Matthew 5:1-48

Matthew’s Good News

Matthew’s *Gospel

Hilda Bright

Chapter 5

Jesus teaches 5:1–7:29

Introduction

This is the first of the five main sections that report what Jesus taught in Matthew’s *gospel. Chapter s 5–7 are where Jesus taught his *disciples. He explained how they should live. He probably gave his instructions on more than one occasion. Luke also writes about this, but it appears in different parts of his *gospel. In these Chapter s, Matthew has collected together the things that Jesus probably taught at different times. Jesus expected his *disciples to have the same character and qualities that he had. Matthew includes the things that Jesus taught about the *Law and about *worship. Jesus wanted his *disciples to know about these things. They should know what these things really mean. Jesus wanted people to know the truth about God. They need to trust God and to serve him. Then they will know that God looks after them.

v1 Jesus saw the crowds. So he went up a mountain and sat down there. His *disciples gathered together there with him. v2 Then Jesus began to teach them.

Verse 1 A teacher ‘sat down’ when he was giving his *disciples official instruction.

Verse 2 He ‘began to teach’. The *Greek phrase here means that the words will be serious and important. They also mean that Jesus taught them more than once. Although Jesus was speaking first of all to his *disciples, other people were there. And they heard his message at the same time. Matthew tells us in Matthew 7:28 that ‘the people were astonished at his teaching’.

What makes people really happy 5:3-12

The Latin word for ‘really happy’ is ‘beatus’. So people often call these words the ‘Beatitudes’. Latin is the language that people spoke in Rome. People talk about God ‘blessing’ us. God’s blessing makes us really happy. People usually think of life as ‘happy’ when it is without difficulty. But ‘happy’ here means joy that no difficult circumstances can take away. The beatitudes are not talking about future happiness. They describe the present joy that Jesus’ *disciples can know. ‘Nobody can take your joy from you’ (John 16:22).

v3 ‘How happy are those people who are poor in their spirits.

They know that they must depend only on God.

They belong to the *kingdom of heaven.

v4 How happy are those people who are very sad.

God will comfort them.

v5 How happy are those people who are humble.

The earth will belong to them,

because they will receive what God has promised.

v6 How happy are those people who want to do the right things.

Their greatest desire is to do what is right.

God will satisfy them.

v7 How happy are those people who pity other people.

God will pity them too.

v8 How happy are those people whose thoughts are pure.

They will see God.

v9 How happy are those people who work for peace.

God will call them his children.

v10 Some people suffer because they do what is right.

How happy are those people.

They belong in the *kingdom of heaven.

v11 How happy you can be when people insult you because of me. People may hurt you. They may tell all kinds of evil lies about you because you follow me. v12 But you can be happy and you can be very glad. I tell you that your reward in heaven will be very great. In the same way, people hurt God’s servants who lived long ago.’

Verse 3 The ‘poor in their spirits’ refers to people who know that they need God. They need him to forgive them. They need him to help them. They depend on God for all that they need. Then they can live in the right way. They will be able to live as citizens where God rules.

Verse 4 People may be very sad because relatives or friends have died. People may be very sad because they are very sorry about their own *sins. They may be very sad about all the people who suffer in the world. All of them will find comfort because God loves them. He will forgive them. God will help them to change unfair situations.

Verse 5 Some people are humble. They know that they need God to forgive them. They need God to teach them. Then they can obey him. They trust God rather than trust themselves. Jesus reminds people about God’s promise (Psalms 37:11).

Verse 6 A man who is starving is desperate for food. A man might be dying because he has no water. He is desperate for a drink. A *disciple should be desperate to be good. He is like a starving man or a *thirsty man. His greatest desire is to obey God completely. He is eager to do what God wants. And he wants to see other people obey God too. Then he will find joy because God satisfies him.

Verse 7 A person who pities other people will forgive other people. He or she will forgive even when the other people do not deserve it. We expect God to forgive us. So we must forgive other people. God really loves everyone in the world. He pitied people, so he sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16). Someone who pities people will also understand another person’s problems. They will be kind like the foreigner who helped a *Jew in Jesus’ story (Luke 10:29-37).

Verse 8 ‘Pure’ means clean and sincere. People may think that a person’s actions are good. But he may have acted so that other people would praise him. Or perhaps he wanted to be proud of himself. God told Samuel, ‘The *Lord looks deep inside a person’ (1 Samuel 16:7). There are people whose thoughts are ‘pure’. And they will be able to ‘see God’ because they understand more and more about God all the time. When they die, they will be able to ‘see God’ very clearly. This is impossible for us to imagine now.

Verse 9 God is the ‘God of peace’ (Philippians 4:9). People who ‘work for peace’ are like God. He wants people to be without trouble with him and with each other. People who are at peace with God will be without trouble inside themselves. Then they can work and struggle to establish right relationships between other people and between nations.

Verse 10 The first Christians often suffered because sometimes people ordered them to *worship a false god. Sometimes it happened at their work or during social times and they refused to *worship false gods. Then the authorities punished them. Family life is important. But sometimes the family suffers too when a Christian is loyal to Christ.

Verse 11 Jesus explained the last beatitude more. He spoke directly to the *disciples: ‘How happy you can be...’, he said. He warned them about how difficult it may be to remain loyal to him. After Jesus returned to heaven, people told many evil lies about the Christians.

a) People changed the meaning of the words about the ‘body and blood of Christ’ (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). They accused Christians of terrible things. They said that Christians *sacrificed children and ate them.

b) Christians greeted each other with the kiss of peace (Romans 16:16). So people said that Christians had lives that were not moral.

People said many other bad things about Christians too.

Verse 12 In the past, people hated God’s special servants. When Christians suffered, they were like those special servants long ago. The world’s people hated Christ (John 15:18-20). So *disciples are like their Master too. They can be glad because they will be with him for ever.

Salt and Light 5:13-16

v13 ‘You are like salt among all the people who live on the earth. But suppose that salt loses its taste. It can never become real salt again. It is no longer good for anything. People will throw out salt without taste and walk over it.

v14 You are like light in the world. Everyone can see a city that people have built on a hill. v15 And nobody lights a lamp and then puts it under a bowl. Instead, they put a lamp up in a high place. Then it can give light to everyone in the house. v16 In the same way, let your light shine so that people can see it. They should see the good things that you do. Then they will praise your Father who is in heaven.’

Verse 13 Salt gives flavour to food so that it tastes better. So, like salt, Christians should make the world a happier place. Salt is a good thing to add to food. Then the food does not go bad. Christians should make it easier for other people to be good. They should live as God wants them to live. If they live in a pure way, then they can be an example to other people. In Jesus’ time, salt was not as pure as it is today. It could lose its pure flavour. Sometimes Christians may not show that they are happy. Or other people may make them behave badly. They may become less pure and honest. Then they are like salt that has lost its proper flavour. Such salt is no longer any use.

Verses 14-16 Jesus said that he was the light of the world (John 8:12). So his *disciples must be light in the world too. It would be foolish to hide a lamp under a bowl. A lamp gives light to the people in a dark house. A light also shows the right way to go. So Christians should allow people to see their right actions. Christians should obey God because they believe him. People need to see that. Then the Christians’ light can show people the right way to live. They can warn other people who might make bad decisions.

A city on a hill is easy to see. Jesus’ *disciples are like such a city. They cannot hide the way that they live. A Christian’s good actions should be so attractive that other people will praise God.

Jesus’ attitude to the *Law 5:17-20

v17 ‘Do not think that I have come to destroy the *Law. I have not come to destroy all that God’s servants wrote long ago. But I have come to show that it is completely true. v18 I am telling you the truth. Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter disappears from the *Law. Even the smallest detail will not disappear from the *Law. Everything will happen exactly as the *Law says. v19 A person should obey every command in the *Law. Some people think that some commands are less important. So they do not obey such less important commands. They might teach other people not to obey such commands either. But those people will be the least important where God rules. You should practise all these commands in the *Law and teach them. Then you will be important in the *kingdom of heaven. v20 So I am telling you that you must do better than the *Pharisees. And you must do better than the men who teach the *Law. If you are not better people, you will certainly not enter the *kingdom of heaven.’

Verses 17-18 Jesus said that he had come to teach the *Law more clearly. He showed that God’s messages from long ago were completely true. He would show by six examples in verses 21-48 what he meant. The smallest letter that God’s servants had written was the *Hebrew jodh (some translations call it a ‘jot’). It is like a very small mark. The ‘smallest detail’ is a tiny line that a pen makes (some translations call it a ‘tittle’). It shows the difference between two letters. Jesus says that the *Law is very important. Even the very smallest detail is important and will not change.

Verse 19 Everything that is in the *Law is important. It is easy to keep some parts of the *Law and to neglect other parts.

Verse 20 The *Pharisees were proud of themselves because they obeyed the *Law. The men who taught the *Law had many extra rules. They used these rules to explain the *Law. The *Pharisees were willing to obey these extra rules as well. They appeared to be good. But Jesus knew that the *Pharisees were not sincere. Instead, they worried about small things. They blamed Jesus when he healed people on God’s holy day. They blamed people if they carried something on God’s holy day. Or even if they just wrote something on that day. Jesus obeyed the true meaning of the *Law. He showed what it really meant to respect God and other people. He showed how we can really live in God’s way.

The authority of Jesus 5:21-48

Each of the examples that Jesus gave in these verses begins with the same words. ‘You have heard what God told people long ago…’ Then Jesus reminds them of one of the commands, and continues: ‘But this is what I tell you...’

When Jesus finished teaching the people, Matthew tells us: ‘His words astonished the crowds because he taught like someone with authority. He did not speak like the men who taught the *Law’ (Matthew 7:28).

Long ago, God’s special servants used to tell the people what God told them. ‘This is what the *Lord says...’, they said. In Jesus’ time, the men who taught the *Law would not give their own opinion. They would only refer to what other people had said in the past. Jesus did not argue about what the *Law meant. He spoke with his own authority and said what the true meaning was. It is not surprising that his words astonished people.

Murder 5:21-26

v21 ‘You have heard what God told people long ago. “Do not murder. They will bring anyone who murders to the judge. Then the judge will decide what punishment to give to that person.” v22 But this is what I tell you. Do not be angry with your brother. They will bring anyone who is angry with his brother to the judge. Angry people may say that their brother is worth nothing. They must appear in front of the *Jewish leaders. And angry people may say ‘You fool!’ to a brother. Then they will be in danger from hell’s fire.

v23 Suppose that you are in the *Temple and you are offering your gift to God. Then you remember that your brother is angry with you. You have done something to hurt him. v24 So leave your gift there. First go and become friendly with your brother again. Then come back to the *Temple and offer your gift to God.

v25 Suppose that someone wants to accuse you in the court. Become a friend with him quickly while you are still going to the court. If you do not settle the trouble, he will hand you over to the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to the police officer, and he will put you into prison. v26 I tell you the truth. You will not get out of prison until you have paid the very last penny!’

Verses 21-22 Murder is wrong (Exodus 20:13). However, a person might feel angry, and he might become more and more angry. Then he is guilty as well. People sometimes used the word ‘Raca’ which meant that a person was stupid. He had little worth. The word ‘fool’ has the same meaning as in Psalms 14:1, ‘The fool has said that there is no God’. The man denied that God exists. Such a person wants to go on living a bad life. So the word ‘fool’ means someone with a bad moral character. Someone might accuse such a person because they were not behaving well. But that is putting yourself in God’s place as judge. ‘Gehenna’ was another name for Hinnom valley. It was just outside Jerusalem city, and the *Jews threw out their rubbish there. They burned fires there all the time. So it became the name for God’s punishment place. People usually translate it as ‘hell’. God will judge people by the way that they think. He will also judge them by the way that they speak. And he will judge them by the way that they behave. God will judge anger. He says that evil insults are like murder. ‘Anyone who hates his brother is murdering him’ (1 John 3:15).

Verses 23-24 A person should only offer something to God when they are friends with everyone else. A sincere relationship with God is only possible if people forgive each other.

Verses 25-26 Advice to settle trouble quickly is very practical. Otherwise, the situation gets worse. A quarrel between two people could become a quarrel between two families. The quarrel could last for many years and cause greater trouble. Also, Jesus probably meant that we do not know the future. We do not know when life will end. So people should settle quarrels quickly. We all have to stand in front of God, as he is the judge.

Marriage 5:27-30

v27 ‘You have heard what God told people long ago. “You must not have sex with another man’s wife.” v28 But this is what I tell you. Do not even have wrong thoughts when you look at a woman. A man may look at a woman and want her. Then he is already guilty in his thoughts. v29 Suppose that your right eye makes you *sin like this. Pull it out and throw it away. Your eye is only one part of your body. It is better if you lose that one eye. Do not cause them to throw your whole body into hell. v30 And suppose that your right hand makes you *sin with a woman. Cut it off and throw it away. It is better if you lose that part of your body. Do not let your whole body go into hell.’

Verses 27-28 Everyone knows someone else who is already married. If they have sex with that person, they are both guilty. This is called *adultery. The act is wrong and they have not obeyed the seventh *commandment (Exodus 20:14). Jesus said that the thought is wrong as well. The tenth *commandment says that a man must not want his neighbour’s wife (Exodus 20:17). The thought can lead to a wrong act, and more wrong acts may follow. King Herod Antipas began to desire Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Then Herod and Herodias were guilty because they lived together. John the *Baptist told them that they were wrong. And this led to John’s murder (Matthew 14:3-12).

Verses 29-30 Jesus did not mean that people should actually remove their eyes or hands. He was using a picture. People want to do wrong things. So they should remove anything that causes these *sins. Many things in the world cause people to do something wrong. Some books and pictures may excite wrong thoughts and desires. People might choose to go on looking at these things. But they would not be obeying God’s commands. It might be painful to remove these things from their lives. But that would be better than to destroy their whole life now and after death.

Divorce 5:31-32

v31 ‘You have heard what the teachers say. “Suppose that a man divorces his wife. He must write out divorce papers and give them to her.” v32 But this is what I tell you. A man may divorce his wife only if she has not been loyal to him. Otherwise, he will cause her to be guilty if she marries again. And the man who marries her will be guilty too.’

Verse 31 Divorce was common among *Greeks and *Romans in the time of Jesus. It was easy for a man to divorce his wife. People often thought that sex outside marriage as normal. God had said, ‘I hate divorce’ (Malachi 2:16). The *Jewish law allowed divorce if the husband found something ‘indecent’ or bad in his wife (Deuteronomy 24:1).

Verse 32 There was a difference of opinion about the word ‘indecent’ used here. Shammai was an important *Jewish teacher. He taught that it meant to have sex outside marriage. That was the reason for divorce. Hillel, another important *Jewish teacher, made divorce much easier for a man. A husband could find many reasons for divorcing his wife. She could have put too much salt in his dinner. Maybe she talked too much. Jesus told the *Pharisees that the *Law allowed divorce (Matthew 19:8-9). But God had intended that marriage should last for life (Genesis 2:24).

Promises 5:33-37

v33 ‘You have heard what God said to the people long ago. “You must obey the promises that you have made to the *Lord. You must do what you promise God to do. Especially when you use his name as you promise something” (Numbers 30:2). v34 But this is what I tell you. Do not make promises like that at all. Heaven is God’s special seat. So do not use the name ‘heaven’ when you promise something. v35 The earth is where God rests his feet. So do not use the name ‘earth’ either. And do not use the name ‘Jerusalem’, because that is the city of the Great King. v36 Do not use the name of your own head when you promise something. You cannot make even one hair turn black or white. v37 Just say: “Yes” and mean: “Yes”. Say “No” and mean: “No”. Anything more than this comes from the devil.’

Verse 33 A serious promise in front of God is often called an ‘oath’. Someone may require a person to tell the truth. Or the person may want to do something special. Then he will call on God to act as a witness to his promise. However, God will punish someone who does not keep such a promise. People must keep promises that they make in front of him.

Verses 34-35 The *Jewish teachers said that there were differences between promises. A person could make a promise in front of God, or they could appeal to a different witness. If they did not appeal to God, it was not such a serious promise. A person might promise ‘by heaven’ or ‘by earth’ or ‘by Jerusalem’. But Jesus said that God hears all these promises. He is in heaven. Earth belongs to him and Jerusalem is his city.

Verse 36 A person’s hair will always keep growing. It will change to white, as he gets older. But he cannot change it just because he wants to. A man’s life belongs to God.

Verse 37. A man’s good character should show that he is telling the truth. He should not need to promise something in a special way. He should say what he means honestly. People sometimes have to make serious promises in a court. This is necessary because there are evil things in human nature. Sometimes people think that it is difficult to tell the truth.

Do not hurt people who hurt you 5:38-42

v38 ‘You have heard what God said to the people long ago. “A person should lose an eye for someone’s eye that he hurts. He should lose a tooth for someone’s tooth that he hurts.” v39 But I tell you this. Do not fight with a person who has done something bad to you. Suppose someone hits you on the right cheek. Turn your other cheek to him and let him hit that also. v40 Someone may want to accuse you in court because he wants your shirt. Let him have your coat as well. v41 Someone may force you to carry his load for one mile. Then go two miles with him. v42 Give to the person who asks you for something. Another person might want you to lend him something. So lend it to him.’

Verses 38-39 People usually want to hurt the people who hurt them. Before they made this law (Deuteronomy 19:21), an injury to one person often led to fights between families. These fights could continue for years. The *Law wanted a limit to this. Punishment should be equal to the injury. However, the *Law came to mean something different. Perhaps a guilty person has hurt someone. Then he will need to pay them money. A judge decided how much money the guilty person should pay. Jesus said that his *disciples should not want to hurt people like this. Someone might insult them. People might hit them on the cheek. But they must not reply in an evil way or hit back. Jesus’ enemies often insulted him, but he did not answer back.

Verse 40 The shirt was a man’s inner clothing. The coat was large. A person wore it over the shirt and also used it as his blanket. Therefore, nobody must keep a man’s coat after sunset (Exodus 22:26-27). Jesus said that a Christian should not fight for his legal rights. Christians ought to think in a responsible way. This should be more important to them than their rights. Paul blamed the Christians in Corinth because they took legal action against each other (1 Corinthians 6:1-8).

Verse 41 The *Romans controlled the *Jews’ country. And a *Roman soldier could make a *Jew serve him. He might make the *Jew guide him or carry his load for a mile. The *Romans made Simon from Cyrene carry Jesus’ *cross. Someone might demand something that is not fair. But Christians should act in a cheerful way. A Christian should not think about his right to do as he likes. He should think of ways in which he can help other people. He must serve beyond what anyone expects.

Verse 42 Christians must not encourage other people to become lazy or greedy. But they must still love people. There are many people who need things. So Christians should help them. Christians must not be selfish with their possessions. They must be generous to other people.

Christian love 5:43-48

v43 ‘You have heard what God said to people long ago. “Love your neighbour. Hate your enemy.” v44 But this is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. v45 Then you will be like your Father who is in heaven. He causes the sun to shine on wicked people and on good people in the same way. He sends rain on people who do the right things. And he also sends rain on people who do wrong things. v46 You may love people who love you. But God will not reward you for that. Even the men who collect taxes do that. v47 Suppose that you greet only your own people. Then you are doing no more than any other person does. Even people who do not believe God do the same. v48 So you must be perfect, because your Father in heaven is perfect.’

Verse 43 The *Old Testament *Law said that people should love their neighbours (Leviticus 19:18). There was no command to hate their enemies. But the *Jews believed that they must hate God’s enemies. That would mean that they could hate their own personal enemies. To most *Jews, ‘neighbour’ meant another *Jew only.

Verse 44 People love in different ways. There are several different *Greek words to show this. Parents love their children in a particular way. This is because they are part of a natural family. Friends love each other in a different way. But the word here is another word. This word describes how a Christian should act. He should want to be kind to other people. He may not like them. He may not want to love them. But he should still decide to love them. It may be difficult to do this. Jesus also said that Christians should pray for their enemies. God wants to help everyone and he wants to forgive everyone. Christians recognise that their enemies need God. And Christians know that God loves them too.

Verse 45 God’s gifts are for everyone. Both good and bad people receive God’s kindness. To be a true child of God means that a person will act like God the Father.

Verses 46-47 If Christians love only their friends, they are not acting like God. They would be no better than the men who collected taxes for the *Romans. (People hated those men.) They would be no better than other people who do not believe God.

Verse 48 These words are like those in Leviticus 19:2: ‘You must be *holy because I am *holy. I am the *Lord your God and I am *holy.’ We should want to be like God. We need to please him in every part of our lives. To be ‘perfect’ means to have the same character that God has. If we want to become like God our Father, we must forgive people. We must forgive our enemies too. As Christians, we must love everyone.

gospel ~ 1. good news; 2. one of the first four books in the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
gospel ~ 1. good news; 2. one of the first four books in the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
disciples ~ those who follow another person to learn from him.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
Greek ~ the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
kingdom ~ people or place that a king rules; or people that God rules.
sin ~ when we do not obey God's commands.
thirsty ~ when someone wants or needs a drink.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Lord ~ master; a name that we call God or Jesus; we call God or Jesus Lord when we obey them.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or to thank him for something. A gift to God, often an animal or bird, by the Jews to ask God to forgive their sins. Jesus gave himself to die as a sacrifice for our sins.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
sin ~ when we do not obey God's commands.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Pharisee ~ one of a group of Jews who thought that they obeyed all God’s rules. They did not like the things that Jesus taught. They thought that they did not do any wrong things. So, they thought that they were very important and clever.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews wrote the Old Testament in.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before the life of Jesus.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything to do with a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
adultery ~ to steal someone's wife or husband.
commandments ~ God's rules.
Baptist ~ someone who baptises people.
baptise ~ to put a person under water or put water on a person to show that they want to follow Christ.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together in the shape of a cross.'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before the life of Jesus.
holy ~ all good with no bad in it; separate from sin.
sin ~ when we do not obey God's commands.