The Bible Study Thread!

[Southern Gent]

4:3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
The if here is in a first class conditional sentence and more accurately means "since." The devil does not doubt that Jesus is the Son of God. It should be translated, "Since you are the Son of God" So, since you are the Son of God, Satan says, you have power to turn these stones into bread and do something about your hunger. Satan is attacking the area where Jesus is the weakest. This is still Satan's favorite temptation with the poor. If God loves us so much, why are we always worrying about food - why are we always hungry? People need to remember that physical/material blessings are not an indication of God's love (note Lazarus in Lk 16). Jesus was not going to use a miracle to satisfy His physical need.

4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
Deut 8:3 is what is quoted. God's will is more important than food. Jesus did no selfish miracles, neither did Paul (2Cor 12), nor any of the other miracle workers. (Epaphroditus, Phil 2:25-27; Trophimus, 2Tim 4:20.)

 

[Southern Gent]

4:5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city; and he had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
The second temptation. Scholars have long debated as to the location of this trial. It was on some high place of the temple. Some think it was near the Kidron Valley, and some think it was on the opposite side of the temple - the West Side - which is called the “pinnacle.” The reason to bring Him here was so Jesus would have a long way to fall, thus making it clear to all that a miracle had taken place.

4:6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give His angels charge concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, Lest You strike Your foot against a stone.’”

If - meaning "since."
Notice that even Satan can quote scriptures - Psa 91:11, 12 is the reference. But, even though Satan can quote scripture, he misapplies it. “Go ahead. Jump. The angels will be there.” One commentator wrote that the Rabbis considered the Messiah as one who would stand on the pinnacle of the temple, light would radiate from Him, and He would float down to the people. This scripture could be the basis for this, but know one knows with certainty.

4:7 Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Satan knew it would be a sin for Jesus to tempt God in this way. This quote is from Deut 6:16. The people lacked for water and accused Moses of having brought them out to die. They demanded that Moses give them water to see if God was really with them. They tested God to see if He was in their presence. Jesus was not going to demand that God perform a miracle because of some foolish action of His own.

Illustration: Many say, "It is just not my time to die." It may be that God expects you to live a certain length of time, but if you decide to lie down in front of an oncoming train, your time will change. It is significant that in Jesus' time of trial He did not look for visions, etc. to give Him strength. When He was tempted, He did not yield! Jesus relied on the written word. Jesus fought temptation as a man (Phil 2:6,7), and He used that weapon which God has given to man (Eph 6:17) - the word of God, the sword of the Spirit. Eve started out on the right path, but did not stay on it, and gave into the temptation presented to her by Satan.

 

[Southern Gent]

4:8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory;
Kingdom is a key concept in the gospel, so we need to consider this verse carefully. The kingdom would be a temptation because of the pride and glory (albeit vain), of such power. Jesus could have reasoned: "Since I am to be a king anyway, why not go ahead and do this? So what if do commit just a little evil? I can do a lot more good later." A lot of people have done evil with some sort of warped sense that good will come from it (e.g. tell a lie with the belief that good will result, etc.).

4:9 and he said to Him, "All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me."
Here is another key word, worship. The wise men worshipped Jesus, and Jesus is now asked to fall down and worship Satan. This was a large offer in the sight of Satan who is, in fact, king of this world. But it was a small one in the sight of Jesus, who made the world. He is the creator of this world. Satan may offer people great things today. He does, in fact, tempt in order to seduce them into temptation, and Satan’s offers may appear great to children of the world, but they are small to us who are going to have the glories of the life which is to come (Rom 8:17,18) the heirs with Christ (Phil 3:7,8). This is the way we need to look at temptation. We need to see not the physical point of view, but the spiritual. We receive some pleasure now, but we will have an eternity of untold pleasure if we remain faithful to God. If we can look at things through spiritual eyes, then we will have a proper prospective. Paul says it like this. “The mind of the spirit is set on the things of the spirit, and the mind of the flesh is set on the things of the flesh, so we need to have a spiritual mind.” Rom 8:4-14.

4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
Jesus calls the devil “Satan” which is the word that means “enemy” or “adversary.” Jesus sees him exactly for what he is. He does not have the best interest of Jesus in mind. Nor does he have our best interests in mind as he continually tries to tempt us to sin. Satan, if he understood God's plan, would know that one sin on Jesus’ part would destroy the plan of God for saving mankind. He came to Jesus with the three most probable areas where Jesus might fall.
We give Satan more power than he deserves. He is not omniscient, he does not know everything, and he does not know what is in our minds. The only way he knows we have weaknesses is by observation. James 1:13,14 say we are enticed by our own lusts. Satan, by observation, knows where our weaknesses lie, but to say that he has power to operate within our minds is something he can not do, because if he knows what is in the mind, he possesses power of the divine - which he does not!
At the same time, we do not want to underestimate his power! He is a roaring lion as Peter tells us (1 Pet 5:8). If, through observation, Satan knows that we have wandering eyes (remember the question of the hot girl?) he will provide an immodestly dressed (hot girl), giving us the opportunity to see more. Our God has given us the ability to avoid temptations, not allowing their desire to dwell in our minds. If we have carnal thoughts when we are alone, that is our own doing. Satan has nothing to do with that. It is the lack of self-control. We have to deal with those problems. Look at Mic 2:1 - devising evil in their minds while in bed.

Did Satan know what they were thinking? No, but he knows people have lustful desires. We yield to a sin because of our own lusts, not because Satan caused us to do it. A person could have demons removed but, they could return (as in Mt 12:45), showing the power an individual can have over temptation and sin. Did Satan know that he would destroy the plan of God if Jesus sinned? Perhaps. He might have discovered this from the Old Testament scriptures. It is possible, however, that he just wanted to entice Him to sin, just as he wants all men to sin.

We also need to appreciate the fact that this was a true, legitimate temptation to Jesus. The Hebrew writer emphasizes that Jesus endured the full force and power of Satan's temptations (Heb 2:10ff). This was done so that He can come to the aid of those who are tempted (Heb 4:16-18). Still, Jesus really did want to have some bread. He "hungered" the text says. Yet, no matter how much Jesus wanted bread, He was not going to yield to temptation to get it. The point is this: Jesus knew the power of temptation. When Satan suggested that Jesus do this, Jesus wanted to do that, but He let it stop there. He did not pursue and sin. It had to be a temptation, something He really wanted to do, or the passages in Hebrews would not be valid.

Temptation and sin are two different things. Who knows more about temptation, the one who yields, or the one who resists? The one who resists. The temptation is no longer a temptation once the person sins. Jesus had the full force of temptation coming at Him and He knew how hard it was to resist those things. See 1 Cor 10:13. “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man.” We can draw upon that same power, and resist temptation too! If we do not, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

The goal is set before us in one little Greek word. Teleios. The word is translated “perfect” or “mature.” That is the goal of God for His children - Jas 1:2-4. When we think about temptation and the way it works with us, when we yield, the next time temptation comes, we are a little bit weaker. It has a progression so that we become like those in 1 Tim 4:1 who ended up with seared consciences. If the practice of yielding to sin continues we reach a point where "it is impossible to renew them to repentance" - Heb 6:6. On the other hand, the way we reach maturity (the teleios) is by denying the temptation to sin, and the next time it comes we are a little bit stronger, and the next time we are stronger still. Satan will not attack us where we are strong, but in the areas where we are weak. God, though, wants us to be perfect. Perfection is the Christian’s goal. We scar our spiritual selves when we give in to temptations.

In athletic contests, it is important for one to attack his opponent's weaknesses. When one does that successfully, victory is more likely. This is the way Satan works. We become weak in certain areas, then he attacks us in those areas in order to defeat us. But God gives us the armor to wear (Eph 6:10ff) - armor Satan’s darts cannot penetrate. He will never overcome this! Education in God’s word will help us in dealing with temptation. James says to resist and Satan will flee from us (Jas 4:6). He will not leave if we do not resist. The word is the thing that works powerfully against temptation. “Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against thee” -Psa 119:11. David believed in the power of the word. This provides a good reason for the memorizing of scripture. If God's word is in our hearts, and we think of it when being tempted, we can - and will - overcome. The word, implanted, is able to save - Jas 1:21.

Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.
Note that Jesus was one who received worship (Mt 28:9,17; Heb 1:6), but also said you shall worship only God. This is a clear indication that Jesus is God (Jn 1:1; 20:28). In v. 8 Satan speaks of the kingdoms of the world but Jesus' entire focus is on the kingdom of heaven. This is as clear as it gets in the difference between God and Satan. Jesus is interested in the kingdom of heaven, and Satan in the kingdom of the world. God's plan is being worked out. Jesus is proving Himself to be the Messiah. We have the genealogy, the miraculous birth, the saving of Jesus' life from Herod, the magi, the sending of the prophet, the anointing of Jesus, the confronting of temptation by Jesus' enemy, and His succeeding.

 

[Southern Gent]

4:11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
This is one more fulfillment of Jesus being the Messiah (Isa 53) as we see that Jesus is the atonement for sin, having no sin Himself. Some of the Jews had a problem understanding the Messiah being sinless, but others understood. In Isaiah, God laid upon Him the stroke that was due everyone else. In 1 Jn 2:15-17 we see that there are three basic categories of sin: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life. All of these were present in the temptations of Jesus. (Also, all were presented to Eve in the Garden of Eden.)
Lust of the flesh - turn these stone into bread.
Lust of the eyes - all these kingdoms will be yours.
Pride of life - all these angels will come to rescue you.
Luke adds (4:13) that Satan left until an opportune time (left Him for a season). It is incorrect to say that Satan tried one time and then gave up. He came back for more attempts to get Jesus to sin. But, each time, he failed. Notice the logical order.
The suffering came first, then the angels came to comfort. So it is with us. Now we fight the battle, but now is not the time to grow weary (Gal 6:9) for the resting comes later. This has always been the order of things in God's plan. As the Hebrew writer says, there is a Sabbath rest later - Heb 4:1-6.

4:12 Now when He heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee;
Not much more is told about John until chapters later when, in chapter 14 of Matthew, we learn about some of his struggles. We are not studying chronologically in the book of Matthew. The significance here is that while John is imprisoned, Jesus is active in His ministry. He is doing all the things He is supposed to do.

4:13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
This is the Sea of Galilee. Nazareth is between the Sea of Galilee and Mediterranean. Jesus has gone east. Capernaum is on the northernmost edge of the Sea of Galilee.


4:14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
4:15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles -
4:16 The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, And to those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a light dawned.’
This is Isa 9:1-2, and is another example of plerotha (fulfill). Something wonderful in God's plan is being fulfilled. Great and wonderful!

Those sitting in the shadow of death -
people who are spiritually on the brink of destruction, and Jesus is coming to bring light to the people. He is God's mercy and love. Matthew does not tell us all the ways this is fulfilled. The ones in darkness and sin were about to be led into the light of God's love and forgiveness.

4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
If we look back at 3:2, this is exactly what John preached. This connects Jesus to the ministry of John. In John 3:26 John's disciples are concerned about the leaving of the people to Jesus. They believe that Jesus' popularity is greater than that of John, and they are concerned that this is not according to the plan of what they have heard from John. Yet Jesus and John were working together. John prepared the way, and therefore Jesus was able to pick up where John left off, preaching the good news of the kingdom of heaven.

 

[Southern Gent]

4:18 And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
4:19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

This is the first occurrence of one of the key words in Matthew - follow. It is not just Matthew's intention to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, but also after proving that truth, to show what people need to do about that truth. If He is the Messiah, people need to follow! And how do they do that? This will be one of the great lessons taught throughout the book. Here are all the passages that contain this key word: 4:20,22,25; 8:1,10,19,22,23; 9:2,9,19,27; 10:38; 12:15; 14:13; 16:24;19:2,21,27,28; 20:29,34; 21:9; 26:58; 27:55.

We find the concept of “following” twenty-five times. In several verses “following” is extremely important. In ancient times when one found a teacher who really impressed him, he would leave his occupation to follow that teacher. In the application, we have to decide whether Jesus is the Messiah. If we determine that He is, then we must then decide whether we want to pay the price it will take to follow - Mt 16:24.

There is much that has taken place before this that Matthew does not record. We ought not to suppose that Jesus suddenly comes and the people immediately follow. This is unrealistic. What we see in the gospel of John gives us a more complete picture of how one was invited to follow. Jesus already had the testimony and endorsement of John the Baptist. This would have greatly encouraged the people to follow. Then we have word of mouth. For example, Andrew and Peter have had exposure to Jesus on other occasions, and have heard him teach. In Jn 1:40ff. Andrew brings Peter to see Jesus. Why would
they, only having a basic knowledge of Jesus, leave everything? And do not forget that Peter is a married man which would lay upon him more responsibility. Curiosity might be part of the reason, but also they had a misconception of Jesus’ being the Messiah of an earthly kingdom...a physical kingdom. The Jews had envisioned that He would have a select group around Him, which would mean tremendous wealth and power, so desiring to be a part of this earthly kingdom could be a reason for them to follow. If Peter was thinking about leaving his profession, it would have been because he anticipated tremendous benefits. His interest in personal benefits is seen in Mt 19:27 where Peter steps forward and asks a very logical question - "Behold we have left everything...what will there be then for us?" What is in it for us if we follow? Peter had already had (as the rest of the disciples) an idea as to what they would receive, but in Mt 19 they are beginning to see they are not going to get what they thought.

In Jn 21:3, 4 Peter says, “ I am going fishing.” Then Jesus, in v. 22, teaches Peter the story of love. "Do you love Me more than these?” "Feed My sheep." (“Get to work!”) If Peter is thinking of going back to fishing for fish, he has missed the point. In Lk 5:1-10 Peter is still a full-time fisherman, and Jesus says, .".. let down your nets.” A large quantity of fish was taken up. When Peter saw this he said, "Depart, for I am a sinful man." Jesus says from that point on He will make him a fisher of men. He told Peter what the future held. Nevertheless, the disciples anticipated positions of power and reward. This is further illustrated by the account of James, John and their mother in Mt 20:20-28.

Mark 1:16-20 gives us another account of the calling of the disciples. There are two basic reasons why Christ chose the lowly and the unlearned (but not ignorant!) to be His disciples:
1. Their minds would be freer from prejudice, and more ready to entertain new truth. Can you just imagine Jesus choosing the scribes and Pharisees - the “know-it-alls” - to leave all they had to follow Him? Jesus knew those who would be teachable. It is not very rewarding trying to deal with those "know it all."

2. The strength of the gospel was made more apparent by the weakness of its ministers. See Acts 4:13 ."..they were uneducated and untrained men...” 1 Cor 2:3-5 ."..in weakness and in fear and in much trembling..."2 Cor. 4:7 ."..treasure in earthen vessels...” Cf. Zech 4:6.

 

[Southern Gent]

4:20 And they immediately left the nets, and followed Him.
4:21 And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.
4:22 And they immediately left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
The invitation is given and they accept it. Why would they do this? Because they see the value in following Jesus. Certainly this adds credibility to the character of Jesus. Those who saw and heard Him were the ones who believed and followed Him. The fact that they immediately followed shows that they were ready for the call.

4:23 And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
Jesus is teaching in places where the religious people would go, and is revealing Himself to those who would be of the more religious elite. Parallel this with Lk 4:15. This is the first time Matthew uses the word gospel in his book. Gospel means "good news", and 24:14 says this gospel is to be preached throughout the whole world. The Sermon on the Mount is an excellent illustration of the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus teaches in the synagogues.

4:24 And the news about Him went out into all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, taken with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.
The repetition of healings is done for the sake of emphasis. Matthew does not want us to lose sight of the tremendous power Jesus displayed in His healings. How was He able to do these? Why did he not have even one single failure? The point is there was no one who had anything that was wrong that Jesus could not handle - even those diseases the doctors would have not idea how to help. Jesus could heal those. Even those who had demonic spirits which had inhabited their bodies, Jesus could heal.
The Bible teaches us in a number of places a significant lesson; for example, 1 Pet 2:6 quotes from Isa 28:16. "Behold I lay in Zion a corner stone, And he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed (put to shame)." Paul also makes issue of this point in Rom 9:32,33; 10:11; Eph 2:20. The point is this: Do whatever it takes to come to Jesus! These people who were beset with various medical problems probably went through great difficulty just to get near Jesus. It was not enjoyable to travel when they were sick, especially when having to walk, or ride on the back of an animal (perhaps in bad weather, and for several days!) What would they find when they finally made it to Jesus? They certainly were not disappointed! Thus, there is a spiritual application which is made on the basis of a physical phenomenon provided by Jesus' miracles. It made no difference what was wrong, Jesus could take care of the problem. That is why it is mentioned that He healed every kind of disease and sickness. If He can heal physically, He can heal spiritually. So then if one comes to Jesus, he will not be
disappointed.


"Healing every kind of disease, every kind of sickness among the people."
There was no illness that Jesus could not heal. This is a significant point that Matthew will develop throughout the book.

 

[Southern Gent]

4:25 And great multitudes followed Him from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
Beyond the Jordan would be the east side. So even there the word has spread, and the people are coming over to see Him.

We are about to begin the first of five speech sections. But first let us begin with the healing sections. These two go through together, and are significant.

First, note all of the healing sections in Matthew:
1. 4:23,24
2. 8:16 Jesus healed all who were ill.
3. 9:35 And healing every kind of disease and sickness.
4. 12:15 Jesus aware of this... and He healed them all.
5. 14:14
6. 14:35,36
7. 15:30
8. 19:2

There are eight healing sections, and between each are five speech sections. In the speech sections Jesus will emphasize the "kingdom" and the "Father." After the speeches come the healings. Why this pattern? Because Matthew provides a solid basis for following Jesus. The miracles draw the people to Jesus, and the teachings show them what is required of them to be a part of the "kingdom of heaven" and be considered children of the "Father" in heaven.

Therefore, Matthew presents this pattern:
1. Miracles
2. Follow
3. Teaching
4. Follow
5. Miracles
This is the cycle Matthew uses. The miracles and the teaching go hand in hand. The miracles are what got the people to follow, then He would teach them. But after having been taught, they may not be sure whether they wanted to follow Him, so He would do more miracles, then they would follow, and He would teach. All along He is teaching them what it means to follow Him. So this cycle in the gospel is important. That is why we study the healing sections. Eight times Matthew emphasizes the "healing" of everybody. As they follow, they learn more about the spiritual healing.

3&4 complete

 

[Southern Gent]

Chapter 5 is ready in a few

 

[Southern Gent]

The application of chapter 5 is that there are many who go from place to place but are not truly disciples (devoted followers). They need to learn. We have people today who follow Jesus from "place to place.” They go to church regularly, but their daily lives do not show they are true disciples. During the week they do not live the way a disciple should.

5:1 And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
5:2 And opening His mouth He began to teach them, saying,

This section closely resembles Lk 6:20-49, often called “the Sermon on the Plain." This is called “the Sermon on the Mount.” There are a lot of parallels, perhaps demonstrating that Jesus preached the same things more than once. There are things in the Sermon on the Mount which are scattered throughout the gospel of Luke, in fact, in at least eight different chapters.

5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed = makarios. Some have translated this as "happy" or "congratulations to." This is not accurate. This is a word that means a person is blessed because they are right with God, and approved of by God. They are doing the things that please God and know they have done His will, therefore the ones on whom God’s love rests.
Psa 1.....One is blessed because his delight is in the law of the Lord.
Deut 33:29...Israel is blessed because they are a people saved by the Lord, and God is with them.
Psa 32:1...Blessed are those who have been forgiven.
Jas 1:12...Blessed are those who have endured.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

I. Surprises.
A. Jesus would redefine and publicly contradict the accepted teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees.
1. Jesus had the nerve to suggest that those less than perfect could be "blessed" - that is, approved of God!
2. Jesus taught that these lower-class individuals could actually be the recipients of God's love, blessings and even be a part of His much desired Kingdom.

B. Jesus would tie together the words "blessed" and "poor."
1. The Jewish teachers had long stressed the connection between material prosperity and God's favor.
2. Jesus taught - "Woe to the rich!" (Lk 6:24).
3. Jesus stunned the disciples with His teachings on this subject (Mk 10:23-31; Mt 10:16-30).
4. One of the most popular concepts was that all in the Messianic kingdom would have untold wealth.
5. Jesus would boldly teach: "You cannot serve God and money" (Mt 6:24; cf. Lk 12:15).

II. Teachings.
A. The poor could be blessed by God.
1. Remember that "blessed" means "approved of God.
2. The word for "poor" (ptoxos) is not the usual word for poverty, but one that means an individual who has no power or influence on earth, and is totally dependent upon others for support.
3. This person, because he has nothing on earth, has learned to put his complete and total trust in God (Psa 12:5; 14:6; 68:10).

B. It is the poor "in spirit" who are blessed.
1. The person who receives God's approval is the one who recognizes his spiritual poverty.
2. "They who know their spiritual need contrast with the proud, haughty, and self-sufficient who, like the Pharisee (Lk 18:10ff; cf. Rev 3:14-22), are conscious of no needs" who are without self-esteem, dejected, and self-pitying.
4. Thus we learn that it is neither physical poverty that is blessed or physical wealth that is cursed (e.g. Joseph of Arimathea - Mt 27:57; Zacchaeus - Lk 19-2).
5. Those who are humble in spirit (Isa 66:2) who do not think too highly of themselves (Rom 12:3) are the ones being spoken of here.

C. The poor In spirit are poised to receive the coveted "kingdom of heaven."
1. The kingdom can belong to anyone who wants it, but only on Jesus' terms.
2. Those who recognize their spiritual poverty will gladly receive Jesus as their Lord and King.
3. Therefore, proud, self-righteous people will not be fit for the kingdom (cf. Mt 18:3,4; Mk 10:15).
4. Notice: Who was it who accepted the gospel?
5. There is also special significance in the phrase kingdom "of heaven."
a. The Jews looked for a physical kingdom set up in Jerusalem.
b. The true kingdom is not of this earth (Jn 18:36).

 

[Southern Gent]

5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Mourn - over their own failings, their personally falling short, and for the evil in the world.
Comforted. They will be comforted when they do something to receive forgiveness.

Mourning is a sign of penitence (Joel 2:12, 13) through which forgiveness is received.
(1 Jn 1:9 - God is faithful and just to forgive us.)

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
I. Surprises.
A. Anyone who mourns could be blessed.
1. They thought that mourning was cause by God (cf. Isa 53:4,8).
2. They thought suffering was caused by sin (e.g. blind man - Jn 9:1-4).
3. Mourners were not to be "comforted" in the way we generally understand it. They were to be encouraged to repent and let God remove the source of the discomfort (e.g. Job's friends - Job 2:11).

B. There could be a blessing (comfort) offered to one who chooses to mourn.

II. Teachings.
A. The blessing awaiting those who "mourn" is to receive approval from God.
1. Jesus tells us to acquire this attitude.
2. Happiness as the world understands it is conditioned by circumstances, but blessedness is God-conditioned.
B. Jesus uses a specific word for "mourn" (pentheo) which indicates a deep, sincere, heart-felt grief. It is mourning that cannot be hidden.
1. This word is in the present tense.
2. The word for " mourn" is found in the NT describing a Christian's mourning for his sin
(1 Cor 5:1,2; 2 Cor 12:21; Jas 4:8-10; e.g. 2 Cor 7:10 - different word, same idea).
3. This is a sorrow which is not hidden, but which emerges in the tears and the confession of the truly penitent heart.
4. Is it possible to have great thoughts about God but little thought for sin? (see Jer 8:6; Rom 7:24; Amos 6:1).

C. Those who mourn will be comforted.
1. How will those mourning, because of sin, be comforted?
a. Herein lies one of the great lessons of Jesus. He Himself is how we receive comfort (see Lam 1:16; Isa 61:1-3; Lk 2:25).
b. Jesus is our comfort!
2. What comfort does Jesus provide us?
a. Forgiveness - Acts 3:19; Rev 3:5.
b. Peace - Lk 7:50; Jn 16:33.
c. Exaltation -Jas 4:6-10.
3. The Christian does not go through life with a long face and a sour disposition.
a. We would need a psychiatrist.
b. Continual mourning is not even healthy (cf. Prov 17:22).
4. Once forgiven, we receive comfort.

 

[Southern Gent]

5:5 Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Gentle = humble (meek). It does not have the implication of weakness in it. Moses was the meekest man in all the earth Num 12:3. Humility means subject to the will of another. So, in actuality, a humble person is one who has tremendous strength; one who has been able to subdue and subject himself, and then voluntarily give of himself to others, getting “self” out of the way. One of the early writings of Greek uses this word as a bridled horse. Strength under control.

Inherit the earth. While premillennialists apply this literally to the inhabited earth after judgment, it is probable that Jesus has one of two concepts in mind:
First, He could be referring to our inheriting the "new heavens and a new earth," as in 2 Pet 3:13 and Rev 21:1. “Butaccording to His promise we are looking for the new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." Why would Jesus say it this way?

Second, Jesus could be referring back to promises made in the Old Law in Deut 28:1-25. The land promise was given to God's people, and as long as they did His will they would receive that promise. The application would be this: submit to His will or you will not receive His blessings.

5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Hunger and thirst for righteousness. A person who does not grow thirsty or hungry is either sick or dead. So a person who does not hunger or thirst for righteousness is either spiritually sick or dead.
Righteousness means doing God's will, what God has declared as right. It is not something we hear in attending the assemblies. It is something we do and are. Christians hunger and thirst after pleasing God. Mt 6:33 is an excellent expansion of this teaching...seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness. Jesus was not interested in physical food, but His food was to do the will of Him who had sent Him - Jn 4:31-34. He demonstrated what "hungering for righteousness" truly means.

Shall be satisfied. Physical meals satisfy for a while, but there comes a time when we need more. The manna from heaven had to be gathered everyday. So our spiritual appetites need a continual feeding, and God promises that food is there and readily available. He will provide what we need. God promises to satisfy our spiritual appetites.

5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Merciful. A person who is merciful is one who gives, or does, something for another at no cost to the one who received it. This is directly connected to love and forgiveness. You cannot receive mercy unless you are merciful (6:12). This is more than just forgiving someone. In 6:2 we find a repetition of this word translated “mercy.” “When you give alms” - literally "do an act of mercy." The merciful, those who do acts of charity for others, can expect to receive mercy for themselves.

They shall receive mercy. By the kinds of things they share with others, God will see to it that they, themselves, will be benefitted.

5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Pure in heart = clean, holy. The heart in the Bible is often the mind, the thinking apparatus. Doing the will of God must go deeper than actions. It has to be in the heart (sincere, genuine) and not just for show. The Pharisees were called "white washed walls” in Mt 23:25,27. Jesus wants His children to be more than that. Heb 12:14 is another reference to this.

For they shall see God. See Heb 12:14 ."..the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” In 1 Jn 3:2,being able to see God is going to be based on one’s being pure. 1 Pet 1:14ff - “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” God calls us to be holy, and if we are going to stand in His presence, we must be pure. And when we are we can rely upon seeing God. In contrast, Isa 59:1,2 says, “And your sins have hidden His face from you.” Our sins keep us from seeing His face.

5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Peacemakers. Jesus deals with this in 5:21-26 - talking about strife between people. At this time the Jews are approaching the time of the Jewish wars. Assassinations are being carried out by Zealots. There is desire for blood, and the Jewish society is splitting into sects. Jesus says that those who create or make peace are blessed. Making peace requires effort...often tremendous effort. The Greek word is "they do peace." They do, or make, peace by doing what is required for peace, either verbally or in action.

Sons of God = taking on the characteristics of the Father. When we do this, we become like our heavenly Father. God is a God of peace (1 Thess 5:23), and He hates those who destroy peace (Prov 6:19). Note also that there is "no peace for the wicked" (Is 48:22; 57:21). Jesus is also called "the Prince of Peace" (Isa 9:6; Jn 14:27).

 

[Southern Gent]

5:10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Persecuted for the sake of righteousness. If we do the will of God and suffer for it, then we will inherit the heavenly kingdom. This is not talking about persecution for things we do which are unrighteous. Peter deals with this in 1 Pet. 2:20 - there is no credit if you sin and suffer for it, but if you do right and suffer, this is right before God. Rom 10:3 is a good parallel. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Tim 3:12, "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you.” - Lk 6:26. So, there is a persecution that goes along with righteousness. In ten verses we have talked about the kingdom of heaven twice. As expected, the Messiah has much to say about the kingdom.

5:11 Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.
“On account of me” these things will happen:
When men revile you - 1 Pet. 4:14. If we are reviled for the name of Christ, we are blessed. This has to do with the idea of a verbal persecution, but it often turns into the physical abuse. So the second thing is:
Persecute you. This can be verbal or physical, but most likely Jesus is means physical persecution here.
Say all kinds of evil against you falsely = the verbal persecution and the forms it takes. It hurts us when we are the objects of false accusations.

5:12 Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
We are talking about being happy here on earth. The blessedness we now enjoy is something that manifests itself in outward rejoicing, because we are promised a great reward in heaven. There may be no reward on earth. The reward He has in mind is not worldly. Rom 8:28 is a good parallel to this. This passage does not mean that all things will work out good in this life. Rom 8:18 teaches the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared to the glory that He will reveal. One can love God, and truly be a servant, yet nothing works out good. Lazarus died a sick, starving man, but he was righteous - Lk 16:16. We are happy because of what we have in the life to come, not because of a promise of having things now, although there are verses that show God will take care of us now; for example 6:23,24.

Persecuted the prophets before you - the way it has always been, and the way it will always be. People will always persecute God's prophets. That is just the way it is.

 

[Southern Gent]

5:13 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
Salt in the ancient world was used in two basic ways, both of which have spiritual applications:
First, salt was used to make food taste better. “Let your speech be, as it were, seasoned with salt" - Col 4:6. Let your words "taste good," be pleasing to those who hear them. Jesus seems to have this use in mind, since He uses the word “taste.”
Second, salt was also used as a preservative. When food, such as meats, were packed in salt, they would not spoil so quickly.

Christians are God's “salt” in that they are to be the ones who make this life, this world, a better place to be in, more “palatable.” If our lives are not making this world a better place, then we are not doing what God wants us to do. We have to be the ones to make the difference. What good there is in the world today is because of Christianity; our laws, the hospitals, the charitable organizations, and the various individuals who do good deeds are those who are influenced by God's law.
Christians try to be kind and helpful, like the “good Samaritan.” Is it not curious that the atheists make fun of Christianity? It has been through the Christian influence that everything good in this world has come. Did Madeline O'Hare, who worked so hard to wipe out Christianity, know that it was Christianity that built the hospital she went to when she became so ill? Christians are those who have influenced the world for the good.

We know that we, the church as a group, are to do good works but sometimes we forget or overlook the fact that I am the one to make the difference. Too often we do not give ourselves the credit for what we can do to make the difference. Francis Schaffer, the noted contemporary philosopher, indicted the church as a "no show" in several periods in American history; e.g. during the sexual revolution, the increase of wealth and its frequent misuse, oppression (slavery), etc. The church was not a significant force against these evils. Christians are to speak out so there will not be approval for something illegal in God's eyes. But the Christian must stay within what the law will allow it to do. The problem today is with the authority of the Bible. People do not give it the respect that it owns and demands.

 

[Southern Gent]

5:14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
The purpose of light is to enable people to see. Christians are also God’s “lights.” We want people to see the truth and our lights, our lives, should reveal God’s truth.

A city set on a hill. People can see it from all directions.

5:15 Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Think of the foolishness of lighting a lamp and then hiding its light. A lamp is lit so people can see. Why, then would one cover it up, and put out the one thing which would help others to see? Christianity is to be that way. No matter where a person might be in the world, he is to show others the light of his Christianity. Jesus now shows the practical application of this.

5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Let your light shine - for whom? Before men, for the purpose - distinctly - that they may see your good works. We want people to see the light, so we put it in a place where they can see it. The church, if it is to be the light, must be in a position to show others what it is, and what it teaches (1 Tim 3:15) - a pillar and support of the truth! The church is what
lifts up the truth so everyone can see it. If the church is not doing anything to let others see the truth, then they are not letting their light shine. And if an individual is not doing those things, he is not letting his light shine. There is a big difference between “shining your light” and “letting your light shine.” We are not to do things so as to be seen by men as, Jesus says in chapter 6, or to receive glory from them. We are to be people who demonstrate righteousness, and we need to be mindful in that we do shine so that men might see. If our Christian deeds and lives are always secretive, then we can not fulfill this passage. The city is set on the hill, people see it, and are drawn to it. The reason we let our Christianity show is so people will see it, and be drawn to Christ.

Glorify God not ourselves. Many men - and women - have been caught in the trap of desiring to receive accolades from others for their services. But, they are to glorify God in the doing of their deeds. Motive is what He is talking about. Let your light shine - so others can see the deeds, but give the glory to the Lord. People need to be involved, and active, and use their light to motivate others. Paul used the Macedonians as an example; their tremendous sacrifice in giving first of themselves to the Lord, and then the money they sent - 2 Cor 8:1; Phil 4:15,16.

5:17 Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
This is the Greek word pleroo, fulfill. Having already discussed this, one can readily understand what Jesus is saying here. He came to fulfill, to complete, to “wrap up” the Old Testament because the Old Law was incomplete without the coming of the Messiah and all He was to do.

5:18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.
Jesus clearly states there will be a time when the smallest letter or stroke will pass away, and that is when "all isaccomplished." Seventh Day Adventists use this verse to teach the Old Law will not pass away until the heavens and earth pass away. Not true. The heavens and the earth would have to pass away before the Old Law would pass away without being fulfilled. But Jesus did, in fact, fulfill it!

God's Law could not, and would not, be removed until it had done what it had been sent to accomplish. Paul declares this in Gal 3:21-29. Verse 24 is the key - the Old Law was the tutor to lead us to Christ, to be justified by faith; and now that faith has come we are no longer under the tutor. The Law was to bring us to Christ and once it has done that, then we no longer need it.

Jesus says, that until all is accomplished, nothing is going to pass away. The Seventh Day Adventists have separated the Law into two parts: the Ceremonial and the Civil. They believe that what was nailed to the cross was the ceremonial law. It cannot be proved that there was a distinction, or that these two parts existed. For example, note Lk 2:28ff. Mary has come to offer a pair of turtledoves Some have caused confusion concerning the "Ceremonial Law," or the "Law of the Lord." Seventh Day Advocates say this was a Ceremonial Law, and one that was done away with by Christ. But Luke calls it a "Law of the Lord" (v. 39), which would fall under their "Civil" designation. There is no distinction; the Law is one package. How did a Jew know to remember the Sabbath day? He did not know how to do that except to go outside of Ex 20. There is no Sabbatarian who can answer this question, “What do you do on the Sabbath?” They also cannot prove that the Ten Commandments were given “in the beginning.” Deut 5 proves the Law was given ."..not...with our fathers, but with us..."

Passages which indicate that the Law was to abide forever use the Hebrew word olam which is also applied to incense, the priesthood, and several other things. Sabbatarians say that the passage dealing with the stones written on by the finger of God means forever but if that is true, then all these other things were to last forever. Olam means a specified period of time, known only by God. Man has no right to say that God must remove a law, only God can decide when to do so! So, the Law was to exist for an undisclosed period of time. God did not tell those at Sinai that this Law would last for only a period of some 1,400 years, but He knew that it would. They had no understanding of time. Eccl 1:3,4 state that the earth will remain forever. The Jehovah’s Witnesses also teach this doctrine. The word is again Olam , a specified period of time known only to God. What man could ever declare the heavens and the earth to be forever? No man! God only is the One to make such a declaration, and if He so willed it, the heavens and earth would last forever. Please notice these things the Old Testament declares will be "forever" - olam.

1. Ex 12:14...The Passover,
2. Ex 30:8...Incense,
3. Ex 29:42...Burnt offerings,
4. Ex 40:15...The priesthood, and
5. Lev 3:17...The peace offering.
It could have been temporary but, also, it could have been everlasting. If God had wanted it to be everlasting, it could have been that way. God wanted them to understand that the Laws He was giving them would be hold true for them, their children, and their grandchildren. This explains why Jesus had so much difficulty moving the people away from the Old Law.

When considering the Law, Jesus says, not the smallest letter (yod, Hebrew marking) or the smallest stroke (taw, Hebrew letter) shall pass away. Jesus is showing that he subscribes to the word for word inspiration. There was not anything written that was not supposed to be, and what was written was there because God wanted it to be! And, none of it would pass away until all would be fulfilled.

 

[Southern Gent]

5:19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
The word annul is translated "relax" or "break." The Rabbi's counted 613 commandments in the Old Law, and made some more important than others. Jesus is saying that whoever relaxes (regards more lightly - 16:19; 18:18) will still be in the kingdom, but will be least in the kingdom. This does not mean that, since they did not think one command as important as another, they decided not to obey it. They still obeyed it, but they felt it to be less significant than other laws (see Mt 23:23).

But whoever keeps. The person who really wants to be considered great in God's kingdom is going to have to treat the Law with the respect it deserves. We should not read into this that if one neglects and misuses God's word he will be in the kingdom, but just not as high up on the “social ladder.” We are not going to be worth much if we do not take serious consideration of God's Law. If we want to be worth something to God, we will keep His Law, and teach others to keep it, also.

This is the third and fourth time that He mentions the kingdom of heaven.

5:20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus began on one level (that of the scribes and Pharisees) and now He brings the people to the next level. If they do not respect all of the commandments and teach others to do the same, then they are on the same level as that of the scribes and Pharisees. The most startling teaching is seen when Jesus says that if they do not surpass the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, they will not even make it into the kingdom.

This is the key verse for the Sermon on the Mount; the thesis statement or the central idea for the entire Sermon. Every sermon and every term paper needs to have one statement that specifies what is trying to be communicated. That is what this verse is for Jesus. The scribes and the Pharisees were “top drawer”, an elite group that set the standard everyone looked up to and tried to copy. These are the ones in Mt 23 who wore broad phylacteries (a box containing scripture) on their arms. They were made to cover the whole forearm, thinking this made them more righteous. On their heads were bands holding boxes with scriptures inside: "As frontals on the forehead..."Deut 6:4-9. These were things done to emphasize (and demonstrate) their righteousness, but such righteousness was not genuine. Their righteousness was hypocritical. According to Rom 10:3ff they tried to establish their own righteousness and set their own standards, not recognize God's. Still, this would be a very surprising statement by Jesus. These are the religious elite, the top men of the religious world, and Jesus says that people need to be better than they; doing daily what God wanted done, but what the scribes and Pharisees were not doing.

Each new contrast will begin with, "You have heard it said, but I say to you. It is what they have done with the Law that Jesus is going to criticize.

 

[Southern Gent]

CONTRAST #1 - Anger
5:21 You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’
Here is revealed the problem the people had. The common people did not read the scriptures and that is why He says you have heard. They heard the Law, and the interpretation of the Law from the scribes and Pharisees. This is a good example about the need for Bible study. These people were being taught they the Law, but with Rabbinic tradition. They received an interpretation from the Pharisees. They should have studied for themselves.

Not commit murder. The first of these two statements comes from Ex 20:13, and is a part of the Ten Commandments.
Liable to the court comes from Deut 16:18. Jesus shows that there is more to these laws than the simplistic interpretation of the scribes and Pharisees.

5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca’, shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool’, shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
But I say to you. Jesus taught as one having authority - Mt 7:28ff.
Guilty before the court. Jesus arranges the sin of anger into three categories:
1. Silent anger. One is angry with his brother, but keeps quiet, or to himself. The Pharisees had said if one committed murder he was liable to the court, but Jesus says even if one is angry, then he is guilty.
2. Railing speech. If one would say “Raca” (fool, empty head, a good for nothing) verbally angry, Jesus says, he shall be guilty before the supreme court, the Sanhedrin.
3. Bitter reproach. Saying, "You fool" will make one guilty enough to go into the hell of fire. The word "fool" may not sound as bad as “a good for nothing” to us, but this word is a strong expression of contempt. Many translators believe this is like our damning someone today; wishing the worst thing upon them, striking out with words of condemnation; words guilty enough to go to hell for.

A sin has stages, but God notes it in its “seed” form. It begins with a silent burning anger, then grows. The one who becomes angry pursues the anger, then begins to wish the worst possible thing to happen to his enemy. It is in the heart where one loses control, and the loss of control can result in losing one’s soul. Jesus says the true righteousness is from the inside. A person should have been able to see right through the Pharisees’ hypocrisy - Mt 7:20. They had an external righteousness, but Jesus’ teachings go beyond the external actions and into the heart.

5:23 If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Continuing His thoughts about anger.

5:24 leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
We should realize that with God a proper relationship with each other is more important than the worship itself. 1 Jn. 4:19-21 says "We love because He first loved us. If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar.” John is saying we cannot love God without loving one another, and if we cannot get along with one other, we cannot love God. Imagine trying to worship God, but God says, “I do not want your worship. Leave that and first go take care of the problem with your brother, and then come present your offering.” This is someone who has a problem against you, then you go and make reconciliation.
We cannot have strife with one another and have fellowship with God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God." There are times when people will be angry with you and you do not know why. But you should make an attempt at reconciliation. 1 Tim 2:8 - “I want the men to pray...without wrath or dissension.” Many in congregations are in the situation where there is so much strife that one sits on one side, and the other on the opposite side, hating each other. But Paul says no, you cannot do that. God does want you to come back and worship, but Jesus is showing that there are some things more important. A right relationship cannot be had with God when a wrong relationship exists with a brother.

5:25 Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, in order that your opponent may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
Still in the discussion of anger.

5:26 Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, until you have paid up the last cent
This is an interesting discussion, and easier to understand when we recognize this is part of “CONTRAST #1 - Anger.’ The one who fuels strife is going to get in further trouble. Here is one who is being taken to court, perhaps because he did not earlier control his anger. On his way he encounters his opponent at law. How should he act? Make friends quickly. Here is the opportunity to defuse the situation, so endeavor to make friends. This shows the logic of controlling our tongue and our feelings. "A gentle answer turns away wrath" - Prov 15:1. By making friends, the anger is defused as well. Prov 22:5 says, "Do not associate with a man given to anger..."

You shall not come out until you have paid the last cent. You will get what you deserve. The Bible is full of passages constantly warning to be careful about one's words. See Mt 12:36,37. Be careful about your words. You will have to give an account.

 

[Southern Gent]

CONTRAST #2 - Adultery
5:27 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’
Ex 20:14. This is exactly what the Ten Commandments say.

5:28 but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Once again, Jesus is going beyond what the scribes and Pharisees taught. The word adultery is "moikeuo" which means sexual relations outside the bounds of a marriage contract. Also, a single person having sex with a married person is adultery. The Pharisees were teaching that the actual act is sinful. Now we have Jesus’ contrast.

I say to you...already in his heart. Jesus says a man who even looks at a woman for the purpose of lusting has already committed the adulterous act. God created the normal male, and when he sees an attractive woman, sometimes sexual desire can be stirred. But this is where he must draw the line between proper Christian behavior and what is not.
If he continues to look, and then fantasizes, he is guilty of committing adultery in his heart. Nothing is sinful in the initial looking, but to go further is to lust and sin. Who is going to commit murder? One who has uncontrolled anger. One who is going to commit adultery is the one with uncontrolled lust. Mental discipline is essential! The Bible often calls this “self-control.” “I have made a covenant with my eyes, how can I lust?” - Job 31:1. Job would not let this happen. We must not let this happen.

If a woman sees her husband lusting, can she divorce him for adultery? The answer seems to be "no" for the following reasons:
1. Jesus adds the phrase in your heart which separates it from the actual act of adultery.
2. This is not the same as "the act" of adultery, which requires two people (Jn 8:4).
3. The sin of adultery requires the two becoming one flesh (1 Cor. 6:16).
4. Logic: Should we put everyone in jail who has been angry (thus guilty of murder?)
Also, has not every person lusted to some extent, including women?
This is not to minimize the import of this passage. God will hold accountable those who lust. To Him, the sin of lust has the same consequences as the act of adultery. Christians must control their thoughts - Phil 4:8.

5:29 And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Right eye (and hand - v. 30) was regarded by the Jews as the most precious.
Continuing our discussion of lust, He says, "If it causes you to stumble, tear it out."

5:30 And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you;
for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go into hell.
Here He adds the right hand.

The point Jesus makes here: it is better to lose the dearest thing in life than to lose one's soul. Mt 16:26 says, "For what will a man be profited, if...forfeits his soul?” Jesus is talking about the earnestness with which one should pursue the sinless life. A literal execution of this would turn the church into a hospital. 1 Thess 5:22 commands us to "Abstain from every appearance of evil." The plucking out the eye or cutting of the hand will not keep a person from doing these things. So the literal execution will not solve the problem, but the person should be ready to rid sin from his life. So, our most prized possessions are not worth the loss of our souls. Do what ever it takes, give your all to keep from sinning!

 

[Southern Gent]

CONTRAST #3 - Divorce
5:31 And it was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of dismissal’;
5:32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Again, notice the formula Jesus uses. He is plainly dealing with the same thing - the righteousness of the Pharisees in contrast to what Jesus says. The Mishnah a section called "Gittin." In it is "Bills of Divorcement" with the three schools of thought discussed here:
1. Shammai school of thought - taught that a man could not divorce his wife unless he found her to be unchaste.
2. Hillel school - taught even if she burned the food a man could divorce his wife. See Deut 24:1.
3. Akiba school - taught if a man found one fairer than his wife ("no favor in his eyes"), he could divorce her.

The school of Shammai agrees with Jesus’ teaching. Mark chapter 10 approaches divorce from the woman's viewpoint. Divorce was allowed in Judaism, and it involved a simple process in which the person being divorced from would receive a certificate (called a get ). There was no thought about the sanctity of the marriage relationship, or the consequences of this action. This certificate, which was placed into the woman's hands, read "Go, thou art free to marry any man" (Gittin 9:3). The certificate protected her from being charged as an adulteress if she should remarry. Jesus is going to go beyond the liberties provided by the Mosaic Law. His teaching concerning divorcing and remarrying will be far more rigid, as will be seen here and in Mt 19:1-9. Jesus comes with His authoritative decree - “Everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity makes her commit adultery." In effect He is looking at two major points:
1. It is assumed the woman will remarry. The husband, who has exposed her to this fate, must bear some of the responsibility by divorcing her. But, only if he is divorcing her for reasons other than unchastity - sexual unfaithfulness, fornication. Thus, Jesus contradicts the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees by saying that the divorce should not take place at all, unless fornication has occurred.
2. Jesus wants the man who divorces his wife to think seriously about the consequences of the act. There are two direct consequences:
a. He might force her into an adulterous situation - because she would likely remarry without having a God-approved reason. However, if he divorced her because of adultery, it would be her own fault. Equally, it would be her sin (of adultery) if she choose to remarry - even though she did not have the scriptural right to remarry.
b. He might end up in a marriage himself that is adulterous, by marrying someone who has been put away by another (and therefore is not free to marry again).

You can see from this, and the section in Matthew, the way the Law was manipulated to fit what they wanted. Notice the way the question is asked in Mt 19:3, ."..for any cause...?” This shows the evil intent of the scribes and Pharisees. They would like the freedom to divorce for any reason. Jesus will not agree with their evil and self-centered motives.

For all intent and purpose the Pharisees had turned the temple into nothing more than a ..... house and Jesus is bringing this scandal to light.

 

[Southern Gent]

CONTRAST #4 - Vows (5:33-37)

5:33 Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’
The word oath has to do with vows or pacts (Lev 19:12; Deut 23:21; Num 30:2; Eccl 5:4-5). What these passages are teaching us is, that when one does make an oath or a vow, he had better keep it because God is witness to the words that proceed out of his mouth, and He will hold him responsible for what he said he would do. Ex 20:7 is one of the most misunderstood passages. It is talking about swearing by the name of the Lord, making a vow, but then not doing it. A person is then taking His name in vain. It got to where the form of the promise was the most important aspect of making a vow.

The way it was said determined whether it had to be fulfilled or not. Mt 23:16-22"Whoever swears by the temple, that isnothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.” A man would say, "I swear by the temple I will repay you." But he did not repay the debt. Then he would say, “Oh, but I swore by the temple, not by the gold of the temple.” Jesus is teaching to not make false vows, but fulfill your vows to the Lord. Do not make the promises and then not keep them.


5:34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
5:35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
5:36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
5:37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’, or ‘No, no’; and anything beyond these is of evil.

There are a lot of things to consider here:
1. Christ and Paul took oaths. See Mt 26:63,64; 2 Cor 1:23; Rom 1:9; 1 Thess 5:27; Phil 1:8; 2 Tim 4:1ff; 1 Cor 15:31; Rev 10:5,6. What Jesus is doing is showing that oaths are ultimately referable to God. A Christian’s word should be his bond.
(Every man’s word should be his bond!) If we say “yes” then people know we will do what we said. In Mt 23 the people were trying to manipulate the law. Jesus says truly righteous people will keep their word. Righteous people are trustworthy people, not having to “swear” by or upon anything.

2. He shows that oaths are ultimately referred to God in the end. Any oath or promise automatically involves God.

 

[Southern Gent]

CONTRAST #5 - Revenge (5:38-42)
5:38 You have heard that it was said, ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
This is a quotation from the Law of Moses - Ex 21:34; Lev 24:20. The original intent of this Law was to cause a person to think seriously about what he did before he did it. If, in a fit of rage, one struck another, damaging his eye, then the attacker would lose his eye. Or if, by throwing a rock which causes another to loose an arm, then that is what will happen to the one who threw the rock. “Look before you leap.” “Think ahead.” The scribes and Pharisees had turned this into a law of revenge. The intent of the original law was for a sentence to be meted out by a recognized court judge, who would listen and determine if the “eye for an eye” was the proper justice. The Pharisees saw this as a license for personal revenge.

5:39 But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
We saw this illustrated by Jesus Himself. He was mistreated, but He did not respond with personal revenge, even though He had the power to do so. Resist means “to stand against.” This is not dealing with self-defense; a life-threatening situation. In Christianity there are two responses to have when someone mistreats you.

1. Forgive, and
2. Let God take the proper revenge. Rom 12:14-21 “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. So, we need to leave justice in the hands of God. As we read on in Rom 13 we see that God has authorized the government to enact punishment. It is acceptable, then, for the Christian to use the government if justice needs to be meted out.

5:40 And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.
Here is one who virtually wants to take everything you own. Give it to him without thought of revenge. A society that is of the mind-set to seek revenge is one plummeting to self-destruction. That is what is happening in our world today; someone does wrong to another, and he feels he must take revenge into his own hands.

5:41 And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two.
This was governmental oppression, because the law of Rome was that the Romans soldier could require a person to carry his baggage or armor one mile. The Jews had mile markers along the roadsides to the inch from their houses. When they reached that inch, they dropped the baggage. Jesus says, if they require you to go one mile, go two. Imagine the surprise of the soldier! One going the extra mile; not thinking of revenge and standing on his own rights; but showing a different spirit - serving instead of being served; showing an altogether different attitude. The concept of going two miles - that ‘extra mile” provides some tremendous spiritual lessons for us today.

5:42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
Jesus is talking about the positive side of giving; not giving grudgingly because forced to do so. We are called to be good stewards (2 Thess 3:10) and are to give as we are able to one who is in need, while we have opportunity - Gal 6:10. Eph 4:28 talks about the reason we work - so we have something to share with those who are in need.

The Old Testament Law on borrowing was such that there was not supposed to be interest charged when one loaned money to brethren (Lev 25:36; Deut 23:19ff; Ex 22:25). Jesus talks about this same principle in Lk 6:34 - “And if you lend to those from who you expect to receive...” In this context Jesus is talking about “patting ourselves on the back” in thinking we are sacrificial by lending to others. But, even the sinners (Gentiles) do the same thing, so we are not doing any differently than they. Christianity should be a step above that. Jesus is including the possibility of our not even getting back our original investment. When a principle is established by God in the Old Testament, there should be something to that principle. To apply this today: if I know of a brother in need, and have the money to lend to him, then I should lend it without interest. A genuine need should not be charged interest - Lev 25:36. Deut 23:19,20 talks about charging a foreigner interest. Ex 22:25 is another that deals with this according to the Law. "If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, ...you shall not charge him interest." So, should Christians help fellow Christians by lending money without interest? This is what God expected from his people under the Old Law. It was acceptable to charge the foreigner (e.g. non-Christian) interest, but not your brother.