On the Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount, if carefully considered, contains the perfect standard of the Christian life. For the Lord Jesus Christ, who came not to destroy the law but to fulfil it, teaches here the highest righteousness, not merely that which restrains from evil deeds, but that which purifies the heart itself.

The Beatitudes form, as it were, a ladder by which the soul ascends to God. They are not separate commands but a single path, each step leading naturally to the next.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Here humility is commended. No one enters the kingdom who is swollen with pride, for pride is the root of all sin. Poverty of spirit is not the loss of goods, but the renunciation of arrogance.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
The meek do not resist evil with evil. They yield, not from weakness, but from strength disciplined by charity. This earth which they inherit is not the soil beneath our feet, but the stability of the soul at peace.

“Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
This mourning is not for worldly loss, but for sin—one’s own and that of the world. Such sorrow is medicinal; it cleanses the eye of the heart so that it may see God.

“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
Righteousness is not merely known, but desired. The soul that truly longs for justice is already being fed, even before it is satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
Mercy is not an optional ornament of the Christian life. It is the measure by which we ourselves will be measured. God crowns His own gifts when He rewards mercy with mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
This is the summit. The heart is purified by humility, discipline, mercy, and love, until it becomes capable of bearing the vision for which it was created. No one sees God by cleverness, but by holiness.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Peace is the tranquillity of order. The peacemaker first brings harmony to his own soul, then to others. Such a one reflects the likeness of God, in whom all things are perfectly ordered.

“Blessed are they who suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Here the circle is complete. The kingdom promised at the beginning is given again at the end, showing that all these virtues belong to one life, perfected through endurance.

Thus the whole of Christian wisdom is contained in this sermon: not merely in hearing these words, but in living them. For the house built on rock is the life founded on obedience, and the rock is Christ Himself.