“For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). At first glance,…
“Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and…
“Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Our Lord is…
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in…
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). Christianity has always been under hostility. True faith is…
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). For those who follow the way of the world, there is hatred. Those who follow the…
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). There are those in whom there is no guile. I confess that I am unable to understand…
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Give to others even when they do not deserve what you give. Do not seek retribution but seek to…
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). There are many things that are decent and good, but reasonable people know that…
“Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). What nobility is supposed to be is gentle. The gentle man was supposed to be the one who…
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Over and beyond those who are suffering loss, how many mourn over the state of this world? Too…
“And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:2-3). Those who know they…
“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him” (Matthew 5:1). Please note how practical Jesus is. …
"And the news about Him spread throughout Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and…
“Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people” (Matthew…
“Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with…
“Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for…
“From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). It begins with repentance. Repentance is both turning away and…
“This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, on…
“Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in…
“Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to serve Him” (Matthew 4:11). Our Lord knows that battles in this age wear us down. We do need…
“Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’” (Matthew 4:10). There is only One who…
“Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written: ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matthew 4:7). The problem with “If” questions, when…
“But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). O…