1 Jesus, seeing the crowds, went up the hill and sat down. His students came to Him 2 and He taught them, saying:
3 “Spiritual beggars are awesome; the Kingdom of Heaven is like them. 4 The grieving are awesome; they’ll be summoned by God. 5 The kind are awesome; they’ll become heirs of the land. 6 Those who hunger and thirst for rightness are awesome; they’ll be filled. 7 The compassionate are awesome; they’ll be shown compassion. 8 The clean-hearted are awesome; they’ll see God. 9 The peacemakers are awesome; they’ll be called God’s children. 10 Those who’ve been oppressed over rightness are awesome; the Kingdom of Heaven is like them.
11 “When people yell at you all, and oppress and say evil lies about you because of Me, you’re awesome; 12 rejoice and dance for joy, because you gain great heavenly rewards. They oppressed the ancient prophets this way.
“Salt of the earth.” Mt 5.13.
13 “You’re all the salt of the earth. When salt’s flavor is leeched out, how can it be made salty? It’s good for nothing. It’s thrown outside for people to walk on.
“Light of the world.” Mt 5.14-16.
14 “You’re all the light of the world. A city laid out on a hill is unable to hide. 15 Nor do people burn a lamp hidden under a grain basket, but on the lampstand, and it illuminates everything in the house. 16 Thus your light should illuminate everyone, so they can see your good works and think well of your heavenly Father.
“Jesus’s most misunderstood teaching.” Mt 5.17-19.
17 “Don’t any of you assume I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to complete them. 18 Amen! I swear to you all that as long as the heavens and earth exist, not one yodh or one penstroke will ever be taken out of the Law until it’s achieved. 19 Whoever relaxes one of the smallest of these commands, and teaches people to do likewise, will be called the lowest in the heavenly Kingdom. Whoever does and teaches them will be called great in the heavenly Kingdom.
“Be better.” Mt 5.20.
20 “For I tell you that if rightness isn’t overabundant among you all, more so than the scholars and Pharisees, you’ll never enter the heavenly Kingdom.
“Never let anger destroy you.” Mt 5.21-26.
21 “You’ve all heard that it was said in the past, ‘Don’t murder,’ [Ex 20.13] and whoever does murder will be found guilty. 22 I tell you: Anyone angry with his fellow Jew will be found guilty. Anyone who tells his brother, ‘You f--ker,’ will be taken before the Senate; anyone who says, ‘You moron,’ will be deserving of hellfire. 23 So when you bring your gift to the altar, and you happen to remember that your fellow Jew has anything against you, 24 put down your gift in front of the altar and go away: Find your fellow Jew, work things out, then come bring your gift. 25 Be quick to cooperate with your opponent, whoever you get in the way of, lest your opponent turn you in to the judge, the judge to the bailiff, and you’re thrown into prison. 26 Amen! I swear to you, you’ll never come out of there until you work off your last cent.
“Manipulating Jesus in favor of favorite beliefs.” Mt 5.27-30.
27 “You’ve all heard it said, ‘Don’t cheat on your spouse.’ [Ex 20.14, Dt 5.17] 28 I tell you: Anyone who sees a woman and covets her, has cheated with her in his mind. 29 If your right eye trips you up, gouge it out and throw it away, because you’re better off with a destroyed body part than a destroyed body, which may be thrown onto the landfill. 30 And if your right hand trips you up, cut it off and throw it away, because you’re better off with a destroyed body part than a destroyed body, which may go into the landfill.
“Jesus and divorce.” Mt 5.31-32, Dt 24.1-2.
31 “It’s been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife: Give her a writ of divorce.’ [Dt 24.1] 32 I tell you: Anyone who divorces his wife, unless it’s a sexual matter, is cheating on her. Anyone who marries that divorcée is cheating with her.
“Jesus and oaths.” Mt 5.33-37, Nu 30.2.
33 “Again, you’ve all heard it said in the past, ‘Don’t perjure yourself; follow through with your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 I tell you: No swearing, period. Not by heaven, for it’s God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it’s a footstool for His feet; [Is 66.1] nor by Jerusalem, for it’s the great King’s city; 36 nor should you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. Keep your word: ‘Yes yes, no no.’ Going beyond this is only for evil reasons.
“Jesus and karma.” Mt 5.38-42, Dt 15.7-11.
38 “You’ve all heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye; tooth for tooth.’ [Ex 21.24, Lv 24.20, Dt 19.21] 39 I tell you: Don’t fight the evildoer. Instead, when anyone punches your jaw on the right, turn the other side to them. 40 When anyone takes you to court to take your shirt, give them your jacket too. 41 When anyone forces you to walk one mile, walk two with them. 42 When anyone asks of you, give. When anyone wants to borrow from you, you may not turn them away.
“Jesus and perfection.” Mt 5.43-48.
43 “You’ve all heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor; [Lv 19.18] hate your enemy.’ 44 I tell you: Love your enemies. Pray for your persecutors, 45 demonstrating that you’re children of your heavenly Father, whose sun rises over the evil and the good, whose rain falls on the fair and the unfair. 46 When you love your lovers, what do you gain by it? Publicans do likewise. 47 When you greet only your fellow Jews, how are you superior? Pagans do likewise. 48 Whereas you will not discriminate, just like your heavenly Father doesn’t discriminate.”
