Matthew 5:1 And seeing the
multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came
unto him:
When Jesus saw
that a large crowd followed him, He went to a high hill. Many biblical mountains are actually
hills.
When He was set
(Gr. kathisantos-kaqisantoV), was seated on the hill His disciples came
to Him. Teaching from a seated position
was a rabbinical tradition. Christ was now ready to deliver a wonderful sermon,
the “sermon on the mount.”
We are not told
the size of the group that heard this sermon. BUT, we do know that the Bible says that He left and went up
into a mountain. It is obvious that He
left the multitudes behind. The Bible is
specific. Only His disciples came to Him.
Matthew 5:2-3
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Blessed (Gr. Makarioi-Makarioi) speaks of happiness. Blessed/Happy are the poor in
spirit.
Poor (Gr. ptoochoi-ptwcoi.) is a shallow translation. The Greek indicates one who is indigent. It pictures a person crouching down while
working extremely hard.
Imagine a person bent over
doing very hard labor. Have you ever seen migrant farm workers?
They struggle day in and day
out to gain only a survival existence. Poverty would be a step up.
Jesus said, "Happy are
the indigent in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Who are the "indigent in
spirit"?
They are not Christians.
Christians cannot be "indigent in spirit."
Christians can be financially
indigent. But, we cannot be indigent “in
spirit.” Only those without Christ can
be indigent in spirit.
The first beatitude is meant
for the lost. Think about it! Jesus
Christ pronounced supreme blessings on the spiritually indigent.
Some commentators teach that
the poor in spirit are those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have been
humbled by that experience.
Anyone who accepts Christ is
humbled by the experience. That humbling has nothing to do with being poor in
spirit.
Have you accepted Jesus?
Do you have the Holy Spirit
within?
If your answer is,
"Yes," then it is impossible for you to be "poor in
spirit." The indwelling of the Holy Spirit disqualifies you.
A multibillionaire cannot be
financially indigent. A Christian cannot be spiritually indigent.
The first beatitude would be
better understood with this translation. "The indigent in spirit shall
experience great happiness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
That interpretation places
the emphasis on God's redeeming power. We of the household of faith should
rejoice in the goodness and compassion of the Father. We were indigent in Spirit, but due to God’s
loving mercy and grace we are healed!
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they
that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
"Mourn" (Gr. penthountes-penqounteV) means to lament, to grieve. Who are those who
lament?
As children of God we look
forward to Christ's return, and to the judgment to follow. God's judgment will
result in our vindication.
We do not lament. We
experience the joy of salvation.
Comforted (Gr. parakleetheesontai-paraklhqhsontai) may also be translated consoled. "Happy are
those that lament, they shall be consoled."
According to the prevailing
thought, most of those who see Christ shall be ashamed, remorseful, roasted,
toasted, and/or bound for Eternal Torment or Annihilation. That falls far short
of being comforted, cheered, or consoled.
Does the Bible speak of great
lamentation?
The Bible says, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they
also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth
shall wail (Gr. kopsontai-koyontai) because of him. Even so, Amen.”
(Revelation 1:7)
The Greek word translated
"shall wail" (Revelation 1:7) means to greatly lament, mourn. Those
who see Christ at His coming and understand that they have been found lacking
shall greatly lament, because of their folly.
Again: Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn:
for they shall be comforted.
This Beatitude is a
description of reconciliation to God through Christ Jesus. It begins with
mourning, but ends in comfort!
The Liberty Commentary says,
"those who mourn for the human anguish of the
lost shall be comforted by the compassion of God" (page 20). God’s
compassion shall dispel all grief.
Those that follow Buddha,
Mohammed, the Hindu gods Spiritualism, and other false “religions” shall come
to Christ in deep repentance for the extreme spiritual evil committed in the
names of false gods.
Romans 14:11
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every
knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess (Gr. exeomologeesetai-exeomologhsetai) to God.
The Greek word translated
“shall confess” in Romans 14:11 speaks of an open confession made with
joy! Every tongue shall confess with
joy to God the Father, “Jesus is Lord!”
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the
meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Meek (Gr. praeis-praeiV) speaks of humility,
or gentleness of spirit. As Christians, being meek does not mean that we are
cowardly wimps.
Picture this, a very strong
man dealing gently with those around him.
That is biblical meekness.
Christ himself was meek. Matthew 11:29---Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
If you are searching for
rest, Christ Jesus is the only One who can offer it to you.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
All people are
subject to physical hunger and thirst.
But, here it speaks of those that hunger and thirst for righteousness.
This is blessing
for those that have been called to follow Christ. Our election causes a hunger and thirst for
righteousness that is found only in Christ Jesus.
The promise is
that we will be filled (Gr. chortastheesontai- cortasqhsontai), fed to the point of satisfaction.
Most Americans do
not know abject hunger. Food was not plentiful during biblical times. Many
today fight hunger each day.
During Bible
times, survival was a daily struggle.
Many never attended a banquet, or knew a day without hunger.
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the
merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Merciful (Gr. eleeemones-elehmoneV) indicates active compassion, or divine grace. When you stand in judgment, do you want
justice or mercy?
Thank God we will not get justice, we will not get what we deserve. Instead, we shall obtain mercy.
James 2:13b
Mercy triumphs over judgment. (NKJV)
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the
pure in heart: for they shall see God.
You may be
thinking that if we must be
pure of heart to see God, we will never see God. Think again!
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.
Now, Christians
spiritually see through what I call “blur discrimination.” It is as if we now have 20/40 vision with no
corrective lenses. However, that will
change.
I John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not
yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we
shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (NKJV)
As Christians, God
had declared us to have pure hearts.
And, we shall see Him!
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the
peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Peacemakers (Gr. eireenopoioi-eirhnopoioi) are those who actively seek peace, as
Christ did. I believe it refers to those
that evangelize.
These peacemakers
do NOT speak of peace between
men. They tell of peace with God!
Do you realize
that many live in rebellion because they have not been told that God made peace
with us through Christ?
Far too many
people are trying to make peace with God through their works and deeds. They
shall fail!
Are you part of the family
business? The family business is to
evangelize, to explain that the Father made peace with mankind through the
cross of Jesus Christ.
Evangelism is not
salesmanship. We do not convert
anyone! We simply present Christ and let
the Holy Spirit do the rest.
Matt 10:34
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but
a sword.
Christianity is not peace
with men! It is peace with God through
Christ, the only way to the Father.
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they
which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
Persecuted (Gr. dedioogmenoi-dediwgmenoi) speaks of being driven away.
Kingdom (Gr. basileia-basileia) indicates royal power or dominion.
Do you live in the God’s
dominion?
Those outside Christianity
simply don’t know that Christ died for them.
We need to tell them that fact of Life!
Matthew 5:11-12
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and
persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your
reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
You are blessed when men
insult and persecute you, and make false accusations against you, because of
your trust in Christ. You should not
despair. Instead you should rejoice, because your reward is great (Gr. polus-poluV) in heaven.
Do you recall that a
rebellious Israel persecuted and killed the prophets?
The ancient Jews had a habit
of killing people, and then declaring them to be prophets. Yet, God’s love for them has not diminished.
John 3:16 says, “God so loved
the world.” Your rebellion does not
diminish His love for you!
Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the
salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be
salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be
cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
We, Followers of Christ, are
the salt of the earth! However, if the
salt has lost its saltiness, it will not be restored.
Due to the loss of savor,
salt becomes worthless. It becomes good
for nothing, except to be thrown into the street to be trampled.
As Christians, our “savor” is
due to the Holy Spirit. He will never
leave us nor forsake us! We will never
lose our savor.
Our Savior is also our savor.
Matthew 5:14-16
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set
on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a
bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
If you follow Jesus, you are
the light of the world! A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
We do not turn on a light and
then cover it, so it gives no light. I like the example of a lighthouse. The light shines in the darkness to help
ships at sea to get home safely.
Even today, lights are
usually placed in a high position within a room. That is done to maximize the effectiveness of
the light.
Matthew 5:17-18
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the
prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth
pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled.
Jesus told his followers that
He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. He came to fulfill (Gr. pleeroosai-plhrwsai), or complete the
law and the sayings of the Prophets.
Until heaven and earth pass
away and all is accomplished, the Law of God shall remain unaltered.
You may think that the Law
has been canceled to nullified. Let me ask just one question about the Law.
Here is the first
commandment: Exodus 20:3---You shall
have no other gods before Me (NKJV).
Has it been canceled or
nullified?
NO!
Then, neither have the other
nine.
The “law of Moses” is no
longer valid, but the Ten, the Law of God, are still in force. None has been changed!
Has heaven and earth passed
away?
Has all been accomplished?
God is working on a timeline,
and things are still on the schedule.
1 And I saw a new heaven and
a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and
there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy
city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of
heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
1 Corinthians 15:28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will
also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
(NKJV)
Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of
these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least
in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall
be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus said that whoever
attempts to annul one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others
based on that supposed annulment, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
I want you to notice that he
does not say that person will burn in hell, forever and ever (amen). Instead, Jesus said he/she would be called
“the least.”
He continued, “But whoever
keeps the commandments, even to the least of them, and teaches others to keep
them shall be called great (Gr. megas-megaV) in the kingdom of
heaven.”
If any person demeans the
commandments (any of them), it is to his/her detriment. Whoever teaches godliness will be great.
Certain Churches are sadly
lacking in their teaching of the Bible and godly morality. The Preachers in those Churches proudly turn
their pulpits over to politicians searching for worldly power.
Then, the same Pastors cry
when teenage girls in those Churches become pregnant out of wedlock. It is a matter of Pastors turning their backs
on God and failing to teach godly morality.
It is my opinion that those
who do that are false shepherds.
When I was a young man, the
title “Reverend” meant something. Today
is has been profaned by many churches (small c).
Matthew 5:20 For I say unto
you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus was
explicit---unless your righteousness is greater than that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you shall not
enter the kingdom of heaven. That is
very clear!
However, as
followers of Christ Jesus we do not depend on “our” righteousness to enter
heaven. Christians have His imputed
righteousness, and so the righteousness we have is greater than the scribes and
Pharisees.
Matthew 5:21-22
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,
Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the
judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That
whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the
judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca,
shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be
in danger of hell fire.
The sixth
commandment (KJV) says, “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13). A literal translation would be, “You shall
not murder.”
Jesus explained it
spiritually. Whoever is angry without a “cause” (Gr. eikee-eikh) shall be guilty before
the court. Many people blindly quote
Matthew 5:22 without understanding it.
Being angry is a sin only to
the biblically/spiritually ignorant. Ephesians
4:26a---“Be angry, and do not sin.” (NKJV)
However, anger can lead the
spiritually ignorant into sin as they respond to another’s anger with anger.
Jesus went on to say that
whoever says to his brother, “Raca” (Gr. Raka-Raka), calling him worthless, shall be guilty before the
Council (Gr. Sanedrioo-Sanedriw), the lessor (12 member) Sanhedrin, which was the
most powerful non-Roman legal body in Israel.
It was more powerful that the great Sanhedrin.
Verse 22 does NOT apply to Christians!
Now, let me bring that
teaching into the New Testament era!
The admonishment to not refer
to another as a fool does not apply to Christians!
Perhaps you have never
considered the fact that the New Testament did not begin until Christ Jesus
went to the cross!
While some Church attendees
are just “faking it,” others are the real deal!
Christians are pure, holy,
and blameless before God!
Christians are forgiven of
all sins; past, present, and future!
As a forgiven saint of God,
you are sealed against any such negative judgment as “hell fire” may
indicate!
Stop living under the bondage
that ignorant people try to load you with!
Do not go back to the Old and
take responsibility for forgiven sins!
Christ saved you from that
ignorance! Praise Him!
Gehenna is an actual place in Israel. It was the Jerusalem garbage dump. In the
days that Christ Jesus walked the earth, the fires burning the trash never went
out. From that we get a picture of
eternal fire.
However, If
you saw it today, you would not recognize it.
The fire is out and Gehenna is a grassy
field. However, there is an eternal
fire, but not located where you might think.
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Hebrews 12:29
For our God is a consuming fire.
Many Pentecostals live in
dire fear of being thrown into the Lake of Fire, because their Pastors teach
ignorance based on Old Testament theology and not upon the New Testament that
is the Christian heritage!
If another brings a charge
against you, as a Christian, please understand this one thing. No matter who they are, they are biblically
illiterate!
Matthew 5:23-24
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and
there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against
thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy
way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Here, Jesus uses the ancient
laws of offering as an example. He said, “If you are presenting an offering,
and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering
there, and be reconciled to your brother, then come and present your offering.
The word “freewill” is only
found in the Old Testament. It is not
found in the New Testament. “Freewill”
is used in the KJV only in reference to offerings.
Notice that you do not have
something against your brother, but he has something against you. The lesson is that we are to go the extra mile, even it is not comfortable to do it.
Matthew 5:25-26
25 Agree with thine
adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the
adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer,
and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come
out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Verse 25a is not a literal
translation. The Greek says, “Be kindly disposed toward your
adversary---quickly, while you are on the road with him.” The lesson is that conflict can cause more
problems that we can imagine. It does
not say, “knuckle under to sinners,” as many may
assume.
The prison system in that day
demanded that if a debt was not paid in full, the debtor could be
imprisoned. We were imprisoned in sin
with no means of payment for that sin. Christ Jesus paid the full and complete
debt.
Matthew 5:27-28
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,
Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Now, Jesus addresses
adultery. It is plain sense commandment
not to commit adultery, but Jesus takes it a bit further.
Jesus said that if men, or in
the case homosexual lesbianism women, look at another woman in lust, that
person has already committed adultery in the heart.
Matthew 5:29-30
29 And if thy right eye offend
thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that
one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast
into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and
cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should
perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
This section is not meant to
bring on any self-mutilation. It is just
an admission that the flesh never meant to control the spirit.
The Greek word
translated “Hell” again refers to Gehenna.
Matthew 5:31-32
31 It hath been said, Whosoever
shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That
whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry
her that is divorced committeth adultery.
As you read this section,
keep in mind that at least a quarter of all those who take marriage vows this
year are liars. The only question is,
“Are the lies premeditated?”
Half of all marriages begun
this year will end in divorce. The part
about “better or worse” is usually one-sided.
That mean that half of that
half refused to live by the vows they took.
Matthew references a “writing
of divorce” (Gr. apostasion- apostasion).
Deuteronomy 24:1-2
1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she
find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found
some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give
it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
2 And when she is
departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
That was Moses’ law. Jesus
saw it through different eyes.
Jesus said that if a man
divorces his wife, except for the fornication (Gr. porneias-porneiaV), illicit sexual
intercourse, he causes her to commit adultery.
And, if a man marries a divorced woman, he commits adultery.
That is a hard saying for
many today.
Matthew 5:33-36
33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them
of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by
heaven; for it is God's throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither
by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou
canst not make one hair white or black.
Christ addresses tradition.
Jesus said, “Don’t make an oath.” The
basic reason to avoid oath is our inability to guarantee the fulfillment of an
oath.
If you are going to talk the
talk---you must walk the walk!
Matthew 5:37 But let your
communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh
of evil.
Let your words be few!
Matthew 5:38-39
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That
ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to
him the other also.
Moses law says, “Eye for an
eye, and tooth for tooth” (Exodus 21:24).
Contrary to erroneous teaching concerning this passage, this was not a demand that an eye must be given if an eye was
lost.
Instead, it placed a
limitation on all punishment. They may take an eye for an eye, but
that was not demanded nor was it be surpassed.
The teaching that an eye must
be taken for an eye was born out of biblical and spiritual ignorance and
stupidity!
It seems that Jesus said that
we should “not resist” (Gr. mee antisteenai-mh antisthnai), or oppose
evil. The KJV needs some further clarification.
It is not a literal translation.
Evil (Gr. poneeroo-ponhrw) indicates a
degenerate character. The reference is
to an individual rather than a concept.
We are not to resist evil or
the evil one in our own power. In such
cases, evil will win.
We resist evil in God’s
power. We do not resist in our personal
human power.
Matthew 5:40-42
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take
away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go
with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh
thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Literally, verse 40 says, If any man seeks to take your tunic, give him your cloak. If
someone attempts to take something, give more than he/she asks. That is contrary to human nature.
If another compels (Gr. aggareusei-aggareusei), or forces you to do something, do more
voluntarily. The word translated
“compels” is of
Persian origin.
In Persian times, Persian
officials could compel another to act as a courier. In Roman times, a Roman Centurion could
compel a Jew to carry his armor.
When Jesus was crucified,
Simon of Cyrene was “compelled” (Gr. eengareusan-hngareusan) to carry Jesus’
cross. The Greek word used in Matthew
27:32 comes from the same root word used here in Matthew 5.
Since Christ has gone “the
extra mile” for us, we are to follow His example.
Matthew 5:43-48
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them
that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is
in heaven: for he maketh
his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth
rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward
have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even
the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Jesus shows what society
expects us to be the highest example. Then he raises the bar to a height that
seems impossible.
Love
(Gr. agapate-agapate) means that we are to love, respect, or value your
enemies.
Jesus gave us the ultimate
example.
He died for the world, BUT he
never considered the world as His brothers.
Matt 12:46-50
46 While he yet talked to the
people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak
with him.
47 Then one said unto him,
Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said
unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his
hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother
and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the
will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and
mother.
So, who do we love our
enemies? And, how do we pray for those
who despitefully use us?
We show love to our enemies
by telling them about Christ Jesus!
We pray for those who
despitefully use us by praying that God will send His Holy Spirit to convict
them of their sins and convince them to turn to Christ Jesus!
If we hate others, we show
that hatred by withholding the gospel!
Numerous times Christ Jesus
spoke of the religious leaders of His time as hypocrites. He told them that
their father was Satan. And yet He told one man to go to them and offer the
sacrifice commanded by Moses (Matthew 8:4). Christ never withheld the gospel!
We are to pray for those who
persecute us, for His sake.
How do you pray for someone
who persecutes you?
Do two things. First, turn
them over to God the Holy Spirit.
Second, pray for their realization of Christ’s love for them.
We should do that to
reflect God’s love. In many respects God
treats sinner and saint alike.
It is not exceptional to
love our friends and family. Loving our
enemies is exceptional.
Verse 48 says that we are to
be perfect (Gr. teleioi- teleioi), as our heavenly Father is perfect.
How can we do that?
This is not a demand for sinlessness. It is a
demand that our love be
without favoritism.