Both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke provide illuminating insight into Jesus' teachings, most plainly through the Sermon the Plain in Luke and that of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Each draw upon the cultural norms of the Hebrew society and the biblical texts that supported them to transform ideologies of basic goodwill to a functioning wisdom of perfection and are based in the "cultural intertexture" that wove "personage, concept, and tradition" into a new ideal.1 This reconfiguration of commonly held norms, like those of good equ

The central focus of this passage is to address the relationship of an individual with others, especially those in positions of opposition. The verses of Matthew: 38-48 are reminiscent of Luke 6:31, "Do to others as you would have them do unto you." The liturgical association with previous chapters is reiterated in the Hebrew book of Tobit, "And what you hate, do not do to anyone." (Tobit 4:15) The precept of goodwill is preeminent in both Christian and Jewish texts, emblematic of its acceptance as a permanent part of society. Addressing the troublesome enmity fracturing Hebrew society and the larger world, Christ submits a "Golden Rule" that, while harkening on ideas of the past, also submits a new ring of demand, loving both internally and externally not only one's friend, but also one's enemy. This serves, perhaps, as a means of trumpeting the role of goodwill in social calm, an ultimate end to the hatred that limns the contemporary world.

The wisdom of the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount is riddled with the same thematic problems as the other Synoptic Gospels. Many academics, historians, and theologians associate the documents to a common source - Q - a proto-gospel augmented by eye-witness and tradition. As such, the audience of each gospel is particularly important to its analysis. The gospel of Matthew is most commonly associated with the Palestinian Jews, an important demographic to the growth of Christianity to whom the book may have been tailored, focusing on the fulfillment of Jesus' words and actions for Old Testament prophecies.

As is habit, Jesus reworks the association of the word 'hate' from either textual precedence of cultural proliferation throughout the Sermon on the Mount. He says that hating is not the road to righteousness; instead, it is the opposite of hate, love, that must be shown toward those viewed as enemies, "love enemies, and pray for those who persecute." (Matthew 5:44) Jesus uses this sermon and powerful texture to perpetuate the distinction between his words and the quotidian lives of those surrounding him; here again is an opportunity to reject the pedantic experiences of those unholy, wrapped in feelings of hate, and instead turn to a world uncouth in Hebrew society for the sake of an ideal.

As a formative piece of literature in the Christian faith, the theological power behind the Sermon on the Mount must be exhumed. While rejecting the mores of society, Christ faces both rejection and rebuff; to preclude the mystification understandable with his challenging statements, He is careful to provide rationale for his new line of teaching, "so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love

Some common words found in the essay are:
Sermon Mount, Mount Matthew, Golden Rule, Samuel Dickey, Guelich Wink, Mount Jesus', Christ Extolling, Study Bible, Mount Matthean, , sermon mount, hebrew society, hebrew texts, matthew 538-48, matthew 539, synoptic gospels, word 'hate', enemies love, golden rule, jesus sermon,
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