Matthew 5

Matthew 5:1-48

THE FIRST SECTION OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT Matthew, Chapter 5. THE opening of the fifth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel seems to involve a paradox, and, as a matter of fact, paradoxes will appear from the first verse to the forty-eighth! “And, seeing the multitudes”, is the opening phrase. Multitudes were attractive to Jesus! He not only drew them about Him, but evidently they drew Him to them. They moved Him with compassion; and they moved Him, also, to oratory. Seldom in His lifetime did He face them without straightway speaking to them. They were to Him more than “sheep without a shepherd”; they were immortal men and women in sad need of the truth! And yet, evidently, here, He is running away from them. At times He had to do this. The weariness of flesh (for He was a man), compelled a retreat. On this occasion, “He went up into a mountain, and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him”. The scene is not difficult to visualize. Christ was the center of this little circle. When He rested, the circle rested. When He sat down, His disciples naturally gathered about His feet. We are told that our missionaries in China and other lands have their mountain retreats. They go there to rest through the hot summer days, but it is not a rest of indolence. They sit at the feet of teachers. They make that time of “retreat” a period of needful counsel, fit instruction and personal inspiration. It’s a time when they turn their backs on the multitude and when they seek to gather the disciples, particularly those disciples who are to be teachers, at Jesus feet. This entire chapter, then, was not delivered to a crowd, but to an elect company. If that matter is kept in mind, the words that come from His mouth will have special meaning. A careful consideration of this chapter shows that it dealt with three things,—the laws of life, the laws of God, and the laws of tradition. THE LAWS OF LIFE These laws of life are recorded in Matthew 5:3-16— “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in Heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. “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. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. “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, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven”. They involve apparent inconsistencies; they hold almost unspeakable consolations, and they carry a very needful inspiration. They involve apparent inconsistencies. When did ever any man talk as this man talks,—“Blessed are the poor in spirit for their’s is the Kingdom of Heaven?” How strange a statement: “poor and yet rich”! “Poor in spirit” and yet the entire spiritual kingdom at command! But it’s the truth, as men have proven a thousand times. The proud are poverty stricken in spirit, and even the “purse proud” are often the poorest of the poor. Think of the Word of the Lord as addressed to the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:17-18, and remember how many churches you have known that perfectly illustrated it “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see”. No less paradoxical are the fourth and fifth verses, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”. The striking peculiarity of Christ’s personal relations with men and His philosophy of life is expressed in these two verses. He had an affinity for “the mourning” and “the meek” of the earth. He was mental leagues removed from the Darwin philosophy that civilization made a mistake in checking the processes of elimination, by building “asylums for the imbeciles”, “the maimed and the sick”, instituting “laws for the poor” and creating “medical skill that sought to save the weakest life even to the last moment”, or “by vaccination preserved thousands who had better have succumbed to smallpox”; to save society from having its “weaklings propagated”. He was still more remotely removed from Nietzsche, who, adopting Darwinism, carried the philosophy a step further and pled with people not to be “soft”, but “hard” instead; “to cease from moral considerations, which indicated a low grade of intellect, and substitute for them the will to one’s own end, and the means to accomplish it”. Nietzsche characterized the very virtues of sympathy and compassion as among the undesirable things and pled for “hardness” as essential in the evolutionary processes of civilization. Christ took exactly the opposite view, and, let it be understood, that those countries which have accepted Christ and His philosophy of life, have accomplished more in developing the very kind of character desired by these materialistic philosophies. In the lands where sympathy has been felt softness has been shown, the bereaved have been comforted, and the aged cared for, there the very finest specimens of physical manhood have been found since Sampson’s day. From such a society the greatest minds have come since Moses, and from among these very sympathetic ones that might be known as the “meek of the earth”, have risen the greatest and most honored rulers of the same since David. We have also discovered that when Christ said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled”. He was doing more than making a promise. He was declaring a principle. A hungry man is the man whose very appetite makes his food a joy and his drink a delight. This also has its spiritual counterpart. A man who doesn’t want Christ will not get Christ, “the Bread from Heaven”, but the man who thirsts after Him is the man who follows and finds, even as the thirsty hart, scenting the spring from afar, makes his way to the limpid waters of the same and is filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”. “With what measure ye mete, it shall be meted to you again.” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”. Certainly for clarifying vision, purity is the Divine prescription. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God”. Certainly! Warring men may push them aside for the moment, and even abuse them for offering the service of reconciliation; but calmer thought will commend the act. William Jennings Bryan, the peacemaker, was very unpopular in the days of war, but when he died, even his enemies admitted his Christianity. If Mahatma Gandi adheres intelligently to his “peace policy” for India, he will come more nearly breaking the powers of English domination, than any East Indian rebel leader has been able to do since England entered India as ruler; and he will also earn the appellation already being employed—“the Modern Prophet of God!” Christ leaves His greatest benediction to the last, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice, and he exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you”. The reports of this benediction fill pages of history. Persecuted believers have always held a favorite place with God, and they have always had a peace in their own hearts passing all understanding. Of all supposed unfortunates, the office of the faithful stalwart is now and always has been the most appreciated. When Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews came to sum up the greatest instances of faith and faithfulness, he exhausted the resources of speech and then added, “And what shall I say more? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthæ; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again; and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:32-40). In these beatitudes is found the basis of inspiration. “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. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 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. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, arid glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16). “Salt” has resident powers of preservation, and “light” is essential to life itself. God would have believers to know that their presence in the world is the thing that keeps it from rot and even gives it life. Lot, the solitary man in Sodom, who sustained any relationship whatever to the Lord, held back, for many days, the judgment to be visited upon that city. Who can tell what would happen to any great metropolis of the earth if God’s men and women were suddenly removed out of it! History records what has happened to entire nations when God’s sons have been driven from them, and God’s Heaven-given light—the Bible—has been banished. Witness France one hundred and fifty years ago and her reign of terror. Think on recent Russia and the attempt of the communists to drive out Christians and dethrone God, and the judgment which followed. Every Christian man ought to be inspired as well as comforted by the thought that he is essential to the safety of the nation in which he dwells, and instead of doing as Nietzsche charged him, namely “destroying the culture of antiquity” and “bringing filthy fellows to the top of society”, he and he alone has given that culture character, enthroned “righteousness” and has dethroned “filth”, and has kept up a successful crusade for moral character and ethical conduct. But I pass from these marvelous laws of life to the consideration of THE LAW OF GOD “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. “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. “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. “For I say unto you, That expect your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”. These four verses impress one with three facts. Jesus respected and revered the law of God; Jesus demanded a kindred reverence from His disciples, and Jesus suggested the transmutation of law into life. Jesus respected and revered the law of God! “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 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” (Matthew 5:17-18). There are men who think that some of the laws of the Bible are important and should be regarded, and others unimportant and may be despised. But Christ’s Name is not to be called among them. The Law and the Prophets represented the Bible that Christ had. He came not to set a single thing in either aside. He came not to destroy any portion of them, but to fulfil it all. His confidence in its inspiration was exactly such that He expected “no jot or tittle” of it to wane in truthfulness while heaven and earth lasted. It’s foolish for men to talk about worshipping Christ and honoring Christ, and even calling Christ, Saviour and Lord, while they are engaged in discrediting God’s Word. Jesus demanded kindred reverence from the disciples. “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” (Matthew 5:19). One necessarily notes that this verse deals with the disciples only. Those whose “names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” and who have some part in the Kingdom of Heaven. The verse reveals the fact that men will fall short of perfection, and that even some of them will do worse than break the commandments of God. They will turn teachers for the devil, and bring others to disregard the same commandments. This seems to us to be exactly what modernism does. Denying the inspiration of the Word, it positively teaches men to disregard the ten commandments. We do not say that such disciples of Jesus are mere pretenders, but we do say that if such be saved, “it will be so as by fire”. They will come to Heaven stripped, if not shamed; and they will be called the “least in the Kingdom”. He suggested that these laws be transmuted into life. “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” (Matthew 5:20). He who would have them pay the highest regard to the Law and to the Prophets would remind them of another great truth, namely, that a mere ceremonial keeping of what was written in the Law and in the Prophets was not sufficient to save. That was the very point at which scribes and Pharisees failed. Romans 3:19-31 : “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith. “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. “Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: “Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. “Do we then make void the law through faith? God for-bid: yea, we establish the law”. From the consideration of the law of God, we pass to THE LAWS OF . The New Testament teaches that these traditional laws had been multiplied almost out of number. Some of them were biblically based, but the very word upon which they had once rested had been misinterpreted. Others of them were simply the uninspired opinions of scribes and Pharisees, and yet, were as rigidly enforced in Israel as though they had come from above. It was of such traditional laws that the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands, when they eat bread”. And to which He answered, “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?” “Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, ‘It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me’ and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, ‘This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men’” (Matthew 15:2-9). Follow Him now while He takes up these traditional laws and gives to each of them a higher and spiritual meaning. They had covered the sixth commandment with their traditions (Matthew 5:21-26). Christ uncovers the meaning of that commandment by telling them 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”. Christ gave them an altogether new and yet a correct interpretation of the seventh commandment (Matthew 5:27-32). Adultery is not necessarily an act. It may be a consuming desire, or a deliberate plan, or an illegal procedure. They had their interpretation of the law of the oaths. “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: but I say unto you, ‘Swear not at all; neither by heaven for it is God’s throne: nor by the earth; for it is His footstool; neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. . But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil” (Matthew 5:33-37). Christ extricated that law from a mesh of bywords and reduced the testimony of truth to the simplest form of expression, “yea” and “nay”! They had their interpretation of revenge. Matthew 5:38-42 : “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 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. “And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away”. Christ showed that the very spirit of it was godless, and could only be conquered by forgiveness and generosity. They had their interpretation of social fellowship but Christ gave them the Golden Rule— Matthew 5:43-47 : “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. “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; “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. “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? “And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so”? Christ revealed to them that they had not seen the half of the Father’s intent, and that their plan of living was not above that of the Gentile and the unregenerate, and that it knew nothing of the Father’s spirit and partook nothing of the Father’s course and conduct, for “He maketh His sun to shine upon the evil and upon the good”, and “send-eth His rain upon the just and the unjust”. Even publicans salute their own brethren; and, He might have added, “the devil has his fellowship for his kind”. Go back again and run these same traditional laws through and see another truth! They voiced negative virtues; never positive ones. When the agnostic, Clarence Darrow, questioned William Jennings Bryan concerning Confucianism, among other answers, Mr. Bryan called attention to this, that the laws of Confucius were negative, those of Christ were positive. This entire series illustrates that statement. The Scribes and Pharisees though it enough “not to kill”. Christ showed them that that was not sufficient; that they were not even to be “angry” with their brother. Yea, more, that they were to love and be at peace with everyone! The Scribes and Pharisees thought it enough “not to commit adultery”. Christ gave a positive side to that teaching and demanded the look of purity rather than that of lust. They thought it enough not to forswear themselves. Christ showed them that swearing of every sort was to be set aside, and communication was to be “yea, yea, and nay, nay”. They thought it sufficient to demand an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Christ showed them that that was the lowest possible plane. That even to suffer imposition was not sufficient; but to show generosity was the evidence of Godliness. They thought that if they loved their neighbours and hated their enemies, they had obeyed the Law. Christ revealed to them that the children of the Father will behave after a better manner, and “pray for them which despitefully use and persecute”. In fact, He sums it all up, finally, in a single sentence, The ideal of Christian character is complete perfection. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect”. We do not belong to the company of those who profess holiness. We do not claim to have ever known any man or woman in the flesh who has seemed to us to be perfect. We do not even sympathize with the boasts of those who dare to say that they have not sinned consciously for many summers. We cannot even listen to such with patience, for we know too well “what is in man” and we see too often what comes from him. We know that in his flesh there dwelleth no good thing, for to will is present with him, but how to perform that good, he finds not, for the good that he would, he does not; but the evil that he would not, that he does, for though he “delight in the law of God after the inward man”, there is another law in his members warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which is in his members. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” And yet, and yet, he is never to be satisfied with anything short of perfection. And though he count not himself to have apprehended, this one thing he must do, forgetting those things which are behind, he must press on to those which are before, and in spite of every failure, never despair of the perfection expected of him, and even in the very time when “with the flesh he serves the law of sin”, he must lift his eyes to Jesus Christ, the Lord, who is the saint’s ensample, and entertain the hope that, by His help, he shall be lifted to yet higher and higher ground even in this life until, “with the mind”, at least, “he serves the law of God!”