Matthew 5 - How Do I Really Keep the Ten Commandments According to Jesus?

Matthew 5 - The Passion Translation (TPT)

Matthew 5 - New International Version (NIV)

Matthew 5 - Enduring Word Bible Commentary

All quotes will be cited by author if they are not from the EWBC. 

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 Sermon on the Mount goes from chapters 5 to 7 Matthew. Many commentators believe it could be more than one sermon, but it is the largest section of Jesus' teaching in the bible. He is teaching the disciples in a small group, and like the previous chapters before, the content of his treaching is, "What the kingdom is like when it is lived out among us". In Luke a similar teaching is called the "Sermon on the Plain" in Luke 6:17 - 6:49. It seems unlikely that these are two different events since the material is so similar and they are both called "beattitudes". 

The TPT translates it this way, 

"So he went up the slope of a hill and sat down. With his followers and disciples spread over the hillside, 2 Jesus began to teach them.

This is a lot of the teaching in the Jewish Torah, but Jesus' teaching goes beyond the letter of the law to the Spirit of the law. It focuses on the inner transformation that leads someone to keep these laws, rather than rigid adherence to them. 

It can’t be proved, but in my opinion, the Sermon on the Mount was Jesus’ “standard” sermon. It was the core of His itinerant message: a simple proclamation of how God expects us to live, contrasting with common Jewish misunderstandings of that life. It may be that when Jesus preached to a new audience, He often preached this sermon or used the themes from it.

The Beatitudes

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.

Some have nicknamed this as the "BE-ATTITUDES". Jesus starts out each command with the word "blessed", which is the Greek word "makarios". It also can mean "happy" in the best sense of the word. The key thing here is that attitude is something you can choose. You can choose to be a person who is merciful, peaceloving, meek (humble), and mourn in healthy ways. 

It is important when we interpret what Jesus is saying here to look at whether he is being literal or metaphorical. I.e. Poor in spirit 

The poor in spirit recognize that they have no spiritual “assets.” They know they are spiritually bankrupt. Poverty of spirit cannot be artificially induced by self-hatred; the Holy Spirit and our response to His working in our hearts bring it about. 

Everyone can start here; it isn’t first blessed are the pure or the holy or the spiritual or the wonderful. Everyone can be poor in spirit. “Not what I have, but what I have not, is the first point of contact, between my soul and God.” (Spurgeon)

And it makes sense that the blessing of being poor, or humble in spirit, is the receiving the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God cannot be earned, but it is given to those who recognize their need for God, and the provision He has given us through His Son. 

Read the TPT for some different takes on the beattitudes. For instance it uses these words for verse 4, 

What delight comes to you when you wait upon the Lord!  For you will find what you long for. 

The Hebrew word for "mourn" and "wait" are almost identical. The Aramaic word for "comforted" is "to see the face of what or who you long for." This reminds that when we are mourning we are longing for what we lost and that it is only through God that we can find what we are looking for. 

You can read the Enduring Word Commentary (link above) for a breakdown of each of these verses and what they mean. Needless to say though none of us exhibit these qualities all of the time, they are the qualities or characteristics of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. It is only through His Power, through the Holy Spirit, that we can display these consistently in our lives. 

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.

Salt was essential in Jesus' day for there was no refrigeration. Salt was also used on the meat so it would not rot. Salt prevented rot, and if we are "salty Christians" we will preserve a "rotting world". But if we lose our saltiness as Christians you might say we are not good for much. This is a challenging statement. Many Christians would prefer to stay out of the world so they won't compromise their values, but we were not meant to live in isolation. We were not meant to live in our "holy huddles".  

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.

Matthew also uses the metaphor of light. We are to the be the light of the world. In John, Jesus says, "I am the light of the world, in me there is no darkness at all." John 8:12

As the old song goes, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I am going to let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel, "NO!", I am going to let it shine! .... 

The darker the world gets, the more it needs the light of Christ shone through Christians. We cannot shine unless once again we leave the safety of our pews and get out into the world. Where does the light shine greatest? In the dark. The darker the night, the greater we shine! 

The Fulfillment 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 fulfill 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 practices 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.

This is a very important passage as we understand the relationship between the Law and the Gospel. If we see the Sermon on the Mount of just another list of "do's and don'ts" that we cannot measure up to, we will be missing the point. Jesus says he has not come "to abolish the law". What does this mean? 

If the Law is holy and good and from God, to abolish or diminish the Law would be to undermine God's Word and its authority. Jesus is getting heat from the Pharisees, who were the keepers of the Law. There were also probably already groups in the early church who were against the law, meaning they said since we are forgiven we can do whatever we want. The Law does not apply to us anymore. 

Later in the first century this was called "anti-nominanism", which means "against the law", and was deemed a heresy. But this passage challenges people who would say, "If we are saved by grace through faith why is Jesus putting so much emphasis on keeping the law. Then, he makes an even more challening comment, 

"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."

This sounds as if Jesus is saying we need to be better people than the Pharisees to go to heaven. What gives? This sounds a lot like works righteousness. But the point is the Pharisees thought the Law would get them into heaven, so there is a possiblity Jesus is using hyperbole. He is making an extreme point to make a point. 

Considering the incredible devotion to the law shown by the scribes and Pharisees, how can we ever hope to exceed their righteousness?

Guzik leans on Paul's teaching to help us understand what Jesus is saying here. 

We can exceed their righteousness because our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees in kind, not degree. Paul describes the two kinds of righteousness in Philippians 3:6-9: Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, [I was] blameless. But what things were gain to me, I have counted loss for Christ. But indeed, I count all things loss…that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

Though the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was impressive to human observation, it could not prevail before God (Isaiah 64:6).

So then, we are not made righteous by keeping the law. When we see what keeping the law really means, we are thankful that Jesus offers us a different kind of righteousness.

This helps a lot but let's be honest it is hard to not take Jesus' teaching in some type of literal sense. But as he goes on to teach about the different ethical issues we face we can see the Spirit of what he is saying. 

Jesus now does through the second table of the Ten Commandments, which deals with how we treat each other. 

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.

In every example Jesus uses in the rest of chapter 5, he goes beyond the letter of the law and gets to the spirit of the law. Obviously he is not condoning murder, but examining the heart behind it, and how this heart can be expressed while not physically killing someone. 

 The teaching of the scribes and Pharisees (“You shall not murder”) was true enough. Yet they also taught that anything short or murder might be allowed. Jesus corrects this, and makes it clear that it is not only those who commit the act of murder who are in danger of judgment, those who have a murderous intent in the heart are also in danger of the judgment.

Jesus gives two practical examples of "spiritual murder". First he says, "If anyone is angry with a brother or sister they will be subject to judgment." Note he says "brother or sister" meaning those in our church. My assumption is this anger would be acted out in some way to this brother or sister on. 

Jesus also says when we talk about a brother or sister in disparaging ways it is murderous in another kind of way. This also can be called "gossip", which is when we say bad things about other people. Gossip can be one of the more accepted form of sin in the church, but maybe if we looked at it like murdering someone's reputation, we might be more apt to avoid it. 

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.

Relationships within the body of Christ are so important to Jesus, that Jesus says if you are having an argument or disagreement with a fellow believer than carrying out an act of worship or devotion to God, first go and be reconciled with your brother or sister in Christ. Our vertical relationship with God is closely linked with our relationship with each other. Can you imagine how much healthier churches would be if they followed the spirit of this commandment. 

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.

We live in a world where people will look to make money easily be suing their neighbor for just about anything these days. Some people even fake accidents to try and get some money. Jesus tells the believers to settle these kind of disputes before you get to court. If you can't reconcile on your own, you are at the mercy of the court. Thus, Jesus is recognizing the legitimate power of the legal system to dole out consequences for bad behavior. 

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.

In a very similar way Jesus handles the issue of adulter. Ie.. having sex outside of marriage. Jesus once again goes beyond the physical act to say that if a person looks at another person lustfully (I.e. having sex with that person in their mind) they have committed adultery in their hearts. Again, I don't think Jesus is saying lusting after a person is the same as actually committing adultery, but he is teaching that lust is a sin. It is the spirit lust which leads one to commit adultery.

We have seen the damage of sexual immorality in the church both with single and married couples. This is why I believe Jesus says the following statement, "If your eye causes you to sin gouge it out."  For anyone who says we need to take every word of the bible literally, this verse shows this is not the proper way to interpret the bible. Jesus is clearly speaking metaphorically here. 

What Jesus is saying is that we need to be proactive and radical about rooting things in our lives to that would lead us to sin. A good example would be someone who watches pornography. It is proven the most of those who commit perverse sexual acts usually watch pornography on a regular basis. In this case Jesus would say, "Do whatever it takes to cut porn out of your life!" He is that serious about this sin because he knows the hardship it causes between human beings and even more so now children and young people. 

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.

This verse is highly controversial, and I don't have time to go into right now, but let's just say the bible teaches against divorce. Though he makes a provision for divorce in the case of sexual immorality that definitely needs to be unpacked as well, especially since it is for the male spouse only. 

Read the Enduring Word commentary if you would like to know more. 

Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows 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]

Oaths were more prevalent in Jesus' day and they were binding 

Jesus reminds us that God is part of every oath anyway; if you swear by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or even your head, you swear by God – and your oath must be honored.

But let your “Yes” be “Yes”: Having to swear or make oaths betrays the weakness of your word. It demonstrates that there is not enough weight in your own character to confirm your words. How much better it is to let your “Yes” be “Yes” and “No” be “No.”

This can be taken very practically and I love the phrase, "Don't over promise and under deliver". When you are a "people pleaser", one tends to make lots of commitments to make others happy, but it is better to say, "Let me think and pray about that before I commit!"

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.

This is a famous teaching by Jesus often quoted in secular spheres. The bottom line is that as Christians we are to show the same grace to others as God has shown to us. Christians should be the least judgmental and most graceful. 

The thing about this teaching is that when we don't retaliate in kind, we actually are in the position of power. We don't lower ourselves to the person who is oppressing or hurting us. This does not mean however allowing someone to physically or emotionally abuse you. I think that would be a perversion of what Jesus is talking about. Or, I don't think it means to keep lending someone who is going to go out and gamble it all away or make foolish investments and then come back for more. 

Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[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.

This is similar to last one but a more generally command of how to treat your enemies. This was exemplified on the cross when Jesus cried out to the Father for those who were beating him and cursing at him, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!"

Martin Luther King Jr. was a good example of this as he led the movement to abolish slavery. He was eventually shot by his enemies for his mission, but the abolition of slavery came about largely due to his non-violent opposition to slavery and his peaceful protests.

As we close out this chapter, these are tall orders for Christians, but as we seek to be the kind of people that fulfill the spirit of these laws we will be the salt and light of the world. People will wonder why we are not acting like this rest of the world and this gives validity when we go to share who Jesus is and what He has done in our lives. On the contrary when someone is trying to share Jesus and exemplifies none of these characteristics it is probably better if they had not mentioned Jesus at all!