Sermons on the Sermon on the Mount

General remarks

Commentary on the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount with Seventeen Related Sermons, translated by Denis J. Kavanagh, O.S.A. General remarks: Sermons from this collection are meant to provide the oral component to Augustine’s written commentary on the Sermon on the Mount; the topics of each sermon coincide then with subjects discussed in the Sermon (Matt 5:1-12). Augustine is often concerned with the condition of the poor and on convincing the rich to give to them so as not to be burdened with earthly treasures. Many of the sermons are directly concerned with an exegesis of a particular passage of Scripture and Augustine rarely mentions virtues or vices directly, except as they relate to the beatitudes (i.e. he condemns avarice as he praises those who are poor in spirit). The text is full of biblical references, especially from the Psalms and the Pauline epistles, but again the references back up his theological arguments and do not provide examples for or against a certain virtue/vice.

Sermon 53: On the Beatitudes (delivered at Carthage)

Everyone wants to be blessed but no one wants to do the work to be so; those who endure the labors set out by the Beatitudes (blessed are they who mourn, blessed are they who hunger, etc.) will enjoy the reward appropriate to their labors. The pure of heart will see God since “the eyes by which God is seen are within the heart”; do not imagine God as corporeal and like men since God’s fullness is ineffable and beyond our comprehension.

Desiring to possess the earth now, instead of waiting for one’s reward in heaven will spread the “cloak of avarice” (Sect. 2, p. 212).

Sermon 54: How to ‘Let your light shine before men’ and not ‘practice your justice before men’ (Matt. 5:16, 6:1)

One might be perplexed between the contradictory commands of Jesus to “shine before men” but at the same time “not to practice justice before men” and Paul’s exhortations to “be pleasing to all men” (1 Cor 10:33) but that all who “try to please men” are not “servants of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). However, it is not contradictory to follow all these commands since they all indicate that one should do good works for God’s glory and for the good of all, rather than for oneself.

Sermon 55: On Taming the Tongue (Matt. 5:22, James 3:8)

God alone can tame man’s unruly tongue; as man tames beasts, so God will tame man, but God takes better care of man than man does of his beasts. God is our refuge and instructor; he prepares us so that we might receive our inheritance, which is God himself.

Sermon 56: On the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 5:9-13), delivered to catechumens

Augustine provides an exegesis of the text of the Lord’s Prayer, explaining what each phrase means and what one should pray for while reciting the prayer. Since all sin, even after baptism, it is extremely important to ask forgiveness of God and to show forgiveness and love towards enemies.

Augustine repeatedly warns that even when a man’s enemies are “raging against” him, he is bound to forgive them (Sect. 14-17, pp. 252-6). The repetition of “raging” seems to imply anger/ire, though there is no direct mention of this.

Sermon 60: On Almsgiving

No one should amass treasures on earth; earthly treasures will perish just as man will. Almsgiving is the key to receiving rewards in heaven, without it – even if one is otherwise virtuous – there will be no reward; almsgiving relieves one of earthly treasure and fulfills Christ’s commandments.

Although he rarely names avarice outright, Augustine warns strongly against those who store up treasures on earth, rather than in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21). Those who keep earthly treasure and who say they are saving it for themselves or for their children are guilty of avarice (Sect. 2-8, pp. 260-8). Almsgiving is the antidote to avarice, based on Christ’s command to take care of the poor (Matt. 25:35-40).

Sermon 61: On Almsgiving

Though man is evil, God cares for him; God will grant the prayers of those who persevere in asking, becoming God’s beggars. Man arrives and leaves the world with no riches; the rich should give everything they do not need to the poor.

Pride is condemned as the consequence of wealth: “every kind of tree has its own worm…the worm of riches is pride” (Sect. 10-11, pp. 282-4). Augustine condemns rich men who eat costly food, since they could be just as full eating cheap food: he seems to advise against luxuria, but never mentions it specifically (Sect. 12, pp. 284-6).

Sermon 72: On Almsgiving

The Householder (Christ) will come to cut down the bad trees (evil men) which produce no good fruit, but the husbandman (Paul) intercedes for the trees that they may yet grow to become good and produce good fruit. Since Christ has already come and man knows God’s will, the punishment will be worse for not following it.

Sermon 94: The Slothful Servant (Matt 25:14-30)

The Master punishes the servant who does not put what he was given to good use and earn profit (Matt 25:14-30); we must create a profit for God by living good lives. Each household head must act as a bishop and guard the salvation of all in the house.

Sermon 109: The Adversary (Matt. 5:25)

In Matthew 5:25, Christ warns men to settle with their adversary on the way to court lest they be thrown in prison. Augustine theorizes that the adversary is man’s opposition to the Word of God: thus, man should reconcile quickly with God’s word on the “way” of life since death can come unexpectedly.

Sermon 346: On Life’s Pilgrimage (2 Cor. 5:6)

The “true” life is the eternal life which Christ promises. Christ provides the truth that sets all free; we receive this truth through faith.

Faith is mentioned as the means through which we believe in Christ’s promises and thus become worthy of them; faith guides men in this life before they get to see God in the next life (ref. to 2 Cor. 5:7).

Sermon 4 (Denis): Christ: Lamb and Lion

Christ is both a lion and a lamb: he is a lamb because he was innocent and suffered; he is a lion because he slew death and has everlasting power.

Sermon 5 (Denis): Life from Death (John 3:16, Rom. 8:32)

Martyrs repay Christ with their lives; Christ gave up his life of his own volition. Christ suffered and died in human form so as to give life to men; he possessed divine nature, as the Word, as well as a human body and soul.

Sermon 6 (Denis): The Holy Eucharist, given to recent converts

Catechumens, like grains of wheat separated from the straw and made into bread, become one unified body of Christ through baptism. Augustine gives recent converts a brief explanation of the parts of the Mass from the Dominus vobiscum (where catechumens left the Mass) to the Eucharist.

Sermon 7 (Denis): Sonship or Servitude

Christians sing “Alleluia” to praise God during the Easter season. Men should prefer the scourge of God, who disciplines men as his sons, to the net of the Devil who makes men into servants.

Sermon 8 (Denis): On Baptism, given on Easter Sunday, addressed to newly baptized Christians

Christ reveals himself to believers; all believers are one in baptism. Some who have been baptized are unworthy of the sacrament; all should strive to preserve the gifts given at baptism.

Sermon 13 (Denis): Christ: The Glory of Martyrs, delivered in Carthage on the feast of St. Lawrence

Men must imitate the example of constancy provided by the martyrs to be rewarded; if you behave poorly, it will be counted against you. In this life, necessities (e.g. sleep, food) and temporary remedies for them are at war with death; in the next life, there will be no more necessity.

Abraham is a model of faith and all become his sons through faith (Gen. 15:5, Rom 4:3) (Sect. 3, pp.342-3). Augustine says that Christians are “admonished to perform [good works] every day” through necessity (Sect. 7, pp. 349-351).

Sermon 11 (Morin): On the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-10)

Those who are poor should not seek to become rich and those who are rich should not be proud; all should become poor in spirit. Do not store up treasures on earth, but perform good deeds and store treasure in heaven. Augustine briefly explains how one can receive the heavenly reward by practicing each of the beatitudes.

Augustine compares how happy are those who are “poor in spirit” with those enslaved by their riches: “The rich man is in a frenzy to increase his riches, and he is in trepidation lest he lose them. How could such a servant be free? A slave, indeed, is the servant of any mistress. Can the servant of avarice then be free?” (Sect. 2, pp. 358-9) While he doesn’t exactly personify avarice, he seems to relate it to a mistress who controls her servants. Augustine pits avaricious rich men against those who give up everything they have performing good works for the sake of others (Sect. 5, pp. 361-2).