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1Now on the second Sabbath after the first, he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands. 2But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”

3Jesus, answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, 4how he entered into God’s house, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?” 5He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

6It also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered. 7The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him. 8But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise up and stand in the middle.” He arose and stood. 9Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?” 10He looked around at them all, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other. 11But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.

12In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God. 13When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles: 14Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew; 15Matthew; Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus; Simon who was called the Zealot; 16Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor.

17He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, 18as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and they were being healed. 19All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all.

20He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for God’s Kingdom is yours.

21Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

22Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

24“But woe to you who are rich!

For you have received your consolation.

25Woe to you, you who are full now,

for you will be hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will mourn and weep.

26Woe, when men speak well of you,

for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.

27“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. 29To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

31“As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.

32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. 35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

36“Therefore be merciful,

even as your Father is also merciful.

37Don’t judge,

and you won’t be judged.

Don’t condemn,

and you won’t be condemned.

Set free,

and you will be set free.

38“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

39He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? 40A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 42Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye.

43“For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. 44For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

46“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? 47Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words and does them, I will show you who he is like. 48He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. 49But he who hears and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”

The Teaching Methods of Jesus

The Teaching Methods of Jesus

Topical Study | Matt 5:2 | Hershel Wayne House

The Ways in Which Jesus Taught

Picturesque Speech

Vivid or overstated language

Matt 7:3-5

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye?" Luke 14:26

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple."

Puns

A play on words

John 3:8, interchange of wind and Spirit, which are the same word in the Greek  Matt 23:24, gnat (qalma') and camel (gamla') are used in reacting to a Pharisee observance of Lev 11:41f.

Proverbs

Not to be understood as absolutes; they stress one side of a truth

Prov 26:4-5

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

     Lest you also be like him.

Answer a fool according to his folly,

     Lest he be wise in his own eyes. Matt 7:1 with Matt 7:6

"Judge not, that you be not judged."

"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."

Poetry

Hebrew poetry is not based on rhyme or meter as is commonly done today but is concerned with balance of thought. Jesus used this form. There are various kinds of poetical form:

Luke 6:27-28 Synonymous

But I say to you who hear:

    Love your enemies, 

        do good to those who hate you, 

    bless those who curse you, 

        and pray for those who spitefully use you.

Mark 8:35 Antithetic

    For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,

         but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.

Luke 9:48 Stairlike or climactic

    "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives me;

    and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

    For he who is least among you all will be great."

Luke 17:26-30 Double parallel stanzas

    26 As it was in the days of Noah, even so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man. 

        27  They ate, they drank, they married, and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 

        28  Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky and destroyed them all. 

  30  It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

See Bruce Metzger, Introduction to the New Testament.