Chapter one

1

A general introduction to the Beatitudes (1)

If a person meditated with piety and piety on the sermon spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ on the mountain, as it appeared in the Gospel of Matthew, he would find in it all the lofty principles necessary for a complete Christian life.

In saying this we are not exaggerating, but rather we infer this matter from the words of the Lord himself. The sermon is complete in that it includes all the commandments that guide life. That is why the Lord said: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. Then the rain fell, the rivers came, and the winds blew and hit that house and it fell. His fall was great” (Matthew 7:24-27). Since the Lord did not just say, “Who hears my words,” but rather added, “Who hears these words of mine,” I think He has sufficiently indicated that this sermon that He spoke on the mount leads those who wish to live according to it to a life of perfection, so that they may truly be likened to Him. That which was built on the rock.

I said this simply to show the perfection of the sermon that is clear before us, in its commandments that shape the life of a Christian, because we will treat this chapter more carefully later.

2

Matthew opened the sermon as follows:

When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. When he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he opened his mouth and taught them, saying.

If we ask what he means by the mountain, we will understand that he means the great commandments of righteousness. Because there are fewer commandments (2) Given to the Jews. Yet He is one God. He spoke in ancient times through His prophets and holy servants, declaring the lesser commandments to a people who know God through fear. But He who distributes the times in perfect order, through His Son, gave the greater commandments to a people prepared for liberation through love.

Moreover, when the minor commandments were given to the young and the greatest commandments were given to the great, they were given by God, who alone provides humanity with the appropriate medicine according to its conditions.

We are not surprised that the greater commandments for the kingdom of heaven and the lesser commandments for the earthly kingdom were given by that One, God Himself, the Maker of heaven and earth. That is why it was said by the prophet about God’s righteousness: “Your justice is like the mountains of God” (Psalm 36:6), and this may well mean that it is appropriate for the one Master to teach great things on a mountain.

He teaches while sitting, and this is befitting the position of a teacher.

“And when he sat down, his disciples came to him.”To be close to Him in body to hear His words, just as they are close to Him in spirit by fulfilling His commandments.

Then he opened his mouth and said,. Perhaps this precision was a subtle indication of some sort of length of the sermon. Perhaps this saying is because he has now opened his mouth, whereas in the ancient Sharia he was accustomed to opening the mouths of the prophets(3).

3

So what does he say?

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

We read in the Bible about toil for temporal things: “All is vanity and sorrow of spirit.” (4)As for the word “presumption of spirit,” it means insolence, pride, and arrogance. It is also customary to say of the arrogant person that he has exalted spirits, and this is true, because the wind is called a spirit. Thus it is written: “Fire, and hail, and snow, and fog, and spirit of tempest” (Psalm 148:8). Indeed, the proud is called puffed up, as if he were exalted with the wind. Here the Apostle says: “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1)...

Let us truly understand that the poor in spirit are those who are humble and God-fearing, that is, those who do not have a spirit that puffs up.

In truth, the Beatitudes cannot begin with anything other than this beginning, as long as they were established for the sake of attaining high wisdom, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10), and on the other hand, “pride is the first of sins” (the wisdom of Joshua 10:15).

So let the proud seek and love earthly kingdoms, but “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”. 

Chapter II

4

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth

I think it is the land mentioned in the psalm. “You said, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living’” (Psalm 142:5), because it means steadfastness and stability in the permanent inheritance, in which the soul finds rest, through provision, by being in its place. This is just like the body, as it is from the earth, resting on it and nourished by its food...

The meek are those who submit to the weaknesses of others, and do not resist their evil, but rather overcome it with good (Romans 12:21).

5

Blessed are those who mourn. Because they will be comforted

Sadness is regret over the loss of loved ones. However, those who are guided to God lose those things that they used to possess in this world as precious things, because they will no longer rejoice in what they rejoiced in before. If they find love for eternal things, they are wounded with a little sadness. For this reason, they are comforted by the Holy Spirit, who was called because of this “the Paraclete,” that is, the Comforter, so that they can fully enjoy what is eternal despite losing temporary pleasures.

6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Because they are satisfied

He calls this group lovers of truth and incorruptible goodness, so they are satisfied with that food about which the Lord Himself said, “My food is to do the will of my Father,” meaning righteousness, and they are quenched with that water about which He also said: “And whoever drinks...it will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” “(John 4:14).

7

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy

Those who save the miserable are blessed, because their work returns to them in such a way that they are freed from misery.

8

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God

How foolish it is to search for God with these external eyes, since God can only be seen with the heart, as it is written in another place, “Seek Him with a sound heart” (Wisdom 1:1), because what is a pure heart other than a sound and simple heart? Just as this light can only be seen with pure eyes, so God cannot be seen unless the one who sees it (i.e. the heart) is pure.

9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God

There will be complete peace wherever There is no resistance. The children of God are peacemakers, because the children should imitate their Father. They are peacemakers in themselves. As they control the movements of their spirit, subject them to what is right, that is, to the mind and spirit, and completely suppress their carnal desires, thus the Kingdom of God appears in which man is like this:

Everything that is sublime and sublime in man dominates Without resistance over the other corporeal elements (which it has in common with animals), and that sublime element must be subordinated to something better also, namely Right, the born Son of God, because a person cannot control worldly things unless he submits himself to someone greater than him. This is the peace that gives good will. This is the life of the wise man who makes peace.

As for the ruler of this world (Satan), who is in control wherever there is error and disorder, he turns away from a person whose life is in complete peace and order and is controlled by the Son of God. When this peace arises from within and is established, then all the persecutions that the prince of this world incites from without, You can't shake any of that internal structureRather, the strength of building from within leads to the failure of Satan’s machinations from without.

So the Lord continued by saying: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

Chapter III

10

Order of the Beatitudes

In the first eight phrases, the Lord of Glory was speaking to everyone, but what came after that He spoke in particular to those present. “Blessed to you If they revile you and expel you.” The previous expressions were directed in a general form, because he did not say: “Blessed.” to you You are poor in spirit, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.” He did not say: “Blessed.” to you O you meek, for you shall inherit the earth.” Rather, he said: “Blessed are the meek, for you shall inherit the earth,” and so on until the eighth phrase, where he says: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 The eight phrases relate to those present before him, although they are directed in a general way to everyone, and the last speech concerns everyone, although they are directed specifically to those present with him.

Therefore, we must carefully consider the number and order of the expressions before us.

1- The Beatitudes have begun With humility. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” that is, those who are not puffed up. Then the soul submits to divine authority for fear of its punishment in eternal life, despite its seeming happiness in the present life.

2- Then the soul will know the divine holy books, as it should know them With gentleness and piety, lest you dare to criticize what may seem unreasonable to the ignorant, and become unteachable due to invalid discussions.

3- After that, the soul begins to recognize the extent of the traps of this world into which it falls due to lustful sinsHWeigh on its loss of the greater good, and its attachment to what is vile.

4- Jihad appears after that - in the fourth stage - where jihad emerges, and the mind turns away from the things it fell into because of the pleasure of their temptations. here He hungers for righteousness and thirsts for itEndurance (strength) is very necessary, as it is not possible to leave what contains pleasure without pain.

5- Therefore, in the fifth stage, advice is given to those who persevere in jihad to get rid of (destructive) things. No one can get rid of such great traps of misery without the help of someone greater than him. What fair advice! The one who wants to help someone who is greater than him must help someone who is weaker than him in what he is strong in. Therefore, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy.”

6- It comes in the sixth stage Purity of heartThat heart that, with a good conscience for good deeds, can see the greatest goodness. This is the goodness that is realized by a pure and calm mind.

7- Finally, the seventh stage, which is wisdom itself, that is, contemplating the truth, imitating God. Then he says, “Blessed are you.” For peacemakers Because they are called children of God.”

As for the eighth stage, it is as if it were returning to the starting point, which is why it was called the Kingdom of Heaven in both the first and eighth stages. In the first: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” and in the eighth: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It is as if he is saying: Who will separate us from the love of Christ, whether tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword. (Romans 8:45) The things that bring perfection are seven, because the eighth is nothing but a clarification and manifestation of what is perfect, and that is like the first, as if it had begun anew... 

the fourth chapter

11

Words of the Prophet Isaiah about the Spirit of the Lord and the Beatitudes

It appears to be the works of the Holy Spirit that the prophet Isaiah spoke about (5) These seven stages or phrases correspond, but there is a difference in order between them. The words of the Prophet Isaiah range from greatest to least, but here they ascend from least to greatest.

Isaiah begins with wisdom and ends with the fear of the Lord, because “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Therefore, if we arrange what was mentioned in the prophet Isaiah in ascending order (instead of descending order), it will begin with the fear of the Lord, secondly piety, thirdly knowledge, fourthly strength (endurance), fifthly counsel, sixthly understanding, seventhly wisdom.

First: The fear of the Lord meets the humbleOf whom it was said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” that is, those who are not puffed up, those whom the Apostle addresses, saying: “Do not be arrogant, but fear” (Romans 11:20), meaning do not exalt yourself.

Second: Piety meets the meekBecause the researcher with piety honors the Holy Bible and does not criticize what he has not yet understood, and this is the meek of whom it was said (Blessed are the meek).

Third: Knowledge meets those who are sad, who through the Bible knew the evils that dominated them. Which they ignorantly desired as if they were good and useful things, and they became sad and regretful about them.

Fourth: Strength meets those who are hungry and thirsty, who strive hard to gain joy from real things, eagerly seeking to direct their love away from temporal things. About these people it was said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

Fifth: Advice meets merciful peopleBecause the only way to escape from many evils is to forgive others as long as we ask for forgiveness, and to help others as much as we can as long as we ask for help because of our weakness. About these people it was said: “Blessed are the merciful.”

Sixth: Understanding corresponds to the pure in heart. It is as if the eye has been purified to see what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what has never occurred to a human heart. About these people it was said: “Blessed are the pure in heart.”

Seventh: Wisdom meets peacemakersIn the peacemaker, everything becomes organized. Their emotions do not rebel against the mind. Rather, everything in a person submits to his spirit, while his spirit submits to God. About these people it was said: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

12

The penalty

Moreover, the only reward, the Kingdom of Heaven, was called by different names according to each of these stages (6).

In the first case, I give the penalty.”Kingdom of heaven“And it is the highest and most perfect level of wisdom of the spirit. That is why it was said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It is as if it was said: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

The Lord gave to the meek An inheritance, as if this were a covenant from the Father to those who seek Him With piety. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

He gave to those who mourn A condolenceBecause they knew what they had lost, and they knew what sins they had fallen into, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

He gave to the hungry and thirsty Full“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”

He gave to the merciful MercyBecause they accept wonderful, true advice, the one who is greater than them (God) treats them with the same treatment as they treat those who are less than them. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”

He gave to peacemakers Imitate himBeing fully wise, they take on the image of God by renewing their lives. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Indeed, these promises can be fulfilled in this life, as we believe they were fulfilled with the apostles. Because if he intended to achieve it in heaven, it would not be possible to express it in words.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

This phrase goes back to the starting point (i.e. it is not an eighth stage, but rather shows the person’s perfection by achieving the previous seven stages).

Perhaps its meaning is clear from circumcision on the eighth day in the Old Testament and the Lord’s resurrection after the Sabbath, that is, on the eighth and first day at the same time, as is clear from the celebration of the eight joyful days that are celebrated at the conversion of man, as well as with the same number as the fifty, because multiplying seven seven times produces the number 49. Adding to it the eighth day produces the number 50, as if we have returned to the beginning, that day on which the Holy Spirit descended. Through the Holy Spirit we reach the kingdom of heaven, receive an inheritance, are comforted, are satisfied, receive mercy, are purified, and become peacemakers.(So the first seven beatitudes are fulfilled in us), then we become perfect in this way, bearing all the labors that are brought upon us from outside (i.e. from outside of man) for the sake of righteousness and truth. 

Chapter V

13

Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for your reward is great in heaven.

===Thus says the Lord, so that the Christian by name, that is, the one who seeks the pleasures of this world and the riches of these things, may know that our happiness is internal, as it was said about the Church through the mouth of the Prophet: “All her glory is within.” (7). The Lord promised external reproach, expulsion, and contempt. However, these things have a great reward in the heavens, which are felt by those who endure them, exclaiming with the Messenger, “We also rejoice in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces patience, and patience produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts.” (8). Enduring these beneficial labors is not an easy matter, but enduring them for the sake of Christ is not only with calm thought but also with joy.

Many soul-deceiving heretics have endured such great toils, yet they were deprived of the penalty, because he did not just say, “Blessed are the persecuted,” but added, “For righteousness’ sake.” For where there is no right faith, there is no righteousness, for the righteous shall live by faith. (9).

Those who are divided should not think that they have this reward, because they resemble heretics, and since they are without love, they are without righteousness, because “love does no harm to one’s neighbor.” (10) If they had love, they would not have torn the body of Christ, which is the church, into parts.

14

We may ask what is the difference between his saying, “When they revile you” and his saying, “They say every evil word against you,” as long as the meaning seems to be the same?

Saying the word reproach is sarcasm in the presence of the reproacher, as it was said to our Lord, “Do we not say well that you are a Samaritan and have a devil?” (11)This is different from denigrating our reputation in our absence, as he also wrote about Christ: “Some say that he is good. Others say, “No, but he leads the people astray.” (12).

Then reproach involves violence or plotting, as was stated about the one who betrayed Christ and those who crucified him.

It is also a certain fact that he did not just say, “And they said every evil word against you,” but he added, “For my sake” and “liars.” I think that this addition was made for the sake of those who desire temporal glory as an alternative to being expelled and having their reputations damaged. They also wish to be said about them as followers of Christ because of the evils and sufferings they endure, but what is said about them may be true if it is because of their mistakes, and it may not be true if it is due to their mistakes. They were accused of things they did not do, and in this case they could not bear them for the sake of Christ. Because whoever is called a Christian without the true faith and teachings of the Church is not a follower of Christ.

15

Rejoice and be glad. Because your reward is great in heaven

I do not think that what is called the heavens here is the firmament that we see in our visible world, and thus our reward will not be in temporary and temporal things, but rather eternal and heavenly. I also believe that the word “in the heavens” means the spiritual skin in which eternal righteousness dwells... as the Apostle says about it, “For our conduct is in the heavens.” (13). That is why those who rejoice in the spirit realize this awaited reward in the world, but their awareness is complete in all respects when the corruptible person gains incorruption (i.e. in eternal life).

For in this way they persecuted the prophets who were before you

He used the word “expulsion” in this place in its general meaning, intending it to reproach and damage the reputation, encouraging those who were expelled well by the example of the prophets, because those who spoke the truth were accustomed to suffering from expulsion, and yet they did not stop preaching the truth due to fear of expulsion.

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Chapter six

16

Our message in the world

This is followed by the phrase, “You are the salt of the earth,” referring to those groups that lack eternal things that no human being can take or give, eagerly seeking to enrich themselves from earthly things. Afraid of want... These are nothing but groups without taste... without salt!! “But if the salt has spoiled, how can it be salted?“That is, if you, through whom the nations are preserved from corruption, lose the Kingdom of Heaven due to fear of temporal expulsion, then who are the people whom the Lord will send to save your souls if He sent you to save others?!

Therefore, the corrupted salt “is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled upon by men.” And the one who is trampled upon by people is not the one who is cast out, but rather the one who fears being cast out. That is the earthly man who is trampled upon by men. As for the one who suffers many physical toils while his heart is established in the heavenly places, he is It is not on my land to be trampled on by people.

17

You are the light of the world

In the same way that he spoke before, “You are the salt of the earth,” he now says, “You are the light of the world.” In the first, the earth is not understood as that which we tread with our feet, but rather as the human beings living in it, or the sinners to whom the Lord sent apostolic salt to correct their corruption. “The world” here does not mean the sky and the earth, but rather the human beings living in the world or its disciples. For their illumination, the Lord sent the messengers.

A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden That is, the city founded on a great and excellent righteousness, which is referred to by the mountain that our Lord preaches about.

They do not light a lamp and put it under a bushel

What does he mean by this?

1- “Under a bushel” means hiding a lamp; It is as if he says, “And no one lights a lamp and hides it.”

2- Or does something else mean something else? This is because putting a lamp under a bushel means that we block the spiritual light and envelop the soul itself with covers of dense matter and those pleasures of the flesh that are measured and measured. Thus, we do not preach the truth as long as we are afraid to endure any hardship in physical, temporal matters.

3- Or does he mean by the measure the attainment of the reward according to a measure, so each person receives a reward according to his deeds, as the Apostle said: “Everyone will receive the things he has done in the body according to what he has done.”(14)As it was said in another place, as about the measure of the flesh, “And with the measure with which you measure, it will be measured to you.” (15).

4- Or did he mean by that that the good, temporal things that are completed in the body happen within a limited time frame, while the eternal spiritual matters do not adhere to such limits, “for God does not give the spirit with measure?” (16)

Therefore, everyone who hides the light of true teachings and hides them with temporal, carnal things puts his lamp under a bushel.

But on the lighthouse

He who submits his body to the service of God places the lamp on the lampstand, so preaching the truth is of a higher rank and serving the body is of a lower rank. However, the teachings become tangibly clearer through the use of the physical senses, that is, when the various senses (the tongue, the mind, and the organs of the body) are harnessed in teaching. Therefore, the Messenger places his lamp on the lampstand when he says thus: “I strike as if I were not striking the air. Rather, I oppress my body and make it a slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be rejected.” (17).

And it gives light to everyone in the house

I think that what is called home here is the dwelling place of humans, that is, the world itself, as in His saying, “You are the light of the world.” However, if someone understands the home as the church, this is also true.

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Chapter VII

18

People pleasing

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

If he had only said: “Let your light shine before people so that they may see your good deeds,” it would have seemed as if he had made people’s praise a goal, which is what heretics, seekers of honor, and those seeking fleeting glory seek. It was said about these groups, “If I had yet pleased men, I would not have been a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10), and the Prophet says about those who pleased men, “I have put them to shame, because God has rejected them,” and “because God has scattered the bones of those who please men” (Ps. 5:53), and the Apostle says, “Because you admire” (Galatians 5:26), and he also says, “But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have boasting for himself only and not for others” (Galatians 6:4).

Therefore, he did not just say, “so that they may see your good works,” but rather added, “and glorify your Father who is in heaven,” because man pleases others with his good works, not for the sake of pleasing them in himself, but to glorify God, so he pleases humans, so that God may be glorified in his work, because it is appropriate for those who admire good works to They glorify God, not man. This is as our Lord demonstrated when healing the paralytic. Our teacher Matthew says, “They marveled and glorified God who gave people such authority.” (18).

The apostle Paul, who imitates him, says, “But they were hearing that the one who had once persecuted us was now preaching the faith that he had previously destroyed.” And they glorified God through me.” (19).

19

After the Lord advised his listeners to prepare themselves to endure all things for the sake of truth and righteousness and not to hide the commandments they were about to receive, and after he directed them to the necessity of teaching others, aiming not at their own glorification but at the glory of God, he now began to tell them and teach them what they should do. Teach him. It is as if they asked him, saying: Behold, we are ready to endure everything for the sake of your name and not to hide your teachings. So what are these teachings that you prevented us from hiding and for which you commanded us to endure everything? Will you mention to us commandments that contradict what came in the law?

He answers, saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish but to fulfill.”

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Chapter Eight

20

Completing the Mosaic law

The phrase “I have not come to abolish but to fulfill” has two meanings and we will look at both meanings. The Lord intended either to complete what was lacking in the law, or to implement what was stated in it.

Let us consider the first meaning. The one who completes what was incomplete does not negate what he created, but rather supplements it by adding what completes it. So the Lord followed by saying: For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter (I) or one tittle will pass from the law until all is fulfilled.

If the addition is complete, then even more so is the beginning complete. Therefore, his saying, “Not a single letter (I) or a single dot shall depart from the Law” is understood as an expression of the perfection of the Law.

He pointed to a small letter, because the letter (I) is the smallest of the letters, as it consists of a small line. Then he pointed to the dot, which is what is placed on the letter, thus showing that the smallest parts in the law have value.

Whoever breaks one of these least commandments and teaches people this way will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

What is meant by one letter and one dot is the least of the commandments, so whoever breaks them and teaches people according to what he broke, he will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, and as we will see later, there will be only the great in the kingdom of heaven.

As for those who work and teach “That is, what he did not revoke.” This one will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. We will see later that the Kingdom of Heaven contains only great people.

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Chapter Nine

21

Is it necessary to fulfill the law?

For I say to you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

What he means by this is that if you do not carry out not only the least commandments of the law with which a person begins, but also those that I - the non-breaker of the law - add, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

But you may ask me: If, when speaking about the lesser commandments, he said that the one who breaks one of them and teaches people what he broke is called the least in the kingdom of heaven, and that whoever does and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven; What further need do we have for what the Lord of Glory will add to complete the lesser commandments, as long as the one who does and teaches them is called great and can enter the kingdom of heaven?

Therefore, the phrase “But whoever does and teaches will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” is understood to mean: He who does and teaches not only the lesser commandments, but also those that the Lord will add. Now what are these commandments?

He says, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,” because unless your righteousness exceeds theirs, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever breaks the minor commandments and teaches people what he breaks is called the least, but whoever does them and teaches people about them, it is not necessary that he be called great and prepared for the kingdom of heaven. But it is not smaller than the one who broke it. In order to be great, he must do and teach the commandments of Christ, which are more than the scribes and Pharisees.

The righteousness of the Pharisees is not to kill, and the righteousness of those preparing for the kingdom of heaven is not to get angry in vain. The least commandment is not to kill, and whoever breaks it will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. As for whoever does it, it is not necessary for him to be great. Rather, he will rise to a higher level than the first, but he will become perfect if he does not become angry unjustly. Therefore it will not be fatal.

Therefore, whoever teaches us about not getting angry does not break the commandment about not killing, but rather completes it. By not being angry, we are purified from the inside in our hearts, and also from the outside “by not killing.”

22

Murder and anger

You have heard that it was said to the ancients, “You shall not murder.” Whoever kills will be subject to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother unjustly will be liable to judgment. Whoever says to his brother “Raca” will be subject to the council. Whoever says, “You fool,” will be subject to the fire of hell.

What is the difference between “he will be subject to judgment”, “he will be subject to the council”, “he will be subject to the fire of hell”? Because these phrases are very difficult, they remind us of different stages that range from what is lighter to what is heavy until you reach the fire of hell. If deserving the ruling is less than deserving the council, and the latter is less deserving of the fire of hell, then we should understand the anger against the brother as unjustified, less than saying “slavery,” and the latter is less than “you fool,” because the judgment is not gradual unless it is a mistake. Gradual as well.

23

word Raqqa Raca is an ambiguous word and is neither a Latin nor a Greek word. As for the other phrases, they are common in our language... (20).

Therefore, the most likely explanation is what a Hebrew man who I asked about this word told me, and he replied that it is It means nothing more than an expression of anger. Grammarians call these words that express the emotions of thought “exclamatory devices,” and the same goes for the sad saying! Alas and angry! Hah!, and these words…. It is difficult to translate from one language to another, so the Greek and Latin translators were unable to translate it from Hebrew, so they left it as it is.

24

These emotions have degrees, so it comes Anger In the first stage, the emotion is preserved within the heart without being expressed through visible movement. But if Anger resulted in an expression with a word that had no meaning other than its connotation of anger This situation would be worse than the first.

As for the third case: If he expresses anger in an expression that society uses to disparageWho would doubt that this stage is worse than the previous two stages?

In the first stage, there is an inner emotion of anger, in the second there is anger accompanied by an outward emotion, while in the third stage, there is anger and an outward emotion accompanied by a word of condemnation.

To look now at the three levels of rulings: judgment, council, and hellfire. In the ruling, the accused is given the opportunity to defend himself. As for the Council, although it is considered a “judgement,” it differs from it in that the conviction of the accused is not in doubt. The judges in the Council must set the wording of the ruling and determine the extent of the penalty to be imposed on the accused. As for the fire of hell, the person’s judgment is not in doubt - as in the judgment - and likewise the matter of his punishment is not in doubt - as in the council. In this case, the person’s judgment and reward are certain.

We have seen different degrees of emotions and their rewards, but as for the rewards of the spirit, who can tell me about their invisible ways?! Therefore, you see a huge difference between the rule of the Pharisees and the greater righteousness of those who enter the kingdom of heaven. Because murder is worse than reproach, we find that in the law of the Pharisees, no one other than the murderer comes forward to trial, but in greater righteousness, the angry person comes forward to trial.

The first trial is human and its end is the killing of the body, while the second is divine and its end is the fire of hell. However, whoever says that the murderer is punished with a greater punishment than the one who gets angry is forcing us to accept “different hells” because anger, which is less than murder, is punished by the fire of hell.

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We should notice in the previous three phrases that there are two words that are implicitly understood, namely, “for his brother,” and “in vain.”

The first phrase is clear: “Whoever gets angry at his brother unjustly will be subject to judgment.”

As for the second phrase, “Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa’,” it is understood that the statement is false, and thus it is subject to the Council.

As for the third phrase, “Whoever says, ‘You fool’,” here it is implicitly understood that it is directed “to his brother - in vain.” Thus, we can defend the Apostle Paul when he called the Galatians fools. (21)Because he does not call them that in vain.

This last phrase, “Who said, ‘You fool?’” concerns our treatment of our brothers, not our enemies, because Jesus Christ had not yet begun speaking about our treatment of enemies.

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 Chapter Ten

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Reconciliation of brothers

If you bring your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, then leave your offering there in front of the altar and go first and be reconciled with your brother. Then come and offer your offering.

It appears from this text that he is talking about treating brothers, because this text is linked to the previous text with a conjunction. He did not say, “But if you offer...” Rather, he said, “If you offer your offering to the altar.”

If it is not permissible to be angry at a brother unjustly, or to call him a slave, or you are a fool, then it is even more permissible for us to keep anger within us, so that it turns into hatred. It was said about this: “The sun does not set on your anger.” (22).

If what we are commanded in this commandment is understood literally, that is, whenever we remember that our brother has something when offering our sacrifice, we leave him in front of the altar and go and reconcile with him, then we have the right to offer the sacrifice. If this was understood literally - we would think that the commandment cannot be carried out unless the brother is present. With us, because it is not possible to leave the offering in front of the altar for a long time until we return from our brother. If we remember something about an absent brother residing overseas, it is unreasonable for us to leave our offering in front of the altar until we return and offer it to God after we have crossed kingdoms and seas. That is why we take this text with an internal, spiritual meaning. 

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The “altar” can be interpreted as the faith that is in the inner temple, “our life,” which is symbolized by the visible temple.

Because any offering we offer to God, whether it is a prophecy, teaching, prayer, psalm, hymn, or any other spiritual offering that occupies the mind, cannot be accepted by God unless it is supported by sound faith, that is, unless it is placed on the immovable altar, so that our offering is complete and sincere. .

Many heretics without an altar of faith offered offerings, speaking of their heresies, in order to glorify themselves. If the burden of these offerings became heavy, they threw them on the ground, “that is, they were not placed on the altar of faith.”

Whoever makes an offering must have pure intentions, so if we wish to make any offering in our hearts, that is, in God’s inner temple... and we remember that our brother has something against us, that is, we have wronged him, we must reconcile with him. But if he has wronged us, then we have something against him, and in this case it is not necessary to go to reconcile him, because you are not asking for forgiveness from the one who wronged you, but rather you must forgive him so that the Lord will forgive you your sins. Reconciliation with a brother does not happen by simply going to him, but by reconciliation. Inside with your emotions, Where you submit apologetically to your brother in the presence of God to whom you want to offer your sacrifice. Thus, if the brother whom you sinned against is present, you can calm him with your purified thought, and return him to his love and compassion for you by asking him for forgiveness. This can happen if you go before God first and seek forgiveness, so you go to your brother not in shame, but out of strong love. Then you go back to what you thought about before, which is making your offering. 

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Who can walk through life without getting angry at his brother unjustly, or saying to him “slavery” or “you fool,” which a person does with pride! Who, if he commits one of these mistakes, can ask for forgiveness - with a contrite mind - except someone who is not puffed up with a spirit of false pride?!… Because contrition is the only cure for anger. “Therefore, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (23).

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(1) These side headings were added in the translation for the sake of division and clarification.

(2) Augustine speaks of the commandments of the Old Testament as lesser commandments, not in the sense that they are not divine or defective, but rather because they are complemented by the commandments of the New Testament, which complemented them and did not contradict them. He also mentioned that they are the commandments that establish the fear of God in the hearts of people who are beginning to know God. As for the commandments of the New Testament, they came to confirm the freedom of God’s children through love, which if they had been given to God’s children in this way in the Old Testament, the people would have misunderstood and misused them. Likewise, the commandments of the New Testament were concerned with the Kingdom of Heaven, while the commandments of the Old Testament, which undoubtedly aimed at the Kingdom of Heaven, were concerned with earthly matters because the people were primitive in their relationship with God and their attachment to the heavenly things.

(3) St. John Chrysostom says that the Lord Christ opened his mouth and taught, because he knew before that about his behavior and good deeds without opening his mouth.

(4) According to the Romans edition, as for the Beirut edition, “All is vanity and pursuit of spirit.”

(5) Isaiah 11:2,3 “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord (piety). And his pleasure is in the fear of the Lord” (according to the Beirut translation). As for the Catholic edition, it was mentioned in it, and the spirit of wisdom and understanding rests on it. Spirit of advice and strength. The spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord and enjoys the fear of the Lord.

(6) Notice how Augustine links the blessed ones to the work of the Spirit of the Lord mentioned in the book of Isaiah the Prophet and the reward.

(7) Psalm 45:13, Catholic Edition - As for Beirut, she is “the glory of the king’s daughter in her chamber.”

(8) Romans 3:5,5.

(9) Romans 17:1.

(10) Romans 10:13.

(11) John 48:8.

(12) John 12:7.

(13) Philippians 3:20.

(14) 2 Corinthians 10:5.

(15) Matthew 2:7.

(16) John 3:34

(17) 1 Corinthians 9:26, 27.

(18) Matthew 8:9.

(19) Gal 1:23,24.

(20) Some people wanted to interpret the word “parchment” from the Greek, assuming that a person with shabby clothes is called parchment, because the word rag is called in Greek (rooks pokve). However, if we asked them: What is a person with rags called in Greek, they would not answer that it is called “parchment.”

(21) Gal 1:3.

(22) Ephesians 4:26.

(23) Notice how Augustine links the order of the commandments to the order of the Beatitudes, after linking the Beatitudes to each other in a strange, serial way.