THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 1 REQUIRED ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOUR UNDER THE KINGLY RULE OF HEAVEN (5:1-7). Having travelled widely throughout Galilee, and having proclaimed the need for repentance and response to the Kingly Rule of Heaven, Jesus now recognised the need for those who had responded to... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And seeing the crowds, he went up into the mountain, and when he had sat down, his disciples came to him, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,' Jesus had seen many crowds, and had welcomed them, but at this point in time He considered that they were preventing Him from teaching His dis... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD HAS ALREADY BLESSED HIS TRUE PEOPLE BY PRODUCING IN THEM A RIGHT ATTITUDE OF HEART, AND AN INDICATION OF THE BLESSINGS BOTH PRESENT AND FUTURE THAT WILL RESULT FROM IT (5:3-9). As we consider the Sermon on the Mount its demands are such that the question must necessarily arise, ‘What kind of pe... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Blessed ones, the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingly Rule of Heaven.' ‘Blessed ones, the poor in spirit.' This certainly includes the thought that they are ‘happy' and ‘enjoying spiritual fullness' and blessed because of the future benefits that they will enjoy, but that is not at the heart... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Blessed ones, those who mourn, for they will be comforted.' This is not saying that it is good to be in mourning because the result will be that someone is sure to comfort us. It rather has in mind Isaiah 40 (‘comfort, comfort, my people') where the people of God were mourning over their sin, and G... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Blessed ones, the meek (lowly of heart), for they will inherit the earth.' The ‘meek' are those who take the buffetings of life and do not rebel against them overmuch. They accept them from the hand of God. They do not get riled up at them. They are not always seeking revenge. They accept what lif... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Blessed ones, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.' We must here first consider what hunger and thirst in these terms signify. It must be remembered that these words were spoken to people, many of whom could only afford at the most one good meal containing meat... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Blessed ones, the merciful, for they will obtain mercy.' Not only does God make men lowly of heart and contrite, but He also blesses them by making them merciful, so that in return they can find mercy from Him. Such people as have been described will inevitably be merciful because God has been at w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Blessed ones, the pure in heart, for they will see God.' Those whom God has blessed will also be pure in heart. Central to the thought here is Psalms 24. The ones who would ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place must have ‘clean hands and a pure heart' (Psalms 24:4). Then they will... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Blessed ones, the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.' The final description in the list is of those who seek to make peace, because they have been blessed by God. God has worked within them and given them peace, contentment and wellbeing (shalom) and so they seek in the right way to... [ Continue Reading ]
“Blessed ones, those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the Kingly Rule of Heaven.” Here those who are blessed by God ‘have been persecuted for righteousness' sake'. This can hardly refer to His current disciples, for they are hardly yet in a position to have faced any... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PERSECUTION OF THE GODLY, AND THE BLESSEDNESS THAT IS SEEN TO BE THEIRS AS A RESULT. THEY WILL THEREFORE BE LIKE THE PROPHETS OF OLD WHO WERE ALSO PERSECUTED (5:10-12). Analysis of Matthew 5:10. a “Blessed ones, those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake (Matthew 5:10 a). b For th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PERSECUTION OF THE GODLY, AND THE BLESSEDNESS THAT IS SEEN TO BE THEIRS AS A RESULT. THEY WILL THEREFORE BE LIKE THE PROPHETS OF OLD WHO WERE ALSO PERSECUTED, AND WILL BE THE SALT OF THE EARTH AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (5:10-16). It will be noted that we have not included Matthew 5:10 in the ab... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Blessed ones are you when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, And say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.' The switch here to the second person confirms that the previous verse is referring back to the past. His God-blessed disciples are now to recognise that they too will... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Rejoice, and be extremely glad, For great is your reward in Heaven, For so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.' And when persecution happens they should rejoice. Indeed they should be deliriously happy. For it will indicate that they are deserving people, and it will mean that thei... [ Continue Reading ]
“You are the salt of the earth, But if the salt have lost its savour, With what will it be salted? It is from then on good for nothing, But to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.” ‘You are the salt of the earth.' While these salts were sometimes used as fertiliser they were not very effec... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DISCIPLES ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH (5:13-14). Jesus' first declaration about His disciples is that they are the salt of the earth. And this is then followed by a grave warning. For it is possible for (Palestinian) salt to lose its savour. And then what will the result be? It will be fit for no... [ Continue Reading ]
RATHER THAN DESERVING REPROACH AND CALUMNIATION THEY ARE TO BE THE SALT OF THE EARTH AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (5:13-16). Having commenced His sermon by revealing what the disciples are, by virtue of God's active work within them (His ‘blessing)', and having warned them against persecution as a co... [ Continue Reading ]
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel measure, but on the stand, And it shines to all who are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men, That they may see your good works, And glorify your Father wh... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. THE FULFILMENT OF THE INSTRUCTION OF YHWH AND OF THE PROPHETIC HOPES (5:17-7:12). Having revealed how God has worked in His disciples in a life-transforming way in Matthew 5:3, and having shown them that they are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world in Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
“Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets, I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. This dramatic statement can be viewed in a number of ways (although the list is by no means exhaustive). As an emphatic statement, stressed by a denying of the negative, that His coming into the wo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PERMANENCE OF THE LAW AND THE WARNING TO OBSERVE IT TRULY SO AS TO EXPERIENCE A FULLER RIGHTEOUSNESS (5:17-20). Having spoken to His disciples of a life which acts as a preservative in the world, and which abounds in ‘good works' which glorify and reveal God because of the love that they reveal,... [ Continue Reading ]
For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, One jot or one tittle shall in no way pass away from the law, Until all things be accomplished.” Jesus then makes the strongest possible assertion of the permanence and almost divine status of ‘the Law' and all that it promised. He emphatic... [ Continue Reading ]
A “Whoever therefore shall loose (relax, treat lightly, render ineffective) one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, b Will be called least in the Kingly Rule of Heaven, a But whoever shall do and teach them, b He will be called great in the Kingly Rule of Heaven. a For I say to... [ Continue Reading ]
FIVE FULLER APPLICATIONS OF THE LAW (5:21-43). In order to bring home what His disciples' approach to the Law should be Jesus selects five pivotal aspects of the Law, and expands on them and explains them. Each example commences with ‘you have heard that it was said --.' He then draws attention to... [ Continue Reading ]
“You have heard that it was said to those of old time,” This is the first ‘you have heard that it was said' of the five occurring in the chapter. These deal with violence (Matthew 5:21), marital relationships (Matthew 5:27), honesty (Matthew 5:33), desire for vengeance (Matthew 5:38) and partiality... [ Continue Reading ]
“But I say to you, that every one who is angry with his brother will be in danger of the judgment.” “I say to you.” This will be repeated on each proposed extension of men's understanding of the commandments. Jesus speaks with a unique authority. He does not need to appeal to the fathers, or to the... [ Continue Reading ]
“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar,” And there remember that your brother has anything against you, Leave there your gift before the altar, And go your way, first be reconciled to your brother, And then come and offer your gift.” Jesus then comes down to practicalities. Of co... [ Continue Reading ]
Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way, Lest it happen that the adversary deliver you to the judge, And the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. Truly I say to you, you will by no means come out from there, Until you have paid the last penn... [ Continue Reading ]
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.' ” Jesus commences by citing the seventh commandment, and the first thing that will be noted is that He makes no reference to ‘those of old'. These words accompanied reference to the commandment about murder (Matthew 5:21), and will a... [ Continue Reading ]
2). GOD'S CONCERN ABOUT THE PURITY OF WOMEN: WHAT THE DISCIPLES' ATTITUDE IS TO BE TOWARDS THE LAW CONCERNING ADULTERY, DIVORCE, AND SEXUAL ATTITUDE: THE NEED TO BE HARSH WITH THEMSELVES ABOUT SIN (5:27-32). Continuing to deal with the commandments in the order given in Exodus 20 Jesus now takes up... [ Continue Reading ]
“But I say to you, that every one who looks on a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Once again Jesus declares authoritatively, “I say to you.” Once He has spoken that settles the matter. The principle here is very clear. Even the desire for adultery in th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old time, “You shall not swear falsely (or ‘break your oath'), but shall perform to the Lord your oaths.” As described above this was probably a citation that someone had thrown at Him, possibly as a Tradition of the Elders, or He may have put it... [ Continue Reading ]
3). THE DISCIPLES' APPROACH TO OATH-TAKING AND RELIABILITY (5:33-37). In Jesus' day the taking of oaths was popular and often somewhat hypocritical. Going by what was written later they were divided into oaths which must be observed, and those which could be broken because they did not involve the L... [ Continue Reading ]
“Neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God, Nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet, Nor towards Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.” The type of oaths that He is speaking of is now... [ Continue Reading ]
“But I say to you, do not swear oaths at all.” Once again we have Jesus' authoritative “I say to you.” He again claims to speak with unique authority. Jesus is here probably referring to general oaths which had become a common feature in a society which was lax with the truth (as the need for a mult... [ Continue Reading ]
“But let your speech be, Yes, yes; No, no, And whatever is more than these is of the evil one.” So they are to restrict their replies to specific assertions. They are to say, ‘yes, yes' or ‘no, no'. The point here is either that people will be listening for the oath, ‘yes, I swear by --' but will... [ Continue Reading ]
“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” Known as the lex talionis, in ancient days this law was common in many cultures in times far preceding Moses. It is found in the Code of Hammurabi from the 18th century BC, and it was probably old then (and was incorporate... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS DISCIPLES ARE TO SHOW GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT, NOT TO CRY FOR VENGEANCE (5:38-42). In this example Jesus is replying to a mistaken interpretation of the Law. The purpose of the law ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' (the lex talionis), was in order to put a limit on vengeance in a fierce... [ Continue Reading ]
But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil, But whoever smites you on your right cheek, Turn to him the other as well. And if any man would go to law with you, and take away your coat, Let him have your cloak as well. And whoever shall compel you to go one mile, Go with him two. Jesus no... [ Continue Reading ]
Give to him who asks you, And from him who would borrow of you turn not yourself away.” These commands are rooted in the Old Testament. They are not spoken in a capitalist environment, but in an agricultural environment. The idea is that when someone who is in poverty or in dire straits comes seeki... [ Continue Reading ]
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour, and hate your enemy, The passage once again commences with a statement made by others. ‘It has been said.' This represents the popular attitude. And what has been said is that ‘love your neighbour' necessarily excludes one's enemy. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DISCIPLES ARE TO LOVE EVEN THEIR ENEMIES AND ARE TO SEEK TO BE PERFECT EVEN AS THEIR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT (5:43-48). Jesus has been slowly building up to this final revelation of the love that epitomises the Kingly Rule of God and the One Who is over it. There was to be no hatred or insu... [ Continue Reading ]
“But I say to you, love your enemies, And pray for those who persecute you, That you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, And sends rain on the just and the unjust.” Jesus then deals with this misrepresentation and dilution of the La... [ Continue Reading ]
“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the civil servants the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the Gentiles the same?” Jesus then draws attention to the difference between what He is describing and what is more c... [ Continue Reading ]
You therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The first thing to note here is that ‘you' is both plural (in contrast with much of what has gone before) and emphatic. It means ‘you band of disciples' (you new congregation of Israel), in contrast with all others. This idea of th... [ Continue Reading ]