Life Recovery Bible - Flipbook - Page 16
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and illness. 24 News about him spread as far as
Syria, and people soon began bringing to him
all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed
them all. 25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten
Towns,* Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and
from east of the Jordan River.
CHAPTER 5
The Sermon on the Mount
One day as he saw the crowds gathering,
Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat
down. His disciples gathered around him,
2
and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
3
“God blesses those who are poor and
realize their need for him,*
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4
God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5
God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
6
God blesses those who hunger and
thirst for justice,*
for they will be satisfied.
7
God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8
God blesses those whose hearts
are pure,
for they will see God.
9
God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children
of God.
10
God blesses those who are persecuted
for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11
“God blesses you when people mock you
and persecute you and lie about you and say
all sorts of evil things against you because
you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be
very glad! For a great reward awaits you in
heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets
were persecuted in the same way.
Teaching about Salt and Light
13
“You are the salt of the earth. But what
good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you
make it salty again? It will be thrown out and
trampled underfoot as worthless.
14
“You are the light of the world—like a
city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No
one lights a lamp and then puts it under a
basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand,
where it gives light to everyone in the house.
16
In the same way, let your good deeds shine
out for all to see, so that everyone will praise
your heavenly Father.
Teaching about the Law
17
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come.
I did not come to abolish the law of M
oses
or the writings of the prophets. No, I came
to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the
truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not
even the smallest detail of God’s law will
disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So
if you ignore the least commandment and
teach others to do the same, you will be
called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But anyone who obeys God’s laws and
teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20
“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the
teachers of religious law and the Pharisees,
you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
Teaching about Anger
21
“You have heard that our ancestors were
told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’*
22
But I say, if you are even angry with someone,* you are subject to judgment! If you
call someone an idiot,* you are in danger of
:25 Greek Decapolis.
4
5:3 Greek poor in spirit.
5:6 Or for righteousness.
5:21 Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17. 5:22a Some
manuscripts add without cause.
5:22b Greek uses an Aramaic term of contempt: If you say to your brother, ‘Raca.’
5:3-5 We cannot experience God-blessed recovery without true humility. Pride often stands in the
way of our dealing with painful problems and destructive dependencies. If we cannot admit our
problems and sins, there can be no real cure for us. When we humble ourselves before God, we
mourn and grieve over our mistakes and losses. As we do this, we will experience the wonderful
comfort that only God can offer (see 2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
5:21-22, 27-29 Anger and lust are two dangerous pitfalls that threaten all of us in one way or
another. Intense emotions and desires must be dealt with from the inside out. Those of us burning
with rage, lust, or some other addictive behavior generally think we can control it. But we eventually and invariably lose control. Jesus shows how the patterns of anger and lust are serious and far
too powerful for us to control alone. We can begin the path toward victory by admitting that we
are powerless and looking to our powerful God for help.
