The Sermon on the Mount #83

The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ most extended block of teaching, recorded in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. Delivered to his disciples with crowds listening, it covers character, the meaning of the law, prayer, money, worry, and judging others, and it is widely regarded as the heart of his ethical teaching.

Biblical Account

Matthew says that Jesus saw the crowds, went up on the mountain, sat down, and began to teach his disciples (Matthew 5:1-2). The sermon opens with the Beatitudes, a series of blessings on the poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness (Matthew 5:3-12). Jesus then calls his followers salt and light and insists that he has come not to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:13-20).

A series of contrasts follows, each beginning with a phrase like “Ye have heard that it was said… But I say unto you,” in which Jesus deepens commands about anger, lust, oaths, retaliation, and love for enemies (Matthew 5:21-48). Chapter 6 addresses giving, prayer, and fasting, warning against performing them to be seen by others, and includes the prayer traditionally called the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). It also urges trust in the Father rather than anxiety about food and clothing (Matthew 6:25-34). Chapter 7 turns to judging others, asking and receiving, the “golden rule” (Matthew 7:12), the narrow gate, and finally the parable of the wise and foolish builders, where the person who hears and does his words is like one who builds on rock (Matthew 7:24-27). Matthew closes by noting that the crowds were astonished because Jesus taught with authority (Matthew 7:28-29).

Luke records a shorter, similar discourse given on a level place, often called the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17-49). Scholars discuss whether these are two versions of one sermon or separate occasions. A later tradition places the Matthew setting on a hill near the Sea of Galilee, but the text names no specific mountain.

Theological Significance

The sermon presents life under God’s kingdom as one of inner transformation rather than outward compliance alone. Jesus locates righteousness in the heart, in motives and relationships, while affirming the continuing authority of Scripture. Christians have interpreted its demands in different ways, some as ideals that show the need for grace, others as direct instructions for disciples. Almost all agree that it presents a portrait of Christ-like character and of a community that trusts God as Father. Its phrases, from “turn the other cheek” to “the salt of the earth,” have shaped Western language and ethics far beyond the church.