It’s the spirit of the season….

You know why I like this holiday? Because it celebrates Someone who offered some pretty good advice for making things good in the world. In honor of the day & the One who gave that advice, here’s the whole Sermon on the Mount, from the Gospel According to Matthew:

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him: ^5:2and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

^5:3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

^5:4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

^5:5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

^5:6Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

^5:7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

^5:8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

^5:9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

^5:10Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ^5:11Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ^5:12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.

^5:13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. ^5:14Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. ^5:15Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. ^5:16Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

^5:17Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. ^5:18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. ^5:19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ^5:20For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

^5:21Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: ^5:22but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire. ^5:23If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, ^5:24leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. ^5:25Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. ^5:26Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing.

^5:27Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery: ^5:28but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. ^5:29And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell. ^5:30And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell. ^5:31It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: ^5:32but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery.

^5:33Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: ^5:34but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; ^5:35nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ^5:36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. ^5:37But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.

^5:38Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: ^5:39but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ^5:40And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. ^5:41And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. ^5:42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

^5:43Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: ^5:44but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; ^5:45that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. ^5:46For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? ^5:47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same? ^5:48Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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^6:1Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. ^6:2When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. ^6:3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: ^6:4that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.

^6:5And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. ^6:6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee. ^6:7And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. ^6:8Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. ^6:9After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. ^6:10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. ^6:11Give us this day our daily bread. ^6:12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ^6:13And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ^6:14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ^6:15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

^6:16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. ^6:17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; ^6:18that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.

^6:19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: ^6:20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: ^6:21for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also. ^6:22The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. ^6:23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness! ^6:24No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. ^6:25Therefore I say unto you, be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? ^6:26Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ^6:27And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? ^6:28And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: ^6:29yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ^6:30But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? ^6:31Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ^6:32For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ^6:33But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ^6:34Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

^7:1Judge not, that ye be not judged. ^7:2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. ^7:3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ^7:4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye? ^7:5Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

^7:6Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.

^7:7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: ^7:8for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ^7:9Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; ^7:10or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? ^7:11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? ^7:12All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.

^7:13Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. ^7:14For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.

^7:15Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. ^7:16By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? ^7:17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. ^7:18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. ^7:19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. ^7:20Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. ^7:21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. ^7:22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? ^7:23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

^7:24Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: ^7:25and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. ^7:26And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: ^7:27and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.

^7:28And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching: ^7:29for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

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