Matthew
5 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Introduction
to the Sermon on the Mount
5
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His
disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He
said:
3
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11
‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all
kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great
is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who
were before you.
Salt and light
13
‘You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it
be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out
and trampled underfoot.
14
‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on
its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let
your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify
your Father in heaven.
The fulfilment of the
law
17
‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not
come to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven
and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen,
will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19
Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches
others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever
practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of
heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the
Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom
of heaven.
Murder
21
‘You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “You shall not
murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” 22 But I tell
you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[b][c] will be subject to
judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, “Raca,”[d] is
answerable to the court. And anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of
the fire of hell.
23
‘Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that
your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in
front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer
your gift.
25
‘Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it
while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to
the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be
thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have
paid the last penny.
Adultery
27
‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.”[e] 28 But I
tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed
adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble,
gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your
body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand
causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to
lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Divorce
31
‘It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of
divorce.”[f] 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for
sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a
divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
33
‘Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break
your oath, but fulfil to the Lord the oaths you have made.” 34 But I tell you,
do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by
the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the
Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair
white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply “Yes,” or “No”; anything
beyond this comes from the evil one.[g]
Eye for eye
38
‘You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.”[h] 39 But
I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right
cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and
take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one
mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn
away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for enemies
43
‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour[i] and hate your enemy.”
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45
that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on
the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you
doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore,
as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The Bible Panorama
Matthew 5
V
1–12: DESCRIPTION The progressive blessings of a heart in fellowship with God
are reflected in the inner qualities shown in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. These
‘blessed’ sayings are known as the Beatitudes.
V
13–16: DIFFERENCE The Christian should be to the world what salt is to food and
what light is to darkness—much needed and distinctively different.
V
17–20: DESTRUCTION The whole of God’s Word, in the smallest detail, will endure
after the destruction of the heavens and the earth as we know them. God’s law
is our guide to entering the kingdom of heaven. The righteousness of mere
religious observance, like that of the Pharisees, cannot give entry to it.
V 21–26: DANGER Those whose sinful and
unrepentant hearts reveal their anger and hatred for others, even for those who
are close enough to be brothers, are in grave danger of judgement and hell.
Bringing a gift to God is no substitute. Repentance will produce a desire to be
reconciled to the person offended. Judgement is the only alternative to
repentance.
V 27–30: DRASTIC In our personal fight against
sin, drastic action is called for, emphasised here through striking
illustrations. This involves self-denial, and recognising that, in the eyes of
God, hatred and anger in the heart count as murder, and lust counts as
adultery.
V 31–32: DIVORCE Jesus teaches the permanence
of the marriage bond, which He teaches can only be broken in the case of
marital unfaithfulness.
V 33–37: DIRECTNESS Our language and conduct
must be such that we need not invoke oaths to make people believe we are
telling the truth.
V 38–48: DOING A Christian must always do good
to others, even when he can insist on an enforceable legal right and even when enemies
oppose him. His generosity will evidence his desire to follow God’s directions,
as far as possible. His perfect heavenly Father is his standard.
Dictionary
of Bible Themes
1620
beatitudes, the
The
blessings pronounced by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount on those whose
lives exhibit particular characteristics or qualities. These contrast sharply
with popular values and outlooks.
The poor in spirit
Mt
5:3 pp Lk 6:20 See also Ps 69:32-33; Isa 61:1; Mt 23:12; Lk 18:9-14
Those who mourn
Mt
5:4 pp Lk 6:21 See also Ps 51:17; Isa 57:18-21; Isa 61:1-3; Jer 31:13; Rev
7:17; Rev 21:4
The meek
Mt
5:5 See also Ps 37:11; Zep 3:11-12; Mt 11:29
Those who hunger after
righteousness
Mt
5:6 pp Lk 6:21 See also Isa 55:1-2; Mt 6:33; 2Ti 2:22; 1Pe 3:12
The merciful
Mt
5:7 See also Ex 34:6-7; Da 9:9; Mt 6:12 pp Lk 11:4; Mt 6:14-15; Mt 18:21-35; Lk
6:36; Jas 2:13
The pure in heart
Mt
5:8 See also Ps 24:3-5; Ps 51:10; Ps 73:1; 1Jn 3:2-3
The peacemakers
Mt
5:9 See also Ps 34:14; Mt 5:44-45; Ro 12:18; Ro 14:19; 2Ti 2:22; Jas 3:17-18
The righteous who suffer
persecution
Mt
5:10-12 pp Lk 6:22 See also Jn 15:18-21; 2Ti 3:10-12; Jas 1:12; 1Pe 3:14,17;
1Pe 4:12-16
Question:
What are the Beatitudes?
A
Study of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount
The
beatitudes come from the opening verses of the famous Sermon on the Mount
delivered by Jesus and recorded in Matthew 5:3-12. Here Jesus states several
blessings, each beginning with the phrase, "Blessed are ..." (Similar
declarations appear in Jesus' Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6:20-23.) Each saying
speaks of a blessing or "divine favor" bestowed upon a person
resulting from the possession of a certain character quality.
Answer:
The
word "beatitude" comes from the Latin beatitudo, meaning "blessedness."
The phrase "blessed are" in each of the beatitudes implies a current
state of happiness or well-being. The expression held powerful meaning of
"divine joy and perfect happiness" to the people of the day. In other
words, Jesus was saying "divinely happy and fortunate are" those who
possess these inward qualities. While speaking of a current
"blessedness," each pronouncement also promises a future reward.
Am
I Blessed Like This?
Blessed
are . . . —Matthew 5:3-11
When
we first read the statements of Jesus, they seem wonderfully simple and
unstartling, and they sink unnoticed into our subconscious minds. For instance,
the Beatitudes initially seem to be merely soothing and beautiful precepts for
overly spiritual and seemingly useless people, but of very little practical use
in the rigid, fast-paced workdays of the world in which we live. We soon find,
however, that the Beatitudes contain the “dynamite” of the Holy Spirit. And
they “explode” when the circumstances of our lives cause them to do so. When
the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance one of the Beatitudes, we say, “What
a startling statement that is!” Then we must decide whether or not we will
accept the tremendous spiritual upheaval that will be produced in our
circumstances if we obey His words. That is the way the Spirit of God works. We
do not need to be born again to apply the Sermon on the Mount literally. The
literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount is as easy as child’s play.
But the interpretation by the Spirit of God as He applies our Lord’s statements
to our circumstances is the strict and difficult work of a saint.
The
teachings of Jesus are all out of proportion when compared to our natural way
of looking at things, and they come to us initially with astonishing discomfort.
We gradually have to conform our walk and conversation to the precepts of Jesus
Christ as the Holy Spirit applies them to our circumstances. The Sermon on the
Mount is not a set of rules and regulations— it is a picture of the life we
will live when the Holy Spirit is having His unhindered way with us.
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