The Literary Structure of the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 4:23-7:29
                                                             Model
                                                            Prayer
                                                            6:9-13

                                                            Praying
                                                            6:5-15
                                                Almsgiving            Fasting
                                                  6:2-4                6:16-18
                                                       Practice your piety
                                                              6:1

                             C (6)Love for Enemies       S            P    Treasure in Heaven (1) D
                             O     5:43-48                                    6:19-21 (=6:9b)     I
                             N                         E                                          S
                             T (5)Retaliation                           R    Light of the Body(2) T
                             R     5:38-42            S                        6:22-23 (=6:10a)   I
                             A                                                                    N
                             S (4)Oaths              E                    A     God & Mammon  (3) C
                             T     5:33-37                                       6:24 (=6:10b)    T
                                                   H                                              I
                             W (3)Divorce                                   Y       Anxiety   (4) V
                             I     5:31-32        T                                6:25-34(=6:11) E
                             T                                                                    L
                             H (2)Adultery      I                             I       Judging (5) Y
                                   5:27-30                                            7:1-5(=6:12)
                             O                 T                                                  N
                             L (1)Anger                                         N       Pearls(6) E
                             D    5:21-26     N                                        7:6(=6:13) W

                                 The Law    A                                     G        Pray
                                 5:17-20                                                  7:7-11
                                (preamble)                                               (climax)

Piety in the Kingdom
5:17-7:12
    Mission                                                 Golden Rule
   (relational)                                              (relational)
    5:13-16                                                   7:12

   Introduction:                                             Conclusion
   Beatitudes                                                 3 Figures
   5:3-12                                                     7:13-27
  Narrative                                                    Narrative
  Setting                                                      Climax
  4:23-5:2                                                     7:28-29
Source: Lorin L. Cranford, Study Manual of the Sermon on the Mount: Greek Text (Fort Worth: Scripta Publishing Inc., 1988), 320. Adapted from Gunter Bornkamm, "Der Aufbau der Bergpredigt," New Testament Studies 24 (1977-78): 419-432.