In addition to the 10 Old Testament commandments, Christ in the Sermon on the Mount gave 9 Beatitudes. In them the Lord outlined the pattern of life proper to His followers, Christians. Without canceling what was prescribed by the Old Testament, the Savior expands and elevates the meaning of the ancient commandments, inspiring people to strive for ideal perfection and charting the path to this perfection.
The Beatitudes are a declaration of Christian moral values. They contain everything necessary for a person to enter into true fullness of life. All the Beatitudes speak of the rewards that those who are faithful to Christ will receive in the Kingdom of the age to come: those who mourn will be comforted, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled, the meek will inherit the earth, the pure in heart will see God. But already now, by fulfilling Christ’s commandments, a person receives comfort and joy in anticipation of the fullness of being — the coming of the Kingdom of God.
And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
- 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- 2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
- 3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
- 4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
- 5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
- 6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
- 7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
- 8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- 9. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account.
Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven
Materials used from the book by A.G. Dolzhenko "Sermon on the Mount"
The Ten Commandments were given to the Old Testament tribes to restrain wild and rough people from evil. The Beatitudes were given to Christians to show what dispositions of soul they should have in order to draw ever closer to God and attain holiness. Holiness, born of closeness to God, is the highest blessedness that a person can desire. The Old Testament Law is the law of strict justice, while the New Testament is the law of divine love and grace. They do not contradict each other, but mutually complement one another.
The essence of all the commandments of both the Old and New Testaments can be summed up in the two commandments of love given by Christ: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt 22:37–40; Mk 12:29–31). And the Lord also gave us a reliable guide for how to act: “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” (Mt 7:12).
Download the book by A.G. Dolzhenko "Sermon on the Mount" (rus)