Sermon On the Mount
Introduction
(Verses are quoted from the MKJV)
The
Sermon
on
the
Mount
is
considered
to
be
the
highest
ethical
teaching
in
the
Bible
and
teaches
us,
God’s
children,
to
develop
our
thinking
ever
closer
to
that
of
Christ.
This
is
important
teaching
as
it
comes
directly
from
Jesus
and
gives
an
insight
into
how
His
mind
works,
serving
as
a
standard
for
all
Christians.
The
standards
are,
obviously,
very
high,
but
our
aim
is
to
have
them
in
mind
at
all
times
in
our
thinking
and
attitudes,
remembering
that
its
demands
cannot
be
met
in
our
own
power.
As
Christians,
we
have the advantage of being guided by God’s Spirit, freely given the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour.
Then
Peter
said
to
them,
Repent
and
be
baptized,
every
one
of
you,
in
the
name
of
Jesus
Christ
to
remission
of
sins,
and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
[Acts 2:38]
.
…
in
whom
[Christ]
also
you,
hearing
the
Word
of
Truth,
the
gospel
of
our
salvation,
in
whom
also
believing,
you
were
sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
[Eph 1:13]
.
Before
getting
into
the
text
at
verse
3,
it
is
important
to
note
that,
despite
the
presence
of
the
crowd
[7:28],
this
sermon
was
given specifically to His disciples.
5:1
And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain. And when He had sat down, His disciples came to Him.
5:2
And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying,:
This might not have been limited to the twelve, but could haven included other disciples who had joined him.
The Sermon On the Mount can be divided into the following sections:
The
first
section,
5:3-16,
contains
the
Beatitudes.
The
Beatitudes
place
the
emphasis
on
how
we
should
be
as
opposed
to what we do.
5:17-48 deals with the relationship of Jesus Christ to the law.
Ch 6 deals with our relationship with God, and
Ch 7 deals with our relationship with man.
The Beatitudes vv 3-16
The
Greek
word
in
the
Beatitudes
translated
as
‘blessed’
is
makarios,
which
does
mean
“blessed,”
“happy,”
or
“prosperous.”
However,
this
word
did
not
originally
have
a
religious
connotation.
The
term
Beatitude
comes
from
the
Latin
word
beatus,
meaning both "happy" and "blessed."
It
is
suggested
that
the
‘Beatitudes’
can
be
considered
by
believers
as
their
“be
-
attitudes”;
the
attitudes
that
should
“be.”
The
first
seven
are
traits
that
make
up
the
Christian
character.
They
are
not
natural
characteristics,
and
clearly
demonstrate
a
sharp
distinction
between
Christian
and
non-Christian
attitudes,
guiding
us
to
a
closer
understanding
of
the
mind
of
Christ.
The
eighth
and ninth deal with the reaction of non-believers to these traits.
5:3
Blessed are the
poor in spirit
! For theirs is the kingdom of the Heaven.
A
dictionary
definition
of
spiritual
is
that
“relating
to
or
affecting
the
human
spirit
or
soul
as
opposed
to
material
or
physical
things.”
Once
having
accepted
Jesus
as
our
Saviour,
and
have
the
Holy
Spirit
in
us,
then
a
process
of
sanctification
(being
separated
unto
God)
begins
in
which
we
progressively
increase
in
spiritual
maturity
and
our
relationship
with
Him.
A
Christian
who is ‘poor in Spirit’ recognises that there is still a long way to go on that journey of sanctification.
5:4
Blessed are they that mourn! For they shall be comforted.
Most
people
will
naturally
mourn
the
loss
of
a
loved
one.
Here
the
mourners
are
those
who
grieve
over
sin
as
a
natural
response, whether it be a personal sin, the sin of another person or group, or the sin of the world.
5:5
Blessed are the
meek
! For they shall inherit the earth.
The
modern
definition
of
‘meek’
is
“quiet,
gentle,
and
easily
imposed
on;
submissive”,
which
is
generally
viewed
as
a
weakness.
The
Biblical
meaning
of
meek
is
obviously
different
in
that
it
lacks
the
sense
of
being
imposed
on.
Jesus
describes
himself
as
meek:
Take
My
yoke
on
you
and
learn
of
Me,
for
I
am
meek
and
lowly
in
heart
[Mt
11:29]
.
Meekness
is
a
fruit
of
the
Spirit:
But
the
fruit
of
the
Spirit
is:
love,
joy,
peace,
long-suffering,
kindness,
goodness,
faith, meekness,
self-control;
against
such
things
there
is
no
law.
[Gal
5:22-23]
.
In
Christianity,
a
meek
person
is
not
easily
provoked,
showing
tolerance
and
patience
when faced with offensive attitudes, and having a calm confidence expressed as self control.
5:6
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled.
Righteousness in the Bible is the quality of being right in the eyes of God in all respects, of attitude, behaviour, and word.
Based
upon
God's
standard
it
is,
of
course,
impossible
for
us
to
achieve,
but
is
what
we
should
all
hunger
and
thirst
for,
desiring not just a portion but all of the righteousness of God.
5:7
Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy.
Mercy
is
an
act
of
compassion,
kindness
or
forgiveness,
deserved
or
not,
when
we
are
in
a
superior
position
to
another,
actual
or
perceived,
physical
or
mental.
Jesus
tells
us
that
to
those
who
are
merciful
to
others,
mercy
will
also
be
shown
to
them.
Those
who
possess
and
demonstrate
a
disposition
to
kindness,
forgiveness,
and
compassion
-
a
quality
expected
of
all
Christians
-
are
those who will receive the same.
5:8
Blessed are the
pure in heart
! For they shall see God.
Being
pure
in
heart
is
a
work
of
the
Holy
Spirit
in
our
lives.
If
you
are
pure
in
heart,
then
you
are
pure
in
thought,
word
and
deed.
In
practice,
this
can
be
a
tough
call,
particularly
in
thought.
A
sinful
thought,
if
not
immediately
halted,
can
allow
physical
sin
to
creep
in.
We
all
sin
at
some
time
but,
for
Christians,
it
should
be
a
transient
sin,
requiring
immediate
repentance
and
asking
God
for
forgiveness.
We
can
maintain
a
pure
heart
if
we
allow
the
Spirit
and
the
Word
to
guide
us.
I
say,
then,
Walk
in
the
Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
[Gal 5:16]
5:9
Blessed are the
peacemakers
! For they shall be called sons of God.
We
should
bring
peace
between
people
and
God,
and
between
those
who
are
at
odds
with
each
other.
Peacemakers
initiate
reconciliation when they are on the receiving end of some wrong doing, and are quick to repent when they are at fault.
5:10
Blessed are they who have been
persecuted for righteousness' sake
! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
In
the
west
we
haven’t
experience
very
much
persecution
to-date,
but
it
is
gradually
creeping
into
our
culture.
In
recent
years
we
have
reached
the
situation
whereby
some
Christians
are
at
risk
of
losing
their
jobs
or
facing
prosecution
for
defending
God’s
Word.
We
try
to
do
and
say
the
right
thing
when
surrounded
by
the
problems
of
a
fallen
world
around
us,
with
the
result
that
we
are often criticised and persecuted for our Christian (righteous) approach to all the wrongs we are confronted with.
5:11
Blessed
are
you
when
men
shall
revile
you
and
persecute
you
,
and
shall
say
all
kinds
of
evil
against
you
falsely,
for
My
sake.
5:12
Rejoice
and
be
exceedingly
glad,
for
your
reward
in
Heaven
is
great.
For
so
they
persecuted
the
prophets
who
were
before
you.
Persecution
in
verse
11
is
specifically
because
we
are
self-declared
followers
of
Jesus.
Non-believers,
atheists,
and
sometimes
followers of other faiths, will mock and belittle us, sometimes even calling us ‘Jesus freaks’
Persecution
isn’t
a
command;
it
is
a
warning
that
it
will
likely
become
a
reality.
Those
of
us
who
don’t
face
persecution
to
any
significant
degree
can
be
considered
fortunate,
not
failures.
However,
we
must
not
put
ourselves
in
a
position
that
deliberately
invites persecution simply to ensure we are blessed.
Salt and Light
Salt
5:13
You
are
the
salt
of
the
earth,
but
if
the
salt
loses
its
savor,
with
what
shall
it
be
salted?
It
is
no
longer
good
for
anything,
but to be thrown out and to be trodden underfoot by men.
‘The
salt
of
the
earth’
is
an
expression
described
in
differing
ways,
but
in
general,
when
a
person
is
described
as
‘the
salt
of
the
earth’
it
is
intended
to
be
quite
a
compliment.
The
expression
is
Biblical
in
origin
and
comes
from
this
verse.
Salt
in
those
days
was
used
basically
as
a
preservative
because
it
killed
the
surface
bacteria
on
the
meat
and
had
a
preserving
affect.
It
kept
the
meat
from
rotting
or
putrefying.
Jesus
is
saying
to
us,
you
are
the
preserving
influence
in
a
world
in
which
you
live.
Our
task
is to keep our lives pure that we might ‘salt’ this earth and oppose the corrupting influence that challenges our faith.
Light
5:14
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
5:15
Nor
do
men
light
a
lamp
and
put
it
under
the
grain-measure,
but
on
a
lampstand.
And
it
gives
light
to
all
who
are
in
the
house.
5:16
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.
This is really straight forward: In a fallen dark world, we must be God’s instruments through which His light shines.
The relationship of Jesus Christ to the law
Mat 5:17
Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Mat
5:18
For
truly
I
say
to
you,
Till
the
heaven
and
the
earth
pass
away,
not
one
jot
or
one
tittle
shall
in
any
way
pass
from
the
Law until all is fulfilled.
These
verses
are
a
form
of
introduction
to
the
section
concerning
the
law.
Here,
Jesus
emphasised
that
the
law,
that
is
the
Torah,
was
still
true
and
remained
effective
in
totality.
Nothing
Jesus
did
or
said
opposed
that
law.
It
was
following
Jesus’
death,
resurrection
and
birth
of
the
church
that
the
law,
written
in
stone,
was
replaced
by
the
law
written
on
believers’
hearts
by
the
Holy Spirit, as Prophesied in Ezekiel 11:19 for the Jews:
And
I
will
give
them
one
heart,
and
I
will
put
a
new
spirit
within
you.
And
I
will
remove
the
stony
heart
out
of
their
flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh.
… and in Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law, but under grace.
Jesus then emphasises the need for obedience.
5:19
Therefore
whoever
shall
relax
one
of
these
commandments,
the
least,
and
shall
teach
men
so,
he
shall
be
called
the
least
in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven
.
These
commandments
are
those
that
follow
in
the
remainder
of
Matthew
5
and
continuing
in
chapters
6
and
7.
They
are
not
like
an
exam
where
you
need
to
achieve
a
pass
mark.
The
pass
mark
here
should
be
100%,
in
teaching
and
in
practice,
in
order
to be recognised as great in the kingdom of Heaven.
5:20
For
I
say
to
you
that
unless
your
righteousness
shall
exceed
that
of
the
scribes
and
Pharisees,
you
shall
in
no
case
enter
into the kingdom of Heaven.
The
scribes
and
Pharisees
were
experts
at
appearing
righteous
with
their
outward
show
of
self-righteousness,
seemingly
being
examples
of
the
law
in
action,
but
inwardly
they
were
seriously
lacking
the
attitude
of
the
heart
desired
by
God.
The
disciples
were probably not yet aware of this and would have been astonished at Jesus’ words. The truth was to come out later.
Thou shalt not kill
5:21
You
have
heard
that
it
was
said
to
the
ancients,
"You
shall
not
kill"
and
,
"Whoever
shall
kill
shall
be
liable
to
the
judgment."
(Lev 24:21; Num 35:16)
.
5:22
But
I
say
to
you
that
whoever
is
angry
with
his
brother
without
a
cause
shall
be
liable
to
the
judgment.
And
whoever
shall
say
to
his
brother,
Raca,
shall
be
liable
to
the
sanhedrin;
but
whoever
shall
say,
Fool!
shall
be
liable
to
be
thrown
into
the
fire
of
hell.
It
is
okay
to
be
angry
with
a
cause:
God
judges
the
righteous,
and
God
is
angry
with
the
wicked
every
day
[Ps
7:11]
;
Jesus
looked
on
the
hypocritical
Pharisees
with
anger
[Mark
3:5]
.
However,
it
is
also
said
Be
angry,
and
do
not
sin.
Do
not
let
the
sun
go
down
upon
your
wrath,
neither
give
place
to
the
Devil
[Eph
4:26,
27]
.
In
other
words,
do
not
let
your
justifiable
anger
overcome you, otherwise it may lead to sin. Deal with it before the day ends.
Jesus
then
condemns
anger
without
a
cause;
unjust
or
rash
anger
when
no
offence
has
been
given
or
intended.
This
is
the
type
of
anger
which
could
lead
a
person
to
commit
murder
if
it
were
fully
acted
out,
in
which
case
it
is
evil:
Everyone
hating
his
brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has everlasting life abiding in him.
[1Jn 3:15].
Fool!
means
“stupid”
(The
Greek
word
is
moros
from
which
we
get
the
English
word
moron),
and
those
using
such
a
malicious expression would be
liable to be thrown into the fire of hell
.
What
is
being
said
here
is
that
if
anyone
makes
light
of
his
fellow
man
he
will
be
in
danger
of
slander,
but
if
malicious
statements are made with reference to hell, then the abuser would actually be in danger of hell.
5:23
Therefore if you offer your gift on the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,
5:24
leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Having
made
a
comparison
between
the
command
not
to
murder
and
the
inner
motive
of
the
heart,
that
of
hatred,
Jesus
then
illustrates
the
seriousness
of
this
matter
by
referring
to
one
who
would
attempt
to
buy
off
his
conscience
by
giving
an
offerering
to God without clearing his conscience in regard to his offended brother.
The
simple
and
challenging
message
here
is
that
there
should
be
no
anger
in
your
heart.
Any
anger
felt
must
be
dealt
with
immediately, first in your heart then, if required, by reconciliation.
5:25,
26
Agree
with
your
adversary
quickly,
while
you
are
in
the
way
with
him;
that
the
opponent
not
deliver
you
to
the
judge,
and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
5:26
Truly
I
say
to
you,
You
shall
by
no
means
come
out
from
there
until
you
have
paid
the
last
kodrantes
(the
smallest
Roman
copper coin).
Verse
26
seems
a
little
difficult
to
interpret.
Some
say
it
is
to
be
taken
spiritually
in
that
it
is
impossible
to
pay
off
the
debt
under these circumstances, indicating the punishment for unresolved sin is eternal.
Adultery
5:27
You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "You shall not commit adultery."
(Ex. 20:14).
5:28
But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Adultery
is
obviously
far
worse
than
inward
lustful
fantasies,
but
inner
desires
can
easily
lead
to
this
forbidden
sin.
There
must
be
no
lust
in
your
heart.
If
any
creeps
into
your
mind,
then
it
must
be
dealt
with
immediately
so
the
imagination
cannot
feed
on
it.
Let
no
one
being
tempted
say,
I
am
tempted
from
God.
For
God
is
not
tempted
by
evils,
and
He
tempts
no
one.
But
each
one
is
tempted
by
his
lusts,
being
drawn
away
and
seduced
by
them.
Then
when
lust
has
conceived,
it
brings
forth
sin.
And
sin,
when it is fully formed, brings forth
(spiritual)
death
[James 1:13-15].
5:29
And
if
your
right
eye
offends
you,
pluck
it
out
and
throw
it
from
you.
For
it
is
profitable
for
you
that
one
of
your
members
should perish, and not that your whole body should be thrown into hell.
5:30
And
if
your
right
hand
offends
you,
cut
it
off
and
throw
it
from
you.
For
it
is
profitable
for
you
that
one
of
your
members
should perish, and not that your whole body should be thrown into hell.
Obviously,
these
two
verses
are
not
to
be
taken
literally.
It
would
be
a
nonsense
to
pluck
out
your
right
eye
leaving
your
left
to
still
give
offence.
Likewise,
if
you
cut
off
your
right
hand,
it
would
just
be
a
matter
of
time
before
you
become
accustomed
to
using
your
left.
There
are
examples
in
the
New
Testament
of
the
Hebrews
being
accustomed
to
represent
the
affections
of
the
mind
by
the
members
or
parts
of
the
body,
so
these
verses
might
have
a
greater
meaning
to
the
listening
crowd.
But
for
us,
our
Lord
is
simply
accentuating
the
importance
of
avoiding
this
sin
that
might
lead
us
in
the
direction
of
hell.
The
salvation
of
our
souls is to be preferred before all else.
Divorce
5:31
It was also said, Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce.
5:32
But
I
say
to
you
that
whoever
shall
put
away
his
wife,
except
for
the
cause
of
fornication,
causes
her
to
commit
adultery.
And whoever shall marry her who is put away commits adultery.
Jesus
is
reacting
to
the
School
of
Hillel
who
interpreted
the
law
on
divorce
as
being
very
liberal,
whereas
the
School
of
Shammai
restricted
the
only
reason
for
divorce
as
being
fornication.
However,
this
is
not
an
exception.
It
is
referring
to
fornication
during
betrothal.
Betrothal
(which
we
would
call
engagement)
in
the
Jewish
marriage
process
was
a
legal
agreement
which
could
only
be
broken
if
fornication
was
proven.
Except
for
the
cause
of
fornication
is
perhaps
mentioned
here
to
further
explain
Joseph’s
decision
in
chapter
1
verses
18
&
19.
In
Mark
10:9-12,
where
the
‘exception’
is
not
given,
a
Jewish
reader
would
have taken this for granted:
Mk 10:9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man put apart.
Mk 10:10 And in the house His disciples asked Him again about the same.
Mk 10:11 And He said to them, Whoever shall put away his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.
Mk 10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband and marries to another, she commits adultery.
A
summary
is
that
marriage
is
for
life.
Should
a
divorce
be
unavoidable,
remarriage
is
not
permitted
whilst
a
spouse
is
still
living, as God does not recognise the divorce
[Mark 10:9].
Teaching on Oaths
5:33
Again,
you
have
heard
that
it
has
been
said
to
the
ancients,
"You
shall
not
swear
falsely,
but
you
shall
perform
your
oaths to the Lord."
5:34
But I say to you, Do not swear at all! Not by Heaven, because it is God's throne;
5:35
not by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King;
5:36
nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
5:37
But let your word be, Yes, yes; No, no. For whatever is more than these comes from evil.
The
Jewish
legal
experts
had
many
ways
of
getting
around
the
law
and
break
oaths,
with
the
result
that
a
person’s
promises
might mean nothing.
Jesus
is
not
saying
we
should
not
take
a
legal
oath,
but
is
warning
us
to
speak
the
truth
without
the
need
to
add
an
oath
to
support our words. Our integrity should be such that people will accept that ‘your word is your bond’.
Retaliation
5:38
You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."
5:39
But I say to you, Do not resist evil. But whoever shall strike you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Verse
38:
An
eye
for
an
eye,
and
a
tooth
for
a
tooth
was
the
instruction
to
the
judiciary
meant
to
limit
the
punishment
to
fit
the
crime,
and
to
prevent
the
possibility
of
escalation
and
revenge.
Jesus’
response
to
this
was
to
not
resist
evil,
to
endure
and
not
retaliate,
but
to
turn
the
other
cheek,
taking
shall
not
avenge
(verse
18
below)
to
a
new
level
and
thereby
witnessing
Christian
love:
Y
ou
shall
not
avenge,
nor
bear
any
grudge
against
the
sons
of
your
people;
but
you
shall
love
your
neighbour
as
yourself. I am Jehovah
[Lev 19:18].
Verse 39: strike is better translated as a slap rather than a strike or smite.
The next three verses give further examples of demonstrating Christian love.
5:40
And to him desiring to sue you, and to take away your tunic, let him have your coat also.
These two garments were worn together, the cloak being worn over the tunic.
5:41
And whoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two.
There
was
a
law
whereby
Roman
soldiers
could
ask
a
person
to
carry
a
load
for
a
mile;
a
legal
allowance
which
they
could
invoke, as in the case of Simon of Cyrene later being compelled to carry Jesus’ cross.
5:42
Give to him who asks of you, and you shall not turn away from him who would borrow from you.
I suggest this would be in the form of a sincere plea for help, and not turning away would be a free act of love.
Love your enemies
5:43
You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."
5:44
But
I
say
to
you,
Love
your
enemies,
bless
those
who
curse
you,
do
good
to
those
who
hate
you,
and
pray
for
those
who
despitefully use you and persecute you,
5:45
so
that
you
may
become
sons
of
your
Father
in
Heaven.
For
He
makes
His
sun
to
rise
on
the
evil
and
on
the
good,
and
sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
5:46
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?
5:47
And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax-collectors do so?
5:48
Therefore be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.
The
Old
Testament
taught
that
we
should
love
our
neighbour,
but
nowhere
does
it
say
to
hate
your
enemies.
That
we
must
therefore
hate
our
enemy
was
an
inference
incorrectly
drawn
from
it,
perhaps
encouraged
by
expressions
of
hatred
for
God’s
enemies in the Psalms, for example
139:19-22
.
The
laws
involving
neighbours
comes
from
Leviticus
where
‘neighbour’
seems
to
refer
to
neighbours
amongst
the
Jewish
community.
In
Luke
10:25-37,
the
section
on
The
Good
Samaritan,
a
lawyer
asks
Jesus
for
clarification
of
who
your
neighbour
is.
Given
that
Samaritans
and
Jews
despised
each
other,
and
the
priest
and
Levite
both
passed
by
on
the
other
side
to
the
injured
Jew, the parable tells us that your neighbour is anyone in need.
Jesus
replaced
this
idea
of
loving
your
neighbour
with
an
even
higher
standard
in
verse
44:
I
say
to
you,
Love
your
enemies;
bless
those
cursing
you,
do
well
to
those
hating
you;
and
pray
for
those
abusing
and
persecuting
you
.
These
things
just
don’t
seem
natural,
however,
we
must
allow
ourselves
to
be
guided
by
the
fact
if
God
so
loved
us,
we
ought
also
to
love
one
another,
and
that he who loves God should love his brother also.
The full context of these words is
1Jn 4:7-21
.
A
suggested
pathway
to
loving
your
enemies
might
be
considering
it
an
act
of
compassion.
If
they
knew
Christ
like
you
do,
then they would not be your enemy. Anyone who is not a believer demands compassion as:
[God] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
[1Ti 2:4]
The
Lord
is
not
slow
concerning
His
promise,
as
some
count
slowness,
but
is
long-suffering
toward
us,
not
purposing
that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
[2Pe 3:9]
Remembering
5:48
Therefore,
be
perfect
even
as
your
Father
in
Heaven
is
perfect.
This,
of
course,
is
an
impossible
demand,
however,
what
is
impossible
for
mankind
becomes
increasingly
possible
for
those
who
give
their
lives
to
Jesus
Christ
through
the
power of the Holy Spirit in their hearts.
Chapter 6 is about our relationship to God in preference to people.
Here we have three examples of things that should be done in secret so as not to be to impress others.
(1) giving / deeds
(2) prayer, and
(3) denial of the flesh
Giving covertly
6:1
Take
heed
that
you
do
not
do
your
merciful
deeds
before
men,
to
be
seen
by
them.
Otherwise
you
have
no
reward
with
your Father in Heaven.
6:2
Therefore
when
you
do
your
merciful
deeds,
do
not
sound
a
trumpet
before
you,
as
the
hypocrites
do
in
the
synagogues
and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.
6:3
But when you do merciful deeds, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does,
6:4
so that your merciful deeds may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret Himself shall reward you openly.
In
v1,
KJV
reads
Take
heed
that
ye
do
not
your
alms
before
men
,
others
translate
alms
as
merciful
deeds
,
or
similar
wording.
The
interpretation
of
the
Greek
is
flexible
as
it
speaks
of
“compassionateness,
that
is,
(as
exercised
towards
the
poor)
beneficence, or (concretely) a benefaction: - alms (-deeds).”
[G1654]
.
The
message
here
is
that
any
act
or
form
of
giving
should
be
done
covertly,
not
open
so
as
to
impress
people,
in
which
case
your motive is not true love and your reward is your audience (v2).
Pray in secret
6:5
And
when
you
pray,
you
shall
not
be
like
the
hypocrites.
For
they
love
to
pray
standing
in
the
synagogues
and
in
the
corners of the streets, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.
6:6
But
you,
when
you
pray,
enter
into
your
room.
And
shutting
your
door,
pray
to
your
Father
in
secret;
and
your
Father
who sees in secret shall reward you openly.
6:7
But
when
you
pray,
do
not
babble
vain
words,
as
the
nations.
For
they
think
that
in
their
much
speaking
they
shall
be
heard.
6:8
Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask Him.
Again,
the
message
here
is
not
to
pray
in
such
a
way
as
to
impress
others.
It
is
true
that
when
and
how
we
pray
has
no
practical
limitations,
however,
to
connect
with
God
in
prayer
it
is
important
to
find
a
quiet
place
so
as
not
be
distracted
from
things
of
the
world.
6:9
Therefore pray in this way: Our Father, who is in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
6:10
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
6:11
Give us this day our daily bread;
6:12
and forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors.
6:13
And
lead
us
not
into
temptation,
but
deliver
us
from
the
evil.
For
Yours
is
the
kingdom,
and
the
power,
and
the
glory,
forever. Amen.
The
Lord’s
Prayer
(which
some
prefer
to
refer
to
as
the
disciple’s
prayer)
is
something
we
all
know.
Consequently,
it
is
easy
to
pray
without
thinking
about
it
and
finding
our
minds
wondering.
We
can
guard
against
this,
and
at
any
time
in
prayer,
by
speaking the words, either audibly or quietly, by simply moving our lips.
6:14
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;
6:15
but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
The
command
to
forgive
is
consistent
in
the
Gospels.
It
is
required
of
those
who
have
been
forgiven.
But
how
can
you
forgive
someone
who
has
done
you,
or
someone
you
love,
serious
physical
or
mental
harm.
Here
we
are
reminded
that
forgiveness
is
irrefutably
not
an
option.
The
Expositor’s
Bible
Commentary
says
“the
spirit
of
forgiveness
we
are
taught
to
cherish
by
the
very
terms
in
which
we
ask
it
for
ourselves.”
Forgive
we
must,
but
it
may
not
take
away
the
hurt.
For
that
we
must
ask
God
to
help
us
deal with it.
Fasting
6:16
And
when
you
fast,
do
not
be
as
the
hypocrites,
with
sullen
face,
for
they
disfigure
their
faces
so
that
they
may
appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you that they have their reward.
6:17
But you in fasting, anoint your head and wash your face,
6:18
so
as
not
to
appear
to
men
to
be
fasting,
but
to
your
Father
in
secret.
And
your
Father
seeing
in
secret
will
repay
you
in the open.
Jesus says
when you fast,
implying an expectation to fast.
Again,
we
are
not
to
draw
attention
to
ourselves
by
fasting
in
such
a
way
that
we
are
attracting
admiration
because
of
our
outward showing of struggling with the fast.
Fasting
is
a
means
of
surrendering
the
physical
to
the
spiritual,
thereby
drawing
closer
to
God.
However,
fasting
is
to
be
approached
with
caution.
If
you
are
young
and
fit,
okay;
if
you
are
not
fit
or
elderly,
then
it
would
be
advisable
to
do
some
research and maybe check with your doctor first.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
In
the
previous
verses
Jesus
was
teaching
that
our
spiritual
activities
should
be
done
with
the
thought
of
pleasing
God.
In
the
rest of Chapter 6 Jesus teaches that our physical activities should also be done with God uppermost in our minds.
6:19
Do
not
treasure
up
for
you
treasures
on
the
earth,
where
moth
and
rust
cause
to
perish,
and
where
thieves
dig
through and steal.
6:20
But
treasure
up
for
you
treasures
in
Heaven,
where
neither
moth
nor
rust
cause
to
perish,
and
where
thieves
do
not
dig through and steal.
The
"treasure"
Jesus
refers
to
here
isn't
necessarily
money.
An
earthly
treasure
can
be
a
career,
a
home,
collecting
possessions,
or
anything
that
has
an
impact
on
our
time
to
the
extent
that
it
might
hinder
our
walk
with
God.
Jesus
wants
us
to
realize
that
material
things
are
of
transitory
value
while
spiritual
things
are
of
eternal
value.
It
isn’t
that
earthly
treasures
are
in
themselves
bad,
but
they
are
of
no
ultimate
value
to
ourselves.
It
would
be
wrong
then
to
dedicate
our
lives
to
continually
expanding
our
earthly
treasures
without
ensuring
our
priorities
are
correct
with
spiritual
things
taking
their
proper
place.
Any
good
that
could
be
done
for
the
kingdom
of
God
through
the
use
of
our
earthly
treasures
will
last
for
eternity.
Treasures
in
heaven
can
give
enjoyment
now,
in
the
contentment
and
sense
of
well-being
that
comes
from
being
a
giver.
But
their
ultimate
enjoyment will be experienced on the other side of eternity.
6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The
conclusion
drawn
here
is
that
you
can
only
have
your
treasure,
and
your
heart,
in
one
place;
we
can’t
store
up
treasure
on earth and in heaven at the same time.
6:22
The lamp of the body is the eye. Then if your eye is sound, all your body is light.
6:23
But if your eye is evil, all your body is dark. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
These
two
verses
don’t
seem
to
sit
comfortably
between
verses
21
and
24,
referring
as
they
do
to
treasure
and
mammon.
However, it helps to consider two proverbs:
Pro 22:9
He who has a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he gives of his bread to the poor.
Pro 28:22
He who hastens to be rich has an evil eye, and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
These
proverbs
reflect
the
two
Hebraic
idioms:
having
a
“good
eye”
is
to
look
out
for
the
needs
of
others
and
be
generous
in
giving
to
the
poor;
to
have
a
“bad
eye”
is
to
be
greedy
and
self-centred,
blind
to
the
needs
of
those
around
you.
Seen
in
this
light, verses 22 and 23 naturally flow to verse 24.
6:24
No
one
is
able
to
serve
two
lords;
for
either
he
will
hate
the
one,
and
he
will
love
the
other;
or
he
will
cleave
to
the
one,
and he will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and wealth
.
The issue is not wealth in itself. The issue is who you serve, who you worship, and where your heart is.
Do Not Be Anxious
6:25
Because
of
this,
I
say
to
you,
Do
not
be
anxious
for
your
soul,
what
you
eat
and
what
you
drink,
nor
for
your
body,
what you put on. Is not the soul more than the food and the body than the clothing?
6:26
Observe
the
birds
of
the
heaven,
that
they
do
not
sow,
nor
do
they
reap,
nor
do
they
gather
into
barns,
yet
your
heavenly Father feeds them. Do you not rather excel them?
6:27
But who of you by being anxious is able to add one cubit onto his stature?
6:28
And
why
are
you
anxious
about
clothing?
Consider
the
lilies
of
the
field,
how
they
grow.
They
do
not
labour
nor
do
they spin,
6:29
but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed as one of these.
6:30
If
God
so
enrobes
the
grass
of
the
field
(which
is
today,
and
is
thrown
into
a
furnace
tomorrow)
will
He
not
much
rather you, little-faiths?
6:31
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, With what shall we be clothed?
6:32
For the nations seek after all these things. For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.
Jesus’
disciples
could
take
the
words
of
verse
25
literally,
expecting
all
their
needs
to
be
taken
care
of
while
going
from
place
to
place
doing
God’s
will.
This
cannot
be
the
case
for
people
negotiating
a
normal
life,
especially
where
care
of
children
is
involved.
We
have
a
responsibility
to
manage
our
lives,
which
means
looking
to,
and
preparing
for,
future
days.
A
clue
to
this
is
in
verse
26:
Behold
the
birds
of
the
air;
for
they
sow
not,
nor
do
they
reap,
nor
gather
into
barns.
Yet
your
heavenly
Father
feeds
them;
are
you
not
much
better
than
they
are?
Birds
do
not
sit
on
a
fence
waiting
for
food
to
fly
into
their
mouths;
they
have
to
seek
it
out.
The
point
here
is
that
Jesus
isn’t
saying
that
we
should
surrender
our
responsibility
to
God.
This
must
be
interpreted
as not to be over anxious about it; do your best and give God the rest, i.e. pray.
6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
This
reminds
us
of
the
Beatitude:
Blessed
are
they
who
hunger
and
thirst
after
righteousness!
For
they
shall
be
filled.
[5:6].
Always
a
high
priority
for
us
as
Christians
should
be
our
relationship
with
God,
giving
God
priority
over
what
might,
in
reality,
be
time
wasted
on
relatively
trivial
material
and
physical
concerns
of
life.
If
we
occasionally
give
time
to
consider
these
things,
we
will recognise where our hearts really are and can prayerfully seek God’s help to adjust our lives accordingly.
6:34
Then do not be anxious for tomorrow. For the morrow will be anxious of itself. Sufficient to each day is its own trouble.
As
a
concluding
statement
to
the
preceding
verses,
Jesus
tells
us
that
if
we
must
worry,
then
worry
only
for
the
things
of
today.
If
we
have
done
all
we
can
about
any
situation
that
might
arise
tomorrow,
then
will
now
have
absolutely
no
control
over
the outcome. What will be will be, and it is therefore foolish, as well as harmful, to worry further.
MATTHEW 7: OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MAN
Judging Others
7:1
Judge not, that you may not be judged.
7:2
For
with
whatever
judgement
you
judge,
you
shall
be
judged;
and
with
whatever
measure
you
measure
out,
it
shall
be
measured to you again.
7:3
And
why
do
you
look
on
the
splinter
that
is
in
your
brother's
eye,
but
do
not
consider
the
beam
that
is
in
your
own
eye?
7:4
Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull the splinter out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?
7:5
Hypocrite!
First
cast
the
beam
out
of
your
own
eye,
and
then
you
shall
see
clearly
to
cast
the
splinter
out
of
your
brother's eye.
7:6
Do
not
give
that
which
is
holy
to
the
dogs;
nor
cast
your
pearls
before
swine,
lest
they
trample
them
under
their
feet
and turn again and tear you.
The
first
two
verses,
when
quoted
out
of
context,
read
as
a
warning
not
to
judge
others.