1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 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, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
The fifth chapter of the Book of Matthew in the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible is a pivotal one, as it marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. It is in this chapter that Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most famous and influential speeches in Christian theology. The Sermon on the Mount covers a wide array of moral and ethical issues, and it introduces many of the key teachings of Jesus. This includes the Beatitudes, the teachings on salt and light, the fulfillment of the law, teachings on anger, adultery, divorce, oaths, retaliation, and love for enemies.
The chapter begins with Jesus seeing the multitudes and deciding to ascend a mountain, where he sits down and begins to teach his disciples. This is a significant moment, as it symbolizes Jesus assuming the role of a rabbi or teacher, a role that he will continue to embody throughout his ministry.
Jesus begins his sermon with the Beatitudes, a series of blessings that outline the characteristics and behaviors that are pleasing to God. These include being poor in spirit, mourning, being meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, being merciful, being pure in heart, being peacemakers, and being persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Each Beatitude begins with the word ‘blessed’, which in this context means ‘divinely or supremely happy’; each Beatitude also ends with a promise of reward.
The Beatitudes represent a radical redefinition of happiness and success. They suggest that true happiness is not found in wealth, power, or worldly success, but in a humble, righteous, and compassionate life that seeks God and his righteousness. They also suggest that those who suffer for righteousness’ sake will be rewarded in the Kingdom of Heaven.
After the Beatitudes, Jesus introduces the metaphors of salt and light. He tells his disciples that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and he encourages them to let their light shine before others. These metaphors serve as a call to discipleship. As salt, disciples are called to preserve and add flavor to the world; as light, they are called to illuminate the world with the love and truth of God.
The salt and light teachings also suggest that discipleship is not a private affair, but a public one. Disciples are called to make a positive impact on the world and to bear witness to the love and truth of God in their words and actions.
Jesus then addresses the law, stating that he has not come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them. He insists that not one jot or tittle will pass from the law until all is accomplished. This statement affirms the continuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and it asserts that Jesus’ teachings do not contradict the law, but rather fulfill it.
Jesus then warns that those who break the least of the commandments and teach others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, while those who do and teach the commandments will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. He also states that unless one’s righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, one will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
The remainder of the chapter contains a series of radical teachings on various moral and ethical issues. Jesus teaches that anger is akin to murder, lust is akin to adultery, and divorce, except on the grounds of sexual immorality, is akin to adultery. He also teaches that one should not make oaths, but should simply let one’s ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and one’s ‘no’ be ‘no’.
In addition, Jesus teaches that one should not retaliate against an evil person, but should turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, and give to the one who asks. He also teaches that one should love one’s enemies and pray for those who persecute one, for this is what the children of the Heavenly Father do. These teachings challenge the common wisdom of the time and call for a higher standard of morality and ethics based on love, forgiveness, and non-retaliation.
In conclusion, the fifth chapter of the Book of Matthew is a profound and challenging chapter that presents many of the key teachings of Jesus. It calls for a radical redefinition of happiness and success, a high standard of morality and ethics, and a life of humble, righteous, and compassionate discipleship. It affirms the continuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and it asserts the central role of love, forgiveness, and non-retaliation in the Christian life.
The fifth chapter of the Book of Matthew is a call to discipleship, a call to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, a call to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. It is a call to live a life that is pleasing to God and beneficial to others, a life that reflects the love and truth of God in words and actions.
In essence, the fifth chapter of the Book of Matthew presents a vision of the Christian life that is both challenging and inspiring. It presents a vision of a life that is marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It presents a vision of a life that is lived in harmony with God and others, a life that is fulfilling and meaningful.
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