The Eight Beatitudes: Required reading for seventh grade public school students in Texas

This is the beginning of the world's most famous sermon - The Sermon on the Mount. It begins the eight beatitudes. Here they are from the King James Version, wihch is the translation specified in the Texas required reading list.

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

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

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

⁶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

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

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

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

¹⁰ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3-10 King James Version

And here is the first part of the Sermon on the Mount from the Bible in Fewer Words podcast.

Episode 235: Every Jot and Tittle

Matthew 5

The beatitudes

5 ¹ Jesus went up on a mountain and spoke to a crowd, saying,

³ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶ Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

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

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

¹⁰ Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Salt of the earth

¹³ You're the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

¹⁶ So let others see your good works.

Every jot and tittle

¹⁷ Don't think that I've come to destroy the law of Moses or the prophets. I haven't come to destroy, but to fulfill.

¹⁸ Until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle will pass from the law, until all is fulfilled.

¹⁹ So whoever breaks even one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do so, will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys the law and teaches others to do so will be great in the kingdom of heaven.

Moses said this, but I say that…

²¹ You've heard about the law of Moses that says “Thou shalt not kill.”

²² But I say that whoever calls someone a fool is in danger of going to hell.

Some legal advice

^25-26 If you get in a dispute with someone, settle as soon as possible. Otherwise the judge will throw you in jail, and you'll stay there until you pay every last penny.

Adultery in the heart

²⁷ You've heard about the law of Moses that says, "Don't commit adultery."

²⁸ But I say that if a man looks at a woman with lust, he has already committed adultery in his heart.

Pluck out your eye, cut off your hand

²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, cut it out. Because it's better to lose an eye than go hell.

³⁰ If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better to lose a hand than go to hell.

Divorce

³² Whoever divorces his wife, except for when she has committed fornication, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Don't swear

³³ Don't swear.

³⁷ Answer "Yes" or "No". It's evil to say more than that.

Turn the other cheek

³⁸ You've heard it said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."

³⁹ But I say, "Don't resist evil with evil. If someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit the other one also."

Give to anyone who asks

⁴⁰ If someone sues you to take away your coat, give him your cloak as well.

⁴¹ If someone forces you to walk a mile with him, walk with him two miles.

⁴² If someone asks you to give him something, give it to him. Never refuse when someone asks to borrow something from you.

Love your enemies

⁴³ You've heard it said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."

⁴⁴ But I say, “Love your enemies and do good to those that hate you.”

⁴⁵ Because God makes the sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust alike

⁴⁸ So be perfect, as God is perfect.

For the second half of the Sermon on the mount see Episode 236 of the Bible in Fewer Words podcast: Pearls before swine.

Questions for Students

1. In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus says that all of the laws in the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) must be followed - every jot and tittle. But Christians ignore nearly all of the Old Testament's laws today. By doing so, aren't Christians disobeying Jesus?
2. In Matthew 5:29-30, Jesus says you should cut off your hand and pluck out you eye if they cause you to sin. Does that seem like good advice to you? Do you think most Christians follow Jesus's advice on this?
3. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus says we should love our enemies and do good to thoese who hate us. If the United States obeyed Jesus on this, how could it justify having a milirary of fight in any war?