Matthew 5:1 ¶ 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,
Jesus has called Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James
the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, so far. Compare this to the
passage in Luke 6 where Jesus will teach in a plain, not on a mountain.
Luke 6:12 ¶ And it came to pass in those days, that he
went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
13 And when it was day, he called unto
him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,)
and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of
Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16
And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the
traitor. 17 And he came down with them,
and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude
of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and
Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; 18 And they that were vexed with unclean
spirits: and they were healed. 19 And
the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and
healed them all.
So, the two sermons have a similar tone
but are given at a different time and place before a smaller audience and a
larger audience with Jesus seated here but standing in Luke. Some people say
that the sermon in Luke almost deals with social issues as much as spiritual
ones and I have thought that myself but I believe now that the topics are the same
or very similar with parallel phrasing showing the meaning of the commonly-called
Beatitudes and the message Jesus gave. By comparing the two sermons one can see
what is meant by each using cross-referencing. This sermon in Matthew is much
more detailed. It is an absurdity to think that the poor are blessed by being
poor as a poor person who does not trust Christ as their Saviour is as lost as
a rich person in the same state. Let’s compare the sermons.
Matthew 5:3 ¶ Blessed are
the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they
shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are
the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are
the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 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 poor in spirit are defined by cross-referencing. Start with
Isaiah 66:2 to see how a poor spirit is synonymous with a contrite spirit. To
be contrite is to feel remorse, to be affected by guilt. This is the foundation
of repentance, your remorse at your sin against a holy God.
Isaiah 66:2 For all those
things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but
to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and
trembleth at my word.
Psalm 34:18 The LORD is
nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite
spirit.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices
of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not
despise.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith
the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in
the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite
ones.
Luke starts off, thought, just saying;
Luke 6:20 And he lifted up
his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the
kingdom of God.
As noted earlier, just being poor doesn’t guarantee you will trust
in or follow Christ so it is an absurdity for us to think that being without
money or of a low social class means automatically that you belong to Christ.
Lost poor people are as in a great a danger as lost rich people when it comes
to eternal damnation.
The foundation of salvation is not an intellectual assent to a
proposition but of being broken realizing you are spiritually bankrupt before
God. I personally don’t believe that people who simply say, “oh I can accept
this,” or, “it works for me,” or even, “I was raised with this and its
comforting,” are necessarily saved. I think there must be some kind of
brokenness, some kind of realization of one’s spiritual poverty without Christ
before salvation can happen. I am not sure you will believe in the Saviour
if you don’t realize you need to be saved.
What is this mourning for? Does this imply some grace, some aspect
of salvation merely because someone is grieving over a lost loved one? I don’t
thank that is a reasonable conclusion.
The more likely meaning of this verse has to do with the mourning
for one’s sin and in the Jew’s case for the sins of all Israel against God. One
of our weaknesses in Christianity today is that we do not mourn for our sins
against God. Sin is the reason for death in this world and death is all around
us. Death is the symptom and sin is the cause. Shall we not mourn for the fall
of Adam and for our own iniquities? It is these that cost us so much and are
the reason that Christ came to suffer the Cross.
Who are the meek? Moses was called the meekest of all men
even though he as a prince of Egypt who killed an Egyptian and led a mass of
two million roughly people through a vast wasteland for forty years.
Numbers 12:3 (Now the man
Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
Who was he meek toward? Now, I realize that meek in a given
context can appear refer to the poor and humbled and powerless.
Isaiah 11:4 But with
righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of
the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the
breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Isaiah 29:19 The meek also
shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in
the Holy One of Israel.
Amos 2:7 That pant after
the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the
meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my
holy name:
But is the following passage a reference to merely someone who has
no money regardless of who they worship?
Psalm 37:11 But the meek
shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of
peace.
Christ said He was meek and lowly.
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke
upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find
rest unto your souls.
In someone as powerful as Christ and Moses meekness suggests
restraint, an ability to not do what you could do. But, is that what this is
referring to here in Matthew?
It is my contention that the meek here refers, because of the
context, a meekness towards God’s will. Are you and I meek toward God’s will?
Not only did Moses and Jesus, in His humanity, show incredible restraint but
both were meek toward the will of God the Father.
So far we have blessings for those who realize they are
spiritually bankrupt without God, those who mourn for sin’s very existence, and
those who are meek towards God and accepting of His will for their lives.
Hungering and thirsting after God’s standard of righteousness
carries with it a promise as God’s standard of righteousness is likened to food
and drink in this part of Jesus’ sermon. Consider this in Job.
Job 23:12 Neither have I
gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his
mouth more than my necessary food.
Then Psalms and Amos among many others.
Psalm 107:9 For he
satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Amos 8:11 ¶ Behold, the
days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a
famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
It is suggested by this verse that God’s people should hunger and
thirst after righteousness as they do food and drink and even more so.
Mercy is an important attribute of God and of the Christian. God’s
mercy is a fundamental theme of the Bible.
Psalm 116:5 Gracious is the
LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
Mercy as an attribute of the Christian is also stressed.
James 2:13 For he shall
have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth
against judgment.
We expect God’s mercy on our lives and we should be willing to
extend it to others. After all;
Luke 6:35 But love ye your
enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall
be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the
unthankful and to the evil.
The pure in heart shall see God. The Bible defines in what
being pure in heart entails.
Psalm 24: 3 ¶ Who shall
ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands,
and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn
deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the
blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him,
that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
See how in this passage in Psalms where the pure in heart seek
God’s face and then in Matthew, chapter 5, Christ says that they will see God.
Notice the statement in Hebrews 11.
Hebrews 11:6 But without
faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Peacemakers are not diplomats negotiating peace between warring
countries. They are preaching peace between God and man.
Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful
upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that
publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth
salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
Notice how in this passage following that Christ is our peace,
both Jew and Gentile, with God.
Ephesians 2:11 ¶ Wherefore
remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by
hands; 12 That at that time ye were
without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers
from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who
sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 ¶ For he is our peace, who hath made both one [Jew
and Gentile into the Church], and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us; 15 Having
abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in
ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto
God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were
afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
And in Romans, Paul states that this peace is delivered by
preaching in a reference to the passage I quoted from Isaiah.
Romans 10:12 ¶ For there is
no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich
unto all that call upon him.13 For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they
have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not
heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent?
as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of
peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Man is at war with His Creator. Peace is attainable but only
through God’s mercy through Christ.
Persecution in history, for your faith in Christ, was much like it
is in Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia or Iran or communist countries like
Vietnam or China and often resulted in the death of Christians. It was not
something so trivial as your neighborhood association objecting to a scripture
verse in your front yard or your boss making you take down a verse from your
office cubicle. Real persecution involved and involves a threat, implied or
obvious, that if you do not renounce Christ you will suffer.
2Timothy 2:12 If we suffer,
we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
This goes beyond the pharisaical thought, if you don’t do what I
think you should do in any given situation you are denying Christ. This is life
or death. Persecution for one’s faith is a true badge of honor if God is given
the glory.
1Peter 4:16 Yet if any man
suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this
behalf.
There is a power in being persecuted if one is faithful and gives
God the glory. It is, as this verse in Matthew 5 states, a proof that one is a
part of the kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:13 ¶ 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. 14 Ye are the
light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 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.
We use the expression salt of the earth for good, common
ordinary people. But this is much deeper than that colloquial expression. Salt
gives food flavor, as the context of this passage says, but also salt was a
preservative throughout much of human history, by being rubbed into meat. It
was also used as fertilizer.
Just as a side thought perhaps we can say the world of men and
women is not worthless and is not destroyed outright because of the followers
of Jesus, because of their existence. If it were not for those who belong to
Christ on this earth there would be no reason for God not to cast it away like
a rotten thing. Christians, those who trust in Christ, acknowledge Him as God
in the flesh, and who wish to obey Him are the only thing between the world and
eternal damnation right now. When they are called out it is all over. Done. We
are the preservative and the fertilizer that grows faith, and the flavor that
is pleasing to God.
When two angels and the preincarnate Christ visited Abraham and it
was announced that Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed this scene took place.
Genesis 18:16 ¶ And the men
rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to
bring them on the way. 17 And the LORD
said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a
great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in
him? 19 For I know him, that he will
command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way
of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham
that which he hath spoken of him. 20 And
the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because
their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go
down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it,
which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22 And the men turned their faces from thence,
and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23 ¶ And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou
also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24
Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also
destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after
this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous
should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the
earth do right? 26 And the LORD said, If
I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the
place for their sakes. 27 And Abraham
answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord,
which am but dust and ashes: 28
Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou
destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and
five, I will not destroy it. 29 And he
spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found
there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake. 30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be
angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he
said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me
to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he
said, I will not destroy it for
twenty’s sake. 32 And he
said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once:
Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for
ten’s sake.
But there were not even ten good people in Sodom. Not even ten who
followed the Lord God who created them. And the one who did was translated,
raptured, in a symbolic way by being escorted by angels out of the doomed city.
Genesis 19:15 ¶ And when
the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife,
and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of
the city.
16 And while he lingered,
the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the
hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought
him forth, and set him without the city.
In the context here in Matthew it is the flavor that salt provides
that is stressed. The usefulness of salt to make food palatable, to give it
flavor. So, still we can think of how God is pleased with the body of Christ on
earth. Remember how the right sacrifice was pleasing to God as a sweet savour?
Genesis 8:20 ¶ And Noah
builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every
clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the
LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s
sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I
again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
Let your light shine before men is not a reference to Christian
“virtue signaling” by placing a scripture verse in your yard or on your car or
wearing a dove or a cross lapel pin which are not bad things, of course. It is
about your active and daily expression of your Christian faith in trusting God
and obeying Christ.
Galatians 5:22 But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against
such there is no law.
We must be careful that what we do glorifies God and not
ourselves.
Matthew 5:17 ¶ Think not
that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy,
but to fulfil. 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. 19
Whosoever 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. 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 Christ is the fulfilling of the Law. He is our Law. He
completes the Law. Christ fulfilled, completed Scripture and is the ultimate
expression of God’s reconciling mankind to Himself. All of the things spoken of
about Christ will be fulfilled.
A jot, also jod, as I understand it, was the smallest letter of
the Hebrew alphabet and a tittle was an even smaller extension of a letter. Even
the smallest consideration of the Law given to Moses is fulfilled in Christ and
will be fulfilled in Christ. This should give us direction when interpreting
the Law. But here, this is a revealing of what is to come and of who Christ is.
It is an introduction so to speak to Christ as the Messiah.
Considering how righteous the Pharisees tried to be this is a tall
order. The follower of Christ among the Jews must exceed the righteousness of
the Pharisees to be accepted. There are at least two ways of looking at this
and probably more. This passage may be saying that under the Judaism that was
current at that time God regarded the Pharisees’ dogma as falling short of His
intentions. Paul would make this statement.
2Corinthians 3:6 Who also
hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the
spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
And Jesus will note;
Matthew 22:34 ¶ But when
the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were
gathered together. 35 Then one of them,
which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the
law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind. 38 This is the first and great
commandment. 39 And the second is like
unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets.
The danger here, that the Pharisees fell into as do many
Fundamentalists today, is to miss the point of the Law, to draw us to Christ,
and focus on its dogmatic letter to elevate us and to exercise the all too
human desire for self-glory and self-worship in self-righteousness.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. 25 But after that
faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Matthew 5:21 ¶ Ye have
heard that it was said by 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. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar,
and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go
thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree 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. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou
shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Thou shalt not kill is stated as such in the Law given to Moses in
Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17. Jesus will define this very general sounding
statement and clarify it as not murdering, that is killing an innocent person, in
Matthew 19:18.
However, in this context God in the flesh is going a step further
than forbidding murder. John Gill, the Baptist preacher who led Charles Haddon
Spurgeon’s church a century before him said, citing rabbinical sources, that
the brother here is every human being, every man. The Jews, and we by
extension, are to be angry at no man without a cause, to call no one worthless,
Raca, a term of contempt or reproach in Aramaic, which John Gill linked with
someone worthy to be spit upon, and we are to call no one a fool, with the
meaning, according to Gill, of being wicked.
Psalm 53:1 «To the chief
Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David.» The fool hath said in his
heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity:
there is none that doeth good.
From this we see that this is serious stuff to God. Christians
should be careful in their speech, not mocking, or using words carelessly.
Ephesians 5:3 ¶ But
fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named
among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but
rather giving of thanks.
On the most superficial level you don’t know what anyone you talk
to is going through or what they are struggling with and if you say you don’t
care you are a reprobate.
On a deeper spiritual level the Jew here is told and we by
extension that we are not worthy to worship God if our brother, whom many
commentators, such as Matthew Henry, insist is anyone made of the one blood of
all mankind, has an offense against us. Please note the express literal meaning
of the following verse without any racist interpretation.
Acts 17:26 And hath made of
one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and
hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
If someone has something against us, if we have been angry at
someone without a cause, called someone a worthless person holding them in
contempt, or even wicked and without a cause as the context implies this
without having to write the phrase without a cause over again, we need
to be reconciled to them before offering our worship to God. Think about this
for a moment.
There are other places in the Bible where writing a phrase once
allows it to be applied to the rest of the statement without writing it over
again.
Matthew 5:32 But 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 [the passage requires we think “for a reason other than for the
cause of fornication” and then] committeth adultery.
James 1:13 Let no man say
when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil,
neither tempteth he any man [the passage we requires we
think adding “with evil” for God does tempt, test, prove His people as in a
comparison of Genesis 22:1 with Hebrews 11:17]:
The analogy Jesus gives us with a criminal case before a judge
compares that to the Jew’s and our relationship to God’s judgment. It does not
suggest a purgatory however as a place from which you can be delivered by the
prayers of others or your own repentance AFTER death.
Matthew 5:27 ¶ Ye have
heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already
in his heart. 29 And 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. 30 And 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. 31
It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a
writing of
divorcement: 32 But 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.
I have already explained in the last passage about how verse 32 is
written so that we are required in our mind to include saving for the cause
of fornication after the last divorced. Here, in this passage Jesus
goes deeper into the meaning of the Law and God’s intent. Let’s look at
passages about divorce under the Law.
Deuteronomy 24:1 ¶ When a
man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no
favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him
write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of
his house. 2 And when she is departed
out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. 3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write
her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of
his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may
not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is
abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which
the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Although uncleanness can mean other things this uncleanness
referred to in verse 1 of Deuteronomy 24 can be linked to this definition due
to the context.
Numbers 5:19 And the priest
shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with
thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of
thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:
So, we are talking about adultery here in replacing your wife.
Now, in the Roman world of that time divorce was easy to accomplish just by
declaring you were no longer married and moving on to the next one. The emperor
Augustus felt that husbands were not punishing adultery so it became a crime
and finding your wife in bed with another man allowed for justifiable homicide.
Roman husbands had absolute control over their wives and children and could
even kill their children such as handicapped infants. Jesus notes that under
the Law there was only one justification, adultery, for divorce.
The Jew and by extension, the Christian, has already committed the
sin of adultery by looking at a woman with the intention of committing adultery
with her. The context and the way the sentences are written show that this is
about the intention to commit adultery, not about noticing a woman in hot pants
and a tank top walking in front of you before you avert your eyes. This is not
a condemnation of being a red-blooded male but of the intention to commit a
grievous sin against God that is likened in the Old Testament to Jews who
practiced idolatry in opposition to God.
Notice here how Jesus says it is better for the Jew justified by
works, by literal obedience to the literal Law to lose a part of his body
rather than be cast into Hell. This sentiment underscores an important
difference between the Jews and the Christian unless you believe that you can
lose your salvation. Where the eyes looked and where the hand touched could
place the Jew in grave danger of damnation. Think about that.
Some sources say that by the First Century AD the Jews had made
divorce much easier for a man. Jesus was objecting to this type of “no-fault
from the man’s perspective” divorce. Jesus’ ruling like God’s Supreme Court
here is really in the favor of women who could then not be cast off like an old
newspaper. The Pharisees had dumbed down God’s commands to suit themselves.
They will confront Jesus later about this. Notice for every cause.
Matthew 19:1 ¶ And it came
to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee,
and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; 2 And great multitudes followed him; and he
healed them there.
3 ¶ The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting
him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every
cause? 4 And he answered and said unto
them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male
and female, 5 And said, For this cause
shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they
twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore
they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together,
let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto
him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put
her away? 8 He saith unto them, Moses
because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but
from the beginning it was not so. 9 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. 10
His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife,
it is not good to marry.
Matthew 5:33 ¶ Again, 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: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither
by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35
Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it
is the city of the great King. 36
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one
hair white or black. 37 But let your
communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh
of evil.
Again, similar to our Supreme Court that claims to interpret the
meaning of the original Constitution let’s look at what came from God through
Moses.
Numbers 30:2 If a man vow a
vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not
break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Here, Jesus, not negating the Law but in keeping with the last
passage about being better off to lose a hand or an eye than be cast into Hell
for your lust says here that it is better not to swear at all. He gives very
valid reasons including our powerlessness in making such oaths as we do not
have the ultimate capacity to control events that might prevent us from keeping
such a promise.
Notice how the hairs of our head are numbered, a number we cannot
know.
Matthew 10:30 But the very
hairs of your head are all numbered.
Ultimately Christ calls for very straightforward communication from
us. Words mean something and our words should be plain and clear and honest. Let
us dispense with all such, “I swear I’ll…,” or, “As God is my witness …,” and
other such obsolete and uncalled for declarations.
Notice verse 35 a perhaps future prophecy in that Jerusalem will
be Christ’s capital when He reigns on earth physically for a thousand years.
Some authorities believe the following is a reference to the millennium.
Zechariah 8:21 And the
inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray
before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall
come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. 23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days
it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the
nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We
will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Matthew 5:38 ¶ Ye have
heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist
not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the
other also. 40 And if any man will sue
thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go
a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to
him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou
away.
This is a very intriguing passage which opens up a lot of
discussion about the intent of the Law given to Moses itself. Let me post what
I wrote about this in my discussion of the Law.
“Leviticus 24:17 And he
that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. 18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it
good; beast for beast. 19 And if a man
cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth
for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall
restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death. 22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for
the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your
God. 23 And Moses spake to the children
of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp,
and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded
Moses.
…we see the eye for an eye and
tooth for a tooth admonition which skeptics insist was a very barbaric standard
of justice. However, it must be noted that there is another side to this. In a
brutal and violent world justice was uneven and the social status of the victim
was important as was the social status of the guilty party. As we see by
context God is leveling the playing field by insisting on one standard of
justice for all.
If a beast was killed its
value was restored and if a man was killed the murderer was to suffer death.
This was for everyone, not just, as laws typically were, weapons against the
poor and powerless to maintain a social regime. I have read in some historic
cultures that if a commoner’s shadow even crossed a nobleman’s the commoner
could be killed and the rich quite often simply took that which belonged to the
poor without compensation. See David’s anger at the parable Nathan tells him in
2Samuel 12. This is why I think looking at this admonition as comparable to
arsonists in Rome being burnt alive or a person who threw acid in someone’s
face today in an Islamic nation having acid thrown in their face as ordered by
a court is the wrong way of looking at this passage.
This is about equal justice in
a world where there was none. Verse 22 here in Leviticus 24 is the key to
understanding this doctrine in context.”
God, and Jesus Christ is God
as God the Father is God, is the Supreme Court of the Universe
Hebrews 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the
firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of just men made perfect,
Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white
horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war.
He is explaining
the detail of the meaning of the Law to these Jews specifically under Roman
occupation so be careful how you apply this to yourself.
Verse 39 is a reference whose
context is very important to keep us from doing wrong and saying that it is
God’s will. In the Southern United States among African-Americans there is a
custom whereby a man might slap another man who has offended him in some way or
just as a challenge. The challenge is to his manhood. It is an insult called,
“takin’ his manhood.” If the person slapped doesn’t respond violently he has
lost his manhood. The person doing the slapping is gambling on the belief that
the person slapped is weaker and afraid. Ultimately, though, it is an insult
and an effort to dominate.
Evil in
this context is a malicious act, an act of violence intent to do some king of
harm.
See this context;
Genesis 37:20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and
cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and
we shall see what will become of his dreams.
And then, later in Matthew as
Jesus said, it is trouble;
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for
the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day
is the evil thereof.
We can also see evil as
trouble and calamity that comes from judgment and the opposite of peace, and it
is caused by God.
Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make
peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Traditionally, this passage
has been interpreted as a call to not only not get personal revenge but of a
complete disdain for the demands of machismo and response to tyranny. Eternity
is a long time and the disrespect you might have to endure here is meaningless
so if you appear to be groveling and submissive that’s okay. However, I find
that a rather lazy way to view this passage.
Look at the context. Here is a
command not to seek personal revenge. Then, there is a command to go beyond
what the Law requires of you. This is a way to show your obedience to Christ. Commentators
report that Romans were quartered in Jewish homes and Jews could be required to
carry their equipment for a set distance as laborers.
Remember what Paul commanded
the Christian.
Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you,
live peaceably with all men.
Paul warns us to live our
lives for Christ not engaging the world in foolish disputations and arguments
trying to prove a point. We have more important work to do. When I am tempted
to post a harsh political argument on Facebook and Twitter I am often compelled
to remember that I am on there to post my videos and to witness for the God of
the Bible and the God of history. I often then delete posts I’ve made because
my purpose there is not to make a clever political point or start an argument.
My purpose there is to release my content and see what God does with it.
Christians need to get the
chips off their shoulders. The enemy is doing terrible things to us and to this
country and we can’t see it as it happens as we keep our chins held too high
and our noses in the air usually out of joint. See God’s desire in the
following.
1Timothy 2:1 ¶ I exhort
therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight
of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all
men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Our best form of
resistance to the world is to obey Christ, not holding the things the world
regards as important as important. Choose your battles carefully and wisely and
don’t compromise your faith in getting what you perceive as your proper
respect.
Matthew 5:43 ¶ Ye have
heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine
enemy. 44 But 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; 45 That 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. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what
reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do
ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father
which is in heaven is perfect.
Commentators note that the addition to the end of verse 43 was a
tradition added by the Rabbis. This shows that Jesus was dealing not only with
the Law given to Moses but also tradition as He does elsewhere in Matthew,
chapter 15 and in Mark, chapter 7. Jesus is about to explain God’s standard as
we who are followers of Christ are dealing with eternity not some temporary
squabble.
Verse 44 is a standard that most of us Christians are unable to
comply with on a consistent basis without a great deal of prayer. But Jesus
says to be the child of God you are supposed to be you must think like God
Himself. He blesses the good and the bad just as we learned from Job that good
things can happen to bad people and bad things can happen to the good and the
innocent.
Other New Testament references to this include Christ’s plea from
the Cross;
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus,
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his
raiment, and cast lots.
…the martyr Stephen’s prayer;
Acts 7:60 And he kneeled
down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And
when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Paul told the Christian;
Romans 12:14 Bless them
which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Publicans were tax collectors and Matthew was one. They were not
highly regarded, as tax collectors for the Romans, and were often extorting
money from the people making themselves rich.
Jesus makes a very important point here for us to understand,
about how God treats everyone. Just as the book of Job tells us how bad things
can come upon good people for no apparent reason Jesus here explains that God
is kind to the good and to the bad. Bad people derive joy from life and
blessings from nature. Does that not disturb some of us? God’s greater purposes
are often a mystery to us. That is a mystery we must accept.
Deuteronomy 29:29 The
secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of
this law.
Look at the command to be perfect like God is perfect. See here
for the definition of perfect, as in complete and lacking nothing..
2Chronicles
8:16 Now all the work of Solomon was
prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it
was finished. So the house of
the LORD was perfected.
Colossians
4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ,
saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand
perfect and complete in all the will of God.
James
1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be
perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
It is so clear that God has tolerated so much of mankind’s
rebellion and yet given him good things when mankind has deserved only
judgment. Are we not to show restraint when dealing with the persecution we
might face? Is that too much to ask seeing how God has put up with you?
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