The Sermon on the Mount

The Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1- 12

Prior to preaching the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus traveled all over Galilee. His fame went throughout Syria (Matthew 4:24).

Jesus Christ’s Holy feet walked on the land, and made it to be called Holy. ”News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them”

Jesus gave the greatest sermon in history, the Sermon on the Mount on Mount Hermon, in Syria according to the Gospel of Matthew, Syria is the cradle of the prophets and apostles and the center that spreads the gospel from Antioch in Syria to the world, and paved the way of the forefathers of the Church to continue.

Syria is called “the cradle of civilizations and Semitic peoples, and their languages?” God spoke on Mount Horeb, Hermon, and Golgotha, and most of the prophecies on its land were fulfilled.

The news of on extraordinary man spread and crowds gathered to see him. They came from all parts to hear him speak, but his sermon which contained the highest teachings, he reserved for his disciples, for the ones who were spiritually ready. He took them to the hillside where they would not be interrupted by those who wanted less than his supreme truth.

And seeing the multitudes Jesus went into the mountain: and he was set, his disciples came to him: and he opened his mouth and taught them saying ……

Every spiritual teacher has two sets of teachings, one for the multitude, and the other for the disciples. The inner truth he revealed only to his intimate disciples. An illumined teacher can transmit to those who are ready the power which unfolds the divine consciousness latent within them.

Anyone who sincerely wants the treasure, who seeks the truth, can benefit from the message given in the Sermon on the Mount and can become a disciple. Jesus in his sermon speaks of the conditions of discipleship, which must be fulfilled and for which one must prepare oneself. He teaches the ways and means to attain purification of the hearts, so that the truth of God may be fully revealed to us.

“Blessed are the pure in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.

In this beatitude Jesus speaks of the primary characteristic which a disciple must have before he is ready to accept what the illumined teacher has to offer him. He must be pure in spirit, he must be humble.

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted”.

As long as we think that we are rich in worldly goods or in knowledge, we cannot make spiritual progress. Spirit is beyond the mind and knowing. When we feel that we are poor in spirit, when we grieve because we have not realized the truth of God, then only will we be comforted. We all mourn or grieve, but we must ask ourselves, for what are we grieving? The mourning of which Jesus speaks or which he calls blessed , is very rare, because it arises from a sense of spiritual loss, spiritual loneliness. It is a mourning which comes before God will comfort us.

 “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”.

Most people think that it is the rich that inherit the earth, but it is the meek. Meekness implies to live a God surrendered life, free from the sense of “me” and “mine”. This does not mean that we should rid ourselves of possessions, of family and friends, but we should rid ourselves of the idea that they belong to us. They belong to God. As soon as we understand this truth and give up our deluded individual claim, we find that in the truest sense everything belongs to us after all, since all is One. Many people dislike this saying, because they think that the meek can never achieve anything. But by sincerely giving up the ego to God, by being meek, we will gain everything. We will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled”.

What is this righteousness for which Jesus wants us to hunger and thirst? It is the righteousness which in the Bible is practically synonymous with salvation, in other words with deliverance from evil and union with God. This righteousness is not what we ordinarily think of as moral virtue or good qualities, not relative good as opposed to evil, or relative virtue as opposed to vice, but absolute righteousness, absolute goodness. The hunger and thirst of which Jesus speaks is hunger and thirst after God himself.

Job 33:26

“Then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness”.

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy”

To be merciful is one of the conditions before we can receive God. Envy, Jealousy, hatred, are some of the universal weaknesses in man. They are linked to the ego sense. How can they be overcome? By raising on opposite thought in our mind. When someone is happy about something, one should not be jealous. When someone is unhappy, one should feel sympathy and be merciful. Any thought of hate, even a so called righteous hatred of evil will raise a wave of hatred and evil in one’s own mind, increasing ignorance and restlessness. If we want God, we have to express mercy.

“Blessed are the pure at heart: for they shall see God”.

In every religion we find two principles: the ideal to be realized and the method of realization. Every scripture in the world has proclaimed the truth that God exists and that the purpose of man’s life is to know him. Every great spiritual teacher has taught that man realize God and be reborn in Spirit. In the Sermon on the Mount the attainment of this ideal is expressed as the perfection of God: “Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” The method of realization which Jesus teaches is the purification of the heart which leads to that perfection.

What is this purity which we must have before God reveals himself to us? We all know of people whom we would describe as pure in an ethical sense, but they have not seen God. What is the reason? Ethical life, the practice of moral virtues, is needed as a preparation for spiritual life and therefore is a fundamental teaching in every religion. But it does not enable us the see God. It is only the foundation of the structure.

What is the test of purity? Try to think of God now, this very moment. What do you find? The thought of his presence passes through your mind, perhaps like a flash. Then distractions appear, you think of everything else but God. These distractions show that the mind is still impure and therefore not ready to receive the vision of God. These impurities consist of various impressions which the mind has gathered since birth.   

There are many ways to purify the heart, but the main principle is devotion to God. The more we think of God and take refuge in him, the more we shall love him and the purer our hearts will become.     

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God”.

When we experience a relationship with God, we become his children and peacemakers. Of course it is true that we are always his children, even in ignorance. But in ignorance our ego is self assertive and forgets God. We cannot bring peace until we have realized our oneness with God and with all beings.     

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake”.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for sp persecuted they the prophets which were before you”.

Worldly people do not understand the value of the spiritual life. Often they mock at the spiritual person and at times they revile and injure him. But a spiritual person does not react to this. His mind is fixed on God; therefore he feels the unity, he sees the ignorance and he is merciful. But whether he is criticized or harmed, he does not compromise; he does not choose to please the worldly people.     

Jesus praying on the cross, “Father forgive them; for they do not know what they do”.              

Jesus tells us that the reward for those who are persecuted for God’s sake is heaven. And so the reward for the illumined soul who does not react to any injury done to him is immediate, because he knows that heaven is always present within him as well as without, even in this life. He sees God, as Self dwelling within his own heart. He sees God pervading the whole universe. He sees God in everything and everyone. People may think that the persecuted saint is suffering. They do not realize that his mind, absorbed in God, has transcended the physical consciousness, and that the saint therefore has overcome the

tribulation of this world even while living on earth.                                   

                               The Kingdom Of God

                     The Kingdom of God, proclaimed through all the world,

                     Gives hope for the future of every boy and girl,

                     For a world of peace and joy and love,

                     Ruled by our Savior of Earth and Heaven above.

                    When Jesus comes again, to put all things right,

                    The deaf shall hear, the blind will have sight.

                    Truth will be taught, no lie shall stand,

                    When the Light of Life lives with mankind.

                    The King of Peace, with justice shall reign,

                    All evil-doers will be consigned to the flame.

                    No more in darkness, their deeds to plot

                    Against the innocent, they'll be forgot.

                    Cleansed, made new, the Earth shall grow

                    Ever more like Heaven, even here below.

                    The lion will lay down with the lamb,

                    And none shall harm in all the land.

                    Finally and at long last,

                    The Earth and man, as they were first cast,

                    Shall be innocent, clean and perfectly free

                    To live as one with God, eternally!

                             

                   -  Jennifer Wenzel -

                                                                           Matthew chapters 5, 6, 7