Bible Navigator Study Notes

Matthew 5 The Sermon on the Mount

The opening of the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' manifesto for the kingdom of heaven. He sits down to teach โ€” the posture of a rabbi with authority โ€” and describes a way of life that turns the world's values upside down.

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The Beatitudes

Jesus pronounces blessing on the very people the world pities: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger for righteousness. Each beatitude pairs a present condition with a future promise. This is not a checklist for earning favor but a portrait of the citizens of God's kingdom โ€” and a complete inversion of who the world calls fortunate.

Salt and Light

13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16 ยท KJV

Jesus gives His followers two everyday images. Salt preserves and flavors; light dispels darkness and cannot be hidden. Both only fulfill their purpose by being out among what they affect. The call is not to withdraw from the world but to permeate it โ€” "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father."

You Have Heard It Said

Six times Jesus says, "Ye have heard that it was said... but I say unto you," reaching past the letter of the law to its heart. Murder begins in anger; adultery begins in the look; love is to extend even to enemies. He is not loosening the law but deepening it, showing that true righteousness is a matter of the heart, not merely outward conduct.

Study notes original to Bible Navigator, offered freely for personal study. Scripture quotations are from the public-domain King James Version.