The Gospel According to St. Matthew

The Sermon on the Mount

The first discourse in Matthew is the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7. It is considered one of Jesus’ most famous teachings and includes the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, and teachings on righteousness and living a God-centered life.

The Beatitudes: Jesus lists eight blessings for those who are poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

Righteousness: Jesus emphasizes that true righteousness goes beyond following the letter of the law and involves inner attitudes and motives.

Fulfilling the Law: Jesus teaches that the law should be followed not just externally but also internally, and that it should be obeyed not just for fear of punishment but out of love for God.

Judging others: Jesus warns against judgmental attitudes and encourages forgiveness and mercy.

Trust in God: Jesus teaches the importance of relying on God and not on material possessions.

The Lord’s Prayer: Jesus teaches his disciples a model prayer to follow.

The Beatitudes

Blessed Are: For:
Poor in Spirit Theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Those who mourn They will be comforted
The Meek They will inherit the earth
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness They will be filled
The Merciful They will receive mercy
The pure in heart They will see God
The peacemakers They will be called children of God
Those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake Theirs is the kingdom of heaven
You when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kids of evil falsely Your reward is great in heaven

Righteousness

The Law But I Say
You shall not murder If you are angry […] you will be liable for judgement
You shall not commit adultery Everyone who looks with lust has already committed adultery
Divorce is allowed If you divorce, except unchastity, you cause adultery // whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery
Do not swear falsely Do not swear at all
Eye for an eye Turn the other cheek
Love neighbor and hate your enemy Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Lords Prayer