus, such as theBeatitudes and the commonly recited version of theLord's Prayer. It also contains what many consider to be the central tenets ofChristian discipleship.[3]
The setting for the sermon is given inMatthew 5:1-2. There, Jesus is said to see the crowds, to go up the mountain accompanied by his disciples, to sit down, and to begin his speech.[6] He comes down from the mountain inMatthew 8:1.
Although the issues of Matthew's compositional plan for the Sermon on the Mount remain unresolved among scholars, its structural components are clear.[7][8]
Matthew 5:3–12[9] includes the Beatitudes. These describe the character of the people of the Kingdom of Heaven, expressed as "blessings".[10] The Greek word most versions of the Gospel render as "blessed," can also be translated "happy" (Matthew 5:3–12 inYoung's Literal Translation[11] for an example). In Matthew, there are eight (or nine) blessings, while in Luke there are four, followed by four woes.[10]
In almost all cases, the phrases used in the Beatitudes are familiar from anOld Testament context, but in the sermon Jesus gives them new meaning.[12] Together, the Beatitudes present a new set of ideals that focus on love and humility rather than force and mastery; they echo the highest ideals of Jesus's teachings on spirituality and compassion.[12]
In Christian teachings, theWorks of Mercy, which have corporal and spiritual components, have resonated with the theme of the Beatitude for mercy.[13] These teachings emphasize that these acts of mercy provide both temporal and spiritual benefits.[14]
Matthew 5:13–16[15] presents the metaphors ofsalt and light. This completes the profile of God's people presented in the Beatitudes and acts as the introduction to the next section.
There are two parts in this section, using the terms "salt of the earth" andLight of the World to refer to the disciples – implying their value. Elsewhere, in John 8:12,[16] Jesus applies 'Light of the World' to himself.[17]
Jesus preaches aboutHell and what Hell is like: "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother "Raca (fool)" shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."[18]
InMatthew 6, Jesus condemns doing what would normally be "good works" simply for recognition and not from the heart, such as those ofalms (6:1–4),prayer (6:5–15), andfasting (6:16–18). The discourse goes on to condemn the superficiality ofmaterialism and calls the disciples not to worry about material needs orfret about the future, but to "seek"God's kingdom first. Within the discourse on ostentation, Matthew presents an example of correct prayer. Luke places this in a different context. TheLord's Prayer (6:9–13) contains parallels to 1 Chronicles 29:10–18.[23][24][25]
The first part ofMatthew 7 (Matthew 7:1–6)[26] deals with judging. Jesus condemns those who judge others without first sorting out their own affairs on the matter: "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Jesus concludes the sermon in Matthew 7:17–29[27] by warning againstfalse prophets.
The teachings of the Sermon on the Mount have been a key element ofChristian ethics, and for centuries the sermon has acted as a fundamental recipe for the conduct of the followers of Jesus.[28] Various religious and moral thinkers (e.g.Leo Tolstoy andMahatma Gandhi) have admired its message, and it has been one of the main sources ofChristian pacifism.[1][29]
If anyone will piously and soberly consider the sermon which our Lord Jesus Christ spoke on the mount, as we read it in the Gospel according to Matthew, I think that he will find in it, so far as regards the highest morals, a perfect standard of the Christian life.
The last verse of chapter 5 of Matthew (Matthew 5:48)[30] is a focal point of the Sermon that summarizes its teachings by advising the disciples to seek perfection.[31] The Greek wordtelios used to refer to perfection also implies an end, or destination, advising the disciples to seek the path towards perfection and the Kingdom of God.[31] It teaches that God's children are those whoact like God.[32][better source needed]
The teachings of the sermon are often referred to as the "Ethics of the Kingdom": they place a high level of emphasis on "purity of the heart" and embody the basic standard of Christianrighteousness.[33]
A central debate over the sermon is how literally its high ethical standards are meant to be applied to everyday life. Almost all Christian groups have developed non-literal ways to interpret and apply the sermon. North American Biblical scholarCraig S. Keener finds at least 36 different interpretations.[37] Biblical scholar Harvey K. McArthur lists 12 basic schools of thought:[38]
TheAbsolutist View interprets the Sermon on the Mount as conveying an unambiguous message regarding moral perfection and enduring persecution. For instance,Anabaptists claim to adhere to a literal interpretation, directly applying the sermon's teachings to their lives.[39]
Other Christians have addressed the issue byModifying the Text of the sermon. In antiquity, this modification was sometimes achieved through the alteration of the text itself to render it more acceptable. For example, some early scribes alteredMatthew 5:22, changing the phrase "whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment" to the softened, "whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." Similarly, the phrase "Love your enemies" was changed to "Pray for your enemies," among other revisions.
TheHyperbole View asserts that certain statements in the sermon are to be understood as exaggerations. A prominent example isMatthew 5:29–30, where believers are commanded to gouge out their eyes and cut off their hands if these body parts lead them to sin. However, there is some debate regarding which parts of the sermon should be interpreted figuratively.[38]
TheGeneral Principles View maintains that Jesus did not provide specific instructions but rather offered broad guidelines for behavior, outlining general principles of conduct.
TheDouble Standard View, widely accepted in the Middle Ages,[40] posits that the teachings of the sermon can be divided into general precepts and specific counsels. According to this view, the precepts apply to the broader population, while the specific counsels are directed toward a select group, typically thepious few. This view reserves a "higher ethic" for clergy, especially those inmonastic orders.[40]
TheTwo Realms View, associated with thetheology of Martin Luther,[41] separates the world into the religious and secular realms. According to this perspective, the sermon applies exclusively to the spiritual realm. In the secular world, individuals' obligations to family, employers, and society may require compromises. For instance, a judge may be compelled to sentence a criminal to death, but inwardly, he should grieve for the criminal's fate.
TheAnalogy of Scripture View suggests that the more stringent precepts of the sermon are moderated by other parts of the New Testament. For instance, both the Old and New Testaments hold that all people sin, so the command to "be perfect" cannot be taken literally, and even Jesus himself did not always obey the command to refrain from being angry with one's brother.
The notion ofAttitudes not Acts asserts that, while complete adherence to the Sermon on the Mount is unattainable, the focus should be placed on one's internal attitude rather than external actions.
TheInterim Ethic View holds that Jesus was convinced the world would end imminently, thus rendering material well-being irrelevant. In this view, survival in the world did not matter, as the end times would render earthly concerns obsolete. Although it was known earlier,Albert Schweitzer is particularly associated with popularizing this view.[38]
TheUnconditional Divine Will View, presented byMartin Dibelius, posits that while the ethical teachings of the sermon are absolute and unyielding, thefallen state of the world makes it impossible for humans to fully live according to them. Despite this, humans are still bound to strive towards this ideal, with the realization of the Kingdom of Heaven expected to bring fulfillment of these teachings.
TheRepentance View holds that Jesus knew that the precepts in his sermon were unattainable, and that it was meant to stimulaterepentance and faith in the Gospel, which teaches that we are saved not by works of righteousness, but faith in theatoning death and resurrection of Jesus.
While Matthew groups Jesus's teachings into sets of similar material, the same material is scattered when found in Luke.[1] The Sermon on the Mount may be compared with the similar but shorterSermon on the Plain as recounted by theGospel of Luke (Luke 6:17–49), which occurs at the same moment in Luke's narrative, and also features Jesus heading up a mountain, but giving the sermon on the way down at a level spot. Some scholars believe that they are the same sermon, while others hold that Jesus frequently preached similar themes in different places.[42]
^Oxford Archaeological Guide: The Holy Land. 4th edition, 2008. p 279.ISBN0-19-288013-6
^Although the speeches in Matthew 5-7 and in Luke 6 both begin with beatitudes and end with the parable of the two builders, the settings are interestingly different but involve the same components. Whereas Matthew has Jesus go up the mountain with his disciples, sit, and deliver his speech to the crowds, Luke (6:17) describes him coming down from the mountain with his disciples, standing on a level place, and speaking to the crowds.
^abcdeReading the Sermon on the Mount: by Charles H. Talbert 2004ISBN1-57003-553-9 pp. 21–26.
^abcdWhat are they saying about Matthew's Sermon on the mount?, Warren Carter 1994ISBN0-8091-3473-X pp. 35–47.
^Clontz, T.E. & J.,The Comprehensive New Testament with complete textual variant mapping and references for the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, Josephus, Nag Hammadi Library, Pseudepigrapha, Apocrypha, Plato, Egyptian Book of the Dead, Talmud, Old Testament, Patristic Writings, Dhammapada, Tacitus, Epic of Gilgamesh, Cornerstone, 2008, p. 451,ISBN978-0-9778737-1-5
^abMahoney, Jack (February 2012)."Catholicism Pure and Simple". 2nd, 3rd, and 4th paragraphs.The most widespread and notorious of these strategies was the double standard approach which developed by the time of the Middle Ages, requiring the sermon to be taken seriously by only some members of the Church.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
^Cahill, Lisa Sowle (April 1987). "The Ethical Implications of the Sermon on the Mount".Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology.41 (2):144–156.doi:10.1177/002096438704100204.S2CID170623512.The notion that the Sermon is impossible of fulfillment, but has a pedagogical function, is usually associated with Martin Luther or, as Jeremias puts it, with "Lutheran orthodoxy." However, Luther himself maintained that faith is active in works of love and that it is precisely faith which loving service presupposes and of which it is a sign. For this reason, Jeremias's own hermeneutic of the Sermon carries through Luther's most central insights. The Sermon indicates a way of life which presupposes conversion; the Sermon's portrayals of discipleship, while not literal prescriptions, create ideals and set burdens of proof for all concrete embodiments.
