King James Version
Divided in two parts because of the complexity and depth of this chapter.
This study contains verses 1-22.
Scripture is in red. Author’s comments in black.
In this chapter Jesus teaches more about the Christian heart and spirit than law. Jesus knows no human can live up to all that he teaches because man is inherently a sinner but if man would attempt to follow these teachings as closely as possible he will be nearer to the kind of being God desires to see. If mankind followed these teachings the earth would be a better place to live and persecution, fighting, confrontations and all sorts of problems would not occur. I believe this sermon is a life lesson and therefore is as extremely important today as it was when Jesus spoke it.
1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The poor in spirit here are those that have humble spirits as opposed to haughty or proud hearts. They know they can do nothing without God and therefore do not boast of what they have done or accomplished. These people know where to give all the thanks, glory and praise. Nothing good can be accomplished without God.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Do you sometimes mourn because of your distance from God? Do you mourn because of trouble in your life? It is good if you mourn for your sins because that shows your heart is saddened because of your lost condition. This verse covers much more than your spiritual condition; it includes everything in your life. When you are unhappy with anything in your life leave it at the feet of Jesus. If you study and understand God’s word you will find comfort there for anything in your life. God loves us all and His comforter is the Holy Spirit and the Holy Word. Many of you may realize this already but Christ Jesus is the living Word of God. Know this: problems, suffering, sadness and unhappiness will arise throughout your life and the biggest comfort through all this is the fact that those that believe upon Jesus as their savior and that He died on the cross to pay for our sins there will be a time of no more tears, no more sickness, no more tribulation or trials, only happiness and a sweet everlasting life were Jesus resides. On the subject of comfort let’s look at Isaiah Chapter 61:
Isaiah 61: verses 1-3:
Verse 1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; Meek here is the humble of spirit. Opening of the prison speaks about being bound by sin, as does the mention of captives. This also speaks about other problems as was mentioned in the previous verse.
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; Vengeance of the lord is His justice that we will all witness. If you mourn for loved ones that were killed by evil you will be comforted with God’s pure, true and righteous judgment. No one will escape this justice. There will be no ACLU or right wing judges there to protest the penalty or commute the sentence. There will be no slick-talking lawyers to find a loophole for the criminal. I guarantee no one will sway the decision of God; His sentence will be final and quick.
You also will be comforted to know that some loved ones you thought would not make heaven (we sometimes judge others too quickly) will be there with you. What a joyous reunion!
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. The comfort of the Lord could fill and entire book. Rest assured that God will provide what you need when you need it. Whatever your problems, lay them at the feet of Jesus.
Beauty for ashes: this means a beautiful new spirit body to replace your old flesh one that has returned to dust. I think this verse shows for every sadness or persecution or wrong done to you in your flesh body it will be replaced with gladness, splendor and beauty. For every time you planted a seed for the Lord or stood for Jesus like a strong oak tree you will receive a crown of glory.
There will be many verses in the Bible that are so full of meanings that it cannot be explained in a simple paragraph or two and I believe this is one of those. Think about this verse and what it means in your life.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. I need to speak about the meek for a minute. In the Bible this word does not indicate those that are afraid or trembling or shy or afraid to fight. The Strong’s Concordance defines it (as it is used here) as word number 4239: Mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit.
Meek was also used as the translation from many other Hebrew words and I do not have room here to give all the definitions. Suffice it to say that of all the apostles most were killed or persecuted constantly. They were meek BUT they were strong enough in Jesus to stand for Him knowing what kind of death they may have to endure. That is NOT being afraid or shy or afraid to fight, that my friends is courage and conviction and true faith. If more Christians today could show this kind of strength the world would be in much better shape.
Many so-called Christians today do not even have the will or want to study the truth of the Bible. They are happy learning from some charlatan on television or a preacher that has learned the traditions of man telling them what they should believe without searching for the truth themselves. This is a SHAME. Jesus gave his LIFE for you, the least you could do is learn and understand God’s truth. Check the accuracy of every teacher of the Bible, yours truly included.
I can only guess how some of todays so-called Christians might react if they were threatened with death unless they denied Christ Jesus. That may come about very soon. I hope you are prepared to stand up for Christ Jesus and not be deceived. If not I hope you enjoy the company of Satan because he may become your roommate.
God offers you His truth and it is up to you to discover it.
Sorry about getting side tracked from the study but there are so many false beliefs and traditions today it scares me. Way too many Christians are being deceived and it makes me angry because it is so easy to learn the truth. Anyway, back to our study.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. This is part of what I mentioned in my diatribe of the previous verse. When you hunger and thirst after righteousness you are searching for the truth of God. Before anyone can understand what righteousness is a person has to understand the truth and teaching of God’s word.
Hunger and thirst are severe needs of the body. The word of God is a severe need of the spirit and if you are not hungering for God’s word then you being filled from another source: Satan is feeding you and "satisfying your spiritual” needs. You are not learning the truth.
If you hunger and thirst for Gods word the truth will be revealed to you and you will be satisfied and comforted but you will hunger and thirst as long as you are in a flesh body. As long as we are in the world we will never understand the entire word of God.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. These people are being merciful because they are in the spirit of God and it is their true nature. These people have believed on Jesus and it shows through their actions. It is best to not do a thing in order to obtain a reward but to do a thing cheerfully.
This style of living and caring and thinking carries through out all the blessings listed here and everything Jesus taught. God knows your true heart.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. The pure in heart are those that have been transformed after accepting Christ as their savior. They are not sinless but the Grace of God has covered them.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. The last three verses speak of Christians being persecuted, reviled, slandered and lied about. Jesus is letting His followers know that those of the world will not accept His followers. The followers of Jesus will not find rest in a world made up of unredeemed sinners. If you live in the United States be happy that your problems in this country are not as bad as in some other countries. Christians are reviled in the U.S. but at least we are not placed in prison, or worse, because of our beliefs. Christians will never find peace until the return of Christ Jesus. All these tribulations will be fully compensated to those that stand by Christ Jesus and are persecuted. There will you find your blessings and rewards. Peacemakers are those that lead others to Christ because only Christ is the way to peace.
13 Ye 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. Notice this verse starts with ye, as in a plural sense. This is speaking to all followers of Christ. What does salt do and how was it used in the time of Jesus? Salt is a preservative; it enhances flavor and seasons food. Salt was even used to help heal wounds. At the time of Jesus salt was almost worth it’s weight in gold. Jesus will preserve life and Christians will help preserve life by sharing the gospel (good news) of Christ. Without Christians in this world only the tastelessness or disgusting flavor of sin would be available. Christians, because they follow Christ, give this world its only redeeming virtue and if you lose your love for the Lord then you are not able to help Jesus and you are not able to bring others to Christ. Such a person is of no value. They will be trodden under foot.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Just as the salt, we need to remember what light does. Sunlight is necessary for any life on earth. Without sunlight nothing would grow or survive. Without Jesus man will perish. Christians are the light of the Lord leading others to the truth. Even a candle gives enough light to show the way through the dark. Without Christians shining the light of Jesus many people may die a spiritual death, the final and true death. Remember, Jesus is the way the truth and the light. Christians are to emulate Christ so that others may follow and understand. If your light does not shine you should wonder why and worry about it deeply.
15 Neither 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.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. If you are a true Christian do not hide your faith, allow your faith and actions to be seen by the world so that others may understand what Christianity is all about.
Never dishonor the Lord by acting in a non-Christian manner because how the world sees you will be how they think of all Christians. Many people in this world are chomping at the bit for anything they can use against Christ and Christians and we are not to give the enemy (Satan) ammunition or succor (assistance). An old saying goes: lead, follow or get out of the way. If you are a Christian then lead others to Christ, if you are undecided about your faith follow true Christians and learn about Christ and if you are a stumbling block for Christ get out of the way, your master has lost the war already.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophecies. When Jesus died on the cross He fulfilled all prophesies. As for the law there was no longer reason for blood sacrifices because He was the last sacrifice, the last atonement and our redeemer. On that note this is the reason gentiles did not have the need for circumcision because that was also a blood offering or sacrifice. Jesus was also the blood covenant.
18 For 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. Not a single change in the law will occur, not even a period will be removed. The Old Testament Laws still stand and Jesus is the fulfillment of some of those laws.
Jesus is also reminding us that while we are in flesh bodies we will sin and therefore we need His salvation. If you teach others the truth your blessings in Heaven will be greater but never lead others away from Christ.
20 For 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. Jesus makes a statement here that leaves no room for debate. If you have read my study on Pharisees and Sadducees (and as you can see scribes are included here) you already know that these people are not in the will of God and are enemies of Christ.
If you want to see how lowly Christ thinks of these people and since Jesus is using them as an example of who will “NOT enter into the kingdom of Heaven” let’s make a comparison with: 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10: and see what Jesus has compared them with:
9: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind (ergo homosexuals), What does the word effeminate mean here? From the Strongs Concordance: 1) soft, soft to the touch a) effeminate 2) of a boy kept for homosexual relations with a man 3) of a male who submits his body to unnatural lewdness 4) of a male prostitute
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. What a group to be associated with! Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes must rate on the bottom of the chart.
Now back to: Matthew 5: 21.
21 Ye 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:
22 But 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 “Raca” means an empty headed man, it was a strong reproach used by the Jews. Now lets discover what this all means.
Anger at a brother without justification brings just as much danger of judgment from God as murder does. Why is this? Uncontrolled Anger without reason is an emotion that brings on severe actions and when this happens a person may do things he or she may not normally do. A person that is angry without cause is a person that refuses to listen to the facts or another’s point of view; he has already decided that his brother is guilty or wrong. No amount of truth will change his mind. That is a heart that has been hardened. That is where the judgment comes in. If a person decides on his own to condemn another person without hearing the facts then that person may be subjected to the same type of judgment he gives his brother. I believe this is also an example of other emotions we must control. Strong passions from any emotion that leads us to judge a person may cause us to commit sins against God and other people. As we know in today’s world there have been people murdered over sexual passion, jealousy, desire for money and power, fits of anger and a host of other emotions. If we refuse to open our hearts and minds we are judging without reason. Allowing our emotions free reign without control will cause a person a multitude of problems. We must forgive so we will be forgiven.
Why does a person that says “thou fool” (evidently calls a person a fool) be in danger of hell fire? If we look at the subject of these verses we see that Jesus is talking about penalties and judgments and righteousness and also who will inherit the kingdom of Heaven (always discover the subject of the verse). I believe that where Jesus says when you call your brother a fool He is talking about you claiming your brother is a fool in righteousness and therefore you are basically saying you think you are closer to God than he is or you understand God better than your brother does. Jesus is saying your eyes may be closed to the truth and you refuse to open your eyes and mind to the truth while at the same time you are condemning your brother’s beliefs. Never decide the truth without consulting the word of God and discovering the truth of God. You may be wrong so make sure you know what you are talking about. Read and study for you own soul and keep an open mind.
When we decide on our own that another person is destined for hell or is wrong about the teachings of the Bible and Christ Jesus we are opening ourselves to the same condemnation and judgment that we are placing on our brother (another Christian). God is the Judge, not man. “Judge not lest ye be judged”. Is your heart hardened against the Truth Of God? Be not blind or deaf, hear and see the truth of God so that you may be blessed forever, if not you may be condemned or seduced by Satan.
Since this study is long and involved we will break here and continue it in the next study. God has so much to tell us, yet we have but a short life to take it all in.
May God bless the reader with understanding and hunger for His Word.
