Matthew 5:48 You must be perfect – just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

When was Matthew written: 60AD Who wrote it: Mathew disciple of Jesus For who was it written for: Jews and believing Gentiles What was the purpose: To prove that Jesus is the Messiah How does it differ from the other Gospels: Jews perspective

Matthew 3:11 I baptize you with water to show that you have repented, but the one who will come after me will baptise you with the Holy Sprit and fire. He is much greater than I am; and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals. :13 “At that time” Matthew continue: “Jesus arrived from Galilee and came to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.”

“Let it be so for now. For in this way we shall do all that God requires.” So John agreed. (Matthew 3:15) Matthew 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. Then heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and alighting on him. 17 Then a voice said from heaven, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased.”

“Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the Devil. After spending forty days and nights without food, Jesus was hungry.” (Matthew 4:1)

Matthew 4:19 Jesus said to the fishermen brothers Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew: Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people.” Matthew 5:1 Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill, where he sat down. His disciples gathered round him, 2 and he began to teach them.

Sermon on the Mount was not one single sermon preached on one single occasion. There are good and compelling reasons for thinking that the Sermon on the Mount is far more than one sermon that it is, in fact, a kind of abstracts of all the sermons that Jesus ever preached.

We are made by God to live according to these values Genesis 1:26 Let us make man in our image after our likeness

The great characteristic of God is love to saint and to sinner alike. No matter what people do to him, God seeks nothing but their highest good. To put it at its simplest, the human who cares most for another human is the most perfect human.

Matthew 5:48 You must be perfect – just as your Father in heaven is perfect! (perfect: faultless, complete, whole = holy)

Matthew 7:24 So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain poured down, the rivers overflowed, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock.

26 But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain poured down, the rivers overflowed, the wind blew hard against that house, and it fell. And what a terrible fall that was!

Commentary used: William Barclay The Gospel of Matthew Volume 1