The Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount Matt. 5 (Part 1)Matt. 5 (Part 1)

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The story so far…The story so far…

• Sharing by facilitators:

The parables and miracles of Jesus.

The Kingdom of God; The Kingdom The Kingdom of God; The Kingdom of Heaven; The Reign of Godof Heaven; The Reign of God

• John’s proclamation: “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.” Matt. 3:2.

• The coming of God’s reign was used by Jesus as the keynote of His mission.

• To carry out the will of the Father, Christ inaugurated the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

The Kingdom of GodThe Kingdom of God(The Kingdom of Heaven)(The Kingdom of Heaven)

• Luke 4:43 But he said to them,”I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God… for I was sent for this purpose.”

• Jesus’ invitation to enter His Kingdom comes in the form a parables, a characteristic feature of His teaching.

• Jesus accompanies His words with mighty wonders and signs Lk 7:22 “…the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news brought to them.”

The Kingdom of GodThe Kingdom of God(The Kingdom of Heaven)(The Kingdom of Heaven)

• The good news of what God’s love is doing in the world and what will happen if people respond to God’s love by listening to God’s word and aligning their will with the will of God.

• Everyone is called to enter the Kingdom.

• One only has to be willing to make the radical choice to give up everything, accept Jesus’ word and follow Jesus.

The Kingdom is for everyone; especially the The Kingdom is for everyone; especially the poor and the sinners. poor and the sinners.

• For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10)

• I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (Jn. 10:10)

• Jesus identifies Himself with the poor of every kind and makes active love of them a condition of entering the Kingdom of Heaven.

Values of the KingdomValues of the Kingdom

From the Preface of the Feast of Christ the King:“As a King he claims dominion over all creation,that he may present to you, his almighty Father,an eternal and universal kingdom:a kingdom of truth and life,a kingdom of holiness and grace,a kingdom of justice, love and peace.”

The Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount (Mathew 5) (Mathew 5)

The Beatitudes

5: 3 - 11

THE BEATITUDESTHE BEATITUDES

•The Latin word for blessed is beatus, from which we get the word beatitude.

The BeatitudesThe Beatitudes

• CCC 1716

The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of Heaven.

• The beatitudes are eight statements taught by Jesus. They are concerned with virtue and how a believer in Jesus Christ can achieve that virtue. The Beatitudes are a map of life, a series of directives helping us on our journey to be with God. They also designate the actual condition of people who follow God's guidelines.

• They are simply stated, but are profound in meaning. They guide. They point. They teach. They show us the values that Christ cares about. These values if followed, can not only bring a believer into a state of peace and happiness, but also right into the Kingdom of God after our journey on this earth is over.

• The Ten Commandments, given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, relates a series of "Thou shalt nots," evils one must avoid in daily life on earth. In contrast, the message of Jesus was one of humility, charity, and brotherly love. He taught transformation of the inner person. Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward.

The BeatitudesThe Beatitudes

The eight Beatitudes have continuity and are as follows:

The BeatitudesThe Beatitudes

• 1. “The Poor in Spirit”

2. “They That Mourn”

3. “The Meek”

4. To “Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness”

5. “The Merciful”

6. “The Pure in Heart”

7. “The Peacemakers”

8. “Those Who Are Persecuted”

1. “The Poor in Spirit”1. “The Poor in Spirit”

• The humble and modest (5:3). Nothing they have is their own,

all is a gift from God.

Theirs is a life of total reliance on and trust in God.

1. “The Poor in Spirit”1. “The Poor in Spirit”

• They see their want.

They interiorly acknowledge their neediness whatever it may be.

They are not attached to money or possessions, and do not let material things dominate their lives.

2. “They That Mourn” 2. “They That Mourn”

• Means to grieve for one’s own pain and in solidarity with others (5:4).

• Those who suffer. To have a godly sorrow, which

brings true repentance, watchfulness, and a sense of responsibility.

3. “The Meek” 3. “The Meek”

• Describes not the weak, but rather strength that is surrendered to God and restrained by love. (5:5).

The meek are those who quietly submit to God.

Who can bear insult; are silent, or return a gentle answer.

4. To “Hunger and Thirst After 4. To “Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness” Righteousness”

• Signifies the strong desire to become more Christ-like (5:6).

To stand up for what is true, right and just.

Our desire for God’s grace to do his will at all times.

5. “The Merciful” 5. “The Merciful”

• Show an attitude of forgiveness towards those who have hurt or wronged us. (5:7).

Bear our own afflictions patiently.

Do all we can to help those who are in misery.

We must have compassion for others.

6. “The Pure in Heart” 6. “The Pure in Heart”

• Having honest motives; not being deceptive or manipulative.

Strive daily for clean living (5:8). They single-mindedly seek God.

We pray that our actions are purified by faith, and centre on God’s law.

7. “The Peacemakers” 7. “The Peacemakers” • Exert a calming influence in the storms of

life (5:9). They love, and desire, and delight in

peace. They keep the peace so that it is not

broken, and recover it if it breaks. They see genuine healing and

reconciliation in times of conflict.

8. “Those Who Are 8. “Those Who Are Persecuted” Persecuted”

• Denotes faithfulness under duress because of our faith in Jesus (5:10-12).

Particular to Christianity; in the footsteps of Christ who was rejected by his own people.

It is more largely insisted upon than any of the rest.

What is Jesus telling us?What is Jesus telling us?

How different are the values of Jesus from those of this world! The world calls the proud happy, and the rich blessed.We admire the fun loving, the leisured, the powerful, and the victorious.

May we find mercy from the Lord; may we be owned as his children, and inherit his Kingdom. With Christ’s blessings and hopes, we may cheerfully welcome all adversity, unpleasant or painful circumstances.

Read On…Read On…

• Matthew 5 : 13 - 32

So far…Matthew 5So far…Matthew 5

• The Beatitudes 3 - 12• Disciples relationship to the world 13 - 16.• Jesus is the culmination of God’s self-revelation

17 - 20• Disciples must respect life and work for

reconciliation 21 – 26• Disciples must not just avoid adultery, they must

have hearts free of lust. 27 – 30• Disciples must respect the marriage commitment

31 – 32

Matthew 5: 33 - 37Matthew 5: 33 - 37• Disciples must respect the truth.

• For people of the Kingdom who live in sincerity and mutual trust with one another, simple statements are enough.

• “Above all my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” James 5:12

Matthew 5: 38 – 47 Matthew 5: 38 – 47

Disciples must not return violence for violence.An empowering of his disciples “Why are you so

afraid to love universally? What have you got to lose?”

• “Love for enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world. Jesus is not an impractical idealist, he is the practical realist. Our responsibility as Christians is to discover the meaning of this command and seek passionately to live it out.” Dr. Martin Luther King.

• “I have never yet met an enemy whom I did not try to turn into a friend.” Nelson Mandela.

Matthew 5: 43 - 47Matthew 5: 43 - 47

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• “Do not overcome evil with evil but evil with good.” Romans 12:21

• “See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15.

Matthew 5: 43 - 47Matthew 5: 43 - 47Disciples must love as God loves.• Gr. agape: a commitment to value a person, a

love of choice.• Not eros – passionate love• Not philia – platonic love between friends• Agape: This kind of love concerns not feeling but

decisions: faithful commitment to the good of another. This love is from Christ; it is a participation in His love.

• “Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”. Ephesians 5: 1 - 2

Final CommandFinal Command

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matt 5:48

Conclusion:Conclusion:

• We need to put into practice the teachings of Jesus into our lives.

Apply them to our way of living now. Continually work the teachings into

our lives. It is a life-long process.

God to enfold meGod to surround me,God in my speakingGod in my thinking.

 God in my sleepingGod in my waking

God in my watchingGod in my hoping

 God in my life,

God on my lips,God in my soul,God in my heart.

 God in my sufficingGod in my slumber,

God in my ever-living soul,God in mine eternity.

                                                                           Carmina Gadelica