His Excellency,
The Most Reverend Edward K. Braxton, Ph.D., S.T.D.
Diocese of Belleville
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 15, 2026, 9:00 AM Mass
St. Luke Parish
The Chosen: The Sermon on the Mount
(This is the text as originally written. During the actual delivery, some passages were omitted and other comments were added spontaneously. Nota bene: This text has not been thoroughly proofread. Therefore, there may be errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.)
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Do you know who Jonathan Roumie is? His name may not be familiar to you. But many of you have seen his portrayal of what one critic called “a ruggedly handsome” Jesus of Nazareth in “The Chosen,” the popular seven season American television series, dramatizing Jesus’ life and ministry, created, directed, and co-written by Dallas Jenkins, an Evangelical Christian with the assistance of a Roman Catholic priest, and a Messianic Jewish rabbi. The series presents Jesus as seen through the eyes of the apostles, Jewish religious leaders, Roman government officials, and the crowds of Jewish people who followed Him. So far, over 280 million people worldwide have watched it in 50 languages and Mr. Jinkins hopes it will reach 1 billion viewers. It has earned more than $140 million. “The Chosen” is considered a massive success with faithful viewers in 175 countries.
Catholic and Protestant audiences have generally been enthusiastic about the series applauding the image of a very human and not overly pious Jesus, who is easy to relate to and whose teachings are easily understood. They like seeing the biblical characters with real personalities and watching the gospels come to life with details about the thoughts and feelings of Jesus and those around Him that are not provided by the evangelists. Some Catholics say it is like going to church and they would never miss an episode.
Other Christians, however, wonder if viewers, who do not know the gospels well, will confuse statements created by the scriptwriters with what Jesus actually has to say in the New Testament.
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The second and third seasons of “The Chosen” have episodes showing Jesus preparing and delivering the “Sermon on the Mount.”
Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus’ longest discourse (chapters 5, 6 and 7) is not found in Mark or John. Luke has a shorter and much different version delivered not on a mount but on a plain. Luke dramatically alters the eight Beatitudes turning four of the eight into woes or curses. Luke changes Matthew’s “Blessed are the poor in spirit” to the more forceful, “Blessed are the poor” and adds, “Woe to you who are rich!” While we cannot be certain where it was delivered, a tradition dating back to the fourth century suggest the sermon was delivered on what we now call the Mount of Beatitudes on a hillside near the Sea of Galilee, in northern Israel. In 1938, the Church of the Beatitudes, was built over 4th century mosaics with eight sides representing each of the Beatitudes.
In Matthew 5:17-37, from which this morning’s reading is taken, Jesus is presented as the new Moses, standing on a mountain proclaiming a strict interpretation of the “Law of Moses”. He declares He has not come to abolish the “Law of Moses” but to fulfill it, insisting that mere outward observance of the Law is of little value, if we are not striving for an inward change of heart that will impact what we do and say each day. Only then will we have a place in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus’ words in the “Sermon on the Mount” about what we Christians should and should not do are disturbing and demanding. He rejects conduct that seems acceptable in our modern, hedonistic, secular culture. He tells us that if someone slaps us on the right cheek, we should turn the other cheek. Clearly, this is not easy to do! Jesus says not only is it sinful for us to commit murder, but it is also sinful for us to fill our hearts with anger, since deep, burning anger can lead to acts of violence.
Jesus, when telling his listeners about bringing the gifts to the temple, tells us, in effect, if we are on our way to Sunday Mass and we realize that there is a quarrel between us and our family, coworker or neighbor, we should first seek to be reconciled. Otherwise, our prayers at Mass can be hypocritical. We should not gather in church singing hymns of Christian love when we know we have caused resentment and hatred among others by our words and deeds. Instead, we should only participate in the Eucharist after we have been reconciled with those we have offended. Many of us do not do that.
When He turns to the complex topic of human sexuality and marriage, Jesus shows very little tolerance for modern rationalization. “You have heard, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” He adds, “Everyone who divorces his wife, unless the marriage is unlawful, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Understandably, these strict teachings make many American Christians uncomfortable because of the complex life situations in which they find themselves. More than that, much of our contemporary culture sees the gift of human sexuality as a hedonistic pursuit whose only goal is self-gratification. Movies, television, and the lifestyles of some famous people undermine traditional morality about human sexuality and the indissolubility of marriage. Can the teachings of Jesus be reconciled with popular ideas that suggest that monogamy, permanent commitment, gender and sexuality are all fluid and subjective realities, allowing for the complete redefinition of marriage? Is it possible to know what Jesus would say of a world in which some people tell us by which pronouns they wish to be addressed?
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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Many religious leaders have said that “The Chosen” is certainly spiritually more nourishing than most television. Of course, only time will tell if it is having a real impact on the spiritual lives of Christians and changing us in the way Jesus teaches us to change. It could be just comforting Christian entertainment. One critic suggests that “The Sermon on the Mount” scenes in “The Chosen” would be more powerful if the listeners asked Jesus questions about His challenging teachings.
Jesus do you want us to take your teachings literally? Surely, Your words “if your right eye causes you to sin, gauge it out” are hyperbole by which you are teaching us to take drastic action to avoid sin. Are your startling words in “The Sermon on the Mount” true moral commands or simply suggestions and recommendations? Are your followers expected to apply these teachings to our daily lives? The script writers probably do not know the answers to these questions. Still, the scriptwriters are correct when they show that Jesus is proclaiming an entirely “new era” that takes human conduct beyond what is required by the “Law of Moses”. That “new era” is announced by Jesus’ command in the Sermon, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you!”
The “Law of Moses” gave the Jewish people a code of conduct to help them live as God wanted them to. Jesus teaches that He has fulfilled that Law and interpreted some of those laws in a radical way to enable us to live in the “new era” of the Kingdom of Heaven. Many of those who heard Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” decided that this “new era” was not for them. Indeed, from that day on, some of his listeners plotted his death.
The same is true today. Far too many people, including those in positions of great power and influence, choose violence and war over love and peace, the exploitation of others over the respect for human sexuality, and the performance of insincere religious rituals over the life changing imitation of Christ.
These words of Christ in the “Sermon on the Mount” are spoken to all people, in all places, for all time:
“Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of Heaven!”
If we live by the teachings of Jesus Christ in the “Sermon on the Mount”, then, surely we can hope to be numbered among the chosen.
Praised be Jesus Christ. Both now and forever. AMEN!