As they say…
“I sing praises to Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, and it brings tears to my eyes as I read it.”
– Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2ycjRV3hLQ)
“The Sermon on the Mount is one of the greatest pieces of text you will ever hear or read in your life. It is the highest discernment of the divine message.”
– Ibrahim Issa during the Court of Conscience program.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2mA2GOT_8)
“If anyone will… consider the sermon… on the mount… he will find in it, … the highest morals, a perfect standard of the Christian life.”
– St Augustine, Sermon on the Mount, Book I, Chapter 1.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2mA2-GOT_8)
My Impressions About
The Sermon on the Mount
not just words; they are spirit and life from the giver of life. And this is his advice to us: “everyone who hears these words of mine and lives by them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floodwaters came, and the winds blew, and they beat against that house, but it did not fall, because it was founded on rock.”
Also, the opposite is true, and the decision is yours!
Afterword
Christ has engraved his words on the walls of history, including its past, present, and future.
He is the only one who said “You have heard that it was said … But I tell you” and with that he (established the guiding constitution for the lost human soul and the way to eternal life.
He is also the only one who said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and whose burdens are heavy, and I will give you relief. .” No one, before or after him, dared to say such words. The winds may blow on the ship of life and the mighty waves toss it. But these words remain a beacon that shines in the midst of darkness, guiding the ship to safety in peace.
When Christ finished saying these things, “The people were astonished at his teaching, because he was teaching them with authority.” These are
Two Kinds of Foundations
24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and lives by them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floodwaters came, and the winds blew, and they beat against that house, but it did not fall, because it was founded on rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not live by them will be like an ignorant man who built his house on sand. 27 Then the rain fell, the floodwaters came, and the winds blew, and they struck that house, and it fell and was totally ruined.”
28 When Jesus finished saying this, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he was teaching them with authority — unlike their religious scholars.
(From The Sharif Bible, Matthew 5-7)
21 “It is not everyone who says to me ‘Master! Master!’ who will enter the Kingdom of God, but rather the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Master! Master! Was it not in your name that we prophesied, and in your name expelled demons, and in your name performed many miracles?’ 23 Then I will say to them publicly, ‘I do not know you at all; go away from me, you evildoers.’”
Beware of False Prophets
15 “Beware of the false prophets; they come to you like innocent lambs, but in reality they are predatory wolves. 16 You can know them by their fruits. Is it possible for us to pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from brambles? 17 Every good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 It is not possible for a good tree to produce bad fruit, or for a bad tree to produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus by their fruits you can know them.
The Narrow Gate
13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because the road to destruction is a wide gate and an easy route, and many people enter through it, 14 whereas the road to life is a narrow gate and a difficult route, and few people find it.”
Ask and You Will Receive
7 “Ask, and [God] will give to you; seek, and you will find; knock on the door, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives; and one who seeks, finds; [as for] one who knocks on the door, it will be opened to him. 9 Which of you, if your child requested bread from you, would give him a stone?
10 Or if he requested a fish, would give him a snake?
11 So if you evildoers know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
12 “Always treat others as you want them to treat you. This is a summary of what is written in the Torah and the Writings of the Prophets.”
Do Not Judge Anyone 7
1 “Do not judge anyone, so that God will not judge you. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged. And the measure with which you measure out to others is the same one by which it will be measured out to you. 3 Why do you look at the bit of straw in your brother’s eye, yet do not notice the plank of wood that is in your [own] eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the straw from your eye,’ while the plank is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! Remove the plank from your eye first, then it will be possible for you to see in order to remove the straw from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give holy things to dogs, and do not throw your gems to pigs; otherwise, they may trample on them with their feet, and they may turn against you and tear you apart.”
30 Now if the grass, which is found today in the field and is thrown tomorrow in the fire, is clothed by God in this way, will he not clothe you yourselves even more so, you of little faith?! 31 So do not worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 All these things [are what] the people of this world chase after, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 Instead, seek first for the Kingdom of God to spread and for his righteousness to prevail, and all these things will be given to you in addition to that. 34 So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
God Takes Care of Us
25 “This is the reason why I tell you not to worry about food or drink for your subsistence, or about clothes for your bodies. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not plant or harvest or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father provides for them. Are you not more important than they are by far? 27 Can any one of you, however much he worries, add even a single hour to his lifespan? 28 Why do you worry about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow; they neither toil nor spin [thread].
29 But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of them.
Treasure in Heaven
19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where insect larvae and rust can spoil them, and thieves can break in and steal them.
20 But rather accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where no insect larvae or rust can spoil them, and where no thieves can break in and steal them. 21 For your heart will be in the place where your treasure is.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, then your whole body will be illuminated.
23 But if it is bad, then your whole body will be in the dark. So if the light that is in you is darkness, then how intense the darkness in you is!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for he either will hate the first and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Fasting
16 “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they contort their faces to appear to people [to be] fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward. 17 Rather, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that it is not apparent to people that you are fasting, but only to your Father, whom no one sees. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will give you a reward.
9 “As for you, pray with a prayer like this one: Our Father who is in heaven, may your name be revered as holy. 10 May your Kingdom come; may your will be [done] on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Provide us today with bread sufficient for us. 12 And forgive us our sins, as we ourselves forgive those who wrong us. 13 Do not bring us into a time of testing, but rather save us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14 “If you forgive people for their wrongs, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive people, your Father will not forgive you your wrongs.”
Prayer
5 “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to stand for prayer in the house of worship and at the intersections of roads so that people may see them. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward. 6 Rather, when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father whom no one sees. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will give you a reward.
7 “When you pray, don’t repeat the words over and over as the pagans do, for they think that if their words are multiplied, they might be answered. 8 Do not be like them, because your Father knows your needs before you ask him.
Charitable Giving
1“You must not perform your religious duties in public with the intention that people see you; otherwise, there will be no reward for you with your Father who is in heaven. 2 Whenever you give charity [to the poor], do not announce it to everyone as the hypocrites do in the house of worship and on the street so that people will commend them. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward. 3 Rather, when you give charity, do not tell your left [hand] what your right [hand] is doing, 4 so that your charitable giving may be [done] in secret. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret will give you a reward.”
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said: ‘Love one another, but hate your enemy.’ 44 As for me, I say to you, love your enemies and pray for the good of those who persecute you, 45 so that you will be sons of your Father who is in heaven, for he makes his sun shine on [both] bad people and good people, and he makes it rain on [both] godly people and ungodly people. 46 For if you love whoever loves you, what is your reward? Even tax collectors do that! 47 And if you greet only your brothers, is there anything unusual about that? Even those who do not know God do that! 48 Therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Do Not Take Revenge
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 As for me, I say to you, do not take revenge on the one who wrongs you; rather, [if] someone hits you on your right cheek, turn the other to him. 40 [If] someone wants to sue you to take your shirt, leave him your coat as well, 41 and whoever forces you to walk one kilometer, go with him two kilometers. 42 Give to one who asks you, and do not turn away one who wants to borrow from you.”
Oaths
33 “You have also heard it was said to the people in times past, ‘Do not go back on your pledge, but give to God what you have sworn.’ 34 As for me, I say to you, do not swear at all — not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 35 and not by earth, because it is the place where he puts his feet, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, because you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Rather, when your intention is yes, say ‘yes,’ and when your intention is no, say ‘no.’ Anything that exceeds this is from the evil one.”
Divorce
31 “It has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But as for me, I say to you, everyone who divorces his wife, though she has not committed adultery, treats her as an adulteress, and anyone who marries a divorcée commits adultery.”
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But as for me, I say to you, whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your right eye is causing you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. For it is better for you that you lose [one] member of your [body] and not be thrown with your whole [body] into hell. 30 If your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away, for it is better for you that you lose [one] member of your [body] and not to go with your whole [body] to hell.”
Anger
21 “You have heard it was said to the people in times past, ‘Do not murder, and whoever murders faces judgment.’ 22 But as for me, I say to you, whoever gets angry at his brother faces judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-fornothing,’ shall face the High Council, and whoever says to him, ‘You fool,’ shall face the fire of hell. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar; first go and make peace with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Try to settle with your opponent quickly, even while you are on the way to the court with him; otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the officer, and then you will be put in prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out of there until you have paid the last penny you owe.”
Jesus Ful fi lls the Torah and the Writings of the Prophets
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Writings of the Prophets. I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, as long as heaven and earth exist, there will not fall from the Law a single letter or a single dot, until everything is fulfilled. 19 So anyone who violates even the least important of these commandments and teaches people to do likewise will have the lowest status in the Kingdom of God. As for anyone who keeps them and teaches them, he will have a high status in the Kingdom of God. 20 So I tell you, if your righteousness does not exceed that of the religious scholars and the Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of God.”
righteousness, for they have a share in the Kingdom of God. 11 How fortunate for you if they insult you and persecute you and slander you because you are my followers. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because your reward in heaven is great. For indeed they persecuted the prophets who were before you in the same way.”
You Are Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, we cannot restore its taste; it is not good for anything but is thrown out, and people step on it. 14 You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden from sight. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a container! Instead, he places it on a stand, and then it gives light to all those in the house. 16 In the same way, your light should shine before people, so that they see your good deeds and praise your Father who is in heaven.”
The Good News By
Matthew
How Fortunate for You
1 When he saw the crowd, he went up the mountain and sat down, and his disciples drew near to him. 2 Then he started to teach them, saying: 3 “How fortunate for the poor in spirit, for they have a share in the Kingdom of God. 4 How fortunate for those who are sorrowful, for they will be comforted. 5 How fortunate for those who are humble, for they will inherit the earth. 6 How fortunate for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. 7 How fortunate for those who are merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 How fortunate for those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. 9 How fortunate for those who make peace, for they will be called the sons of God. 10 How fortunate for those whom people persecute because of [their]
This is a new message, a unique teaching that no one has ever come with before. So, before us now are principles of life from the Lord of life. And, although this speech addresses many topics, they are interconnected in a wonderful way. It expresses Christ’s character: how he interacts with people, both friends and enemies, both those who honor him and those who persecute him. It reveals to us how he prays, how he fasts, how he tithes, and how he interacts with the opposite sex in purity and honor. In the same way, he is the one who gives us the spiritual strength and the courage to conduct our lives according to what he commands and what he expects from us. Certainly, no human can do these things in his own strength. Doing what Christ commands – for someone who does not know Christ as Lord and Savior – is impossible. But when we are born again by the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ, then by the power of God’s Spirit, we can achieve such victories.
Preface
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate* His Majesty, the King of kings, announces the coming of the Kingdom of God; and here he presents us with his opening word as he assumes his role as king. This is the Throne Speech, the Constitution of our Lord the Messiah, the Sermon on the Mount! These are the King's policies, what he expects of his followers in their lives, behavior, way of thinking, and way of dealing with one another. This is the most complete recorded sermon of our blessed Lord the Redeemer.
* This expression comes directly from the Bible (For example, Exodus 34:6, Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8, Luke 1:78, James 5:11). Similar phrases are found at 2 Chronicles 30:9, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 111:4, Psalm 145:8, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2. Arab Christians were the first to use the expression “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate” and this was centuries before Islam. This expression was also found in ancient manuscripts in Yemen dating back to the pre-Islamic Arabs. Then the Antiochene Syriacs used the phrase “In the name of God, Most Merciful, Most Gracious,” which means the same thing. Considering our faith in Christ, this phrase means: I begin reading in the presence of God, and I ask the Almighty to guide me as I read, and to guard me so that I read carefully and understand His words.
Sharif Bible Society
The Inaugural Address
The constitution of Lord Christ
That He Delivered to His Followers
Known as
The Sermon on the Mount