Sermon Tone Analysis

! *The Sermon on the Mount*

Matthew 5:1 through Matthew 7:29 (NIV)

 

1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.

His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them, saying:

 

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3    “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

       for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4    Blessed are those who mourn,

       for they will be comforted.

5    Blessed are the meek,

       for they will inherit the earth.

6    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

       for they will be filled.

7    Blessed are the merciful,

       for they will be shown mercy.

8    Blessed are the pure in heart,

       for they will see God.

9    Blessed are the peacemakers,

       for they will be called sons of God.

10  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

       for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13“You are the salt of the earth.

But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?

It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

14“You are the light of the world.

A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.

Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

21“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder,£ and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother£ will be subject to judgment.

Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,£’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin.

But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar.

First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

25“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.

Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.

26I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.£

27“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’£

28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.

It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.

It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

31“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’£

32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

33“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’

34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.

36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.

37Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’£

39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person.

If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor£ and hate your enemy.’

44But I tell you: Love your enemies£ and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?

Do not even pagans do that?

48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

*Matthew 6*

1“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them.

If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men.

I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret.

Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.

I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.

Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9“This, then, is how you should pray:

     “‘Our Father in heaven,

     hallowed be your name,

10  your kingdom come,

     your will be done

       on earth as it is in heaven.

11  Give us today our daily bread.

12  Forgive us our debts,

       as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13  And lead us not into temptation,

     but deliver us from the evil one.£’

14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting.

I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.