Matthew 5 - The Sermon on the Mount

As Jesus seen the multitudes of people that wanted to hear His message He went up on the mountain and began to preach what was one of the greatest sermons in history including the Beatitudes.

 ¹And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: Crowds gathered and Jesus saw them; His disciples came to Him thirsting for His message.

 ²And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Jesus began to teach His disciples. (The beginning of the beatitudes).

 ³Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. God blesses the poor in spirit (those who do not have all the truth), but realize their need for Him. "Those who put their trust in Jesus." (Psalm 84:12). He chooses the poor of this world who are rich in faith. (James 2:5). The Kingdom of Heaven will be theirs. (Luke 6:20).

 ⁴Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Those going through tough times will be comforted. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; (2 Corinthians 1:3). "The comforter is the Holy Spirit." (John 14:16). Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2 Corinthians 1:4). God helps us through our trouble times and gives us comfort so that we may comfort others with the same troubles. (1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11). For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:5). The more we suffer standing for the faith, the more our Heavenly Father comforts us in our time of trouble.

 ⁵Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Speaking of those who humble themselves towards others. The world teaches us pride, self interest, love of money, compete to get ahead, step on others and claw your way to the top. Just the opposite of one who is kind and meek, or puts others before themselves. "Its the meek who will be lifted up, and the wicked brought down to the ground." (Psalm 147:6).

 ⁶Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Those who have a strong desire for truth and righteousness. Not traditions of men and false teachings. "Those thirsting for truth." (John 4:14, 7:37).

 ⁷Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Those who are compassionate towards others. Can you feel another's needs? Can you understand where they are coming from? Show mercy towards others and when the time comes, mercy will be shown to you.

 ⁸Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Those who are pure in their mind. "Only then will you see God." (Clearing the mind of all junk and things that are against the will of God).

 ⁹Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Those who strive for peace and peace of mind in this troubled world. (Colossians 3:13, Psalm 133:1).

 ¹⁰Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Many were persecuted for taking a stand for Jesus and teaching His message. Never worry if you stand for Christ and teach the truth of His Word, God will take care of you. (1 Peter 3:13-14, Revelation 2:10).

 ¹¹Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. When you teach the truth of God's Word, you will be talked about and falsely accused. People will look for every fault they can against you. The sad part is that most of this will come from your friends and family.

 ¹²Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Don't let it bother you and continue to teach the truth. Remember that there were many before you who were persecuted for the same thing.

 ¹³Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Your salt is in your teachings. If your salt looses it's flavor it is worthless. (dry boring preachers and false teachings). If you are salty with the Word (give it a little excitement, flavor and stick to truth), it will help people and they will take interest. "Satan uses sugar to puff up teachers, then their pride sets in." (Before you know it, the people are worshipping their priest or pastor more than God).

 ¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. You are to be that shining light (example for truth), so just keep planting seeds.

 ¹⁵Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Keep absorbing the Word of Christ and you will be that light to others. They will enjoy having you around because you have a good spirit. (They will want to know what you have that they don't).

 ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Let others see your good works (what the Lord has given you), and be the "example and light" to draw them towards God. Your good works are the only things you can take with you. They are your rewards in heaven. (Revelation 14:13).

 ¹⁷Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Jesus tells them that He came to fulfill the law, not to destroy the law. (Luke 16:17). Don't let any man tell you that there is no more law of God. Only the statutes and ordinances were done away with, but the law of God still stands. Yes, that includes the ten commandments.

 ¹⁸For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. What is law, stays law, not one jot or tittle (smallest of the Hebrew letters), shall be changed. Every letter of Gods Word is important. So many people treat the bible like a novel for easy reading. Its not... The bible is a personal letter to you from God, and it needs to be given the utmost attention. "Study Gods Word, don't just read it." (The bible is eternal with wisdom and information).

 ¹⁹Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Don't ignore any of God's Word. The full Gospel (old and new testament), are important when teaching God's word. (The old and new law as well). "All His Commandments!" Teach the truth of God's Word and quit listening to man's ways of doing things. Do it right and you will called great in the kingdom of Heaven.

 ²⁰For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. The scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites according to Jesus. (Righteous on the outside, sinners on the inside). God looks to our hearts for true righteousness. There is more to it than just believing and putting on a show. "We need to discern the truth." Don't be led astray by false teachings, unnecessary rituals, and traditions of men. You either believe "all of God's Word," or you don't.

 ²¹Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: Here is a very common misinterpreted scripture. Under the law of Moses the rule was, 'If you murder, you must die. This is also the 6th commandment of God. (Deuteronomy 5:17). If you take the word "kill" back to the Greek in your Strong's Concordance #5407, #5406, #5408, you will find that the word "kill" is "Phoneus" which means criminal homicide (to be a murderer), and if you murder someone on purpose you are to be put to death. (Deuteronomy 19:11-13). This is God's law; and remember Christ did not change one "jot or one tittle" of the law. In the new testament book (1 John 3:15), it tells us that a murderer cannot have salvation in the flesh. That is why a murderer should be sentenced to death and sent to the "Heavenly Father" to be judged, and God will determine weather or not they will be forgiven. This is their only chance for salvation... No one who intentionally murders another one of God's children will get away with it, because eventually they will face God and their accuser. (Danger of the judgment).

 ²²But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. The word "fool" as it is used here in the Greek is #3474 "moros" dull or stupid (heedless blockhead), i.e. "empty headed," never having a chance. We use the word "moron" in the English language. When you call someone a moron, you are saying that they never had a chance, and God does not like it. "Everyone has a chance for salvation." On the other hand, if you listen to a fool who is a false teacher, you are a bigger fool than they are. If you continue to believe their lies, you may not have a chance either.

 ²³Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

 ²⁴Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. These two verses are important to God about holding grudges against another. If you are making a offering to God, and suddenly remember that a friend has something against you that is your fault. Go and apologize and be reconciled to him, then make your offering. If it is your brother that wronged you, you do not need to go to him. You can forgive him, but he is the one who should be making amends.

 ²⁵Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. If you do wrong to someone, or are accused of doing wrong; come to terms quickly if you can and settle your differences. Otherwise your adversary (accuser or opponent), may sue you, then you could be dragged into court and end up in jail. Notice Christ used the word "adversary" here because it is one of Satan's names. (1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:10). Satan is your opponent, and will always accuse you when he has the chance.

 ²⁶Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. You need to make things right with people. (Luke 12:59).

 ²⁷Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. Don't be unfaithful to your partner. (Proverbs 6:32).

 ²⁸But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Here is another misinterpreted scripture that bible thumpers will put a guilt trip on you, especially if you are younger. It does not mean you cannot look upon the opposite sex and enjoy the beauty of one of God's creations. It means not to sexually lust for them in your mind; you know what I mean, no need to eye rape every pretty girl or cute guy you see. (1 John 2:16).

 ²⁹And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Remember Christ is teaching his disciples here and he is talking to the church. The church is the many member body of Christ. If part of the group is starting to believe false teachings or causes trouble, spreading it to other parts of the church, get rid of them before the whole church becomes infected and deceived.

 ³⁰And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Applies to the verse above. Here is another example: You have a big donator in the church, but they start believing false teachings; don't keep them around for the money, get rid of them. Then once again, the whole body will not be infected and deceived. To many churches today give all the attention to the one giving the most money, and at times overlook what their real motives are.

 ³¹It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: It has been said: (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Divorce was legal for the right reasons. Also, keep in mind that God divorced Israel. (Jeremiah 3:8), for being unfaithful and turning to idol worship.

 ³²But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. For the right reasons: Fornication Strong's Concordance G4202 "porneia" meaning harlotry, adultery, incest, idolatry, i.e. sexual immorality, or sex outside the marriage of a man and woman. You can divorce someone and remarry again upon repentance. Divorce is not the unpardonable sin like many would like you to believe. Christ died for all the sins of the world. So don't let any man or religious organization put you on a guilt trip if you are divorced, or try to tell you that you cannot remarry. What did Jesus say about divorce? And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. (Matthew 19:9). Upon repentance, Christ can forgive all these sins, so lighten up on divorcees.

 ³³Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: Let your word be your bond. (Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, Deuteronomy 23:23).

 ³⁴But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Don't swear by heaven, or in God's name, heaven is God's throne. (James 5:12).

 ³⁵Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Don't swear by earth, or by Jerusalem. God owns everything; even your soul. (Ezekiel 18:4). i.e. your word should be your bond. You don't need to swear on anything. What happened to the good old handshake?

 ³⁶Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. He is saying; don't swear on yourself, "I swear on my life I won't say a word." You heard it before.

 ³⁷But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Keep it simple; say 'yes I will' or 'no I won't.' Your word should be enough. When someone tries to strengthen there promise with a vow, it shows that something is wrong. "Beware of the small print."

 ³⁸Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. The old "eye for an eye." Here we are going to cover some of the laws of retaliation quoted in (Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:17-23, Deuteronomy 19:21).

 ³⁹But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Again, Christ is teaching His disciples here. If you overload someone with to much truth and it offends them; they may give you a slap on the cheek, insult, or curse you. If that is the case, then turn the other cheek, because you deserved it. In other words, don't cause someone to become upset and smite you. "Be slow and gentle with others." But, if someone comes up to you for no reason and slaps or punches you, "knock them on their ass if you can," their the ones who deserve it.

 ⁴⁰And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. As a Christian, if you cause someone to sue you; you are the one who messed up. Give them a little extra to make amends. Even the courts will be happy then.

 ⁴¹And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Always be fair and take it one step further. "Jesus teaches us to go the extra mile for someone who needs help, or when performing a service." (This applies to the workplace also). Go the extra mile in your job duties and your promotions will come quicker.

 ⁴²Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Those who ask for help, or something to borrow, do your best to assist them if possible. The same will be returned to you in your time of need. Most people like to help others if they can, "its part of our nature." (It gives them the sense of being needed).

 ⁴³Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. Here is some good advice from Christ about how to treat our neighbors and enemies. Yes, we are to love our neighbors, but what about our enemies? In today's world, it is getting hard to even love your neighbor.

 ⁴⁴But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Well, it may be hard at first, but Jesus tells us to love our enemies (as Gods children). If they curse you, "give them a blessing." If they persecute you, "pray for and forgive them." Jesus did it throughout the new testament, you can do it too.  

 ⁴⁵That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. In that way you will be acting as true sons and daughters of your Father in Heaven. "He gives sunlight on both good and evil, and rains on the just and unjust alike." i.e. God at times does good things for bad people, just like doing good things for good people. (Everyone deserves a chance, everyone deserves a blessing). 

 ⁴⁶For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? If you love only those who love you, what good is this? Anyone can do that, even corrupt people.

 ⁴⁷And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? If you are friendly only to people you know, how are you different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. Crack a smile for a stranger once in a while, "it goes a long way."

 ⁴⁸Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. We are to do our best to be perfect Christians and walk like Christ. I know it is hard in the world today; but our Heavenly Father only asks us to give it our best so we become examples of what a true Christian should be like. "Let your light shine." (Matthew 5:16).

Keep the faith,
Barton