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Sermon on the Mount

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The Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount has been one of the essential teachings of the church throughout the centuries, but it has not always been understood in the same manner. Many individuals have interpreted it in different ways, majority admiring it, others accepting it, some just flat out trashing it. But, the fact of the matter still stands that the specific lifestyle taught in the sermon is simply impossible for a person to achieve completely. Overall, I believe that the lifestyle presented in the Sermon on the Mount is a mixture of hyperboles and metaphors rather than literal teachings from Jesus. I do not agree at the idea of contradicting everything the sermon states. Interpreting it in a more general sense instead of overanalyzing every word for the purpose of achieving salvation is much more realistic. In this paper I will analyze the text with my opinion in mind and surface the lifestyle in a clear method.
The sermon is divided into several main parts including the Beatitudes, the Ten Commandments, and the discourse on judgment and holiness. The Beatitudes and the relation to Light and salt displayed in Matthew (3-16) states, “Happy are the poor in spirit because the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs, Happy are the mourners because they will be comforted…Happy are the poor of heart because they will see God.” These statements as well as the other five are concerned with virtue and how a believer in Jesus Christ can achieve that virtue. In my opinion, the beatitudes should not be taken as a set of demands or instructions but instead as a guide. They point. They teach. They show us the values that Christ care about, but just because an individual works hard and is lucky enough to have the capability of supporting themselves financially doesn’t mean that they will not be given the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven. This was not the idea Jesus wanted

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