Chapter 5 - Introduction
Chapters 5–7 are known as the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus explained how people should live. This chapter includes the beatitudes and other kingdom principles.
Jesus Teaches 5:1-2
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.
Commentary
Verses 1-2
Jesus ‘sat down’ while giving His disciples instruction. He went up on a mountain so all those below could see and hear Him. Jesus taught His disciples, but many others gathered and heard the teaching as well.
What Makes People Really Blessed
The Beatitudes are found in Matthew 5:3-12 as part of the Sermon on the Mount. They are called the Beatitudes because the word comes from the Latin word "beatus" which means “blessed.”
Every single one of the beatitudes begins with the word "blessed." Therefore, the number of times the word is used helps to make up the 400 or more times the word is in the Bible.
Notice the Beatitudes are nothing we get when we get to heaven. There are present situations with a better future blessing.
Verses 3-12 have been taken from the King James Version of the Bible because of the word "Blessed" rather than "Happy" that is found in some other versions of the Bible. In each of the beatitudes, there is a situation and a reward.
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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.
Eight primary statements of blessing make up the Beatitudes, with the ninth statement of blessing (5:11–12) being an extension and personalization of the eighth beatitude for Jesus’ disciples who experience persecution.
Verse 3
The “poor” are those who have encountered unfortunate circumstances from an economic point of view, but also persons who are spiritually and emotionally oppressed, disillusioned, and in need of God’s help. Jesus teaches that the kingdom of heaven is spiritual bankruptcy, unlike the spiritual self-sufficiency that was characteristic of the religious leaders. People who have a need for God are poor in spirit. Their reward is the kingdom of heaven here on earth.
Verse 4
People who suffer in the world will find comfort because God loves them. Some people think this blessing is only for those who are mourning the death of a loved one. Jesus teaches there is comfort for those who mourn over any type of loss. The loss of anything a person considers valuable will produce mourning. It could be the loss of a relationship, friendship, one’s financial support, job, favorite piece of jewelry, and even the loss of one’s spiritual standing before God. While the emotion is mourning, the reward is comfort.
Verse 5
Some people are meek. They know they need God. They trust God rather than trusting themselves. Jesus says it is the “meek” who will inherit the earth, not the strong and those who think they know everything. That is different from those who attempt to dominate the earth and establish their own little kingdoms. Jesus responds best to those who are gentle.
Verse 6
A man who is starving is desperate for food. A man who is thirsty is desperate for water. A disciple is like a starving and thirsty man whose greatest desire is to obey God completely. He is eager to do what God wants. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.
That divine satisfaction will come in a final sense in God’s future reign, but it will be experienced in the present by those who respond to Jesus’ invitation to kingdom life.
Verse 7
Showing mercy toward others does not earn a person entrance to the kingdom. Instead, it is a heart attitude that opens a person to receive the offer of mercy that Jesus has proclaimed in His gospel of the kingdom. Those who are merciful will receive mercy.
Verse 8
‘Pure’ means clean and sincere. People who are "pure in heart" will be rewarded by seeing God.
Verse 9
God is the ‘God of peace.' People who are at peace with God will have peace inside themselves. Jesus, Himself is the supreme peacemaker. The reward for being peacemakers is to be called "children of God."
Verses 10-11
The first Christians and some today often suffered because of their faith. Sometimes it happened at their work or during social times and they refused to worship false gods. It may not look like it from a religious, economic, or social perspective, but the kingdom of heaven is theirs nonetheless and they will truly rejoice.
Verse 12
In the past, people hated God’s special servants. Today when Christians suffer, they are like those special servants long ago. They can be glad and rejoice because they will be with God forever.
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.’
Commentary
Verse 13
Salt gives flavor 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. Salt is a preservative to keep food from going bad. Christians 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 flavor. Christians may become less pure and honest. Then they are like salt that has lost its proper flavor. Such salt is no longer of 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. Other 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 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 practice 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.’
Commentary
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 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 friends 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 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 in prison. v26 I tell you the truth. You will not get out of prison until you have paid the very last penny!’
Commentary
Verses 21-22
Murder is wrong (Exodus 20:13). However, a person might feel angry, and he might become angrier and angrier. Then he is guilty as well. The word ‘fool’ has the same meaning as in Psalm 14:1, "The fool has said that there is no God."
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 a judge. 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.’
Commentary
Verses 27-28
Adultery is wrong (Exodus 20:14). Jesus said that the thought of adultery is wrong as well. The tenth commandment says that a man must not want his neighbor’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. 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 destroying 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 was 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 the 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 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.’
Commentary
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 neighbor. 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 neighbors (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, ‘neighbor’ 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 recognize 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.
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