5:21, 22 Christ begins this series of contrasts by quoting the statement of the law, Thou shalt no kill (Exodus 20:13).
The reference to killing is clearly understood in its context in both the Old and New Testament as referring to an act
of murder. Jesus goes beyond this outward demand of the law by stating that whosoever is angry with his brother
without a cause is in just as great danger of judgment as a murderer, for anger is the emotion and inner intention that
leads to murder. The term raca (meaning "vain fellow" or "empty head") was a Hebrew or Aramaic expression of
contempt (2 Samuel 6:20). The council is a reference to the Jewish religious council called the Sanhedrin. Thou fool
(Greek moros) means "stupid." The English word moron comes from this term. Those using such a malicious
expression would be in danger of hell fire. The idea seems to be that if one makes light of his fellowman, he will be in
danger of slander. But if one makes bitter, damning statements with reference to hell toward his fellowman, he shall
actually be in danger of hell himself. The term hell is Gehenna. It refers to the valley of Hinnom at Jerusalem, where
fires provided a powerful and graphic picture of the ultimate destruction of hell and the lake of fire (2 Kings 23:10; 2
Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 7:31).
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
5:23,24 Having made a comparison between the command not to murder and the inner motive and heart intention of
hatred, Jesus then illustrates the seriousness of this matter by referring to one who would attempt to buy off his
conscience by giving something to God without clearing his conscience in regard to his offended brother. He
reminded His listeners that if thou bring thy gift to the altar without reconciling with the offended party, God will not
receive the intended gift. Bringing a gift to the altar refers to bringing it to the temple in order that it may be
consecrated. To be reconciled means to be brought back into fellowship or favor with an offended party.
5:25, 26 The Savior then went on to say that even if thine adversary (an opponent at law) disagrees with you, it is to
your advantage to be reconciled to him. Jesus exhortation here is to urge us to go out of our way to avoid legal
conflicts between human judges (verse 40). The payment of debt and the prison referred to here simply mean the
normal legal process that one would encounter in a civil suit.
5:27, 28 Thou shalt no commit adultery was the demand of the Old Testament Law (Exodus 20:14). Jesus goes
beyond this outward command to reveal that its act is the result of an inner attitude of lust. Whosoever looketh
characterizes the man whose glance is not checked by holy restraint and results in an impure lusting after women.
The act would follow if the opportunity were to occur. By taking His listener beyond the outward statement of the law
to its real intention, Jesus was trying to get the listener's attention off the physical and onto the spiritual.
5:29, 30 The statement of cutting off one's hand or plucking out one's eye definitely is not to be taken literally. What
Jesus implies is that if thy right eye offend thee, then the logical thing to do would be to pluck it out. His point is not
that one should literally pluck out his eye, but that one should recognize that the source of lust comes from within the
mind and heart of man, not from the physical organ itself. The right eye is not the source of sin; the heart of man is
that source. The seriousness of the sin of lusting is thus illustrated by this graphic comparison. Ultimately, it would be
better for a person to be physically maimed than to go to hell forever. However, doing physical damage to oneself
does not in any way guarantee entrance into heaven. Jesus is simply teaching that man must bring the passions of
his heart under the control of the Spirit of God.
5:31, 32 It hath been said is again a reference to the Old Testament commandment of the Mosaic regulation
(Deuteronomy 24:1). The normal custom of the ancient Near East was for a man to verbally divorce his wife. In
contrast, the ancient law of Israel insisted on a writing of divorcement or certificate of divorce. This written statement
gave legal protection to both the wife and the husband. Jesus explains elsewhere (Matthew 19:8) that Moses'
concession was not intended to be taken as license. The only exception given by Christ is for the cause of fornication
(Greek porneia), meaning sexual unfaithfulness. These statements make it clear that adultery or fornication is a
legitimate ground for divorce. However, the legitimacy of the divorce does not necessarily establish the legitimacy of
remarriage. Scripture never commands that one must divorce an unfaithful wife or husband. On the contrary, there
are many examples of extending forgiveness to the adulterous offender (Genesis 38:26; Hosea 3:1; John 8:1-11).
The responsibility of divorce is clearly laid upon the one seeking the divorce. Whosoever shall put away his wife
without biblical basis causeth her to commit adultery. Thus, the divorcer brings about an unjust suspicion upon the
divorcee.
5:33-37 The basis of Old Testament swearing, or oath-taking is found in Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; and
Deuteronomy 23:21. To forswear means to swear falsely or perjure oneself. Oaths taken in the name of the Lord
were looked upon as binding, and perjury of such oaths was strongly condemned by the law. By the time of Christ,
the Jews had developed an elaborate system of oath-taking, which often formed the basis of actual lying. In other
words, there were stages of truth and thus also of falsehood within the system of taking oaths. All such oath-taking,
Jesus announced, was unnecessary if one were in the habit of telling the truth. Thus, His command was Swear not at
all. This does not have reference to cursing, as such, but to oath-taking. The disciple is to speak the truth in such a
way that his "yes" means yes and his "no" means no. Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: When you say
"yes," make sure that is what you mean. When you say "no," make sure that also is what you mean. Mean what you
say; say what you mean. Anything this is more than a simple affirmation of the truth cometh of evil.
5:38, 39 The principle of retaliation (lex talionis) is common in both Hebrew and other ancient Near Eastern law codes
(the Code of Hammurapi). The judicial penalty of an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth is stated in Exodus 21:24
as a means of ending feuds. However, Jesus is clearly saying this method is not a license for vengeance. The
Savior's point is that we should resist not evil. Evil is seen here, not as a state, but rather as the action of the evil
ones or the malicious ones. It represents the evil and sinful element in man which provokes him to an evil act. Jesus
shows how the believer should respond to personal injury. He is not discussing the government's obligation to
maintain law and order. These passage do not mean that a man should not defend his family or his country, but
rather that he should not attempt personal vengeance ,even though the means of the law, to compensate for a
personal injury. Jesus gives five examples (verses 39-42) of how the believer should react to unfair or unreasonable
treatment. In retaliation to physical violence, he is to turn to him the other [cheek] also. Man's natural impulse is to
strike back, but the disciple is not to be a natural man. He is to "overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). There is
no greater example of this ethical truth than the life and death of Jesus Himself.
5:40 Whether robbed by personal assault or compulsory litigation, the believer is to respond with confidence in what
is eternal, rather than that which is temporal. If the believer is sued in order that the accuser may take away thy coat,
he is to also let him have is cloak. The coat (Greek chiton) is the undergarment or tunic. The cloak (Greek himation)is
the more expensive outer garment worn over the tunic. Jesus taught us to have confidence in an almighty God who is
completely aware of the injustices done to man and totally capable of evoking ultimate and eternal justice.
5:41 In ancient times government agents were in a position to compel forced service upon a subjugated people. A
Roman soldier, for example, could compel a Jewish native to carry his armor or materials for one mile. Jesus now
states that if someone compels you to walk a mile, go with him twain. The believer is to be willing to "go the extra
mile." Doing double our duty not only proves our loyalty to human authority, but likewise proves the spiritual intention
of our heart.
5:42 Jesus clearly taught that a loan should be looked upon as a potential gift. There are many statements in
Proverbs against borrowing, lending, and surety (Proverbs 6:1; 11:15; 22:7; 27:13). While we are warned of the
dangers of borrowing and lending, Jesus clearly emphasizes that the believer ought to be willing to lend to those in
need. Even the beggar is to be ministered to through the provision of giving him that asketh thee. This statement
certainly forms the basis of all Christian charity, and provides the proper social application of the message of the
gospel to the physical as well as the spiritual needs of man.
5:43,44 The law of love, sometimes called "law of Christ," summarizes the ethical principle of the Sermon on the
Mount. "Love thy neighbor" summarizes the entire second table of the law (cf. Lev. 19:18-34). But the unscriptural
addition "hate thine enemy" was a popular concept in Jesus day. The admonition Love yur enemies is one of the
greatest statements Jesus every made. The love enjoined in this passage is love that originates from God Himself.
Man is not commanded to attempt to love his enemy on the basis of mere human affection but rather on the basis of
a love that comes from God. The quality of love commanded here is expressed by giving. Blessed them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them hate you, and pray for them that persecute you. Loving an
enemy inolves doing good toward that enemy in order to win him over to Christ.
5:45-47 - In summarizing the importance of love, Jesus reminded that love was a necessary proof of salvation: that ye
may be the children of your Father which is in heaven may be better rendered, "that ye may prove to be the sons of
your Father."An initial reading of this text out of its context might seem to imply that loving one's neighbor
automatically makes one a child of God. However, the New Testament is clear that love is the evidence that one is
already saved by the grace of God (cf 1 John 3:14). Therefore Jesus reminds us that we are to love our enemies as
our brethren, for even the publicans love those who love them. Publicans were public officials of Jewish nationality
who worked for the Roman government as tax collectors and were generally despised by the people.
5:48 This section of the Sermon on the Mount is summarized with the statement, Be ye therefore perfect. Since the
New Testatment is clear that even the bleiever is capable of sin, the ther perfect (GR. teleios) is not to be taken as
sinless perfection. Perfect here means "complete," that is, possessing a compelte love that, like God's (v. 45),
embraces those who love you as well as those who do not.
Matthew chapter 6
6:1 Jesus warns us not to give alms before men just to gain human recognition to ourselves. The one who does
righteousness (or gives of his possessions) to the Lord before men merely to be seen of them has no reward from
the Father in heaven. True worship results from the desire to serve God, not men, since pleasing God is far more
important than pleasing men. Loss of reward is incurred by gaining the reward of human recognition as an end in
itself.
6:2 Therefore in all of our giving we are not to sound a trumpet before us in a hypocritical manner of gaining attention
to ourselves. This metaphorical phrase means do not "publicize" your righteousness, for such performers are
hypocrites (from the Greek, "play actor"). Thus, Jesus warns against acting like the hypocrites, whose aim is to win
human praise.
6:3 Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth means that one's giving of finances to the work of the Lord
should be done so freely and spontaneously that his right hand cannot keep up with his left hand.
6:4 The real key to success in this kind of giving is found in the phrase thy Father which seeth in secret...shall reward
you. Giving by faith, out of a cheerful heart, depends on our total confidence in the fact that God does indeed see us
and knows our needs. These verses certainly do not condemn public giving, but rather they speak against giving our
of the wrong attitude and for the wrong motive.
6:5, 6 Praying, like giving, is to be done to the Lord, not to man. Jesus said that people love to pray standing in the
synagogues. Both a time and place for prayer were customary in the ancient Jewish synagogue (Mark 11:25).
Therefore, Jesus is not condemning the practice of public prayer, but rather the misuse of it. Because of the
statement enter into thy closet, some have suggested that all public prayer is wrong. This would be contrary to the
rest of New Testament statements about prayer, commandments and restrictions regarding prayer, and examples of
prayer meetings (Acts 12:12). The principle here is that the believer should not make a show of his prayer nor of the
answers he receives to prayer in such a way as to call unnecessary attention to himself.
6:7 Jesus warned that we use not vain repetitions (Greek battalogeo denotes babbling or speaking without thinking).
Such prayer was characteristic of the heathen. A good example of this is found in the ecstatic babblings of the false
prophets in the Old Testament and in the prophets of Baal who confronted Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings
18:26-29).
6:8 Prayer is not man's attempt to change the will of God. Prayer is not conquering God's reluctance to answer, but
laying hold of His willingness to help. Prayer in the life of the true believer is an act of total confidence and assurance
in the plan and purpose of God. The following sample prayer is given to the disciples as an example of a suitable
prayer. This prayer, often called the "Lord's Prayer," is in reality a disciple's prayer. In no way does the prayer itself
embody all of Christ's teaching about prayer; and having just warned against vain repetition, He did not intend for this
particular prayer to be merely recited with empty meaninglessness.
6:9 The beginning phrase, Our Father, is completely uncommon to the prayers of the Old Testament. The two major
elements of the prayer are adoration and petition. Hallowed be thy name addresses the attention of the prayer toward
God and reverence for His name and His person. Hallowed (Greek hagiazo) means to be held in reverence and holy
awe.