"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see G.o.d.
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of G.o.d.
"Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness" sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.
"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.
"Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE KINGDOM.
"Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pa.s.s away, one jot or one t.i.ttle shall in no wise pa.s.s away from the law, till all things be accomplished. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.
"Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, "Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:"
but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, "Raca," shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, "Thou fool," shall be in danger of the h.e.l.l of fire.
"If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing.
"Ye have heard that it was said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery:" but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to l.u.s.t after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into h.e.l.l. And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into h.e.l.l.
"It was said also, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:" but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery.
"Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, "Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:" but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of G.o.d; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your speech be, "Yea, yea; Nay, nay:" and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.
"Ye have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:" but I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. Give to every one that asketh thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.
"Ye have heard that it was said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy:" but I say unto you, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you, that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same? And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much. But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
THE DANGER OF HYPOCRISY.
"Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
"When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.
"And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee. And in praying use not vain repet.i.tions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
"For if ye forgive men their trespa.s.ses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespa.s.ses, neither will your Father forgive your trespa.s.ses.
"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.
SIMPLE TRUST IN G.o.d.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.
"The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve G.o.d and mammon.
"Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are not ye of much more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life?
"And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if G.o.d doth so clothe the gra.s.s of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Be not therefore anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or, "What shall we drink?" or, "Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father"s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
"Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
CHARITABLE JUDGMENT.
"Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful. And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released: give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again."
And he spake also a parable unto them, "Can the blind guide the blind?
shall they not both fall into a pit? The disciple is not above his teacher: but every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother"s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how canst thou say to thy brother, "Brother, let me cast out the mote that is in thine eye," when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother"s eye.
"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you."
PRAYER.
And he said unto them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say to him, "Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;" and he from within shall answer and say, "Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee?" I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needeth.
"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you that is a father, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent; or if he shall ask an egg, will give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
SINCERITY.
"Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep"s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.