“Matthew 5; Luke 6,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
Matthew 5; Luke 6
Sometime near the beginning of His public ministry, the Savior taught the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5–7. He also taught the Sermon on the Plain found in Luke 6:17–49. Some believe that they are the same sermon recorded by different authors. It is also possible that Jesus gave this sermon or portions of it on different occasions. The Savior gave a similar sermon to his people in the Americas after His Resurrection. The Lord began His Sermon on the Mount by teaching the Beatitudes. He declared that the law of Moses was fulfilled in Him and taught His higher law.
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Background and Context
What are the Beatitudes?
(Compare to Luke 6:20–26.)
The Savior began His Sermon on the Mount by identifying attributes that lead to true happiness. These teachings are known as the Beatitudes, a word that comes from the Latin word beatus, meaning “to be blessed” or “to be happy.”
President Harold B. Lee taught: “In his Sermon on the Mount the Master has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect, … and in so doing has given us a blueprint for our own lives. …
“In that matchless Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has given us eight distinct ways by which we might receive [real] joy. … They embody in fact the constitution for a perfect life.”
What does it mean to be the “salt of the earth”?
Salt has been used for thousands of years to enhance flavor, preserve food, and heal wounds. Under the law of Moses, salt was used in sacrifices. Israelite priests would sprinkle salt on grain (meal) and meat offerings before placing them on the altar. The Old Testament uses the phrase “covenant of salt” to indicate the everlasting nature of covenants between God and His children. Salt was associated with preservation, healing, and covenant making.
Modern revelation teaches that those who make and keep covenants with the Lord are “the salt of the earth.” As they strive to keep their covenants, disciples of Christ become a positive influence in the world. They help preserve the world from moral decay. They also help bring healing and salvation to God’s children.
Salt can lose its savor through mixture and contamination. When salt is corrupted, it becomes useless. Unlike salt, when disciples of Jesus Christ make mistakes, even serious ones, they can regain their “savour,” or purity, through the Savior’s mercy and gifts of repentance and forgiveness.
How did Jesus Christ fulfill “the law [and] the prophets”?
“The law” refers to the first five books of Moses in the Old Testament. “The prophets” refers to the books of the Old Testament that were written by and named after prophets. Together, “the law” and “the prophets” refer to two major sections of the Old Testament. Both point to and find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
President Jeffrey R. Holland explained: “It is crucial to understand that the law of Moses was overlaid upon, and thereby included, many basic parts of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which had existed before it. It was never intended to be something apart or separated from, and certainly not something antagonistic to, the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was more elementary than the full gospel, … but its purpose was never to have been different from the higher law. Both were to bring people to Christ.” Jesus later taught the Lamanites and Nephites that “the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me.”
What are jots and tittles?
A jot is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet. A tittle is a small stroke or mark in a written language. The Savior referred to a jot and tittle to indicate that He would fulfill every part of the law of Moses down to the smallest detail.
What does “raca” mean?
The word raca comes from an Aramaic word meaning imbecile, fool, or empty-headed person. The words raca and fool were insults used as terms of abuse or put-downs.
What does it mean to “agree with [our] adversary quickly”?
The Greek phrase for “agree with” implies that we should “have kind thoughts for, or be well disposed toward” an adversary. So the Savior counsels us here to quickly change our thinking to have kind thoughts toward someone we don’t get along with.
What does it mean to “[look] on a woman to lust after her”?
The law of Moses condemned adultery, which is to have sexual relations with someone outside the marriage covenant. Jesus taught a higher law, which is that women and men should not lust after one another. The Greek word for “lust” indicates a longing for or coveting that arouses sexual desire. Jesus follows His warning against lust with imagery of removing an eye or a hand that may cause us to sin. The Lord was not suggesting self-harm. Rather, Jesus used this metaphor to emphasize the importance of casting away our sins and controlling our thoughts and desires.
When the Lord warned against lust in the Book of Mormon, He taught simply, “Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart.”
What did the Savior teach about sworn oaths?
The Jews of Jesus’s day believed it was wrong to break an oath or a promise sworn in the name of the Lord. It was seen as less serious to break an oath sworn in the name of the temple, the city of Jerusalem, or some other thing. Jesus taught that in our interactions with other people we should not swear by anything or anyone. We should keep our word whether we made a promise or not. If we say yes or if we say no, that should be good enough. Disciples of Jesus Christ should have integrity and keep their word.
What did Jesus teach in these verses about revenge?
During Old Testament times, there was a law for dealing with those who harmed others, known as “an eye for an eye.” This law aimed to make sure that punishment for wrongs committed was just and fair, including not too harsh. It was meant to prevent people from seeking excessive revenge. However, Jesus introduced a higher law that teaches us to handle unfairness and disrespect with kindness.
Did the Old Testament condone hatred for our enemies?
(Compare Luke 6:27.)
The commandment to “love thy neighbour” is found in Leviticus 19:18, but no scripture in the Old Testament commands us to “hate thine enemy.” It appears the Savior was referring to a saying common in His day. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1946 revealed that at least some Jews at the time of Christ taught they should love fellow members of their community but hate outsiders.
What does the Savior’s command to be perfect mean?
Many have felt overwhelmed at the Savior’s command to be perfect. It seems to be an impossible requirement. But the Greek word translated as “perfect” here means “complete, finished, [or] fully developed.”
Speaking of that Greek word, President Russell M. Nelson taught, “Please note that the word does not imply ‘freedom from error’; it implies ‘achieving a distant objective.’” He went on to say: “The perfection that the Savior envisions for us is much more than errorless performance. It is the eternal expectation … that we might be made perfect and be able to dwell with [God and Jesus Christ] in the eternities ahead [see John 17:23–24].”
The scriptures teach that we are made perfect through Jesus Christ. The prophet Moroni invited his readers to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him.” He further taught that we “become holy, without spot” through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith learned that those who inherit the celestial kingdom are those who are “just [individuals] made perfect through Jesus.” Becoming perfect like our Savior and Heavenly Father is a gift that comes from Them.
Learn More
Sermon on the Mount
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Russell M. Nelson, “Peacemakers Needed,” Liahona, May 2023, 98–101
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Dallin H. Oaks, “Love Your Enemies,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 26–29
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Jeffrey R. Holland, “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 40–42
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Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Bearers of Heavenly Light,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 78–81
Media
Videos
“Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes” (2:12)
“Sermon on the Mount: The Higher Law” (2:28)
Images
Sermon on the Mount, by Harry Anderson
Sermon on the Mount, by Carl Bloch