This sermon was given on April 3, 2011. It’s Doug’s paraphrase of the Sermon on the Mount.
God blesses those who are poor – those who are empty of self-reliance, those who have hit rock bottom, who know what it’s like to be at the end of their rope.
Yes, they are blessed because in being that kind of poor, being poor in spirit, they realize their need for God and discover theirs is the kingdom of heaven – for you see – they already live in the Kingdom where God rules.
Wow, How happy are they!
God blesses those who mourn, those who feel they’ve lost what is most treasured by them – God blesses those who are expressing their grief and sorrow.
Yes, they are blessed because in their grieving they are comforted by discovering the One who loves them most is embracing them.
Wow, how happy are they!
God blesses those who are meek and humble, those who are content with who they actually are.
Yes, they are blessed because in their meek contentment they discover they will soon become the owners and rulers of everything that God has ever promised, the “Promised Land” so to speak. Yet it is not just a small portion of the globe that they will become heir of – they will inherit the whole earth – brand new perfect earth.
Wow, how happy are they!
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness. Who have a great desire for a right standing with God – a passion for wholesome healthy relationships with other persons.
Yes, they are blessed because in their hardy appetite for doing what is upright and good and balanced and fair, they will discover they are filled up and completely satisfied with the very things that God himself delights in: righteousness and justice.
Wow, how happy are they!
God blesses those who are merciful – those compassionate people who sincerely care for people who have done wrong and those who are in need.
Yes, they are blessed because in their demonstration of not casting immediate condemnation, they discover they too will be shown mercy.
Wow, how happy are they!
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, those who have their emotional life and thoughts and character put right.
Yes, they are blessed because when looking through a truly transparent heart, when staring through unblemished purity, they will discover that it is then that God can be seen.
Wow, how happy are they!
God blesses those who work for and maintain peace – who help people cooperate and get along, instead of competing and fighting.
Yes, they are blessed because as peacemakers they are discovering what everyone is saying about them – “they are children, (sons and daughters) of God – no doubt about it, God must be their dad.”
Wow, how happy are they!
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, those who are being punished for the sake of righteousness.
Yes, they are blessed – because if it is the result of standing strong in their commitment to God that trouble has come their way, and if they are not so much being influenced by the surrounding culture as they are being influenced by the Kingdom of Heaven where God rules –- and that is why they are being persecuted, then they will discover they already belong to the Kingdom of Heaven and this Kingdom where God rules already belongs to them.
Wow, how happy are they!
God blesses you when people mock you, insult you, persecute you, lie about you and falsely say all sorts of evil things against you on my account – just because you are followers of mine.
Yes, you are blessed every time people put you down or tell lies about you trying to discredit me.
Actually, you should be happy about it! That’s right, you should rejoice and be glad – shout “hallelujah!!!” You know why? For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And don’t forget, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way and for the same reasons, so you’re in pretty good company.
So be blessed – feel the satisfaction of God’s favor and salvation.
Don’t forget who you are and why you are alive. You are here to be seasoning that brings out the flavors of God on this earth. It’s like you are the “salt” of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its saltiness? You can’t get back the flavor. You’ve lost your usefulness and purpose and you’re no longer good for anything except to be thrown out on the pathway where people can trample on you. Don’t loose you saltiness.
Also, You are the light of the world put here to highlight the colors and details of God —like a city purposely built on a hilltop you cannot and should not be hidden.
No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket, or a mixing bowl, or an upside down bucket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a nightstand, a candle in a candleholder, where it gives light to everyone in the room.
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, let your morality be bright and your nobility glow in a way that everyone will give praise and honor to your Father who is in heaven.
Don’t forget who you are and why you are alive. 
Now, don’t misunderstand why I have come. Think not that I have come to destroy or undo the Law or to demolish the Old Scriptures. I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I have not come to destroy their meaning; I came to accomplish their purpose. I have come to complete and fulfill the law, put it all together for you in a simple way that you may understand.
I tell you the truth, until heaven perishes and the earth disappears, stars burnout, oceans evaporate, not even one little line or dot of a Hebrew (the language in which the law was originally written) letter should change – I’m mean not the smallest detail or stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from God’s law until its purpose is achieved.
So if you ignore or set aside even one of the least of these commandments – if you break one and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches these commands will find great honor in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But I warn you—Listen! Unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law – unless your right living surpasses that of the Pharisees, who hypocritically follow this new oral law of theirs in addition to God’s written Law, unless you do better than them, no way will you ever enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘Thou shall not kill; and if you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’
I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a sister or a brother, if you harbor malice, you are subject to judgment. In fact, you are guilty of murder.
If you call someone a “stupid empty-headed idiot”, you are in danger of being sued by him or her and brought before the court. And if you curse some one out, and call fellow human being a “worthless piece of shipyard trash” you are in danger of the hellfire. Truth is – words kill. Angry name-calling destroys relationships.
So, if you are making a donation at the altar in the Temple or your place of worship, and you suddenly remember that your brother or sister has some grievance or grudge against you, abandon your offering there at the altar. Go make things right, be a peacemaker, and be reconciled to that person. Then come back and present your gift to God.
When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly, right then and there. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to a police officer, and you will be thrown into prison. And if that happens, you most likely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.
You have heard the commandment that says, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery.’ But I tell you, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust, stares at her with that look of “if I only had the opportunity, I’d do it” has already gone to bed with another man’s wife, within the imagination of his heart.
So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to stare lustfully – blind it, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into an eternal garbage pit. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can legally divorce his wife by merely giving her divorce papers.’ But I say don’t pretend to be righteous just because you’re legal, a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful (sexually promiscuous) actually causes her to become sexually immoral – And if anyone then marries such a divorced adulteress automatically becomes an adulterer himself. Legalities do not cover moral failures.
You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord, as a religious duty.’ But I tell you, back it up even further – do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven I promise’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By earth, I promise!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem, I promise!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my own head, I promise!’ for you don’t even have the ability to turn one hair white or black. So all you need to say is simply, “Yes” which means you will or “No” which means you won’t. All this extra religious talk is from the evil one.
You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, back it up even further; do not resist even an evil person! Don’t strike back at all. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and you loose your shirt, then present your coat to the plaintiff as well. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, as the law allows him to demand, then serve him in kindness by carrying it two miles. Give generously to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.
You have heard the actual written law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and you heard its unwritten counterpart ‘hate your enemy’. But here’s my challenge; love your neighbor and love your enemies! Pray for those who despitefully use you or even persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. (Peacemakers indeed!) For God gives equally his sunlight to both the evil and the good, the nasty and the nice, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust, on the upright and wrongdoers as well. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even heathens do that. But you are to be perfect, live generously and virtuously and full of integrity – even as your Father in heaven is perfect!
Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, or to be seen by them, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone who is poor or in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! Wanting to be recognized and honored and praised by men. I tell you the truth; they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to the needy – don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, even anonymous giving, will openly reward you.
When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth; that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, to some quiet, secluded place – like a private room, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees everything, even secret praying, will reward you in the open.
When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. Don’t multiply your words or repeat the same ones over and over – don’t use catch phrases or formulas. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray simply like this:
Our Father in heaven,
May your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your desired will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need.
And forgive us our sins, our debts, our trespasses – as we have forgiven those who sin against us, who owe us and have come into our space without permission…and damaged us.
And lead us not into temptation – don’t let us yield to the incitement of our bent desires, but rescue us from the evil one.
If you forgive those who sin against you, both their careless accidental mistakes and their purposeful sins, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, if you won’t let things go and give up your resentment – your Father will not forgive your sins.
And when you fast, don’t make it obvious. Don’t be so gloomy and somber and sour and dreary as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled – they put on dismal countenance, so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, shampoo and comb your hair and wash your face. Wear cologne. Then no one will even notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Do not gather and store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them, worms consume them and rust destroys them, and where burglars break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not sneak in and take anything. Wherever your treasure is stored, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Your eye is a lamp, or a skylight window if you will, that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if your conscience, the light you think you have, is actually darkness, how dense that darkness is!
No one can serve two masters. You cannot worship two gods at the same time. For either you will hate one and love the other; you will have adoration and devotion for one while you will loathe and have direct utter contempt towards the other. You cannot serve both God and possessions.
That is why I tell you not to be so uneasy, always worrying about everyday life stuff—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life or an inch to your height?
And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t labor or spin or knit or sew or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his magnificence was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for the appearance of wildflowers that are here today, wilt and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
So don’t worry and be anxious about these things, saying, ‘What are we going to have to eat? What are we going to have to drink? What are we going to wear? ’ Relax! These things preoccupy and dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. So above all else, seek the Kingdom of God, while you seek his righteousness and he will give you everything you need.
So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of it’s own. Today’s trouble is enough to keep you occupied for the next twenty-four hours.
Do not judge people and criticize their faults nor condemn others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard and measure you use in judging is the same standard and measure by which you will be judged.
And why worry about a speck of sawdust in your friend’s eye when you have a plank of timber in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the giant log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the beam in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t give sacred things to dogs. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on reverently knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking, receives. Everyone who continually seeks, finds. And to everyone who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened.
You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the core-essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is extremely difficult, and only a few ever find it.
Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really ferocious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A healthy tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a sickly tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name. Didn’t we? Don’t you remember?’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you doers of evil!’
Anyone who listens to my words, follows them, and works them into your life is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a stupid person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.
The above paraphrase of Matthew 5, 6, and 7, commonly referred to as Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” was written by Doug Eltzroth.