Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount and how they are considered by some to be one the most important passages in the New Testament. The paper states that it is here that Jesus reveals the new covenant that will lead to the salvation of new followers of the Christian faith. The paper explores the context in which they were written, provides some interpretive notes, and examines Matthew's purpose in writing the passage.

Outline:
Context
Interpretation

From the Paper:

"There are several hypotheses regarding authorship of the Sermon on the Mount. The most common is that it reflects the exact words of Jesus. However, there are scholars who feel that the Sermon on the Mount, including the beatitudes was authored by Matthew and by Luke. In Luke 6:20-49, we find a similar set of beatitudes presented by Luke in the Sermon on the Plain, which some scholars contend is the same event as the Sermon on the Mount Lindberg, p. 3). The Sermon on the Plain contains a portion of the beatitudes found in the Sermon on the Mount. In addition, there are several key changes that provide clues to different authorship of the two sets of rules. The first difference is that the Sermon n Luke tends to focus on material poverty and physical conditions on earth. Matthew's version is more spiritually oriented, using terms such as "poverty" and "thirst" as metaphors for spiritual fulfillment. The beatitudes found in the Sermon on the Mount only present one side of the blessings. In Luke, the those that are blessed are presented, but then Luke presents the other side and addresses those that are cursed for their virtues as well. Matthew simply leaves them to be implied by the reader. Purpose. Regardless of the authorship of the beatitudes found in Matthew, the purpose of the passage remains the same. The Sermon on the Mount is regarded as both the starting point and a summary of the teachings of Jesus (Lindberg, p. 3). The beatitudes are not meant to show Gods favor for the unrighteous. They are meant to demonstrate compassion when bad things happen to good people (Wierbicka, p. 27). During the middle ages, the laity tested the beatitudes' blessing of the poor. Once the person was baptized, they were expected to adhere to certain doctrines and practices. Many times, they could not make tithes."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Lindbert, T. What the Beatitudes Teach. Policy Review. Issue: 144. 2007. pp. 3+. Retrieved March 31, 2007 from Questia Database.
• McMahon, D. From the Happiness of Virtue to the Virtue of Happiness: 400 B.C.-A.D. 1780. Daedalus. 133 (2), 5+.
• Quitoriano, J. The Beatitudes. Theandros. Vol. 1, No. 3, Spring 2004. http://www.theandros.com/beatitudes.html, Accessed March 31, 2008.
• Tanner, N. and Watson, S. Least of the laity: the minimum requirements for a medieval Christian. Journal of Medieval History. Vol 32., Issue 4. December 2006. pp. 395-423.
• Wierzbicka, A. The Beatitudes. Oxford Scholarship Online Monographs. What Did Jesus Mean?

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