The Bible Study Podcast, episode 414. Today, the Bible Study podcast continues the study of Matthew

with Chapter 5 and the Sermon on the Mount.

Welcome to the Bible Study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen. So we are still at the beginning of Jesus' ministry here in Matthew in Chapter 5. And Chapter 5 starts a very well-known section, I think, of Matthew, which is chapters 5, 6, and 7, which are the sermon on the Mount. And it starts like this.

Now, when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountain's side and sat down. His disciples came to him and he began to teach them. He said,

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted. Blessed are the mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for

righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure and heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called

children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the

kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of

evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven,

for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. This isn't the only section of

the Gospels that is like this. There's also the sermon on the plain, which is a similar

construction of a sermon from Jesus, although probably from a different time, so

since one is on a mountain and one is on a plane. And so Jesus probably preached versions of

this at different times. And I want to break this into three different sections. One is the

section that is easy. One is the section that is difficult, not that it's

difficult to understand, but it's difficult because it's hard to hear. And the third is a few of

these that are more complicated. Some of these are easy. When I say they're easy, for instance,

when you get verses like verse 6,

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

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