If I were to pick two of the four gospels, I would take Luke and John. That doesn't mean I don't like Matthew and Mark. It's just that I like the first ones more. However, chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew are known as the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is often called the Crux of the Gospels. Of these, the 5th chapter is the most liked. Because chapter 5 begins with the eight beatitudes. As we know, the eight beatitudes are the manifesto of a new world order.

Immediately following that, Jesus elevated his followers to a higher consciousness and obligation by saying, 'You are the salt of the earth and you are the light of the world.' We hear a stirring and uplifting message there. And in the end, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you'. The chapter ends with the call to 'be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect'.

There are several things that come in between. I would say that eight of the ten commandments of the Old Testament are interpreted, deepened and embellished there. He begins with the 5th commandment, that says, "You shall not kill." You shall not get angry and call your brother an idiot or a fool - the commandment "Thou shall not kill" should reach upto that point.

The 2nd commandment is about God's holiness and worship. There are many things the Old Testament interpreted it into. Whereas the only prerequisite for worshiping God here is to be reconciled with someone who has something against you. Jesus raises the worship of God to such a level of sensitivity.

"You shall not commit adultery" was the 6th commandment. The law of adultery should even include your commitment to eradicate lust from your heart.

The 9th commandment was "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife." Even a divorce should be read in conjunction with this commandment. When one begins to compare or has fascination for someone else, one begins to find fault with one's spouse.

The 8th commandment was "Thou shall not bear false witness." You are sacred, just like the heaven is, or the earth is, or the temple is. Respecting that sacredness, the words that come out of you should be sincere.

When the commandment "Thou shall not kill" is applied to retributive justice, the Old Testament had prescribed "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." That is, if an opponent strikes out one of your eyes, you should not retaliate in such a way that you kill him or destroy his family. The interpretation of the Old Testament was that you have the right to strike out one of his eyes because he that to you. But that would imply that, if he has murdered your father you can also murder his father. "To whoever slaps you on the right cheek, when you turn the other cheek also" is where the commandment of non-violence becomes complete. A social order that is based on the values of Kingdom of God would demand that.

I believe, Jesus must have said the same thing multiple times in his sermons. Therefore, it must be to avoid repetition, I think that the Evangelist has placed couple of things in other chapters of the Gospel rather than here. We can find such a portion in chapter 12 and another in chapter 15 (verses 4 to 20).

The 3rd commandment was about the Sabbath observance. We can see that discussed in 12:6-8.

The 4th commandment was "Honor your parents." It comes in 15:4-6. Similarly, the 7th commandment, "You shall not steal," is getting mentioned in 15:19. The commands not to eat such and such things that are unclean, could be found in the Old Testament. The abolition of such laws of purity comes just before that in chapter 15. If those 3 had been placed in this chapter, I think the New-World interpretations of the Ten Commandments, the sacred laws, and the traditions would have come together in one piece.

The 1st commandment of the decalogue was, “I am who am God. There's no other. You shall worship no one but me.” That I am who am God is your Father. Therefore, all are your sisters and brothers. Matthew ends the 5th chapter by Jesus' interpretation of the 1st commandment. The 1st commandment is fulfilled only in loving everyone and becoming perfect like God your Father.

Simply superb!