Matthew 5

SUMMARY.--The Beatitudes. The Salt of the Earth. The Light of the World. The Relation of Christ to the World. The Law Not to Be Disregarded. The Law Modified; The Law of Murder; of Adultery; of Divorce; of Oaths; of Retaliation; of Love.

      1. Seeing the multitudes. We gather from Luke, chapter 6 , that the Lord passed the night in the mountain in prayer; in the morning he chose and ordained the twelve; he then came down to the plain, where he found a vast multitude, whom he taught. Went up into a mountain. Thought to be the "Horns of Hattin," a mountain about seven miles south of Capernaum, near the Sea of Galilee. When he was set. Eastern teachers usually sat while teaching. His disciples came. Not the apostles only, but all anxious to learn and follow him. Disciple means a learner.

      2. Opened his mouth and taught. This wonderful discourse of three chapters is to the New Dispensation what the law given from Sinai was to the Old. That was the moral law of Judaism, this is the moral law of Christianity; that was given from "the Mount that could not be touched," this from the Mount of blessing. Compare Luke 6:20-49 .

      3. Blessed. There follow nine beatitudes, each of which pronounces a blessing upon those who have certain characteristics. The word "blessed" is first applied to God, and means more than "happy," as it has sometimes been translated. Happiness comes from earthly things; blessedness comes from God. It is not bestowed arbitrarily; a reason follows each beatitude. The poor in spirit. The humble, in contrast with the haughty; those sensible of spiritual destitution. The same state of mind is referred to when he speaks elsewhere of a contrite and broken spirit. Is the kingdom of heaven. Such shall become members of the kingdom that Christ will establish. The Jews were rejected from this kingdom on account of their spiritual pride.

      4. Blessed are they that mourn. Not all mourners, for there is "a sorrow of this world that worketh death." Godly sorrow is meant, a mourning over sinfulness. See 2 Cor. 7:10 .

      5. Blessed are the meek. The mild, the gentle, opposed to the proud and ambitious, the kind who succeed in such a kingdom as the Jews expected. Shall inherit the earth. The land; Canaan as the type of all blessings. It is the heavenly land especially that is inherited. The especial reference is to the Messiah's kingdom, of which "the land" of Canaan was a type.

      6. Blessed are they that hunger, etc. This implies the same sense of spiritual needs as Matthew 5:3 Matthew 5:4 . Hunger is a felt want, in this case a want of righteousness before God, the righteousness that comes from the forgiveness of sins. See Luke 15:17 .

      7. Blessed are the merciful. The merciful, those who, instead of resenting injury, are ready to forgive, shall obtain the divine mercy. The fifth petition of the Lord's prayer implies that we must forgive if we expect to be forgiven.

      8. Blessed are the pure in heart. The Jew, under the tuition of the Pharisees, cared little for the state of the heart, so that outward forms were duly kept. Jesus, however, demands that the heart, the affections, the mind, shall be purified, as the fountain from whence flows the moral and religious life. A pure heart begets a pure life; an impure heart, a corrupt life. They shall see God. Not with the natural eye, but the spiritual vision; by faith. In the pure heart the Lord will dwell and his presence will be recognized. See John 14:23 .

      9. Blessed are the peacemakers. Not the soldiers of a warrior king, such as the Jews expected but the men who, in the name of the Prince of Peace, go forth to proclaim peace and good will among men. Christ is the great Peacemaker.

      10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake. The Jews expected a conquering kingdom, and its citizens to be lords among the nations, but Christ pronounces a blessing on those who are persecuted, not for misdeeds, but for righteousness. These shall have the kingdom. Doubtless these words have sustained and cheered many a martyr.

      11. Blessed . . . when men revile you. This is a personal application of what has just preceded. Some of those who listened were reviled by the Jews, and persecuted unto death. For my sake. In the preceding verse it is said "for righteousness' sake." The two expressions mean the same.