Matthew 5

 

Matthew 5:1-12 Joy permeates the beatitudes. This is a counter-order and countercultural perspective on wisdom and blessing.

Matthew 5:3-6 The downtrodden are blessed.

Matthew 5:3 The poor in spirit recognize their need of God’s grace and ask Him for it. They are then enrolled in the joys of Heaven.

Matthew 5:4 Those that don’t mourn see no need of comfort and get none. Whether mourning external events and tragedies, or our own sinfulness, we only get Jesus’ comfort when we do.

Matthew 5:5 Ultimately, the strong, the proud, the arrogant, the harsh will kill each other off, or else run and hide when Jesus sets up His kingdom on earth. The social fabric of Jesus’ kingdom will be based on gentleness, just as God is gentle with us when we repent. The joy of this milieu can be experienced now among Jesus’ followers, for example in church.

Matthew 5:6 The hunger for righteousness can be satisfied in Jesus. He is righteous and freely shares it with those who ask, and they are satisfied if willing to receive it. What joy when everything works out right!

Matthew 5:7-10 Kingdom citizens are blessed.

Matthew 5:7 Sowing and reaping. God is merciful when we are, for example forgiving those who hurt us. (Matthew 6:14-15) And we are freed from the need for revenge or even the desire for justice. God is the just judge but also shows mercy to us. We reap what we sow. He can take care of others.

Matthew 5:8 Heaven has nothing for the wicked because they don’t want to see God. And He mercifully doesn’t make them. Only the pure in heart want to and will. But He has to and will change us to be that way, if we are willing. Then, what joy to see Him face-to-face!

Matthew 5:9 Throughout history, peacemakers have been recognized as God’s representatives. God calls them His sons and adopts them, except for Jesus who made peace between us and God on the cross, and was always God’s Son, not adopted.

Matthew 5:10 Those persecuted for righteousness’ sake will be in God’s kingdom along with the poor in spirit. They are actually in His kingdom when they are being persecuted. The  persecutors are helping build God’s kingdom, just as those who executed Jesus brought about His salvation for us. What a paradox.

Matthew 5:11-12 promises a greater reward to specific situations. This elaborates on Matthew 5:10 because it is the hardest beatitude.

Matthew 5:13-48

The Ten Commandments were a bare minimum. Interpretations vary. But once this bare minimum is complete, the next step comes - moving from external behavior to internals.

Matthew 5:14-16 How do we reconcile this with Matthew 6:1-6? What light shining activities are good? Practicing righteousness, giving to the needy, and praying must all be private activities. Or is it just blowing trumpets and showing our hand (presumably so that the amount of money is seen) that is verboten? Most likely, Jesus has in mind preaching the gospel for shining light.

Matthew 5:17-18 As we study the Old Testament, we find out for ourselves that Jesus merely interpreted it, but authoritatively.

Matthew 5:21 quotes from Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17. Murder is condemned by all value systems.

Matthew 5:21-26 Leviticus 19:17 speaks to anger. God is a God of gentleness. Jesus emphasized varying levels of anger are all unacceptable to God.

Matthew 5:27 quotes from Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18. Adultery is condemned by most value systems. Fornication is not much different, only that no promise of loyalty is violated.  Free love has been tried and only leads to disaster.

Matthew 5:29-30 Poking out eyes and lopping off hands is the reductio ad absurdum of external-only discipline. 

Matthew 5:29 Isn’t lust still in our heart, even without seeing the woman? This just illuminates the futility of external measures.

Matthew 5:31 quotes Deuteronomy 24:1 & 3. Jesus elaborated on this in Matthew 19:3-9. Divorce has terrible consequences for children and society, but most of all for the people directly involved. The wife who is rejected and the husband whose heart gets colder and harder.

Matthew 5:33 quotes Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21. Trying to make a point by invoking deities or nature’s wonders does nothing to make us more reliable, but degrades those things that are invoked. In today’s society, swearing by Zeus would be ridiculed, but the point is that swearing by the real God is worse, by demeaning His reputation.

Matthew 5:38 quotes Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21. It seems like there is risk in not resisting evil people. We  can trust God, but what if God has assigned to us the responsibility of stopping him. For example in World War II it appears the allies were given the task of destroying the Nazi regime and returning Germany to the heritage of Luther, Bonhoffer, etc.

Matthew 5:42 indirectly cites Deuteronomy 15:9. Giving to the poor should be seen as an investment.

Matthew 5:43 quotes Leviticus 19:18, in which this phrase is preceded by things like do not show favoritism based on social class, do not hate a fellow Israelite.

Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus means love like He loves.

Matthew 5:48 Jesus must mean let Him in so He can perfect us, not be perfect on our own.