If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you …
Love your neighbor.
You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you …
An Eye for an Eye
“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist …
Tell the truth!
Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I …
Divorce
It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes …
Tear it out!
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out, and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members that for your whole …
First things first!
“…when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; …
Mental Murder
You have heard….You shall not murder…But I say that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother …
You’ve got to be kidding!
“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” Matthew 5:20 …
Least and Greatest
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill… Therefore whoever breaks one of the least …
You are light!
You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under a bushel basket, but on …
You are salt!
This saying from the Sermon on the Mount actually helps to understand the previous blessing being spoken over the persecuted. How so? By showing how disciples are to be in …
Blessedness and Persecution
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and …
Blessedness and Peacemaking
Pursue peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no …
Blessedness and Purity
Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. Psalm 73:1 Purity of heart is the Greek word, katharos, from which we get the word “cathartic” and …
Blessedness and Mercy
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the …
Blessedness and Hunger
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6, NRSV William Barclay wrote, “By implication, [this Beatitude] lays down the main cause of …
Blessed are the Meek
Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb. Trust in the …
Blessedness and Mourning
You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.You do not want a burnt offering.The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.You will not reject a broken and …
Blessedness and Poverty
If we…were asked to guess the kind of people Jesus would pick for special commendation, we might be tempted to guess one sort or another of spiritual hero….If so, we …