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INTRODUCTION
This is the Great Manifesto of the kingdom of God The Sermon on the Mount was addressed to the disciples, not to the multitudes. It isn't intended to be a social gospel or to bring an end to suffering and wars Some falsely say that this is for the future and that the Sermon on the Mount concerns the Kingdom Age and not the age of grace Jesus said that "the kingdom of God is among you" (Luke 17-21) As we bow to the King's authority, we become citizens of the heavenly kingdom (Philippians 3:20) The Sermon on the Mount declares to us what we are through the grace of God working in our lives; and because of what we are. what our relationship to the law is For this reason. the Sermon on the Mount needs to be taken in context The first section contains the Beatitudes. Matthew 5:3-16 The Beatitudes place the emphasis on what we are as opposed to what we do. Matthew 5:17-48 deals with the relationship of Jesus Christ to the law Matthew 6 deals with our relation ship with God, and Matthew 7 deals with our relationship with man.
v. 2 Here Jesus is teaching the disciples. not the world
In interpreting Scripture certain guidelines need to be followed
(1) The understandable and natural meaning is usually the correct interpretation
(2) If the interpretation of Scripture makes the meaning seem absurd. then the interpretation is wrong
(3) If the interpretation contradicts the general body of scriptural truth, then it is wrong.
(4) If the Bible is approached with a preconceived thought or idea, the interpretation will not be true
v. 3-16 These Beatitudes list seven characteristics that make up the Christian character. The eighth Beatitude deals with the reaction of the world to these traits. These characteristics are all interrelated and progressive. The Beatitudes are not natural characteristics, and they actually create a sharp distinction between the Christians and non-Christians in the things they admire and the things they seek
v. 3a "Blessed" in the Greek means "Oh, how happy!" True happiness is a byproduct of a right relationship with God and cannot be discovered by direct pursuit. The first three Beatitudes have to do with our response to the revelation of God (Romans 7:9; Luke 18:11). This first characteristic of the child of God is a foundation that God can build upon. God cannot build upon the foundations of pride, self will, or our own ambitions. God's process is usually that of emptying before filling (Luke 2:34; Jeremiah 1:10). A man who is truly poor in spirit will not be admired by the world (Luke 16:15). "Poor in spirit" indicates a willingness to surrender to the authority and control of God, so that He might govern our lives. We will not be making demands, because we're unworthy and undeserving (Genesis 32:10). Poverty of spirit is a consciousness of our own sinfulness and spiritual poverty (Isaiah 6:5; Daniel 10:8; Luke 5:8; Jeremiah 17:9-10; Psalms 8:3-4). The way to happiness is poverty of spirit (Luke 18:10-14; Matthew 7:13).
v. 3b In the New Testament the "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" are used interchangeably. The "kingdom of God" refers to God's sovereign rule over the whole universe. of which the "kingdom of heaven" is a part. There are two aspects to the kingdom of heaven.
(1) Present-The kingdom of heaven has come to those who have submitted themselves to Jesus to be governed by Him
(2) Future-The King will come to reign over the earth; the Kingdom of heaven will then be on earth (Matthew 6:10; Revelation 11:15).
v. 4a The word "mourn" in the Greek is the most intensive kind of mourning. It was used when Jacob thought that his son Joseph was dead (Genesis 37:34-35). Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). John 8:57; 11:35; Luke 19:41; Matthew 23:37 There are three interpretations for mourning
(1) A very bitter, deep sorrow for the loss of a loved one or a deep abiding sorrow from an impairing affliction. resulting in a quality of character that can only be developed by suffering
(2) Mourning over the conditions of the world and having a feeling of helplessness to do anything about it When Jesus mourned over Jerusalem, He was grieving over the sin of the world (Matthew 23:37-39)
(3) Mourning over our own sinful state. Being poor in spirit creates a mourning over our own shortcomings and sins.
v. 4b We're comforted as God cleanses us of our unrighteousness and sins (2 Corinthians 7:10). We're comforted by the hope of the better world that is promised to us (Isaiah 2:4, 11:9)
v. 5a When we realize the truth about ourselves, our attitude towards others is one of meekness. Meekness is related to lowliness (Matthew 11:29; Ephesians 4:2), gentleness (2 Corinthians 10:1; Titus 3:2), and learning the Word of God (James 1:21; Isaiah 61:1). We are to seek meekness (Zephaniah 2:3). In the Greek the word for "meek" means "a happy medium between two extremes." Meekness is moderation. A meek person can have anger when others are treated unjustly, but not be angry when he is unjustly treated (Mark 3:1-5; John 2:13-16). Another meaning for "meek" is "to domesticate a wild animal." A God controlled life is meekness. The Jews didn't expect their Messiah to be meek. They were anticipating Him to overthrow the Roman government by force. Meekness is having others see the truth about ourselves and giving honor to others (Philippians 2:3). We have examples in the Bible of men that were meek: Abraham (Genesis 13:5-9, 21:22-34); Moses (Numbers 12:3); David (1 Samuel 24); Stephen (Acts 7:59-60); Paul (Acts 26:21-22); Jesus (Philippians 2:5-8; John 4:34; Mark 14:36).
v. 5b In reality, a meek person has already inherited the earth because he is a satisfied person. A meek person has learned that happiness doesn't lie in his possessions, but in a relationship with God (Philippians 4:11). In the coming Kingdom when Jesus reigns, the meek will reign with Him
v. 6a The first three Beatitudes were the emptying process. Now we come to seek for an answer to our helplessness. In the Greek this verse denotes one of desiring, not just a portion but all of the righteousness of God. The primary purpose of the Church isn't to take care of symptoms such as starvation and crime, but to bring the Gospel to men so that they will be brought into a position of hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Righteousness cannot be achieved in our own strength; it is a standing before God. God has imputed to us righteousness because we believe in Jesus Christ There are two types of righteousness
(1) Of the law, which at its best leads to self-righteousness which results in judging others.
(2) Righteousness given by God through believing in Jesus Christ This is the righteousness of Christ.
We cannot improve upon this righteousness, and it leads to gratefulness Righteousness is being right with God and our fellow man We're not to hunger and thirst after happiness, but after righteousness Blessed is the man, not who is righteous, but who hungers and thirsts after righteousness. It isn't necessarily righteousness itself that brings happiness (1 Kings 8:18)
v. 6b We shall be filled with righteousness.
v. 7a God is merciful (Psalms 103:8,11).
Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we don't deserve. After being filled, we become the next three Beatitudes. Because we have received the mercy of God through repentance, we can be merciful. If we aren't merciful, we haven't actually received God's mercy. Those who have received forgiveness show forgiveness. The Greek word for "mercy" has its root in the Hebrew word meaning "to get inside someone else's skin." This means that you can totally identify with what he's seeing, thinking, and feeling (Ezekiel 3:15). God came into the skin of man through Christ to be able to identify with us. Sympathy is to suffer together or to experience together the pains and sufferings of others (Luke 10:30-37). The Gospel places the emphasis on what we are, not on what we are doing (Ephesians 1-4). Because of this, the call to action is wrong. If we're what God
wants us to be, we'll do what God wants us to do (Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
v. 7b The Beatitudes are like a beacon light that calls us to self-examination. If we're merciful, then others will be merciful to us (Luke 6:38; 1 Corinthians 11:28,31).
v. 8a The word "pure" here refers to a purity that is the result of a washing. The heart is the center of one's being, the throne of the spirit. The Pharisees were concerned with the outward observances of righteousness (Matthew 15:2). God is concerned with the inner heart (Proverbs 4:23; Jeremiah 17:9). The heart needs to be cleansed (Psalms 51:10). Being "pure in heart" is a work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Christian has a renewed heart in an unrenewed body (Mark 14:38; Romans 7:15-25; Galatians 5:17; Psalms 103:14).
v. 8b We can see God in His creation, in the events in history, and in our daily circumstances (Romans 8:28). In the future we shall see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; John 1:18; 1 Peter 1:8; John 6:46; 1 Corinthians 15:53).
v. 9a The Jews were longing for the Messiah to lead them in war, to conquer all Gentiles, and to rule the world. Peace is more than a passive existence; it's a very positive state of good. A peacemaker is more than one who stops quarrels; he brings good into other people's lives. A peacemaker might become involved in great conflicts As long as the forces of evil prevail, there is no way to have peace except by destroying them. Peacemakers deal with the corrupted issues so that there can be a true state of peace. Jesus was fighting against the corrupted religious system and for peace between man and God (John 2:14-16; Matthew 23:27). Real peace can never be found in a compromise with evil. There can never be a peaceful coexistence with sin (1 Corinthians 5:7; Isaiah 57:20, 48:22). Peacemakers bring others to God. Man's basic problem is that he has to be reconciled unto God.
Barnabas, which means "son of consolation," was a peacemaker (Acts 9:26-27).
v. 9b "Called" means "chosen." "Children" means "sons." This actually should say, "they shall be chosen as sons of God." God initiated peace with man. We should have this same desire (Luke 2:14; Romans 5:1). When Jesus comes again to the earth, He will be called "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Even within our own lives, God will never make a pact with sin. Our sins need to be dealt with.
v. 10 The Lord is upfront in telling us that we will suffer and that the world will not react in love and kindness towards us (Matthew 10:16-25; Acts 9:1-16).
v. 11 To be righteous is to be Christlike. We'll be blessed for being persecuted because we're righteous, not because we're fanatical or stupid (Luke 6:26; 2 Timothy 4:3-4).
The doctrine stating that Christians only go through suffering and afflictions if they don't have enough faith is inconsistent with Scripture. (2 Kings 13:14; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Philippians 2:27; 1 Timothy 5:23). The religious people were the ones who persecuted Jesus, because they were challenged by Him. Sometimes persecution comes from religious circles.
v. 12 As Christians we should face persecution:
(1) by not retaliating against our persecutors (Matthew 5:44; Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60);
(2) by not holding resentment against them;
(3) by rejoicing in the fact that this proves that we are God's children and have a great reward in heaven (Romans 8:7; Acts 5:40,41).
Because we're His children, our position in His kingdom is secure. We need to remember that we're His ambassadors on earth, and we represent Christ. We need to remember where we're going (2 Timothy 4:8). The prophets were persecuted (Acts 7:52). All of the apostles were persecuted for Jesus' sake. They persecuted Jesus Christ. Persecution has strengthened the Church (Romans 5:3-5).
Now that we are what we are, we should be these things.
v. 13a Salt has several capacities.
(1) At the time of Christ, salt was used as a preservative to kill bacteria and retard spoilage. The Christian should have a preserving type of influence.
(2) Salt is used to add flavor. Christians are to add life and flavor to people's lives. We're to make every experience "taste" better because of our presence.
(3) Salt creates thirst. Christians should create a thirst within others to know Jesus Christ.
(4) Salt prevents infections from setting in. Christians are to have an antiseptic effect on the open sores of the world.
v. 13b If we're not having a savory effect on this earth, we're good for nothing.
Salt that is cast on the ground destroys vegetation. Jesus here is giving the ultimatum. Be either a purifying influence or you'll find yourself under the weight of a fallen society (Judges 13-16; Esther 4:13-16; 1 Timothy 4:16).
v. 14a Exodus 25:31-40; Jeremiah 2:13. In the Greek, Jesus is emphatically saying, "Ye and ye only are the light of the world. "The light of Jesus Christ is to be reflected in our lives (John 8:12). Light has several functions.
(1) Light dispels darkness. Our lives should have such an influence that wherever we are, we dispel darkness (Matthew 4:16).
(2) Light reveals. The light of Jesus Christ reveals the darkness that is in others (John 3:17-19).
(3) Light shows the way out of darkness. We should be leading men out of darkness through that work of God's love and Spirit in our lives (1 John 1 :7).
v. 14b People are going to notice if we are children of God.
v. 15 We should not try to hide our relationship with God.
v. 16 These good works should draw attention to Christ.
There has been a great deal of misunderstanding concerning this relationship (John 1:17; Matthew 15:1-3).
v. 17a Christ was the fulfillment of the law.
(1) There is no more need for sacrifice. Jesus became the sin sacrifice for the world as the Lamb of God (John 1 :29).
(2) Jesus became our sacrifice of burnt offering, the offering of consecration.
(3) Jesus became our peace offering, making peace between man and God (Ephesians 2:14).
(4) Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath law, which was the rest that God had given to His people (Hebrews 4:9-10).
The law condemns all men to death and has no power to save. Christ's death upon the Cross fulfilled the righteousness of the law (Ezekiel 18:4; Isaiah 53:6; Colossians 2:14-17). When Jesus came, He fulfilled over 300 prophecies from the Old Testament (2 Peter 1:16).
v. 18 Jesus is saying that the law is to be fulfilled.
v. 19 This verse refers to the relationship the law has to the Christian.
Our righteousness before God hasn't been established through out own actions; it is based upon our faith in Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the law for us (Romans 10:4; Galatians 5:4; Acts 15:7-20). Christ has fulfilled the righteousness of the law. God has imputed that righteousness to those who believe on Him. If righteousness could come by the law, then the death of Christ wouldn't have been necessary (2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:10: Romans 5:20, 6:1,2,12; Galatians 2:20).
Because of our new relationship with God through Christ. God is giving us the power to will and to do of His good pleasure in us (Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 10: 16) There is a warfare going on between our renewed spirit and our flesh (Romans 7:15-25).
v. 20a The true intention of the law was that we exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. The law was to govern men's attitudes as well as their actions. The scribes and Pharisees were the most "religious" people in the country. The scribes read and interpreted the law of God for the people (Ezra 7:10). After the Babylonian captivity, the common people could no longer read the Hebrew language, and they depended on the scribes for the interpretation of the law. The Pharisees were a religious sect who spent their lives endeavoring to live by every detail of the law. They put the emphasis on the outward observances of the law and ignored the inward law of God. They obeyed the law with the wrong motive-wanting to be seen by men. The rest of Matthew 5 affirms the fact that God is more concerned with the pro per attitudes that lead to the right actions. The Pharisees set certain standards of righteousness and sought to motivate others to conform to their standards. Jesus is the true standard of righteousness (John 16:10). That righteousness is imputed to us through faith in Him (Romans 4:5, 8:3-4; 2 Kings 5:10-14). This righteousness is manifested by the fruit of love in our lives (1 Corinthians 11:28).
v. 20b Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 11:10.
v. 21-48 Jesus wasn't in conflict with the law, but He disagreed with what the
people were being taught about the law. The scribes and Pharisees were disobeying the true intent of the law. They were thwarting the very purpose of God; instead of being driven to despair through the law, they were resting in a false righteousness (Romans 3:19-20, 9:30-33; Galatians 3:24; Hebrews 7:19). According to Christ, certain principles need to be followed when interpreting the law.
(1) The spirit of the law is what matters most.
(2) The thoughts and actions that lead to the obedience of the law are what should be judged.
(3) The true intent of the law is to bring us into a positive relationship with God and our fellowman (1 John 1:3; Jude 24; Romans 8:3). It is wrong for us to take the illustrations that Jesus gives here and make a law out of them.
From this point on, Matthew 5 has to be looked at in the light of Matthew 5:20.
v. 21 These Scriptures in the Old Testament have been placed together by the scribes and Pharisees, who weren't looking at murder as a sin against God as much as a sin against man.
v. 22 The Lord goes back to the attitude of anger which perpetrated the action
"Raca" means "you vain fellow" or "you good-for-nothing." God doesn't want us to put down the value of an individual (Matthew 8:36) "Thou fool" isn't referring to a person's ignorance (Matthew 23:19; 1 Corinthians 15:36). The man who says "Thou fool" with anger and hatred will be in danger of hell fire.
v. 23-24 Bitterness can stand in the way of fellowshipping with God (Psalms 66:18; 1 Samuel 15)
v. 25,26 Proverbs 15:1; Romans 12:18.
v. 27 Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10.
God established marriage vows so that the family unit could be strong. The breakdown of the family unit would have grave consequences (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-21, 6:7-8; Romans 6:2). We shouldn't be continuing in sin as Christians (Numbers 32:23; 1 John 3:9-10). If we're led by the Spirit, we're not under the law (Galatians 5:16-18; 1 Timothy 1:9-10).
v. 28 If we're concentrating on not committing the physical act, then we're thinking as the Pharisees thought. Even the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet," shows us that the desire for our neighbor's wife is wrong (Romans 7:7). The Lord is interested in what comes out of the heart (Matthew 12:34, 15:16-20; James 4:1-6). Sin is born as we entertain sinful desires in our hearts (James 1:13-15; Galatians 6:7,8). We're not to join in with the trend of thinking of this world (James 4:4). We should cleanse ourselves daily with the Word of God (John 15:3).
v. 29,30 Jesus is stressing the importance of avoiding hell, even at the cost of losing a part of one's own body. We dare not do those things that arouse our fleshly desires (Romans 8:13; Matthew 26:41; Galatians 5:16,17).
In dealing with temptation there are certain things we should remember.
(1) Do not think you can handle it yourself (James 4:6-7).
(2) Resist the devil (James 4:7; 2 Timothy 2:22; Genesis 39:7-13).
(3) Start reading the Word (Matthew 4:4-10; Psalms 119:11).
(4) Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you (James 4:8).
Because the hearts of the people had become hardened to God's ideal plan for marriage, God wanted to establish this law to finalize divorce. There were two schools of thought in regards to the law.
(1) This major belief was held by most scribes and Pharisees. They interpreted "uncleanness" as meaning anything that was not pleasing to the man. This deprived the woman of her rights as the man could not be divorced against his will.
(2) The other belief was that this law referred to moral "uncleanness." Jesus is claiming that there should only be one cause for divorce. God's intention for marriage is that they be no longer two, but one flesh (Matthew 19:5-6; 1 Corinthians 6:15-20). The sin of adultery is pardonable (Matthew 12:31; John 3:17-18, 8:7). This doesn't mean that we can use the grace of God to cover our own sin fullness (1 Peter 2:16; Romans 6:1). 1 Corinthians 7:10-16,
God gave the law to prevent chaos and for our own benefit (
These verses need to be taken in context. If they seem unreasonable, then the interpretation is wrong.
There are three classifications of righteous acts:
(1) giving,
(2) prayer, and
(3) denial of the flesh
Our giving concerns how we relate to others, our prayer concerns our relation with God, and tasting concerns our relation to ourselves. Our priorities must be ordered so that the spiritual things we want to do take precedence over physical things God knows our physical needs and will see that they are met, if we put Him first. Jesus reminds us that we should be constantly conscious of God's presence, for He observes and evaluates all of our actions (
(1) self-examination,
(2) realizing the disastrous consequences of pride,
(3) remembering Christ's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when He submitted His will to the Father's.
Prayer has three forms:
(1) Adoration, worship, communion. We can praise God for what He is and for what He has done. We can talk to Him anytime we need or want to-as we go about our duties, eat our meals, drive our cars, or whatever we're doing (
(2) Petition. We have to receive from God ourselves before we can give to others. He wants us to bring our needs to Him. People who refuse to ask God for the things they need are being foolish, not noble or spiritual.
(3) Intercession. We usually begin to pray for loved ones after ourselves and then move to people further from us. We can touch the world for God through prayer.
us to have a forgiving attitude toward others Jesus often emphasized the importance of forgiveness in His parables (
The phrase "Lead us not into temptation" does not indicate that God tempts us to do evil (
(1) the witness of our godly lives,
(2) our words,
(3) our service for God,
(4) our money invested in God's Kingdom, and
(5) our prayers
The essence of prayers is warfare Intercessory prayer puts us on the offensive in spiritual battles Our prayers become a spiritual force that fight the evil forces of Satan. Satan blinds men's eyes and dulls their perception of spiritual things We can free people from their bondage to evil through prayer (
Prayer is often the deciding factor in spiritual battles The tragedy is that the enormous power available to us through prayer is so often wasted because we do not pray.
"Mammon" originally was a person to whom one entrusted one's funds. The meaning changed to become a trust in the power that money provides. One of the pagan gods of Old Testament times was called Mammon. A slave had no rights and couldn't own anything. He had no time of his own, for he was always on call for his master. His master could work him 20 hours a day or have the slave beaten if he chose to. We cannot be a slave to God and be devoted to material things. There isn't enough time to serve both.
A "cubit" is about eighteen inches. People have often attended church more conscious of fashions than conscious of God. Since God so beautifully clothes the grass, which soon withers and is burned, then He will certainly clothe us. The birds and the grass are God's creations, but we're His children.
God is aware of our needs. He wants us to trust Him and put Him first in our lives, rather than worrying about how we'll provide for our fleshly needs. When the flesh rules over us, it's a tyrant. It causes us to live in a constant state of lust and frustration. Even if we glut our flesh, it always demands more.
(1) Deciding what is most important to us. For the Christian, the primary concern should be his relationship with God (
(2) Reordering our time, energies, and thoughts around what is most important to us.
(a) We need to examine our lives to see where we're wasting time that could be spent developing our relationship with God. Our thoughts and energies are so often concentrated on the material and physical concerns of life (
(b) We can see where our hearts really are when we carefully consider where we have been expending our time and energies.
(c) We need to recognize our need of God's power and righteousness to help us organize our lives around spiritual things.
(d) The result of properly adjusted priorities is that God will take care of all our physical needs.
(1) We should not judge presumptuously (
(2) We should not judge another's motives.
(3) We should not judge hypocritically (
(4) We should not judge hastily or rashly (
(5) We should not judge according to our own non-scriptural convictions (
(6) We should not judge unfairly or according to prejudice.
(7) We should not judge unmercifully.
The judgment that is prohibited is judging the person rather than the action (
(1) tests our faith (
(2) builds our patience (
The first four commandments concerned our relationship with God. The other six concerned our relations with man. If our relationship with God is right, then we can get our relations with man in order. If our relationship with God isn't right, then our other relations will not go well either. Our relationship with God always comes first. If we treat others the way we want to be treated, then we're acting the way God wants us to act toward our fellow man. This is the summary of the teachings of the law and prophets. To truly practice this injunction, we need the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Our love and devotion for God are reflected in our attitudes and actions toward others (
struggle to keep the flesh under the control of the spirit (
A false prophet doesn't always tell lies. He often says many things that are true, but he doesn't give people enough truth to bring them to the light. He'll often emphasize a partial truth and neglect the teaching of salvation through Jesus Christ (
Spirit (
We should be submitted to Jesus as the Lord of our lives. As His servants, it's up to us to find His will for us and to obey it (
Jesus spoke with authority and power. He made positive declarations from a position of His awareness of Who He was. Jesus said He was the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. He was the only Man who could ever say that. He knew that He alone could obey the law as God meant it to be obeyed. He knew that the prophecies of the Old Testament were written about Himself (
Used With Permission
© The Word For Today. We thank Chuck Smith, The Word For Today and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa for their permission to utilize this work.
The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.
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