" They never heard it like this before.

A DISTINGUISHED PRINCETON PSYCHOLOGIST USED TO TELL HIS STUDENTS, THAT THE "SERMON ON THE MOUNT" WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE PROPAGANDA IN HISTORY. HE DEFINED PROPAGANDA AS INFORMATION THAT IFLUNECES AND CONTROLS OPINION FOR GOOD OR FOR BAD, AND THEN DEMONSTRATED " THAT THE " SERMON ON THE MOUNT"  PROBABLY CONTAINED THE MOST COMPELLING AND POWERFUL WORDS EVER  UTTERED. NO WORDS EVER SPOKEN BY ANYONE HAVE ATRACKED SUCH UNIVERSAL ADMIRATION. YET THE "SERMON ON THE MOUNT" AS WE HAVE IT, IS ONLY 15 MINUTES LONG AND ONLY A SAMPLE OF THE MANY TALKS JESUS GAVE. MATTHEW AND LUKE  BOTH RECORD THE SERMON, BUT THEIR REPORTS DIFFER, FROM EACH OTHER AT SOME POINTS BECAUSE THEY TRANSLATED JESUS REMARKS FROM SPOKEN ARAMAIC INTO WRITTEN GREEK, AND THEY CONDENSED DIFFERENTLY FOR THEIR PARTICULAR READERS. JESUS WAS THIRTY YRS OLD WHEN HE STARTED HIS MINISTRY. HOWEVER, THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARED THE WAY FOR HIM. THE ARCH ANGEL GABRIEL CAME
 TO ZACHARIAS AND HIS WIFE ELIZABETH SAYING SHE WOULD HAVE A CHILD, A SON,
WHO WOULD BE A GREAT MAN OF GOD, BUT ZACHARIAS DIDN'T BELIEVE THE ANGEL, AND FOR THIS REASON WAS MADE DEAF AND DUMB, UNTIL ELIZABETH DELIVERED A SON AND NAMED HIM JOHN. JOHN BECAME A PREACHER AND LED A  ASCETIC LIFE IN THE DESERT AND SPOKE OF A GREATER ONE TO COME AND SPOKE OF REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM. AFTER JESUS BAPTISM HE WENT INTO THE DESERT, WHERE HE WAS TESTED BY THE DEVIL. AT THE TIME JESUS WAS BAPTIZED, THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE FORM OF A DOVE, DESCENDED ON HIM AND A VOICE CAME FROM HEAVEN SAYING: " THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED. JOHN KEPT ON PREACHING UNTIL HIS DEATH. THE DEVIL TEMPTED JESUS IN THE DESERT 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS, AND SAYING IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD CHANGE THESE STONES INTO BREAD, AND THE DEVIL WOULD GIVE HIM POWER AND WEALTH OVER ALL THE NATIONS SATAN RULED. JESUS DECLINED THE OFFER. WHILE IN GALILEE JESUS CREATED A MOVEMENT ALLOWING A CIRCLE OF DISCIPLES AND FOLLOWERS TO SHARE IN HIS MINISTRY AND THEY LATER BECAME CALLED HIS 12 APOSTLES.
PROBABLY THE MOST MEMORABLE OF JESUS SERMONS WAS THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, DELIVERED TO HIS DISCIPLES AND A LARGE CROWD WHO HAD GATHERED
TO LISTEN. IT WAS A REVOLUTIONARY SERMON, STARTING WITH THE "BEATITUDES",
 WHERE JESUS STATES THAT HAPPINESS, DOES NOT LIE IN WEALTH, HEALTH, OR SUCCESS, BUT HUMILITY, MERCY, PEACE MAKING, AND SPIRITUAL HUNGER. JESUS WENT ON TO SAY THAT ANGER IS AS GREAT A SIN AS MURDER, AND LUSTFUL THOUGHTS AS HAD AS ADULTERY. HE URGED LOVE FOR ONE ENEMIES, DISREGARD
FOR MONEY POSSESSIONS AND ATTENTION TO OUR OWN SINS, RATHER THEN CONDEMNATION ON THE SINS OF OTHERS. HE WARNED HIS HEARERS TO AVOID HYPOCRITICAL, OSTENTATIOUS, WORSHIP AND PRAYER AND TAUGHT THEM THE PRAYER, THAT HAS BECOME THE LORD'S PRAYER. JESUS SPOKE THESE WORDS FROM A LEVEL SPOT ON A GRASSY HILL OVER-LOOKING THE SEA OF GALILEE.
GROUPED AROUND HIM WERE HIS TWELVE DISCIPLES, WHILE SOME OF THE POPULACE SAT ATTENTIVELY BEHIND THE DISCIPLES. ON THE EDGE OF THE CROWD, NO DOUBT WERE SCRIBES, PHARISEES, WHO HAD COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO KEEPING JESUS UNDER SURVEILLANCE.
 JESUS BEGAN WITH WHAT ARE CALLED THE "BEATITUDES."
 HAPPY ARE THE POOR IN SPIRITS, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
 HAPPY ARE THE MOURNERS, FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED.
 HAPPY ARE THE SELF CONTROLLED, FOR THEY SHALL INHERITED THE EARTH..
 HAPPY ARE THOSE HUNGERING AND THIRSTING AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR THEY SHALL BE SATISFIED.
HAPPY ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY SHALL OBTAIN MERCY.
HAPPY ARE THE PURE IN HEART, FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD.
HAPPY ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED GOD'S SONS.
HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
HAPPY ARE YOU WHEN THEY INSULT YOU AND PERSECUTE AND SPEAK ALL KINDS OF EVIL FALSELY BECAUSE OF ME. REJOICE AND BE GLAD, BECAUSE YOUR REWARD IS GREAT IN HEAVEN, FOR THIS IS HOW THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETS BEFORE YOU. (MATT. 5:3-12).
NOW THE POOR IN SPIRIT ARE THOSE WHO RECOGNIZE THEY SUFFER SPIRITUAL POVERTY.
THE MOURNERS ARE THOSE LIKE KING DAVID, DEEPLY REGRET THEIR OWN SINS AND THE SINS OF THEIR NATION. THE SELF-CONTROLLED (USUALLY TRANSLATED
"MEEK") ARE THOSE WHO CONTROL THEIR ANGER, AND SUBMIT TO GOD AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES HE ALLOTS THEM.
THOSE WORDS WAS USED OF AN ANIMAL WHO SUBMITTED TO ITS MASTER.
 JESUS EXERCISED SUCH SELF-CONTROL. WHEN HE SUBMITTED TO THE CROSS.
THE PURE HEART POSSES INWARD PURITY, IN CONTRAST TO THOSE WHO SEEK PURITY THROUGH OBSERVING EXTERNAL RITUALS. THE PEACE MAKERS DO MORE THAN LIVE PEACEFULLY; THEY PROMOTE PEACE AMONG OTHERS AND RESTORE HARMONY BETWEEN FORMER ENEMIES, THE PERSECUTED ARE THOSE WHO SUFFER REJECTION BECAUSE OF THEIR DEVOTION TO JESUS. THEY SHOULD FEEL PRIVILEGED, JESUS  SAID, TO FOLLOW IN THE GREAT TRADITION OF OUR SPIRITUAL ANCESTORS, LIKE ELIJAH, ISAIAH, JEREMIAH, WHO WERE ALSO PERSECUTED.
TO SPEAK OF HAPPY MOURNERS AND REJOICING SUFFERS MUST HAVE STARTLED JESUS AUDIENCE! HIS WORDS GRATED ON SELF-SATISFIED SUCCESS- OF TYPES WHO TRAMPLED ON OTHERS TO ATTAIN STATUS. HOW MANY OF THE RICH, FAMOUS, AND POWERFUL, IN JESUS AUDIENCE, AND OUR WORLD TODAY ARE SENSITIVE, SUBMISSIVE, MERCIFUL?
JESUS WORDS REVERSES THE WORLD'S- VALUES-THE ARROGANT, COLD BLOODED, SUCCESSES BECOME ETERNAL FAILURES, AND THE TRULY "MEEK" INHERIT THE EARTH. LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THHE DISCIPLES, JESUS INFORMED THEM: YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH, BUT IF SALT LOSES IT FLAVOR, HOW CAN IT BECOME SALTY AGAIN? IT IS GOOD FOR NOTHING, BUT TO BE THROWN OUT AND TRAMPLED UNDER FOOT. YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A CITY BUILT ON A HILL CANNOT BE HIDDEN, NOR DO PEOPPLE LIGHT A LAMP AND PUT IT UNDER A BASKET, BUT ON A LAMP STAND SO IT LIGHTS THE WHOLE HOUSE. OUR LIFE AS MEMBERS OF THE  CHRISTIAN CHURCH, SHOULD RADIATE OUR LEADER JESUS CHRIST. WHEN THEY SEE US, THEY SHOULD SEE JESUS. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN IN SUCH AWAY, THAT THEY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS AND HONOR YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.
JESUS PUNGENT AND EARTHLY ILLUSTRATIONS DREW FROM THE DAILY LIFE OF HIS AUDIENCE. THE ISRAELIS USED SALT TO PRESERVE AND FLAVOR FOOD, BUT THE SALT THEY GATHERED FEOM THE DEAD SEA MARSHES OFTEN CONTAINED OTHER SUBSTANCES WHICH RENDERED IT TASTELESS. JESUS DISCIPLES WERE TO PURIFY AND ENLIGHTEN A CORRUPT WORLD BY LIVING IN ITS MIDST, INSTEAD OF RETREATING TO THE DEAD SEA CAVES. TO PURSUE SAINTHOOD, LIKE THE QUMRAM COMMUNITY.