MATTHEW 5

The first and last of the beatitudes (verse 19) each ends with the same words, “...for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” That tells us that all eight beatitudes are one package. They are all descriptions of a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Each beatitude describes a step in the spiritual development of a person who comes to Christ in true faith.

⁴Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

In Isaiah 61:1-3, Isaiah prophesied that Christ would come …to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Again speaking of the salvation to come, the LORD said, Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her…. (Isaiah 66:10).

In Isaiah’s prophecies, it was the true believers in the LORD God who were able to perceive the dismal spiritual condition of the nation of Israel. They are the people who mourned, and they are the people who would be comforted.

We read in verse 3 that it is the person who is poor in spirit who has part in the kingdom of heaven. That’s because that person recognizes his or her need to have Christ as their Savior. When a person takes the step of putting their faith in Christ, they begin to see themselves as they really are and the world around them as it really is. Their own sin becomes grievous to them, and the evil in the world around them makes them sick at heart. Jesus said that those people will be comforted. Part of that comfort comes now, as we see our own lives being changed by God and as we see our prayers for the world being answered. But the ultimate fulfillment of Jesus’s promise of comfort will come when He returns to reign as King over this world. Those who mourn are blessed because they have the spiritual perception to understand and to care about the brokenness that sin causes.

⁵Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Verse 4 said, “Blessed are they that mourn.” When a person begins to mourn over their own spiritual imperfection and over the ungodliness in the world around them, how should they react? Should we just sit and grieve? Do we set out to try to fix ourselves and the world?

We might consider the lives of two people in the Bible who were “meek.” Numbers 12:3 says, Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. Yet Moses was the leader that God used to confront the king of Egypt and to lead Israel across the Red Sea, through the desert, and to the edge of the land of promise. So the meekest man on earth had to be aggressive in order to fulfill God’s will for him.

Jesus said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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 (Matthew 11:28-29). The Lord Jesus was meek, but He was able to offer rest to all people who labour and are heavy laden. The Lord Jesus was meek, but He stood unwaveringly before religious and political leaders and was not cowered by the prospect of being crucified.

So what is meekness? Jesus told Pilate, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence (John 18:36). Jesus said that at that time His kingdom was not from here. Jesus obeyed His Father and waited for His Father’s timing for the coming of the kingdom of heaven. Moses also confronted Pharaoh only in obedience to God.

This beatitude says that the meek “shall inherit the earth.” An inheritance is a gift. This inheritance will be given to those who recognize that we personally cannot fix ourselves or fix the world – but that God can fix both. Meekness is a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer (Galatians 5:23). Meekness is God-given strength under God’s control.

The words of this beatitude are very similar to words found in Psalm 37:9-11:

For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

The meek are those people who wait confidently upon the LORD while they actively work to confront evil with truth in their own lives and in the world. The meek understand that the battle is the LORD's (I Samuel 17:47) and that the victory will ultimately be His. The meek will inherit the earth when Christ returns as King. The land of Canaan was promised to Abraham (Genesis 15), but that inheritance will encompass the whole world (Romans 4:13).

⁶Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

The first three beatitudes described the maturing heart attitudes of genuine believers. The fourth beatitude describes a desire of growing believers to go further and to see change – change in themselves and change in the world around them. Maturing believers are grieved by sin in themselves and in the world and hunger for righteousness.

There is a difference between the righteousness that we receive from God when we trust Christ as Savior and the righteousness that is gradually produced by God in our lives as we grow spiritually. The first is a perfect righteousness that is put to our account by God at the moment we believe. That righteousness is complete, and it never changes. The second is a righteousness in our personal life that grows as we continue to live in dependence on the Lord. This increasing righteousness is what a maturing believer hungers to have more of.

A maturing believer also longs for righteousness in the world. In Isaiah 61:11, God declared His plan for the earth: For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Peter wrote, Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness (II Peter 3:13).

Gradually in our own lives now and then in the future in Christ’s kingdom and in the new heavens and new earth, every true believer’s hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied.

⁷Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

As a growing believer increasingly hungers and thirsts for righteousness, the sin and rebellion against God in the world increasingly grieves our souls. The fifth beatitude is the first of the beatitudes to address our relationships with other people. How do we relate to unbelievers who oppose God’s Word? And how do we relate to other believers who do us wrong?

Jesus’ example and words in Matthew 9:10-13 give us direction: And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus said by His actions and by His words that mercy seeks the spiritual salvation of sinners.

Jesus also said in a parable in Matthew 18 that for us who have received mercy from God, showing mercy to another believer should come without hesitation. In that parable there was a servant who was forgiven a huge debt. But the servant was not willling to forgive another servant who owed him a little debt. The question in verse 33 of Matthew 18 summarizes the whole matter: “Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?”

Being merciful does not mean saying that what is wrong is OK. Being merciful means looking beyond the wrong to what Christ did at the cross to pay for it. Being merciful means desiring the eternal good of others – even if they’ve done us wrong.

Becoming merciful is a step in the spiritual maturing of every believer, just like the other steps detailed in the beatitudes. God showed us mercy in our salvation and will show us mercy in His eternal blessings. As we spend time in His Word and walk in dependence on our Lord, we will become like Christ in this characteristic, too.

⁸Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Psalm 24:3-5 also speaks of having a pure heart: Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Thus, clean hands and a pure heart are prerequisite to being in the presence of God.

But Proverbs 20:9 describes our failure to measure up to this standard: Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Apart from God’s work of salvation, no one can make that claim.

Hebrews 10:22 speaks of having our hearts “sprinkled from an evil conscience.” It is Christ’s blood of the New Covenant that cleanses our heart at the moment we put our faith in Him.

So when Jesus spoke these words on the mountain that day, He was quietly calling the people who were listening to desire and expect the New Covenant that He Jesus would establish.

Do people whose hearts have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ stop having bad thoughts? No. That’s why Paul said to the Ephesian believers, Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice (Ephesians 4:31). The sprinkling of Christ’s blood on our hearts happens only once, at the moment we put our faith in Him. Because of His blood, we can enter the presence of God. But the internal change in our thoughts is a process that happens over time.

Why does this beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart,” come right after “Blessed are the merciful” ? These are steps in the spiritual growth of a believer. We never stop looking on others with mercy, but having a pure heart means that in our own lives we are increasingly turning away from sin. Cleanness of heart is a mark of spiritual maturity. Our hearts are being made clean now and will be made perfectly clean at Christ’s return.

This beatitude says, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Will we someday see God the Father as well as God the Son? The answer to this question seems to be unclear. Some Scriptural support for the thought that we will see God the Father is found in Revelation 14:1 and 22:3-4.

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. (Revelation 14:1)

And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. (Revelation 22:3-4)

In Revelation 14:1, it is the Father’s name that is written in the foreheads of the 144 thousand Jewish servants of God. In Revelation 22:3-4, it seems that the One whose face His servants will see is the same One whose name is on their foreheads.

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Later, in verses 43-45 of this chapter we will read,

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 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; 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.”

The result in both passages is the same: “they shall be called the children of God” (verse 5) and “that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven” (verse 45). A peacemaker is someone who loves, blesses, does good to, and prays for others who treat them badly. The peacemakers will be called God’s sons and daughters because their actions are in accord with God’s working.

Ultimately the best thing we can do for someone who doesn’t know Christ and is antagonistic to us is to reach out to them in love with the Truth of the Gospel. Paul said, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18-19). To lead another person to peace with God is the highest form of peacemaking.

This seventh beatitude follows “Blessed are the pure in heart.” As God makes our hearts clean, we become ready to approach with love even those who despise us and treat us badly.

¹⁰Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ¹²Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

The first beatitude said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The last beatitude says, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” In both cases the promise is the same: “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” That’s because the beatitudes are one package. The beatitudes explain the step-by-step maturing of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is persecution at the highest rung in the ladder? And how does it fit with being a peacemaker in the previous beatitude?

A genuine and growing relationship with Christ increasingly makes us different from those who don’t know Christ. Jesus declared that those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake are blessed. This tells us clearly that when we seek to be peacemakers as in verse 9, we must not compromise in matters of righteousness. But when we do not compromise in matters of righteousness, we will be persecuted. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (II Timothy 3:12).

Verses 12 and 13 give more explanation about verse 11. But they switch from being general statements of principle to speaking personally to Jesus’ listeners there on the mountain. Jesus said that people will insult us, treat us unfairly, and tell evil lies about us. Jesus said that when that happens, we should “rejoice and be exceeding glad” because our reward will be great in heaven. Jesus also compared us in that case to the prophets in the Old Testament who were persecuted. The prophets were persecuted for righteousness’ sake because they spoke the words that God had given them to speak. We will be persecuted for righteousness’ sake for Christ’s sake. When we speak the words that He has given us to speak, we will be rejected by those who reject His word. The parallel here is clear: Jesus is not just one of the prophets; He is the Lord God.

¹³Ye 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.

Jesus is speaking to the crowds that followed Him (7:28). Most of these people were Jews. Paul wrote, What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. (Romans 3:1-2). In the Old Testament, God committed His word to the Jews.

Paul told the believers in Colosse, Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man (Colossians 4:6). Paul said that the salt of God’s Word should season the speech of believers today. So should it have seasoned the speech of the Jews to whom Jesus spoke from the mountain in Matthew 5.

But Jesus’ brief statement, “Ye are the salt of the earth” is strikingly swiftly followed up by a statement of severe warning. Without spending any more time on that first brief positive statement, Jesus’ immediately said, “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.” Why did Jesus so quickly start speaking negatively? Surely this severe warning came so immediately because the loss of saltiness in Israel had already taken place. Jesus knew that the situtation had already gone bad. The Jewish leaders had so mixed God’s Word with man’s word that the clear, distinct flavor of the salt had been corrupted. Jesus knew that in just over 40 years, Jerusalem would be trodden under foot by the armies of Rome.

Salt preserves food, gives it flavor, and makes people thirsty. Whenever the message of God’s Word is mixed with impurity, it loses flavor and effectiveness. In that case the world is not preserved from corruption, people’s spiritual longing is not satisfied, and those who hear are not made to thirst for more.

¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵Neither 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. ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Psalm 119:130 says, The entrance of thy words giveth light…. In the Old Testament, the Word of God was committed to the Jews. They were responsible to provide light to the rest of the world. God had also given them Jerusalem, a city set on a hill. The glory of God had dwelled in the temple on that hill until the time of the Babylonian captivity.

In verse 15, Jesus used the example of a light on a lampstand in a home. Just as God’s desire was that Jerusalem be a city of testimony not to be hidden, so it was His desire that each person in Israel raise the light of His Word to be seen by others rather than seeking to reserve it for themselves.

In chapter 6 Jesus will warn about giving, praying, or fasting to be seen by other people. But here in verse 16, He says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” As James said, people can’t see our faith; they can only see our works (James 2:18). Jesus said that when we share with others the salt and light of God’s Word, we should have a life that matches the message. But our motivation must be that people glorify God, not us.

Peter said, Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation (I Peter 2:12). Not everyone who sees good things in our life responds positively. They may even insult us, treat us unjustly and tell evil lies about us (as we read in verse 11). But in the day of Christ’s return, they will have to give God glory by admitting that they had the opportunity to receive light and truth but chose darkness instead.

¹⁷Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Jesus used exactly the same sentence format in Matthew 10:34: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Yet Jesus did come to bring peace to the earth in the long run. In the short run there would be conflicts between those who received His word and those who did not. In the same way, Jesus did come to remove the Covenant of Law and to replace it with the New Covenant. But in the short run, that meant that He had to keep it Himself and that He had to die to satisfy the judgments of the Covenant of Law.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. He personally in the power of the Holy Spirit obeyed the Law perfectly. He also fulfilled all the prophetic symbols and words that are found in the Law and in the Prophets.

¹⁸For 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.

The word “fulfilled” in this verse means “happen” or “come to be.” The present heaven and earth will not pass away until the end of Jesus’ thousand year reign (Revelation 21:1). By that time, every minute detail specified in the Law as it was originally written will be carried out. In the book of Matthew, Jesus often commented on questions about the Mosaic Law. His interpretations seem to focus on the intent of the law He is explaining. Ultimately, it is in the New Covenant that the intent of every specific word in the written Law of Moses will be carried out.

For example, how will the intent of the law concerning the Levitical priesthood be fulfilled? Hebrews 7 says,

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law…. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof (Hebrews 7:11-12,18).

The intent of the law concerning the Levitical priesthood is fulfilled in the Mechisedec priesthood of Christ under the New Covenant. Also, there are mentions of fulfillment of God’s plans for the Levites in the prophecies of Ezekiel concerning the temple on earth during Christ’s thousand year reign (see Ezekiel 44:10-31).

Paul wrote, Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (I Corinthians 5:7-8). In these words to the church in Corinth, Paul spoke of the Old Testament feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread as being incumbent also on the Gentile believers in Corinth. Israel was to have shared that Law with the whole world. But the intent of the Law was carried out perfectly in the completed death of Christ, the Passover Lamb. The intent of the law of the Feast of Unleavened Bread will be fulfilled not by our putting physical leaven out of our houses but by our trusting Christ to cleanse our hearts at every moment by His Holy Spirit in us. The Holy Spirit was given to us as a blessing of the New Covenant.

¹⁹Whosoever 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. ²⁰For 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’ words in these verses must have presented a quandary in the minds of the people who heard him that day. He said that they were responsible to keep and teach the Law but that it was possible for them to enter the kingdom of heaven without much reward (they would be called “the least”) even if they failed. On the other hand, He said that they couldn’t enter the kingdom of heaven at all unless they had a righteousness that surpassed that of the Jewish teachers of the Law. So He stated plainly that the Jewish teachers of the Law did not have enough righteousness to enter God’s kingdom.

The people must have been asking themselves lots of questions, like: Where are the scribes and Pharisees falling short? How can we have enough righteousness to get into the kingdom of heaven? If the teachers of the Law don’t measure up, what hope is there for any of us?

The people to whom Jesus was speaking that day were still under the Law of Moses. The purpose of the Law was to show them their need for forgiveness and for a Savior. Paul said, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24). In the coming verses in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus will explain more about the level of righteousness that God intended in the Law. God’s standard goes to the level of our hearts and thoughts. Jesus didn’t explain everything yet about His coming death for our sins or about the forgiveness and changing of our hearts that the New Covenant would bring. That revelation would be given step-by-step, as it had been since the Garden of Eden. But in every period of history, those who responded in faith to the revelation at that point were justified. They were saved on the basis of what Christ was going to do, just as we are saved today on the basis of what Christ has already done.

²¹Ye 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: ²²but 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.

These verses immediately follow Jesus’ statement in verse 20 that unless a person’s righteousness surpasses that of the Jewish teachers, that person cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus will now give examples of the righteousness that He’s talking about.

The Jewish leaders recognized that murder was wrong, as the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” stated (Exodus 20:13). Deuteronomy 16:18 prescribed that judges be appointed in every city in Israel to administer justice: Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment. The Jewish leaders recognized that, too. But Jesus said that the higher righteousness He was talking about reached to the emotions of the heart and to the words that come out of our mouths. Six times in this chapter Jesus says, “but I say unto you….” He claimed the authority to tell the real meaning of the Word of God and how it would be enforced. Jesus spoke as Yahweh did in Isaiah 51:4: Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.

It is not wrong to get angry with someone. Paul wrote, Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath (Ephesians 4:26). Jesus said, “whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (the majority of the Greek manuscripts do include the expression “without a cause”). Anger itself is not wrong, but anger sometimes comes for very wrong reasons, like envy or gossip that we heard or just because the other person got in our way. Jesus described an escalation in this anger that results in calling the other person names like “empty-head” or “fool.” Each step in the escalation recognizes less and less value in the other person.

But Jesus Himself called the scribes and Pharisees “fools” in Matthew 23:17. He also spoke of a foolish man who built his house on sand (Matthew 7:26) and of foolish women who didn’t bring any oil for their lamps (Matthew 25:2-3). But Jesus didn’t use these words in a fit of anger or without a right cause. Paul told Timothy to refuse foolish questions (II Timothy 2:23) and told Titus to avoid foolish controversies (Titus 3:3), so it is right for us to be able to discern what is foolish and what is not. In Jesus’ comments about murder, He was talking about a heart and mouth that don’t recognize value in the other person. Murder starts in the heart.

Jesus spoke of steps of accountability for those who get angry and speak rashly against others; these steps included the judgment of a council and and condemnation to hell. The council he spoke of was an earthly tribunal that was not yet functioning in this way. Thus, He was talking about steps of accountability in His yet future earthly kingdom.

²³Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; ²⁴leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Now Jesus makes application of His words to the people who were listening to Him at the mountain that day. It seems that He said in effect, “If that’s the way it’s going to be in the kingdom, then this is how you should live now.” The example that Jesus gave was not about a person who had been wronged by someone else. The example was about a person who had done someone else wrong. That’s the next step in the escalation of uncontrolled anger. Jesus said that God doesn’t want our worship gifts until we make things right with the person we did wrong. If we come to worship and remember that we DID get angry with someone for no good reason and we DID call them a name we shouldn’t have, we need to go and be reconciled to that person first before we come to worship.

There are cases where people hate us without a cause. Jesus said that people hated Him without a cause (John 15:25). That’s different. That’s not our fault.

²⁵Agree 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. ²⁶Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Anger that continues to escalate and is not properly dealt with results in wrongdoing, and that wrongdoing has consequences. Jesus said that in the kingdom of heaven there will be absolute accountability for doing others wrong. But surely His words are more than just advice about settling up with other people in order to avoid going to prison. Jesus is describing the righteousness that is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. He wanted his listeners that day and us now to understand that sin is not just an outward act. We have all sinned in our thoughts and words. We could never pay God the debt that we owe. We need a Savior.

²⁷Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: ²⁸but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

The Jewish teachers would have quickly agreed that adultery was wrong. They knew and taught that “Thou shalt not commit adultery” was one of the ten commandments. But Jesus said that the application of the commandment was not limited to a physical act of sexual intercourse outside of marriage. And, as in verse 22, He began His statement with the words, “but I say unto you….” Jesus claimed the authority to define the true application of the Law. He said that adultery also includes what goes on in the mind and in the heart.

The words “to lust after her” in verse 28 use the same Greek preposition + infinitive form that is found in Matthew 6:1; 13:30; and 23:5 and has the specific meaning of intent. In other words, Jesus is talking about when a man stares at a woman on purpose in order to imagine having a sexual relationship with her. Jesus said that that man has already committed adultery with that woman in his heart. Also, Jesus did not say whether or not the man was married or whether or not the woman was married. His words could include two single people, too.

²⁹And 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. ³⁰And 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.

According to Jesus, adultery has eternal consequences. A person who commits adultery, even in their mind, will go to hell unless they have the Savior. Jesus’ instruction to pluck out our right eye or cut off our right hand emphasizes the seriousness of the sin. He said that an eye or a hand can “offend” us. That means that our eye or hand can make us fall. But it seems clear that if we pluck out our right eye, we’ll also have to pluck out our left eye. And if we cut off our right hand, we’ll also have to cut off our left hand. That’s because the real problem is in our heart.

In these verses Jesus spoke of the law against adultery. But surely this principle is true for all sexual sins. Jesus did not question or write off the Old Testament laws. Rather, He explained that the intent of the law is deeper than the outward act.

It is also significant that Jesus said that people’s bodies will also be cast into hell. Even if a person is cremated or their body has decayed, God will put their body back together again at the final judgment.

Why is Jesus saying these things? We need to go back to verse 20. In that verse He said, “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 wants us to understand that when it comes to God’s standard of righteousness, nobody passes. All of us need a Savior.

³¹It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: ³²but 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.

Each of the sections beginning with verses 21, 27, 33, 38, and 43 start with the words, “Ye have heard that it was said….” Verse 31 has only the words, “It hath been said….” So verses 31-32 are a continuation of the section on adultery that began in verse 27.

The question of divorce will come up again in chapter 19, but Jesus’ words in both chapters carry the same message. It seems that in the context of Matthew 5:27-32, Jesus is making two connections with the topic at hand: first, that adultery can also take place as a result of divorce, and, second, that a legal divorce does not allow a person to remarry unless their original spouse violated the marriage through unfaithfulness.

We might consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 19 and Mark 10:

And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. (Matthew 19:9)

And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. (Mark 10:11-12)

In the verses which we are considering in chapter 5, Jesus mentioned “a writing of divorcement.” The Pharisees also raised this issue with Jesus in 19:7. This writing of divorcement was allowed in the Law in Deuteronomy 24:1-2. Jesus will comment on it directly in chapter 19. But Jesus says here that if a man puts away his wife for any cause other than unfaithfulness in her, he sets her up to commit adultery by marrying someone else. And, Jesus says that the someone else who marries her will be committing adultery.

It seems clear from this passage and from Matthew 19 and Mark 10 that the main issue here is remarriage. That is, that in God’s eyes, a legal divorce for any cause other than unfaithfulness is not valid. Thus, if a separation takes place for any other reason, remarriage is adultery.

³³Again, 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:

Deuteronomy 23:21-23 says, When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth. The Jewish leaders would have affirmed and taught that whatever a person swore to give to God, they should give. But the Jewish leaders were not so consistent in matters of oaths made by one person to another person. For example, the scribes and Pharisees taught that if a person swore to another person by the temple, that oath was not binding, but if they swore by the gold of the temple, then the oath was binding (Matthew 23:16).

When we think about swearing, there are at least four meanings that may come to our minds. The first is that swearing means cursing or using bad language. That’s not the topic of these verses. Another meaning is for someone to swear that they’re telling the truth. For example, an oath to tell the truth may be required if we go to court. That also is not the topic of these verses. We do know that Paul said to the Corinthians, Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth (II Corinthians 1:23), and to the Galatians he said, Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not (Galatians 1:20). So it seems that it would not be wrong for us to swear in court to tell the truth.

Another meaning for swearing is taking a vow such as the vow of a Nazarite (see Numbers 6:1-21). It seems that Paul took a related or similar vow in Acts 18:18. That also is not the topic of these verses.

The fourth meaning for swearing is using an oath to confirm that a person will do what they say they will do. This meaning fits Jesus’ statement in verse 33 and is the topic of these verses.

³⁴But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: ³⁵nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. ³⁷But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

We know from the book of Hebrews that in Israel, people swore to confirm their word: For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife (Hebrews 6:16). People swore by someone or something greater than themselves in an attempt to confirm that they would keep their word. Probably the logic was that God would require of them a penalty of the same weight as the thing they swore by if they failed to do what they promised.

According to the Old Testament Law, it was not wrong to swear by the Name of the LORD. For example, Deuteronomy 6:13-14 says, Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you…. (See also Deuteronomy 10:20; Isaiah 65:16; Jeremiah 12:16.) But the intent of the law was not to get people to swear. The intent of the law was that they not swear in the name of another god. But if a person swore in the Name of the LORD, certainly they were bound to keep their word. Otherwise they would have taken the Name of the LORD in vain, a violation of the third of the ten commandments (Exodus 20:7).

So, in order not to risk taking the Name of God in vain, a Jew might instead swear by heaven or by the earth or by the city of Jerusalem. Then it wouldn’t be as bad if they failed to keep their word. But Jesus said that swearing by those things was to swear by things directly belonging to God. Jesus probably referenced from Isaiah 66:1 when He said that heaven is God’s throne and that the earth is His footstool and from Psalm 48:2, when He said that Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Jesus also said that even swearing by a person’s own head is presumptuous because no one has power or authority over their own life. That power and authority belongs to God.

Throughout the book of Matthew, Jesus interpreted the Law according to its intent. The intent of the Law was that people not swear by idols, that they show reverence to God, and that they always keep their word. But the Jewish religious leaders had redefined things so that people could swear oaths that didn’t make them responsible to God so that some oaths weren’t binding at all. Jesus said that the intent of the Law is fulfilled by our keeping our word without trying to sound bigger than we are.

In Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus is giving examples to explain the kind of righteousness that is required for a person to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is a righteousness that surpasses the righteousness of the Jewish religious teachers. That righteousness always keeps its word. That righteousness recognizes that God has authority over everything, so there is no way to get around responsibility to Him. Jesus wanted his listeners that day and us today to recognize that we have not met God’s standard of righteousness. All of us need a Savior.

³⁸Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: ³⁹but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil:

Leviticus 24:19-20 says, And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. This law was given in the context of judgments to be carried out by the congregation of Israel (Leviticus 24:14,16). The intent of the law was to satisfy justice while not allowing the punishment to go beyond the harm that had been suffered. But the intent of the law was not to give license to people to take their own revenge.

I Peter 5:8-9 says, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith…. That means that we are supposed to resist the devil. But Jesus said, “that ye resist not evil.” So what did Jesus mean? The context is personal revenge. Jesus meant don’t try to get even when someone does you wrong.

There is an interesting repetition of the Greek word “αντι” (“instead of”) in Jesus’ words:

“An eye for (αντι) an eye, and a tooth for (αντι) a tooth: but I say unto you, That ye resist (αντιστηναι) not evil:” That is, Jesus is telling us not to use the “eye for an eye” and “tooth for a tooth” principle in the way we react when we are done wrong.

Paul said that satisfying justice is the job of a community’s government:

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. (Romans 13:3-4).

God has put into place systems for justice in the world. A community’s justice system is to take God’s revenge. It is right for them to do that. We are not to take things into our own hands. And if we seek justice from the justice system when we are done wrong, we should do it for justice, not because we want to hurt the one who hurt us.

but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

To be slapped was not uncommon in Israel. Jesus Himself was slapped by a servant of the Jewish high priest. John 18:19-23 tells about this:

The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

Jesus did not say, “Here, hit me on the other side, too.” Instead, Jesus asked why He had been unjustly hit. But if the servant had struck Him again, Jesus would not have tried to get even.

When Paul was brought before the Jewish leaders, the high priest commanded that Paul be hit on the mouth. We read about this in Acts 23:1-5:

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

Paul did not say, “Here, hit me on the mouth and on the cheek.” Instead, Paul vehemently objected to being hit at all.

Jesus did not mean that we cannot defend ourselves from being treated unjustly. He meant that if we are treated unjustly, we must not try to get even with the person who did it.

⁴⁰And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

According to the context of these verses, Jesus is speaking of our being sued unjustly. For example, in the letter to the Hebrews the author said, For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. (Hebrews 10:34). Those Jewish believers had their belongings unjustly taken away from them.

Paul and Silas were unjustly beaten and put into prison in Philippi. The next day the city leaders wanted to just send them away. But Paul didn’t let them get away with it:

But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. (Acts 16:37-39).

Paul demanded that the city leaders recognize that they had violated his legal rights. Paul also sought his legal rights in Acts 25:9-12. It is not wrong for us to seek our rights. But if someone unjustly takes our coat, we should resolve that even if they take our cloke, too, we will not try to get even with them.

⁴¹And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

In a case of a Jew against the Roman oppressors, there would be no clear way to demand that they stop. Jesus said that if the Romans forced one of us to carry their pack for a mile, we should not try to get revenge against them – even if they forced us to go another mile after that.

⁴²Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

In the context of verses 38-42, the one asking us for help may even be someone who has done us wrong. Now they need something and have come to us. We might say, “What a chance to get revenge!” Jesus is saying that we should not look at it like that. We should never try to get even.

This verse is not a command for us to blindly hand out money. Paul said, For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat (II Thessalonians 3:10). If the person who is asking for help has a real need, we should help them if we can in the way that God leads us – even if they’ve done us wrong in the past.

Again, in these verses Jesus has explained the intent of the law. The intent of the law was to provide justice, not to give place to personal revenge. Also, Jesus is describing the righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees (verse 20). That righteousness leaves revenge to God and shows kindness even to people who have treated us wrongly. No one except Jesus has done this perfectly. We all need a Savior.

⁴³Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

Leviticus 19:17-18 says, Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

The Bible does not say, “hate thine enemy.” In fact, the Old Testament Law says that a person should help an enemy even when the enemy is not present at the scene of the need. Exodus 23:4-5 says, If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

But we understand from Jesus’ words that loving one’s neighbor and hating one’s enemy had come to be considered right in Israel at that time.

⁴⁴But 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;

Enemies curse, hate, mistreat, and persecute. That’s why it’s not natural to love them. But Jesus said that we are to desire and do good to people who treat us that way and to pray for them. Paul said, Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. That means that five different times the Jews beat Paul 39 times each (Deuteronomy 25:3 said not to beat anyone more than 40 times). Yet Paul said, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved (Romans 10:1).

People who don’t know God may curse, hate, mistreat, and persecute us because we seek to obey His Word. Loving them does not mean loving their sin. We should hate all sin – theirs and ours. Jesus praised the church at Ephesus because they hated the deeds of a group called the Nicolaitanes (Revelation 2:6).

⁴⁵That 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.

God’s working shows us how we are to think and act in these days. In the future God will judge the world. In fact, Jesus said in verse 20 that no one will enter the kingdom of heaven unless they have a righteousness greater than the righteousness of the Jewish religious teachers. Revelation 14:9-11 describes the eternal torment of those who reject Christ. God is not ignoring evil. But in these days God is giving the people of the world an opportunity to recognize that they have sinned and need to be forgiven. When we view the world in that way, we are standing up as sons and daughters of our heavenly Father.

Probably not all of the people in the multitude that Jesus was addressing from the mountainside that day were genuine believers in the Lord God. Yet, in verses 16, 45, and 48 and in other verses in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks of “your Father which is in heaven.” We need to understand the context for that.

Deuteronomy 32:6 says, Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

And we read in Isaiah 63:16: Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

The Scriptures speak of Yahweh, the Lord God, as the Father of the nation of Israel. The Jews called God, “our Father.” But no Jew until Jesus called God, “my Father.” In John 5, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath day. When the Jews became angry about that, Jesus said, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. In the next verse we read, Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:17-18). The Jews understood that Jesus was calling God His own Father (Greek: “Πατερα ιδιον”). They wanted to kill Him for that because they only spoke of God as the Father of the nation as a whole. When Jesus speaks to the multitude about “your Father which is in heaven” in the Sermon on the Mount, we are to understand that in the context of the Old Testament Scriptures. Today believers can call God “my Father” because the Spirit of Jesus indwells every true believer (see Galatians 4:6).

⁴⁶For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? ⁴⁷And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? ⁴⁸Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

The real test for kindness is who we’re kind to. People who are on the same team or in the same political party have some natural common ground. It’s easier for them to be kind to each other. But God also wants the people on the other team and in the other party to come to faith in His Son and receive eternal life.

Jesus said in verse 20, “that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The standard for that righteousness is in verse 48. We are to be perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect. That means that everyone Jesus was speaking to that day and every one of us has failed the test. That’s the point Jesus was making. All of us need a Savior.

Note: All Scriptures are quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.

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