The Orthodox Faith is the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount, the Essence of Christianity The Sermon on the Mount is called the Sermon on the Mount because

Sermon on the Mount

Thank you for downloading the book from the free e-library http://filosoff.org/ Happy reading! Sermon on the Mount. Gospel of Matthew. After the election of the apostles, Jesus Christ descended with them from the top of the mountain and stood on level ground. Here His numerous disciples were waiting for Him and a great crowd of people gathered from all over the Jewish land and from neighboring places. They came to listen to Him and receive healing from their diseases. Everyone sought to touch the Savior, because power emanated from Him and healed everyone. Seeing before Him a multitude of people, Jesus Christ, surrounded by His disciples, went up to the hill and sat down to teach the people. First, the Lord indicated what His disciples, that is, all Christians, should be like. How they must fulfill the law of God in order to receive blessed (that is, in the highest degree joyful, happy), eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. For this, He gave the nine beatitudes. Then the Lord gave teachings about the Providence of God, about not judging others, about the power of prayer, about almsgiving, and about many other things. This sermon of Jesus Christ is called the Sermon on the Mount. So, among the clear spring day, with a quiet breath of coolness from the Lake of Galilee, on the slopes of a mountain covered with greenery and flowers, the Savior gives people the New Testament law of love. V Old Testament The Lord gave the Law in the barren wilderness, on Mount Sinai. Then a formidable, dark cloud covered the top of the mountain, thunder rumbled, lightning flashed and a trumpet sounded. No one dared to approach the mountain, except for the prophet Moses, to whom the Lord handed over the Ten Commandments of the Law. Now the Lord is surrounded by a dense crowd of people. Everyone is trying to come closer to Him and touch, at least to the edge of His clothes, in order to receive grace-filled power from Him. And no one leaves Him without consolation. The Old Testament law is the law of strict truth, and the New Testament law of Christ is the law of Divine love and grace, which gives people the power to fulfill God's Law. Jesus Christ Himself said: "I did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it" (Matt. 5:17). The Beatitudes Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, as a loving Father, shows us the ways or deeds through which people can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God. To all who will fulfill His instructions or commandments, Christ promises, as the King of heaven and earth, eternal bliss (great joy, the highest happiness) in the future, eternal life. Therefore, He calls such people blessed, that is, the most happy. 1. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mat. 5:3) Poor in spirit (humble) - these are people who feel and acknowledge their sins and shortcomings of the soul. They remember that without God's help they themselves cannot do anything good, and therefore they do not boast and are not proud of anything, neither before God, nor before people. These are humble people. With these words, Christ proclaimed to mankind a completely new truth. To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, it is necessary to realize that in this world a person has nothing of his own. His whole life is in the hands of God. Health, strength, ability - everything is a gift from God. Spiritual poverty is called humility. Without humility it is impossible to turn to God, no Christian virtue is possible. Only it opens the human heart to the perception of Divine grace. Physical poverty can also serve spiritual perfection, if a person chooses it voluntarily, for God's sake. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself spoke about this in the Gospel to one rich young man: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven ...” The young man did not find the strength in himself to follow Christ, because he could not part with earthly wealth. Rich people can also be poor in spirit. If a person understands that earthly wealth is perishable and transient, then his heart will not depend on earthly treasures. And then nothing will prevent the rich man from striving for the acquisition of spiritual goods, for the acquisition of virtues and perfection. The Lord promises the poor in spirit a great reward - the Kingdom of Heaven. 2. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Matt.5:4) Weeping (about their sins) - people who mourn and cry about their sins and spiritual shortcomings. The Lord will forgive their sins. He gives them comfort here on earth, and eternal joy in heaven. Speaking of weeping, Christ meant repentant tears and sorrow of the heart for the sins committed by man. It is known that if a person suffers and cries because of pride, passions or pride, then such suffering brings torment to the soul and does not give any benefit. But if a person endures suffering as a test sent by God, then his tears purify his soul, and after suffering the Lord will surely send him joy and consolation. But if a person refuses to repent and suffer in the name of the Lord and does not mourn his sins, but is only ready to rejoice and have fun, then such a person will not receive God's support and protection during his lifetime, and will not enter the Kingdom of God. Of such people the Lord said: “Woe to you who laugh today! for you shall mourn and mourn” (Luke 6:25). The Lord will console those who weep over their sins, grant them blessed peace. Their sorrow will be replaced by eternal joy, eternal bliss. “I will change their sorrow into joy, and I will comfort them, and make them glad after their affliction” (Jer. 31:13). 3. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matt.5:5) The meek are people who patiently endure all sorts of misfortunes, without being upset (without grumbling) at God, and humbly endure all sorts of troubles and insults from people, without getting angry at anyone. Meek people are deprived of selfishness, pride, arrogance and envy, boasting and arrogance, vanity. They do not strive to get a better position or a higher place in society for themselves, they do not seek power over other people, they do not crave glory and wealth, since the best and highest place for them is not earthly illusory blessings and imaginary pleasures, but to be with Christ, imitating Him . They will receive a heavenly dwelling in their possession, that is, a new (renewed) earth in the Kingdom of Heaven. A meek person never grumbles either against God or against people. He always regrets the cruelty of the hearts of those who offended him and prays for their correction. The Greatest Example The Lord Jesus Christ Himself showed meekness and humility to the world when, crucified on the Cross, He prayed for His enemies. According to the teachings of Jesus Christ, that person who is capable of repenting of his sins and realizing his shortcomings, who sincerely wept and mourned over sin together with Christ and worthily endured the torments of suffering, such a person will most likely learn meekness from his Divine Teacher. As we can see, such properties of the human soul (which are indicated in the first two Beatitudes) as the ability to repent, as sincere tears for sin, contribute to the appearance and are inextricably linked with such a quality of the human character as meekness, which the third commandment says. 4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Mat. 5:6) Hungering and thirsty for the truth - people who zealously desire the truth, like hungry (hungry) - bread and thirsty - water, they ask God to cleanse them from sins and help them live righteously (they want to be justified before God ). The desire of such people will be fulfilled, they will be satisfied, that is, they will be justified. 5. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Mat. 5:7) The merciful are the people who have kind heart- merciful, compassionate to all, always ready to help those in need in any way they can. Such people will themselves be pardoned by God, they will be shown the special mercy of God. 6. “Blessed pure in heart for they will see God.” (Mat. 5:8) The pure in heart are people who not only guard themselves from evil deeds, but also try to make their soul pure, that is, they keep it from evil thoughts and desires. They are close to God even here (they always feel Him with their soul), but in the future life, in the Kingdom of Heaven, they will forever be with God, see Him. 7. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Sons of God.” (Matt.5:9) Peacemakers are people who do not like any quarrels. They themselves try to live peacefully and friendly with everyone and to reconcile others with each other. They are likened to the Son of God, who came to earth to reconcile sinful man with the justice of God. Such people will be called sons, that is, children of God, and will be especially close to God. 8. “Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat. 5:10) Exiled for the truth - people who love to live according to the truth, that is, according to God's law, according to justice, that they endure and endure all kinds of persecution, deprivation and calamity for this truth, but do not change anything her. For this they will receive the Kingdom of Heaven. 9. “Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unrighteously for me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven: so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt. 5:11-12) If a person is subjected to persecution, reproach, slander and abuse for the faith of Christ, for a righteous life in Christ, and if a person patiently endures all this, then such a person will receive a great, highest reward in heaven (i.e. a very high degree of eternal bliss). After Jesus Christ proclaimed the nine Beatitudes, He continued to expound His Teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus Christ was surrounded by a crowd of people, consisting mainly of Jews, who dreamed of the restoration of the Israeli state, who longed for earthly goods and pleasures in this kingdom. With disappointment, the Jews, scribes and Pharisees, heard that the Kingdom of God awaits not them, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, but the poor in spirit, weeping, hungry and thirsty for the truth, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, exiled for the truth, persecuted and reviled for the name of Christ. ABOUT THE PROVISION OF GOD (Matthew 6:25-34; Luke 12:22-31) Jesus Christ taught that God provideth, that is, to take care of all creatures, but especially about people. The Lord takes care of us more and better than the kindest and most sensible father takes care of his children. He gives us His help in everything that is necessary in our life and that serves our true benefit. "Do not worry (unnecessarily) about what you eat and what you drink, or what you wear," said the Savior. "Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into a barn, and your Heavenly Father feeds them; but are you not much better than them? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, nor spin. But I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like any of them, but if the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, God dresses like that, how much more you, you of little faith! your Heavenly One knows that you have need of all this. Therefore, seek first of all the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew cites the words of Jesus Christ as follows: 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you much better than them? 6:33 Seek

St.

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blissful

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St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov)

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St. Filaret (Drozdov)

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arch. Alexander Glebov

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Trinity sheet

prof. CM. Sarin

HELL. Trinity

priest Vladislav Kumysh

Sermon on the Mount- a sermon in which the essence of the New Testament moral law (moral teaching) and its difference from.

The Sermon on the Mount was delivered on a hill near Capernaum in Galilee, following the call 12 . The content of the sermon is set out in the Gospel of Matthew ch. 5-7 and Luke ch. 6:17-49.

Sermon on the Mount

Archpriest Alexander Glebov

Bible History of the New Testament

Only in the Gospel of Matthew is there a coherent speech of Christ, consisting of separate sayings. These sayings concern the moral life of a person and his behavior. This speech is called the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is a very meticulous composition. It is presented in a single block by the Evangelist Matthew in the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters, that is, it occupies three chapters. But, of course, it was not pronounced in the way described by the Evangelist Matthew. For example, the Evangelist Luke has the topics covered by the Sermon on the Mount scattered throughout the Gospel, which is probably more in line with the way Christ delivered his moral teachings. We cannot speak of the Sermon on the Mount as if it were a separate sermon delivered in one place. There are strong and convincing arguments that the Sermon on the Mount is much more than just one sermon. Just for convenience, the Evangelist Matthew collected all the sayings of the Savior that relate to the moral life of a person and relationships between people, and combined them into one composition. For example, anyone listening to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount for the first time would be simply overworked long before it ended. It has too much to take in all at once. After all, it is one thing to sit and read, lingering, stopping while reading, comprehending what has been read. And it is quite another to listen to it for the first time in oral form. We can read as we are used to, at our usual speed, but hearing it for the first time means being overwhelmed with an excess of information, which means losing sight of much of the important content of this sermon.

The Gospel of Matthew is, first of all, the Gospel of Christian teaching. It is characteristic of Matthew that he collects the teachings and deeds of Christ into separate blocks. There is a section devoted to parables, there is a section on miracles, and there is a section on the doctrine of the end of the world. It is on this principle that Matthew brought together the moral teaching of Christ for the convenience of studying it. In the Gospel of Luke, the Sermon on the Mount immediately follows the selection of the twelve apostles. In the person of the apostles, Christ chooses his helpers, but in order for these helpers to successfully and effectively do their work, they must first be taught. Therefore, in the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord gives instructions to his apostles, and through them to all of us. Since the Lord himself did not write anything down, everything that we know about him came down to us from his disciples, which is why it is called "Apostolic". Therefore, one theologian called the Sermon on the Mount: "a sermon on the occasion of the initiation into the dignity of the twelve." Just as a young priest who enters the ministry for the first time must be given a task, so Christ preached a sermon to the twelve disciples before they began their tasks. There is an assumption that, having finally chosen the twelve apostles, Christ retired with them for a week, maybe even more, to some quiet place and taught them during this time, and the Sermon on the Mount is already summary of that teaching. But this, of course, is only an assumption.

There is probably no other material in the Gospel that has been so thoroughly discussed as the Sermon on the Mount. The controversy began already in the first century of Christianity and continues to this day. Some understand the commandments literally, others symbolically, and many divisions have occurred in Christianity due to different understandings of the words of the Sermon on the Mount. Some currents that arose under the influence of the Sermon on the Mount in Russian culture are well known to us, for example, the Tolstoyans - followers of the religious teachings of the great Russian writer, Count Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy. Tolstoy in his own way understood some of the provisions of the Sermon on the Mount, for example, about non-resistance to evil. Tolstoy took this literally and much more than he opposed himself to the official Church. Some see in the commandments of the Sermon on the Mount requirements that cannot be fully fulfilled, and therefore they speak of the symbolic meaning of the commandments. Others see specific directions and talk about their literal meaning. When reading the Sermon on the Mount, we should not forget our personal experience. It is unlikely that there is any other gospel text that presented us personally, our conscience, with such demands as the Sermon on the Mount. We must take into account that the Sermon on the Mount was not delivered for our particular society, but was delivered in a specific historical setting. After all, it was not the Christians who listened to this sermon, but the Jews. It must be remembered that the commandments of the Sermon on the Mount were preceded by a thousand-year religious history of the Jewish people - a cult law, an ethical law. Therefore, the words of the Sermon on the Mount are addressed not just to the first comer, but to people who have already passed a long path of religious and moral development. This must be taken into account when we read the Sermon on the Mount.

Let's talk about the form of the Sermon on the Mount. The Evangelist Matthew tries to imitate the Torah. Christ ascends the mountain before delivering the Sermon on the Mount, from where He gives commandments to people and proclaims His moral law. In the minds of the Jews, all this was associated with the giving of the Old Testament commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. Here the Evangelist Matthew shows Christ as the new Moses. Christ began to teach when he sat down. It is very important. Christ sat on the pulpit as a teacher. During official teaching, the Jewish rabbi always sat. The Greek word for "pulpit" means "seating," and many European languages still say that the professor's desk is the pulpit. By the way, the Pope, when he speaks ex cathedra, from his seat, from his throne, when he speaks from the pulpit, then he proclaims the doctrine. It is upon this that the dogma of papal infallibility rests. The rabbi often taught while walking or walking, but he began the official teaching by sitting in his place, on the pulpit. Thus, the very indication that Christ sat down before he began to teach his disciples indicates that this teaching occupies a central place and is, as it were, official.

Before considering the very content of the Sermon on the Mount, we must think about how to understand what Christ said in it. This is an important question, because it is obvious that Christ here offers his teaching in a completely different way than the textbooks of ethics and even differently than the way ordinary people express the same thoughts. As a good teacher, Christ naturally uses forms of language and expression that mean a lot to those who hear Him. His teaching contains at least three distinctive features.

First. Most of the Sermon on the Mount is verse, although it is difficult for us to recognize this as poetry, since our poetry is built on the effect of rhyme and stress. Jewish poetry was different. It was based on the effect of parallelism, that is, the correspondence of thought. Similarities of thought or its differences. European poetry and Middle Eastern poetry, including Jewish poetry, are built on completely different principles. We are accustomed to the so-called syllabic, rhythmic poetry. Any of our poems is divided into syllables, the stress falls on the syllables and a certain rhythm is obtained: "Frost and sun, a wonderful day ...". Syllabic rhythm creates our European poetry; it seems to originate from music. But there is a completely different kind of poetry in the Bible, and the Bible is permeated with poetry. There are a lot of verses there, but when we read the Bible, the Old Testament, we do not notice this, because we are used to other poetry. In the Bible, it is not the rhythm of syllables, but the rhythm of concepts, the rhythm of words, the rhythm of symbols, and this happens in the following way. For example, any psalm is poetry. "Psalm" means "song". It is divided into lines, and when the second line repeats the first line in meaning or negates it, then these lines are parallel or anti-parallel. When the second line repeats the first in meaning, this is called synonymous parallelism. And in the psalms, and in other poetic sections of the Old Testament, there are many examples of this. Any psalm, for example, the most famous, the 50th psalm begins like this: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy” - this is the first line. “And according to the multitude of Thy mercies cleanse my iniquity” is the second line. They are similar in meaning, just the same idea is expressed in different words. “Washed me most from my iniquity” is the first line. "And cleanse me from my sin." But “washed from iniquity” and “cleansed from sin” are the same thing. This is called in poetry parallelism or rhythm along parallels. This structure pervades almost the entire Bible, because the entire Bible is very poetic. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord follows this poetic tradition of his people. For example, Christ says: "Do not give anything holy to dogs, and do not cast your pearls before swine." Before us is genuine Jewish poetry, in which the second line repeats the thought, that is, it is parallel to the first, but uses a different image. The psalm consists of stanzas, each stanza has two lines, but each of the lines can be not only parallel, but also anti-parallel to the other. The anti-parallel type of Hebrew poetry is called antithetical parallelism. There are also many examples of antiparallelism. For example: “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” or “He who believes in Me has eternal life, but he who does not believe goes to destruction.” Both lines contain similar lessons, but the thought is expressed using exactly opposite concepts. Such poetry is also found frequently in the Old Testament. Even the Lord's Prayer can be arranged poetically.

The second property of Christ's teaching is its figurativeness. Sometimes the teaching is given in the form of parables, other times it is just living illustrations from Everyday life. Many parables teach moral lessons, but the Sermon on the Mount uses more imagery from real life. We often talk about ethics in the abstract, but Christ always operates with concrete things. For example, we can say this: "Materialism can be a hindrance to spiritual growth." And Christ said this: “No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon,” that is, more specifically.

Third. Christ teaches very vividly. He often resorts to exaggeration to underline the meaning. For example, He says that "It is better to gouge out an eye or cut off a hand than to fall into adultery." It is clear that Christ does not call us to self-mutilation, but He uses such extravagant language to make the hearers feel the seriousness of His message. Or, for example, “whoever offends one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for him if they hung a millstone around his neck and drowned him in the depths of the sea.” Of course, this is not a call to kill. Here we are talking about the increased responsibility of those who, by their words or actions, can shake the faith in people. He also says: “Have the faith of God, for truly I say to you, if anyone says to this mountain, be lifted up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that it will come to pass according to his words, whatever he says will be done to him.” . But this does not mean that the degree of one's faith should be tested in this way - by commanding the mountains to plunge into the sea. By this comparison, the Lord makes it clear what power faith in Him has. Nothing is impossible for unshakable faith, because nothing is impossible for God. When we read the Sermon on the Mount, it is necessary to keep in mind these various devices used by Christ in his gospel. Recognizing the various forms can help us better understand what Christ meant and what He spoke about.

So what kind of ethics did Christ propose? What principles of conduct should guide those who accept the divine will in their lives? There are two things that distinguish New Testament ethics from most other ethical systems.

First. The ethical teaching of Christ is absolutely inseparable from His teaching about the power of God in people's lives. Without understanding this, it is very difficult to understand the meaning of the Sermon on the Mount. All ethical systems have a foundation upon which they are built. The ethical teaching of Christ is based on the statement that the God who created and acted in the history of Israel in the Old Testament can be known in a real, personal way. The behavior and way of life of His followers are the way to know God. This principle has always been central to Judaism. The Old Testament itself was founded on a principle that is fundamental to the teachings of Christ in the New Testament as well. This basis is that the goodness of man has its origin in God. The central provision of one section of the Old Testament law was the statement: "Be holy, for holy am I, the Lord your God." And Christ says in the Sermon on the Mount: "Be perfect, even as your Heavenly Father is perfect." In the Old Testament, the Lord calls people to holiness, but why does he call? Why should people be saints? Because God is holy, and people should be like Him. "Holy be you, for holy am I, the Lord your God." And Christ gives the same justification for his moral teaching: "Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect," that is, we must be perfect, because God is perfect. The ethical standards required of God's people were no less than a reflection of the character of God himself. It is important for us to understand why we have been given the moral law. It is absolutely wrong to think that if we keep the commandments, then when we die, we will receive a reward for this, just as a child is encouraged by his parents for good behavior. And if we do not fulfill, then in the future we will face retribution. Of course, retribution exists, and each of us will receive what he deserves, but divine retribution is not a judge's sentence to a criminal for a crime committed. God in the legal sense does not punish or encourage. It simply reveals the inner world of each person and the state of this world either dooms a person to suffering, or reveals to him the joy of communion with God. In the Gospel there is a story about the healing of a demon-possessed person by the Lord. It is interesting that when Christ began to approach him, the possessed man shouted: "Do not torment me." This means that God, who is love, was a source of torment for the demon with which man was possessed, which means that if people liken themselves dark power if they do the will of the devil, and not the will of God, then standing before God will become a torment for a person. Not in the sense that God will begin to torment a person, but in the sense that a person will feel his complete incompatibility. After all, everyone feels comfortable only in the co-natural world, among like-minded people. For every normal person who accidentally stumbles, going to prison will be a torment, because he ended up in a world completely alien to him: with his own laws, concepts, vocabulary, outlook on life, and so on. But on the other hand, when an inveterate recidivist is released, he cannot find himself among normal people. This normal world is alien to him, he suffers in it. Such people often commit crimes again not for profit, but only in order to get back on the bunk, into the world of lack of freedom, which so frightens any person, but for a criminal it is natural. He is in the cell like a fish in water. This, of course, is a comparison, and although every comparison is inaccurate, it can nevertheless help us understand the nature of the suffering of a sinful human soul when it appears before God. In order for there to be no suffering, for the world of God to become close to the world of man, one must take upon oneself the work of forming the world of God in oneself. And so the commandments and, in general, all the moral provisions of the gospel teaching set forth in the Sermon on the Mount are those mechanisms, those tools with the help of which a person forms the qualities of God in himself. God is not something amorphous, God is a living person, which means that He has a character, some qualities, properties. In the cycle of our conversations, I have already mentioned that man is created in the image and likeness of God. Similarity is the goal of human existence. As a result of life, a person must become like God, become like Him. By committing sin, people lost this ability, because they broke the connection with God, but in Christ the communication between God and people was restored. God entered the world by the power of his grace, and the goal of becoming like God became real again. The gift of grace is what God has done for us, and in the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord tells us what we need to do to achieve this goal. With the help of the moral law, man - the image of God - develops himself to the likeness of God. Fulfilling the commandments, a person develops in himself the qualities of God, His character, acts as Christ did, and, as you know, like is known by like. Appearing after physical death before the face of God, a person finds himself in the close and co-natural world of the Kingdom of God.

The second basis of New Testament ethics - what does it consist of? One scholar, summing up all the provisions of the Sermon on the Mount, described biblical ethics as "the science of human behavior as determined by divine behavior", that is, people should act as God does. One of the most characteristic features God's action in Israel's experience is His willingness to care for people who don't even think about Him. Abraham was called from Mesopotamia, he was given new country, but not because of any of his moral or spiritual superiority, which he would have, but simply because the attention and love of God were poured out on him. Israel was subsequently saved through all the hardships of the exodus from Egypt and what followed, not because of their own moral perfection, but simply because of the care of a loving God. On the basis of these undeserved acts of mercy, God made certain demands upon his people. After all, the ten commandments begin with the statement: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,” and so on. This is the premise upon which the commandments are based. Because God has done something for his people, he must repay Him with love and obedience. The same can be found in other places of the Old Testament law: “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God delivered you, therefore I command you today ...”, then what He already commands. New Testament ethics have exactly the same basis. For example, it is striking that the apostle Paul, wishing to stop the strife that continues in the Philippian church, calls for an unusual common sense to solve the problem, but precisely to the same aspect of the character of God that we saw in the Old Testament. He gives an example of how God in Christ gave Himself for our salvation. I will read this passage: “For there must be in you the same mind that was in Christ Jesus: He, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God; but he humbled himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of men, and becoming in appearance like a man; humbled himself, was obedient even unto death, and the death of the cross ”(). This is what the Apostle Paul makes the basis of his moral appeal to his readers: since Christ has given up everything for us, we must be ready to sacrifice our selfishness in order to be pleasing to Him. We must do as Christ did: "the same mind must be in you, which was in Christ Jesus." Elsewhere the apostle will say that we must have "the mind of Christ" (). This refers, of course, not to Divine Wisdom, but to the human mind of Christ. It is necessary to think in those categories in which He thought. And what kind of category is clear from the commandments and the ethical teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.

So there are two points on which New Testament ethics is based. First, we must be perfect and holy, because God is perfect and holy, and people must be like him. And second, we must treat God the way He treats us. Ultimately, this is what Christ Himself proclaimed as the supreme and dual commandment to love God and neighbor. Through love for our neighbor, our love for God is manifested. When we love our neighbor, we try to treat God the way He treats us.

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New Testament

Sermon on the Mount

After the election of the apostles, Jesus Christ descended with them from the top of the mountain and stood on level ground. Here His numerous disciples were waiting for Him and a great crowd of people gathered from all over the Jewish land and from neighboring places. They came to listen to Him and receive healing from their diseases. Everyone sought to touch the Savior, because power emanated from Him and healed everyone.

Seeing before Him a multitude of people, Jesus Christ, surrounded by His disciples, went up to the hill and sat down to teach the people.

First, the Lord indicated what His disciples, that is, all Christians, should be like. How they must fulfill the law of God in order to receive blessed (that is, in the highest degree joyful, happy), eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. For this he gave nine beatitudes. Then the Lord gave teachings about the Providence of God, about not judging others, about the power of prayer, about almsgiving, and about many other things. This sermon of Jesus Christ is called upland.

So, on a clear spring day, with a quiet breath of coolness from the Lake of Galilee, on the slopes of a mountain covered with greenery and flowers, the Savior gives people the New Testament law of love.

In the Old Testament, the Lord gave the Law in the barren wilderness, on Mount Sinai. Then a formidable, dark cloud covered the top of the mountain, thunder rumbled, lightning flashed and a trumpet sounded. No one dared to approach the mountain, except for the prophet Moses, to whom the Lord handed over the Ten Commandments of the Law.

Now the Lord is surrounded by a dense crowd of people. Everyone is trying to come closer to Him and touch, at least to the edge of His clothes, in order to receive grace-filled power from Him. And no one leaves Him without consolation.

The Old Testament law is the law of strict truth, and the New Testament law of Christ is the law of Divine love and grace, which gives people the power to fulfill God's Law. Jesus Christ Himself said, "I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it" (Matt. 5 , 17).

Sermon on the Mount(Matt. 5-7; Lk. 6, 12-49) - the sermon of Jesus Christ, which contains the whole essence of the gospel teaching.

The Sermon on the Mount was delivered by the Savior on a low mountain in Galilee near the Lake of Gennesaret between Capernaum and Tiberias, after He chose 12 apostles from His disciples. He descended with the newly elected apostles from the top of the mountain, on which he spent the whole night in prayer to God, and stopped on the ledge of the mountain, which was a flat place of considerable space.

The selection of the twelve apostles caused many to think that He would finally bring about the long-promised kingdom of God. Proud of their chosenness and unable to reconcile themselves to the loss of their independence, the Jewish people began to dream of the coming of such a Messiah who would free them from foreign domination, take revenge on all enemies, reign over the Jews and enslave them all the peoples of the earth, and give them purely fabulous prosperity. With such false dreams of earthly bliss that the Messiah will give them, they surrounded Jesus Christ.

And in response to these thoughts and feelings of theirs, the Lord revealed to them His gospel teaching about the beatitudes, shattering their delusions at the root. He showed the spirit of His kingdom, taught that in this life we need to be spiritually reborn in order thereby to prepare for ourselves the bliss of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus Christ showed how we must fulfill the law of God in order to receive a blessed (that is, supremely joyful, happy) eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. For this, He gave the nine beatitudes. Then the Lord gave teachings about the Providence of God, about non-judgment of others, about forgiveness of neighbors, about love for them, about prayer and fasting, about almsgiving, and about many other things.
Thus, in the midst of a clear spring day, with a quiet breath of coolness from the Lake of Galilee, on the slopes of a mountain covered with greenery and flowers, the Savior gives people the New Testament law of love and grace.

The Holy Apostle Matthew ends his narrative of the Sermon on the Mount by testifying that the people marveled at the teaching of Christ, because Christ taught them as having authority, and not as scribes and Pharisees. The teaching of the Pharisees consisted, for the most part, in trifles, in useless convolutions and word disputes - the teaching of Jesus Christ was simple and sublime, for He spoke as the Son of God, as no one had ever spoken before, while speaking personally from Himself: "But I say you," in His words one could clearly feel the Divine authority and power.

After the election of the apostles, Jesus Christ descended with them from the top of the mountain and stood on level ground. Here His numerous disciples were waiting for Him and a great crowd of people gathered from all over the Jewish land and from neighboring places. They came to listen to Him and receive healing from their diseases. Everyone was eager to touch the Savior, because power emanated from Him and healed everyone .

Seeing a multitude of people in front of Him, Jesus Christ, surrounded by His disciples, ascended a hill near the mountain and sat down to teach the people. .

The Old Testament Law is the law of strict truth, and the New Testament law of Christ is the law of Divine love and grace, which gives people the power to fulfill God's Law. Jesus Christ Himself said, "I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it" (Matt. 5 , 17) .

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, as a loving Father, shows us the ways or works through which people can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God. To all who will fulfill His instructions or commandments, Christ promises, as the King of heaven and earth, eternal bliss(great joy, supreme happiness) in the future, eternal life. That's why he calls these people blessed, i.e. the happiest.

Matt. 5:3 blessings who are in spirit: for those are the kingdom of heaven.

Poor in spirit- these are people who feel and recognize their sins and shortcomings of the soul. They remember that without God's help they themselves cannot do anything good, and therefore they do not boast and are not proud of anything, neither before God, nor before people. These are humble people.

Matt. 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn: for thee shall be comforted.

crying- people who mourn and cry about their sins and spiritual shortcomings. The Lord will forgive their sins. He gives them comfort here on earth, and eternal joy in heaven. .

Matt. 5:5 Blessed are the meek: as you inherit the earth.

meek- people who patiently endure all sorts of misfortunes, without being upset (without grumbling) at God, and humbly endure all sorts of troubles and insults from people, without getting angry at anyone. They will receive a heavenly dwelling in their possession, that is, a new (renewed) earth in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matt. 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for thee shall be satisfied.

Hungry and thirsty for the truth- people who zealously desire the truth, like hungry (hungry) - bread and thirsty - water, they ask God to cleanse them from sins and help them live righteously (they want to be justified before God). The desire of such people will be fulfilled, they will be satisfied, that is, they will be justified.

Matt. 5:7 Blessed m and lostivii: like ti pom there will be ilovani.

Gracious- people with a good heart - merciful, compassionate to everyone, always ready to help those in need in any way they can. Such people will themselves be pardoned by God, they will be shown the special mercy of God.

Matt. 5:8 Blessed h and verses with the heart: like you will see God

Pure in heart- people who not only protect themselves from bad deeds, but also try to make their soul pure, that is, keep it from bad thoughts and desires. They are close to God even here (they always feel Him with their soul), but in the future life, in the Kingdom of Heaven, they will forever be with God, see Him.

Matt. 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: as your sons of God will be called.

peacekeepers- people who do not like any quarrels. They themselves try to live peacefully and friendly with everyone and to reconcile others with each other. They are likened to the Son of God, who came to earth to reconcile sinful man with the justice of God. Such people will be called sons, that is, children of God, and will be especially close to God.

Matt. 5:10 Blessed be the expulsion of the truth for the sake of: for those are the kingdom of heaven.

Exiled for the truth- people who so love to live in truth, that is, according to God's law, in justice, that they endure and endure all kinds of persecution, deprivation and calamity for this truth, but do not change it in any way. For this they will receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matt. 5:11 Blessed are you, whenever they reproach you, and depend on you, and tell every evil verb against you, for me:

Matt. 5:12 rejoice and be merry and you, as your reward is many in heaven: so for expelling the prophets, and same [besha] before you

Here the Lord says: if you are reviled (mocked at you, scolded, dishonored you), applied and falsely speak evil of you (slander, unfairly accused), and you endure all this for your faith in Me, then do not grieve, but rejoice and be glad, because the greatest, greatest reward in heaven awaits you, that is, a particularly high degree of eternal Bliss.

ABOUT THE PROVISION OF GOD

Jesus Christ taught that God provides, that is, takes care of all creatures, but especially provides for people. The Lord takes care of us more and better than the kindest and most sensible father takes care of his children. He gives us His help in everything that is necessary in our life and that is for our true benefit. .

"Do not worry (unnecessarily) about what you eat and what you drink, or what you wear," said the Savior. "Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into a barn, and your Heavenly Father feeds them; but are you not much better than them? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, nor spin. But I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like any of them, but if the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, God dresses like that, how much more you, you of little faith! your Heavenly One knows that you have need of all this. Therefore, seek first of all the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." .

ABOUT NON-JUDGING YOUR NEIGHBOR

Jesus Christ did not command to condemn other people. He said this: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned. the judgment will be merciful to you.) And with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you again. : why do you like to notice even minor sins and shortcomings in others, but do not want to see big sins and vices in yourself?) Or, as you say to your brother: let me take the speck out of your eye; but, behold, there is a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye (try first of all to correct yourself), and then you will see how to take the speck out of your brother's eye "(then you will be able to correct the sin in another, without offending, without humiliating him).

ABOUT FORGIVENING YOUR NEIGHBOR

"Forgive and you will be forgiven," said Jesus Christ. “For if you forgive people their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive people their trespasses, then your Father will not forgive you your trespasses.” ".

ABOUT LOVE TO THE NEAR

Jesus Christ commanded us to love not only our loved ones, but all people, even those who offended us and harmed us, that is, our enemies. He said: “You heard what was said (by your teachers, the scribes and Pharisees): love your neighbor and hate your enemy. that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." .

If you only love those who love you; or will you do good only to those who do it to you, and will lend only to those from whom you hope to receive back, for what should God reward you? Don't lawless people do the same? Don't the pagans do the same? ?

So be merciful, as your Father is merciful, be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect?

THE GENERAL RULE FOR THE TREATMENT OF NEIGHBORS

How should we always treat our neighbors, in any case, Jesus Christ gave us this rule: "in everything, as you want people to do with you (and we, of course, want all people to love us" did us good and forgave us), so do you also with them. "(Do not do to others what you do not wish for yourself).

ON THE POWER OF PRAYER

If we earnestly pray to God and ask for His help, then God will do everything that will serve our true benefit. Jesus Christ said this about it: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you; for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If he asks him for bread, would he give him a stone? And when he asks for a fish, would he give him a snake? If then, being evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him."

ABOUT ALMS

We must do every good deed not out of boasting before people, not for display to others, not for the sake of human reward, but for the sake of love for God and neighbor. Jesus Christ said: “Look, do not do your alms before people so that they see you; otherwise you will not be rewarded from your Heavenly Father. as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that the people may glorify them. Truly, I say to you, they already receive their reward. left hand yours does not know what the right one is doing (that is, do not boast in front of yourself of the good that you have done, forget about it), so that your almsgiving is in secret; and your Father, who sees the secret (i.e., everything that is in your soul and for the sake of which you do all this), will reward you openly" - if not now, then at His last judgment.

ON THE NEED FOR GOOD WORKS

In order for people to know that only good feelings and desires are not enough to enter the Kingdom of God, but good deeds are necessary, Jesus Christ said: “Not everyone who says to Me: Lord! Lord!” the will (commandments) of my Heavenly Father", that is, it is not enough to be only a believer and pilgrimage, but we must also do those good deeds that the Lord requires of us.

When Jesus Christ finished His preaching, the people marveled at His teaching, because He taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes and Pharisees taught. When He came down from the mountain, many people followed Him, and He, in His mercy, performed great miracles.

After the election of the apostles, Jesus Christ descended with them from the top of the mountain and stood on level ground. Here His numerous disciples were waiting for Him, and a great multitude of people gathered from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the seaside places. They came to hear Him and be healed of their sicknesses. Everyone sought to touch the Savior, because power emanated from Him and healed everyone. Seeing before Him a multitude of people, Jesus Christ, surrounded by His disciples, went up to the hill and sat down to teach the people.

First, the Lord indicated what His disciples, that is, all Christians, should be in order to receive a blessed (that is, extremely joyful, happy) eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. This He set forth in the nine Beatitudes. The Lord also taught the doctrine of Divine Providence, non-judgment of others, the power of prayer, almsgiving, and much more. This sermon of Jesus Christ is called the Sermon on the Mount.

Beatitudes

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ indicates the ways or deeds through which all who seek it can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The first step to that is to realize your spiritual poverty, your sin and insignificance, to humble yourself.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for those are the kingdom of heaven.	Blessed are the poor in spirit (the humble): because theirs is (that is, it will be given to them) the Kingdom of Heaven.
"Poor in spirit" - those who humbly realize their spiritual poverty, their sins and spiritual shortcomings; who understand that without God's help they themselves cannot do anything good, and therefore they do not boast of anything, are not proud, but humble themselves.
Blessed are those who weep, for they will be comforted.	Blessed are those who weep (over their sins), for they will be comforted.
Blessed are those who, seeing and realizing their sins that prevent them from entering the Kingdom of Heaven, cry, because then they have the opportunity to reconcile with their conscience and be comforted. The Lord will forgive them their sins and give them consolation here on earth, and eternal joy in Heaven.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.	Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit (take possession of) the earth.
Those who weep for their sins reach such inner peace that they no longer are able to be angry with anyone, that is, they become meek. The meek Christians have indeed inherited the land that the Gentiles formerly owned, but they will inherit the land in the Hereafter, new land, which will arise after the destruction of this corruptible world, "the land of the living."
Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.	Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (those who desire righteousness), for they shall be satisfied.
“Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” are those who earnestly desire the truth, ask God to cleanse them from sins and help them live righteously (they desire justification before God); “they shall be satisfied”—they will achieve that righteousness which gives them a sincere striving to do the will of God in everything.
Blessed are the mercies, for they will have mercy.	Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Merciful" - people who have a good heart, merciful, compassionate to everyone, always ready to help those in need in any way they can. A merciful God requires mercy from people - a virtue that is achieved by those sincerely striving to live according to His will. Such people will themselves be pardoned by God, they will be shown God's special mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.	Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Pure in heart" - those who not only guard themselves from bad deeds, but also try to make their soul pure, keep it from bad thoughts and desires. They are close to God even here (they feel Him with their soul), but in the future life, in the Kingdom of Heaven, they will forever be with God, see Him.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.	Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called (named) sons of God.
“Peacekeepers” are those who not only do not like quarrels and try to live peacefully with everyone, but strive to be friendly and reconcile others with each other. Peacemakers are also those who convert the enemies of God by teaching. In this they are like the Son of God, who reconciled man with God, who brought peace human soul. Therefore, they are blessed, because "They will be called the sons of God."
Blessed are the exiles for the sake of righteousness, for those are the kingdom of heaven.	Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
By "persecuted for the sake of righteousness" are meant confessors Orthodox faith Christ’s, as well as those who stand up for the offended, persecuted for righteousness and in general any virtue, because the word “truth” means any virtue. They persecute both thieves and murderers, but they, however, are not blessed, since they are persecuted not for the sake of truth, but for the sake of their atrocities.
Blessed are you, when they reproach you, and they give you up, and they say all sorts of evil words against you lying, for My sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is many in heaven.	Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unrighteously for me. Rejoice and be glad then, for great is your reward in heaven.
Here the Lord says: if for your faith in Me they will revile you (mock you, scold, dishonor) and falsely speak evil of you (slander, unfairly accuse), and you will endure all this, then do not be sad, but rejoice and be glad because a great reward awaits you in Heaven.

NOTE: See Matt. 5, 6, 7. Luke. 6:12-41.