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The sermon on the Mount
My Dear Gauri,
In an earlier letter I had mentioned to you, on the authority of a distinguished Buddhist Scholar, that if everything about the Buddha had been lost and only the Dhammapada survived that was enough as the Dhammapada summed up the Buddha’s teachings. Similarly, if all that Jesus had said during his lifetime were lost and only the Sermon on the Mount were left, that should suffice because it epitomizes the teachings of Jesus. A full record of that Sermon has been left for us by Mathew in his Gospel.
Jesus had been moving about in Galilee, teaching in synagogues-after all he was a Jew- and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and healing every disease and every infirmity among people. This had brought him fame, and people from all over Syria brought to him, as Mathew describes it, “the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics and paralytics” and Jesus healed them all. Bigger and bigger crowds kept following him wherever he went. Jesus therefore decided to go up a nearby mountain to address the assembled people.
I have been to Israel, Gauri, and seen the ‘mountain’ which is really a hillock, or rather a raised part of land. One can imagine Jesus walking up as high as he could (which wasn’t much) and asking the people to sit down, so that he could talk to them. No one took down his words and what has since been described as the Sermon on the Mount must have been compiled by Mathew from memory. It doesn’t really matter. The important thing is to remember the beauty and power of the Sermon and its central message of love.
The Sermon, as reproduced by Mathew, is over 4000 words long and I will mention only parts of it. Jesus said:
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its savour, how shall its saltines be restored?
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid, nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel.
Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets. I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgement…
If your right eye caused you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one part of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell…
Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is His footstool…
If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also... and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles…
Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you…
When you fast, do not look dismal…
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven…
No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and Mammon…
Judge not that you be not judged… do not throw pearls before swine…
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it will be opened to you.
Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves…
And Jesus taught the multitudes what to pray. And this is the prayer he taught the people:
Our father who art in heaven,
Hallowed by Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we also have forgiven our debtors…
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
Jesus spoke in the language of the people so that they could understand. He spoke in simple language, often invoking symbols, like that of a shepherd, with which the pastoral people were familiar. He spoke in parables – stories which the people could readily appreciate and enjoy. And above all, he spoke with authority. It was this that made an impression on his disciples who were to spread his message throughout Europe.
In my next letter I shall tell you about the bible.
Your loving
Ajja
My Dear Gauri,
In an earlier letter I had mentioned to you, on the authority of a distinguished Buddhist Scholar, that if everything about the Buddha had been lost and only the Dhammapada survived that was enough as the Dhammapada summed up the Buddha’s teachings. Similarly, if all that Jesus had said during his lifetime were lost and only the Sermon on the Mount were left, that should suffice because it epitomizes the teachings of Jesus. A full record of that Sermon has been left for us by Mathew in his Gospel.
Jesus had been moving about in Galilee, teaching in synagogues-after all he was a Jew- and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and healing every disease and every infirmity among people. This had brought him fame, and people from all over Syria brought to him, as Mathew describes it, “the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics and paralytics” and Jesus healed them all. Bigger and bigger crowds kept following him wherever he went. Jesus therefore decided to go up a nearby mountain to address the assembled people.
I have been to Israel, Gauri, and seen the ‘mountain’ which is really a hillock, or rather a raised part of land. One can imagine Jesus walking up as high as he could (which wasn’t much) and asking the people to sit down, so that he could talk to them. No one took down his words and what has since been described as the Sermon on the Mount must have been compiled by Mathew from memory. It doesn’t really matter. The important thing is to remember the beauty and power of the Sermon and its central message of love.
The Sermon, as reproduced by Mathew, is over 4000 words long and I will mention only parts of it. Jesus said:
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its savour, how shall its saltines be restored?
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid, nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel.
Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets. I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgement…
If your right eye caused you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one part of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell…
Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is His footstool…
If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also... and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles…
Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you…
When you fast, do not look dismal…
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven…
No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and Mammon…
Judge not that you be not judged… do not throw pearls before swine…
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it will be opened to you.
Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves…
And Jesus taught the multitudes what to pray. And this is the prayer he taught the people:
Our father who art in heaven,
Hallowed by Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we also have forgiven our debtors…
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
Jesus spoke in the language of the people so that they could understand. He spoke in simple language, often invoking symbols, like that of a shepherd, with which the pastoral people were familiar. He spoke in parables – stories which the people could readily appreciate and enjoy. And above all, he spoke with authority. It was this that made an impression on his disciples who were to spread his message throughout Europe.
In my next letter I shall tell you about the bible.
Your loving
Ajja
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