Jesus is teaching his followers here. We read in Matthew 5:1-2 “he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain and after he sat down, his disciples approached him. 2 And opening his mouth he began to teach them”. Yes, there well may have been sick and demon possessed in the crowd, but that isn’t mentioned here. In fact, healing isn’t mentioned until after this message. And, there may well have been scribes and Pharisees or others in the crowd, but again, they aren’t mentioned here.This message isn’t spoken to those in opposition, it is spoken to His disciples to teach them how to handle opposition. Jesus goes beyond the law that explains what behavior is illegal, and punishable. He goes beyond that to talk about our thoughts. What is our intent? What are we thinking. We must bring every thought captive.
You Are The Salt of the Earth
Matthew 5:13–16
Jesus uses two very familiar analogies, things everyone is familiar with, as he describes who “you are”. The “you are” refers to his disciples and followers. Jesus is not addressing the needy crowd to be healed or fed.
- He first compares them to salt. We all enjoy salt as a seasoning in our food. And if you have ever been on a salt free or salt restricted diet you will understand the point that Jesus is making in Matthew 5:13. And here is the point, a little salt seasons the whole pot, the whole dish. Who we are changes the whole environment around us, if we are the salt He intends us to be.
- Second, He compares us to light. Most of us have electricity and strong and bright light bulbs, maybe several in each room so that even at night, the whole room is illuminated. They didn’t have electricity. They had oil lamps, and candles, but you understand that in a dark room, that small light source makes all the difference between seeing and being in the dark. Jesus says, in Matthew 5:14-16 “let your light shine”, “on top of a hill”, “on a lampstand”, not so they see you, but “so they can see your good works and glorify your Father”. When we are living the Christian life, there is something different in us. It may not be blinding light, but it is bright enough for people to notice.
Great in the Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 5:17–20
Jesus teaches them about the importance of the Law and the Prophets. He had turned over the tables of the money changers, He had healed on the Sabbath, His disciples took grain from the field to eat on the Sabbath, and there were those challenging his authority and methods accusing Him of breaking the Law of Moses. Jesus sets the record straight in
Matthew 5:17 (LEB) “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to fulfill them”.
It is by this law that He can be the sacrifice for sin. Righteousness must be fulfilled and it is fulfilled through Him. This doctrine, this fulfillment of the word of the prophets, is one of the most misunderstood concepts. It is not by our keeping the law that we are saved. It was by his keeping the law that He was able to be the sacrifice for us. And by that sacrifice, He opened the way for God’s grace by faith.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (LEB) For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
Romans 5:1–2 (LEB) Therefore, because we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Read Revelation 5, the fulfillment of what Jesus did through His life on the earth.
First Go Be Reconciled to Your Brother
Matthew 5:21–26
Many people recite commandments, as Jesus says in Matthew 5:21 and He begins here to push back from the act and addresses the thoughts that have led to the act. There are things we do as reflexive action, pulling our hand away from a fire for example, but here, Jesus is talking about our thought life. He is exposing the thoughts that build in our minds and lead to an action. We say and do things that we shouldn’t. We say and do things that hurt other people. Jesus is saying, in Matthew 5:21-26 that we, as His followers, should take the initiative when we remember, when we realize, that someone has something against us. He says, “be reconciled”. We can’t control other peoples reactions or their feelings, but we can offer an apology, we can ask them to forgive us if we have hurt them. How can we have a clear conscience before God if we have a bad relationship nagging us?
In His Heart
Matthew 5:27–32
Here, Jesus teaches about another “Do Not”, saying and again is trying to go beyond the external behavior to address the thoughts that result in that behavior. Divorce is the end behavior that begins with, well, in
Matthew 5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery'”
Then He says in
Matthew 5:28 (LEB) But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
This is another are where many struggle so please read this carefully. Jesus doesn’t say a man should not look at a woman (or that a woman should not look at a man for that matter). What He says is, not to look with lust for her. There are many right relationships between a man and a woman, father to daughter, mother to son, brother to sister, friend to friend. But there is only one relationship that is appropriate as a sexual one and that is husband and wife.
Fulfill Your Oaths to the Lord
Matthew 5:33–37
Go With Him Two
Pray for Those Who Persecute You
Matthew 5:43–48
Again in Matthew 5:43 Jesus uses the phrase, “you have heard that it was said”. Here, the saying was “Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’” But that isn’t the nature of God. Jesus shows us who God is in Matthew 5:45 “he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust”. Anyone can like those that like you and as Jesus says in Matthew 5:47 “Do not the gentiles also?”. But He tells us in Matthew 5:48 to “be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect”. In this we should follow our heavenly father, love even those that are our enemies. Love even those that persecute us.
Your Father Who Sees in Secret Will Reward You
Matthew 6:1–4
Study Verses
- Matthew 5:13–16 You Are The Salt of the Earth
- Matthew 5:17–20 Great in the Kingdom of Heaven
- Matthew 5:43–48 Pray for Those Who Persecute You
Today’s Reading
- Matthew 5:13-48
- Matthew 6:1-4
The Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ – The Gospels
This series follows the order of readings from the Tyndale One Year Chronological Bible. Covering these events chronologically as they happened, gives a much different context and helps us understand the move of God as He is introducing the Saviour, the Light of the world, Jesus Christ. This series begins with Return To Me And I Will Return To You at the end of Malachi and introduces the “Witnesses” writing the Gospels.
Operation Exodus
is helping Jewish people return to their homeland. You might fund one that desires to go home. http://operationexodususa.org/Overview
