[And He Walks With Me] Matthew 5
3-12 The Beatitudes are among Jesus’ most familiar teachings, but also his most counterintuitive for several reasons. We typically assume to be blessed means to be happy, fulfilled, etc., but people who are poor in spirit (3), mourn (4), humble (5), and even persecuted (10-11) are neither happy nor fulfilled. Rather, a survey of the Bible finds that the root of blessing is God’s presence with us. Therefore, Jesus’ teaching here is that God is with those who are each of these things even if there is no earthly appreciation for them.
3 To be poor in spirit is to be cognizant of one’s spiritual need and therefore utterly dependent upon God. Interestingly, Luke’s version of this beatitude, found in Luke 6:20, says only blessed are you who are poor. Indeed, earthly poverty can produce an increased awareness of spiritual poverty as we are forced to rely upon God.[145]
It is a great irony that, in God’s economy, those who are most dependent upon him have the greatest share in his kingdom. On earth, those who have a kingdom are the least dependent upon anyone.
4 It is hard to ascribe blessing to those who mourn. We typically mourn because we are deprived of something. Yet, if the root of blessing is, in fact, God’s presence with us (see note on vss 3-12), then we can indeed take comfort from the fact that, when we mourn, God is there with us in the midst of it.
5 Again, to be humble is typically associated with poverty rather than blessing. However, other translations render this term as meek, which carries the idea of readily accepting God’s will as good and therefore accepting it without dispute or resistance.[146] Those who are humble or meek may have little or no inheritance, and they may be perceived as weak. Yet, Jesus promised they will inherit the earth. This stands in stark contrast to earthly thinking, which says those who are bold, strong, and proud should rule the earth.
6 To hunger and thirst for righteousness means to be more concerned about the pursuit of godliness than food or water. Given that failing to eat or drink can be fatal, it is akin to saying that righteousness is more important than preserving our own lives. Jesus promises that those whose overriding desire is for righteousness will be filled. That is, their desire will always be met, and they will be enabled to live godly lives. Again, this stands in contrast to the world’s model where people who desire food and water above all sometimes die of starvation and thirst.
7 To be merciful is, in short, to treat others better than they deserve. That is, if someone harms us, we do not reciprocate. We may even find a way to bless that person. Jesus promises that, if we will behave in this way, then we will be shown mercy. I.e., God himself will treat us better than we deserve. This is key because we are all sinners who fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and deserve to die (Romans 6:23). This, then, is to say that, if we want to be forgiven by God, we must be willing to forgive others.
8 To be pure in heart is to be utterly “free from corrupt desire, from sin and guilt.” The image evoked was of something that was absolutely clear or purified by fire. It speaks of absolutely genuine faith.[147] In Wesleyan circles, we equate this to be driven unconditionally by love of God and love of people (Matthew 22:34-40). Jesus’ promise to these is that they will see God. That is, their faith will ultimately be rewarded with the absolute certainty that comes from personally experiencing God.
9 Peacemakers are not to be confused with bullies who suppress dissent or passivists who appease everyone. The biblical concept of peace involves the holistic well-being of a person and community. Sometimes, then, making peace involves meekly abiding by the law while, at other times, it may involve engaging in civil disobedience or even violently resisting oppression. It may mean using discreet words or gifts to sooth anger (Proverbs 21:14) or rebuking a wayward saint (Proverbs 28:23), prostrating oneself or standing up for someone else. We must remember that the same Jesus who stopped Peter from striking with a sword in John 18:10 advised his followers to sell their robes and buy swords in Luke 22:36. Conversely, we must remember that the same Jesus who fashioned a whip and overturned tables in Matthew 21:12 went willingly to the cross. Peacemakers are resolved to live in that tension, doing whatever is necessary for the best of everyone.Those who will do this will be called sons of God.
To those who are resolved to do the hard work of making peace, Jesus promises, they will be called sons of God. This title is interesting because, when used from a worldly perspective, it generally means people of great power (e.g., Genesis 6:1-4). Yet, the Christian’s understanding of great power and the title sons of God is necessarily influenced by the example of Jesus, who willingly set aside his glory and power to die as the atoning sacrifice for mankind. Indeed, the term son carried the idea of same-ness, meaning that those who engage in peacemaking are like God. This is the ultimate objective of the Christian rather than to possess power and glory.
10-12 It is especially difficult to think of oneself as blessed while you are persecuted because of righteousness. We must notice two things. First, notice the qualification: this persecution is because of righteousness. To be persecuted for wickedness is justice rather than persecution, but this person’s suffering is the direct result of doing what is good, right, and godly. Second, notice that being persecuted for righteousness places us in the company of the prophets and even Christ himself. Indeed, Jesus is the ultimate example of a righteous person suffering persecution because he committed no sin (Hebrews 4:15) yet suffered and died for our sin (1 Corinthians 15:3). It should not surprise us, then, that the kingdom of heaven is theirs. The same promise is given to those who are most dependent upon God and those who are most like Christ. Those who are utterly dependent upon God to the point of suffering for him will find their name on the heavenly mailbox!
13 Salt was an essential part of lifel in the Ancient Near East. Everyone needed a bit of salt for their diet, and because there was no refrigeration, it was a key preservative for food storage. In ancient Palestine, salt was produced by evaporating water from the Mediterranean or the Dead Sea. However, this salt often included impurities, and the greater the impurities, the less salty it was. If there were too many impurities, the salt was not effective as a dietary supplement, seasoning, or preservative. Jesus’ question, then, is ridiculous. If salt loses its saltiness, it is worthless and will only be discarded. So also, a disciple who fails to exhibit the distinctives of righteous living is of no use and will be rejected from the kingdom of God.
14-16 Before electricity, the world was a much darker place. Most people lived in the walled cities for protection against roaming bandits, leaving the countryside in the pitch dark. Cities, however, were a different story. Between guards on the walls, street lights, and lights in homes, they were unmistakable beacons in the night. The prophet Isaiah described Israel as a light to the nations (e.g., Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 60:3) with the idea that other peoples would be drawn to their way of life which was characterized by God’s distinctive righteousness and justice. Now, Jesus extended this notion to his followers, calling them the light of the world. They should be characterized by God’s distinctive righteousness and justice, and that will draw others to them and to God.
17-20 The scribes and Pharisees were famous for their meticulous observance of the Mosaic Law, but they had been debating for centuries which of the 613 Old Testament commandments was most important to obey and which could be fudged. In short, they were trying to determine the absolute bare minimum that they had to do to secure eternal life for themselves. Jesus’ point here, however, is that following him does not excuse us from having to live a righteous life. Instead, it actually raises the bar. Indeed, he pronounced, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. His original audience must have wondered how they could surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. Their righteousness was famous! Yet, it was only skin deep. 1 John 5:3-4 says, For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden, because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. The point is not that obedience is suddenly easier because we are following Christ. Rather, we do not consider doing the hard things of obedience a burden because we love the Lord. This is the fundamental difference between legalism and a legitimate relationship with Christ! Legalists may have a long list of commands, or they may have reduced it to a very small list (e.g., go to church on Sunday). They are looking for the absolute bare minimum that they must do to secure eternal life for themselves. Authentic Christians, however, are driven by love for God and so are constantly looking for what more than can do to please and honor him.
21-26 According to the letter of the law, murder was proscribed. Jesus, however, raised the bar by extending this to include wanting to murder someone (i.e., being angry) or even debasing life through insults. By this higher standard, dismissing another person’s grievance against you becomes a substantial impediment to our relationship with God. Thus, Jesus advised that, even if you are offering your gift on the altar – that is, you are in the middle of the sacrifice – when you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, you should leave your gift there in front of the altar and seek reconciliation.
27-28 Again, Jesus raised the bar. The law prohibited acts of adultery, but Jesus reminded his listeners that God judges the heart. Therefore, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29-30 In light of the higher expectations placed upon his followers, Jesus encouraged his followers to take sin seriously. He was not instructing them to literally gouge [their eyes] out and throw [them] away or cut [their hand] off and throw it away. Rather, he was challenging them to see sin as a real threat to their eternity and to treat it with the appropriate gravity.
31-32 Again, Jesus raised the expectations for marriage. Mosaic Law had essentially granted men the right to discard their wives for any and every reason. Jesus, however, insisted that there was only one sound reason for divorce: sexual immorality. See 1 Corinthians 7 for St. Paul’s expansion of this teaching.
Note the implications of this teaching. Jesus here teaches that divorcing a person without the proper cause compels that person to commit adultery, and that sin then ripples outward as they remarry, etc. In such a case, the warning of Matthew 18:6 comes into play.
33-35 Ancient people often reinforced the weight of their words by taking an oath based upon God or some other sure thing. Jesus, however, advised his followers to let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Essentially, he was calling them to be people of unswerving integrity. Christians will say what they mean and mean what they say.
38-42 Everyone wants justice for those who hurt them, which is essentially a punishment which is commensurate to the crime a person has committed. Sometimes, we want vengeance, which tends to go well beyond what was warranted by their sin (e.g., as Simeon and Levi sought in Genesis 34). Jesus, however, called his followers to respond with mercy (i.e., to not give a person the bad thing they deserve) and even grace (i.e., to give them something positive that they do not deserve). This can be extended to the person who has not wronged you, but merely asks you, through generosity.
43-48 Now, Jesus raises the bar on the way we relate to those we consider enemies. Rather than hate them, he challenges us to love them. Rather than pray against them, he exhorts us to pray for those who persecute you. The rationale is that even tax collectors, who were notorious for their ungodly behavior, had no trouble loving people who loved them, but God’s people are called to a higher standard. Not coincidentally, it is the same standard which Jesus set by his own example when he went to the cross and died for us while we were still sinners and enemies (Romans 5:10). Indeed, this is the bottom line of the chapter: we must attain to Christ-likeness. Endeavor to be like God in every possible way, both superficially and fundamentally. Yes, we must be perfect… as [our] heavenly Father is perfect.
The word rendered perfect by most modern English translations carries the idea of completeness and maturity. It implies unimpeachable integrity and virtue, complete alignment with the character and command of God.[148] This is the Christ-follower’s objective, and we must settle for nothing less!
[145] Sproul 2016, Matthew 5:3
[146] “G4239 – praus – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv)”, n.d.
[147] “G2513 – katharos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv)”, n.d.
[148] “G5046 – teleios – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv)”, n.d.