The Beatitudes (Matthew 5)
When I saw the multitudes following Me, I went to the top of a hill to teach My disciples and the multitudes. This is what I started teaching them:
“When you are poor in spirit—totally dependent on Me—the kingdom of heaven is yours.“When you mourn—broken over sin in your life— I will give you consolation.“When you are meek—willing to set aside your rights—I will give you possession of the earth.
“When you are hungry and you thirst after righteousness—having a desire for outward holiness— you will be satisfied by My presence.
“When you are merciful—looking on others—I will show mercy to you.
“When you are pure—desiring inward holiness—then you shall see Me.
“When you are a peacemaker—building relationship in others—you will be called a child of God.“When you are persecuted for righteousness’ sake—suffering for Me— yours will be the kingdom of heaven.“When you are persecuted falsely—because of your loyalty to Me—you will accept it as a rich reward because this is what the enemies of God did to the prophets and to Me.
“Be like the salt of the earth, so through you I can make people thirsty for My presence. If you lose your ability to influence people, you might as well be thrown away like salt that has lost its saltiness.
“I want you to be a light to the world, so that people will know how to find their way to Me. People don’t put a candle under a bucket. They put it in a candle holder, so it can light a whole room. Let your light shine to all people so they can see My works through you, and glorify My Father in heaven.
“I didn’t come to do away with the teachings of the Old Testament, but to fulfill the prophecies about Me. Not one dot and comma can be changed in the Old Testament Scriptures. Everything it promises will come to pass just the way it was predicted. Any one who breaks one commandment of the law, or teaches people to break them, will be last in the kingdom. When you keep or teach others to keep the commands, you will be great in the kingdom.
“Accept My imputed righteousness to you which is greater than the self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. You know it has been said long ago that whoever kills will be in danger of eternal judgment. But I tell you, never become so angry with anyone that you condemn yourself to punishment. Anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be punished in hell fire. As you begin to pray and remember someone who is mad at you, you will stop praying and go reconcile yourself with that offended person, and then you will pray to Me. You will come to terms with those who sue you before you meet them in court, lest the judge agrees with your opponent and they put you in jail or make you pay the full cost.
“You have heard this said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ I say, don’t even have impure intentions, lest you commit adultery in your heart. If anything entices you to sin, get rid of it from your life. It is best for you to get rid of a stumbling block than to lose your testimony or life. If part of your body is a snare to you, ignore it, as though it’s not there. It’s best to lose the use of part of your body than to destroy your whole body and perhaps even your soul.”
I quoted the Old Testament, that a notice of divorce must be given before putting away a spouse. Then I said, “If you put away a wife for any reason, other than unfaithfulness, both you and she have become adulterers.”
I again quoted the Old Testament saying, “You shall not swear falsely, but shall do what you swear as a commitment to the Lord.” Then I added, “But I say to you, do not swear at all; neither by heaven, or God’s throne, nor by the earth for it is God’s footstool, nor by Jerusalem because it is God’s city. Don’t swear by anything, because you can’t make one hair black or white.” I gave this commandment, “Tell people what you will do, and do what you say; your word of promise should be enough.”
I quoted the ancients, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” but that principle is not our standard. I also said, “Don’t take revenge; if someone hits you on the right cheek, offer them the left cheek. If a man asks to take away your coat, give him your overcoat also. If anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. If anyone wants to borrow something, do not turn that person down.”
“You have heard it said to love your friends and hate your enemies. But I say do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. Treat them as you want to be treated, so that you will be of my heavenly Father, because He makes the sun rise on evil people and good people, and sends rain on the evil and the good.” I said, “If you love only those who love you, there is no spiritual reward in that; even sinners love those who love them. Love your enemies and do good things to those who hate you, because I said, ‘You would receive a rich reward, and should show everyone that you are a child of the Most High.’”
Paraphrase by Dr. Elmer Towns, editor of The Bible by Jesus: Gospel Edition
