Biblical collection of religious teachings and ethical sayings attributed to Jesus , as reported in the Gospel of St. Matthew .
The sermon was addressed to disciples and a large crowd of listeners to guide them in a life of discipline based on a new law of love, even of enemies, as opposed to the old law of retribution. It is the source of many familiar Christian homilies and oft-quoted passages from the Bible , including the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer . The sermon is often regarded as a blueprint for Christian life.