Mateo 5

1 Y cuando vio las multitudes, subió al monte; y después de sentarse, sus discípulos se acercaron a El.

2 Y abriendo su boca, les enseñaba, diciendo:

3 Bienaventurados los pobres en espíritu, pues de ellos es el reino de los cielos.

4 Bienaventurados los que lloran, pues ellos serán consolados.

5 Bienaventurados los humildes ^[a] , pues ellos heredarán la tierra.

6 Bienaventurados los que tienen hambre y sed de justicia, pues ellos serán saciados.

7 Bienaventurados los misericordiosos, pues ellos recibirán misericordia.

8 Bienaventurados los de limpio corazón, pues ellos verán a Dios.

9 Bienaventurados los que procuran la paz, pues ellos serán llamados hijos de Dios.

10 Bienaventurados aquellos que han sido perseguidos por causa de la justicia, pues de ellos es el reino de los cielos.

11 Bienaventurados seréis cuando os insulten y persigan, y digan todo género de mal contra vosotros falsamente, por causa de mí.

12 Regocijaos y alegraos, porque vuestra recompensa en los cielos es grande, porque así persiguieron a los profetas que fueron antes que vosotros.

13 Vosotros sois la sal de la tierra; pero si la sal se ha vuelto insípida, ¿con qué se hará salada otra vez? Ya para nada sirve, sino para ser echada fuera y pisoteada por los hombres.

14 Vosotros sois la luz del mundo. Una ciudad situada sobre un monte no se puede ocultar;

15 ni se enciende una lámpara y se pone debajo de un almud ^[b] , sino sobre el candelero, y alumbra a todos los que están en la casa.

16 Así brille vuestra luz delante de los hombres, para que vean vuestras buenas acciones y glorifiquen a vuestro Padre que está en los cielos.

17 No penséis que he venido para abolir la ley o los profetas; no he venido para abolir, sino para cumplir.

18 Porque en verdad os digo que hasta que pasen el cielo y la tierra, no se perderá ni la letra más pequeña ^[c] ni una tilde de la ley hasta que toda se cumpla.

19 Cualquiera, pues, que anule uno solo de estos mandamientos, aun de los más pequeños, y así lo enseñe a otros, será llamado muy pequeño en el reino de los cielos; pero cualquiera que los guarde y los enseñe, éste será llamado grande en el reino de los cielos.

20 Porque os digo que si vuestra justicia no supera la de los escribas y fariseos, no entraréis en el reino de los cielos.

21 Habéis oído que se dijo a los antepasados: "NO MATARAS" y: "Cualquiera que cometa homicidio será culpable ante la corte."

22 Pero yo os digo que todo aquel que esté enojado con su hermano será culpable ante la corte; y cualquiera que diga: "Raca " a su hermano, será culpable delante de la corte suprema ; y cualquiera que diga: "Idiota", será reo del infierno de fuego.

23 Por tanto, si estás presentando tu ofrenda en el altar, y allí te acuerdas que tu hermano tiene algo contra ti,

24 deja tu ofrenda allí delante del altar, y ve, reconcíliate primero con tu hermano, y entonces ven y presenta tu ofrenda.

25 Reconcíliate pronto con tu adversario mientras vas con él por el camino, no sea que tu adversario te entregue al juez, y el juez al alguacil, y seas echado en la cárcel.

26 En verdad te digo que no saldrás de allí hasta que hayas pagado el último centavo .

27 Habéis oído que se dijo: "NO COMETERAS ADULTERIO."

28 Pero yo os digo que todo el que mire a una mujer para codiciarla ya cometió adulterio con ella en su corazón.

29 Y si tu ojo derecho te es ocasión de pecar , arráncalo y échalo de ti; porque te es mejor que se pierda uno de tus miembros, y no que todo tu cuerpo sea arrojado al infierno.

30 Y si tu mano derecha te es ocasión de pecar, córtala y échala de ti; porque te es mejor que se pierda uno de tus miembros, y no que todo tu cuerpo vaya al infierno.

31 También se dijo: "CUALQUIERA QUE REPUDIE A SU MUJER, QUE LE DE CARTA DE DIVORCIO."

32 Pero yo os digo que todo el que repudia a su mujer, a no ser por causa de infidelidad, la hace cometer adulterio; y cualquiera que se casa con una mujer repudiada, comete adulterio.

33 También habéis oído que se dijo a los antepasados: "NO JURARAS FALSAMENTE, SINO QUE CUMPLIRAS TUS JURAMENTOS AL SEÑOR."

34 Pero yo os digo: no juréis de ninguna manera; ni por el cielo, porque es el trono de Dios;

35 ni por la tierra, porque es el estrado de sus pies; ni por Jerusalén, porque es LA CIUDAD DEL GRAN REY.

36 Ni jurarás por tu cabeza, porque no puedes hacer blanco o negro ni un solo cabello.

37 Antes bien, sea vuestro hablar: "Sí, sí" o "No, no"; y lo que es más de esto, procede del mal.

38 Habéis oído que se dijo: "OJO POR OJO Y DIENTE POR DIENTE."

39 Pero yo os digo: no resistáis al que es malo; antes, a cualquiera que te abofetee en la mejilla derecha, vuélvele también la otra.

40 Y al que quiera ponerte pleito y quitarte la túnica , déjale también la capa .

41 Y cualquiera que te obligue a ir una milla, ve con él dos.

42 Al que te pida, dale; y al que desee pedirte prestado no le vuelvas la espalda.

43 Habéis oído que se dijo: "AMARAS A TU PROJIMO y odiarás a tu enemigo."

44 Pero yo os digo: amad a vuestros enemigos y orad por los que os persiguen,

45 para que seáis hijos de vuestro Padre que está en los cielos; porque El hace salir su sol sobre malos y buenos, y llover sobre justos e injustos.

46 Porque si amáis a los que os aman, ¿qué recompensa tenéis? ¿No hacen también lo mismo los recaudadores de impuestos?

47 Y si saludáis solamente a vuestros hermanos, ¿qué hacéis más que otros? ¿No hacen también lo mismo los gentiles?

48 Por tanto, sed vosotros perfectos como vuestro Padre celestial es perfecto.

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Mateo 5 Commentary

Chapter 5

Christ's sermon on the mount. (1,2) Who are blessed. (3-12) Exhortations and warnings. (13-16) Christ came to confirm the law. (17-20) The sixth commandment. (21-26) The seventh commandment. (27-32) The third commandment. (33-37) The law of retaliation. (38-42) The law of love explained. (43-48)

Verses 1-2 None will find happiness in this world or the next, who do not seek it from Christ by the rule of his word. He taught them what was the evil they should abhor, and what the good they should seek and abound in.

Verses 3-12 Our Saviour here gives eight characters of blessed people, which represent to us the principal graces of a Christian. 1. The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them. 2. Those that mourn are happy. That godly sorrow which worketh true repentance, watchfulness, a humble mind, and continual dependence for acceptance on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, with constant seeking the Holy Spirit, to cleanse away the remaining evil, seems here to be intended. Heaven is the joy of our Lord; a mountain of joy, to which our way is through a vale of tears. Such mourners shall be comforted by their God. 3. The meek are happy. The meek are those who quietly submit to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else. These meek ones are happy, even in this world. Meekness promotes wealth, comfort, and safety, even in this world. 4. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are happy. Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. These are purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ, confirmed by the faithfulness of God. Our desires of spiritual blessings must be earnest. Though all desires for grace are not grace, yet such a desire as this, is a desire of God's own raising, and he will not forsake the work of his own hands. 5. The merciful are happy. We must not only bear our own afflictions patiently, but we must do all we can to help those who are in misery. We must have compassion on the souls of others, and help them; pity those who are in sin, and seek to snatch them as brands out of the burning. 6. The pure in heart are happy; for they shall see God. Here holiness and happiness are fully described and put together. The heart must be purified by faith, and kept for God. Create in me such a clean heart, O God. None but the pure are capable of seeing God, nor would heaven be happiness to the impure. As God cannot endure to look upon their iniquity, so they cannot look upon his purity. 7. The peace-makers are happy. They love, and desire, and delight in peace; and study to be quiet. They keep the peace that it be not broken, and recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers! 8. Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are happy. This saying is peculiar to Christianity; and it is more largely insisted upon than any of the rest. Yet there is nothing in our sufferings that can merit of God; but God will provide that those who lose for him, though life itself, shall not lose by him in the end. Blessed Jesus! how different are thy maxims from those of men of this world! They call the proud happy, and admire the gay, the rich, the powerful, and the victorious. May we find mercy from the Lord; may we be owned as his children, and inherit his kingdom. With these enjoyments and hopes, we may cheerfully welcome low or painful circumstances.

Verses 13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth. Mankind, lying in ignorance and wickedness, were as a vast heap, ready to putrify; but Christ sent forth his disciples, by their lives and doctrines to season it with knowledge and grace. If they are not such as they should be, they are as salt that has lost its savour. If a man can take up the profession of Christ, and yet remain graceless, no other doctrine, no other means, can make him profitable. Our light must shine, by doing such good works as men may see. What is between God and our souls, must be kept to ourselves; but that which is of itself open to the sight of men, we must study to make suitable to our profession, and praiseworthy. We must aim at the glory of God.

Verses 17-20 Let none suppose that Christ allows his people to trifle with any commands of God's holy law. No sinner partakes of Christ's justifying righteousness, till he repents of his evil deeds. The mercy revealed in the gospel leads the believer to still deeper self-abhorrence. The law is the Christian's rule of duty, and he delights therein. If a man, pretending to be Christ's disciple, encourages himself in any allowed disobedience to the holy law of God, or teaches others to do the same, whatever his station or reputation among men may be, he can be no true disciple. Christ's righteousness, imputed to us by faith alone, is needed by every one that enters the kingdom of grace or of glory; but the new creation of the heart to holiness, produces a thorough change in a man's temper and conduct.

Verses 21-26 The Jewish teachers had taught, that nothing except actual murder was forbidden by the sixth commandment. Thus they explained away its spiritual meaning. Christ showed the full meaning of this commandment; according to which we must be judged hereafter, and therefore ought to be ruled now. All rash anger is heart murder. By our brother, here, we are to understand any person, though ever so much below us, for we are all made of one blood. "Raca," is a scornful word, and comes from pride: "Thou fool," is a spiteful word, and comes from hatred. Malicious slanders and censures are poison that kills secretly and slowly. Christ told them that how light soever they made of these sins, they would certainly be called into judgment for them. We ought carefully to preserve Christian love and peace with all our brethren; and if at any time there is a quarrel, we should confess our fault, humble ourselves to our brother, making or offering satisfaction for wrong done in word or deed: and we should do this quickly; because, till this is done, we are unfit for communion with God in holy ordinances. And when we are preparing for any religious exercises, it is good for us to make that an occasion of serious reflection and self-examination. What is here said is very applicable to our being reconciled to God through Christ. While we are alive, we are in the way to his judgement-seat; after death, it will be too late. When we consider the importance of the case, and the uncertainty of life, how needful it is to seek peace with God, without delay!

Verses 27-32 Victory over the desires of the heart, must be attended with painful exertions. But it must be done. Every thing is bestowed to save us from our sins, not in them. All our senses and powers must be kept from those things which lead to transgression. Those who lead others into temptation to sin, by dress or in other ways, or leave them in it, or expose them to it, make themselves guilty of their sin, and will be accountable for it. If painful operations are submitted to, that our lives may be saved, what ought our minds to shrink from, when the salvation of our souls is concerned? There is tender mercy under all the Divine requirements, and the grace and consolations of the Spirit will enable us to attend to them.

Verses 33-37 There is no reason to consider that solemn oaths in a court of justice, or on other proper occasions, are wrong, provided they are taken with due reverence. But all oaths taken without necessity, or in common conversation, must be sinful, as well as all those expressions which are appeals to God, though persons think thereby to evade the guilt of swearing. The worse men are, the less they are bound by oaths; the better they are, the less there is need for them. Our Lord does not enjoin the precise terms wherein we are to affirm or deny, but such a constant regard to truth as would render oaths unnecessary.

Verses 38-42 The plain instruction is, Suffer any injury that can be borne, for the sake of peace, committing your concerns to the Lord's keeping. And the sum of all is, that Christians must avoid disputing and striving. If any say, Flesh and blood cannot pass by such an affront, let them remember, that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and those who act upon right principles will have most peace and comfort.

Verses 43-48 The Jewish teachers by "neighbour" understood only those who were of their own country, nation, and religion, whom they were pleased to look upon as their friends. The Lord Jesus teaches that we must do all the real kindness we can to all, especially to their souls. We must pray for them. While many will render good for good, we must render good for evil; and this will speak a nobler principle than most men act by. Others salute their brethren, and embrace those of their own party, and way, and opinion, but we must not so confine our respect. It is the duty of Christians to desire, and aim at, and press towards perfection in grace and holiness. And therein we must study to conform ourselves to the example of our heavenly Father, 1Pe. 1:15, 1Pe. 1:16 . Surely more is to be expected from the followers of Christ than from others; surely more will be found in them than in others. Let us beg of God to enable us to prove ourselves his children.