The BEATITUDES (Matthew 5)

In the book of Matthew chapter 5 is the opening of the sermon on the mount, which took place on the Mount of Beatitudes, a hill in Northern Israel that overlook the Sea of Galilee.

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most well-known speeches in history and is recorded in the Bible in Matthew 5–7. It's considered to contain some of Jesus' most famous sayings, including the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer. The sermon emphasizes humility, forgiveness, and caring for others.

The Beatitudes which is found in Matthew chapter 5:3-12 are,the eight declarations of blessedness spoken by Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12), each beginning with "Blessed are..." The Greek word translated “blessed” means “happy, blissful” or, literally, “to be enlarged.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the word to refer to more than a superficial happiness; in this context, blessed refers to a state of spiritual well-being and prosperity. The happiness is a deep joy of the soul. Those who experience the first aspect of a beatitude (poor, mourn, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure, peacemakers, and persecuted) will also experience the second aspect of the beatitude (kingdom of heaven, comfort, inherit the earth, filled, mercy, see God, called sons of God, inherit the kingdom of heaven). The blessed have a share in salvation and have entered the kingdom of God, experiencing a foretaste of heaven. Another possible rendering of the beginning of each beatitude is “O the bliss [or blessedness] of . . . .” The Beatitudes describe the ideal disciple and his rewards, both present and future. The person whom Jesus describes in this passage has a different quality of character and lifestyle than those still "outside the kingdom." As a literary form, the beatitude is also found often in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms (1:1; 34:8; 65:4; 128:1) and in the New Testament as well (John 20:29; 14:22; James 1:12.

Lets get in Scripture and go over Matthew 5:1–48, “ Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount:

Verses 1-2:** Jesus ascends a mountain and begins to teach. The setting is intentional, evoking images of Moses receiving the Law on Mount Sinai. Jesus positions Himself as the new lawgiver, revealing God's will for Kingdom citizens. **Verses 3-12 (Beatitudes):** Jesus describes the qualities of those who belong to His kingdom. Each beatitude presents a paradoxical blessing, turning worldly values on their head. For example, in verse 3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," emphasizes spiritual humility over self-reliance.

Chapter 5

 1 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 Beatitudes

He said:

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.

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.

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.

Verse 13-16

(Salt and Light): Jesus calls His followers to be salt and light, preserving and illuminating the world. Salt, though small in quantity, can influence the flavor of food entirely. Similarly, believers are to impact their surroundings, glorifying God through their deeds.

Christians stop serving that purpose when we stop living in faithfulness to God. The recent references to the Beatitudes put that purpose in context. When Jesus' followers stop being poor in spirit, living in repentance and meekness, having an appetite for righteousness, and being merciful, they stop serving their purpose on earth. This is just as catastrophic, and unthinkable, as if salt were to lose its flavor.

The light of Christ is not meant to be hidden on the earth. It is meant to shine out brightly from all who belong to Christ. It is meant to be discovered, in this way, by those still in the darkness. Jesus will add to this point in the following verse that Christ's light should not be covered up in the lives of His followers. It is meant to be seen.

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.

Verses 17-20:

Jesus clarifies His stance on the Law, stating He came not to abolish it but to fulfill it. He emphasizes that righteousness extends beyond outward obedience to the heart's intentions, setting a higher standard than the Pharisaical rule-following.

Jesus counters the lie that He is calling for the law of Moses to be "abolished." He tells all those who are listening His intent is not to discard the law or the Prophets. The Jewish law of Moses consisted of the first five books of the Bible, known as the Pentateuch. "The Prophets" include most of the rest of what Christians now call the Old Testament, especially books by Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other prophets sent by God to deliver His messages to Israel. The book of Hebrews explains how God always intended the old covenant to lead to a new covenant (Hebrews 8:6–8). That transition is not to eradicate what God has spoken, but to complete its intended purpose. As the Son of God, the God who gave the law to Moses and gave the prophecies to the prophets, Jesus would have no desire to wipe out those messages. Instead, Jesus declares that He has come "to fulfill" the law and the Prophets. This is a key point of understanding Scripture: everything in the Jewish Scriptures—what we now call the Old Testament—has been "pointing forward" to the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah. The law described a life of perfect, sinless righteousness, which no Israelite had been able to fulfill until Jesus arrived. He was the first and last to accomplish this. In addition, the sacrificial system given to Israel by God in the law required the killing of animals, blood sacrifices, to pay for human sin. They were effective only temporarily, and only until new sins were committed, then more blood had to be spilled (Hebrews 10:1–4). Jesus, though, as the perfect, sinless human sacrifice for sin fulfilled the need for that blood sacrifice once and for all (Hebrews 10:11–14). Matthew also demonstrates throughout his book how Jesus' life fulfilled one prophecy about the Messiah after another. Jesus did not discard the words of these prophets; He fulfilled them with every word and action of His life.

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.

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.

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.

Verses 21-26 (Murder and Anger):

Jesus deepens the commandment against murder, asserting that anger harbors the same destructive potential. Reconciliation becomes a paramount kingdom value.

In making His earlier statements, Jesus teaches two points, one immediate and part of a broader sense of what it means to be saved as a Christian. First, He implies that the scribes and Pharisees were not truly righteous enough to be allowed into the kingdom. Despite outward appearances, their supposed "perfection" did not reach their hearts. Second, and key to many of the illustrations in the Sermon on the Mount, is the idea that no person is worthy of heaven. This teaching will become essential to the gospel of Jesus. In His first example, Jesus points to the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees by saying, "You have heard it said." He will use this phrase repeatedly to describe what was common knowledge about the Old Testament commands. Jesus does not necessarily mean that those statements are wrong, but He will often clarify how they should be interpreted.

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.

Verses 27-30 (Adultery and Lust):

Here, Jesus affirms that lustful thoughts are as condemnable as adultery, urging believers to take drastic measures to guard their purity.

This verse follows the same pattern of hyperbole—exaggeration for effect—as made clear by the rest of Jesus' teachings. Jesus is not literally telling people to mutilate themselves in order to avoid sinning and going to hell. His purpose is to emphasize how high the stakes are when it comes to sin. While the prior reference involved the eyes, and implied sins like lust, Jesus' current analogy speaks of one's hand. The overt meaning is that we ought to be in control of our urges—not to let the desires of the body take us over. Once again, the point is that it's better to lose a body part rather than be thrown into hell. Some scholars suggest the words used here might have also been used as a polite euphemism for lustful acts, more generally. Once more, Jesus is demonstrating how seriously God takes sin. It is not only action, but motivation, which matters to God (Matthew 5:20). Sin starts in the inner places of a person.

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.

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]

Once again, Jesus is countering the shallow interpretation of Old Testament law, coming from Israel's religious leaders. In this passage, He has criticized the use of oaths: in this context, meaning the type of casual, "I swear I will do this" promises made in conversation. In Christ's era, people might have sworn oaths on "heaven and earth," or their own life, rather than swearing to the Lord, to avoid the consequences of breaking such a promise (Numbers 30:2). Jesus has already dismissed that practice (Matthew 5:33–36). Since all things belong to the Lord, nobody should take an oath on any of them. Here, Jesus explicitly explains why using oaths to "enhance" a promise is not only unwise, it's sinful. When someone declares a promise with an oath, they're undermining their own personal integrity and honesty. The oath implies, "I really, truly mean what I am saying," which suggests other, non-oath-bound statements might not be so sincere. There's a built-in suggestion that the oath-swearer has a varied commitment to honesty. It's also a form of manipulation, seeking to get agreement from the other person using dramatic terms. Christ's command for believers is simple: let the words "yes" and "no" be binding in all cases. Anything more comes from evil. A believer ought to be honest in what they say and do—they should not need the pressure of an artificial oath to follow through on their commitments.

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.

It's a testament to Christ's influence in changing mankind that modern readers often see "eye for an eye" as vicious or harsh. The reason God gave that law was to prevent escalation, including excessive punishment for crimes. Human nature is to retaliate "plus one." In other words, if you slap me, I'll punch you. If you stab me, I'll shoot you. This pattern of revenge is what turns petty insults into riots, and minor crimes into wars. God's rule for Israel was to limit retaliation and punishment to a fair equivalent of harm. God's teaching about "eye for an eye" was meant to limit violence, not encourage it. Christ's teaching on the matter, given in the next few verses, reveals the true intent God has for His people. So far as it goes between individual people, God's will is that we do not take revenge, at all (Matthew 5:39). This doesn't mean being weak or passive in the face of blatant violence (Luke 22:36), but it does prohibit seeking to "get even" when we're insulted or abused.

In the ancient world, the right hand was always assumed to be dominant. Jesus specifically refers to the "right cheek," here." That implies a backhanded movement: to slap someone on the right cheek, with the right hand, is more intimidation and abuse than mayhem. Even in the modern world, the term "slap in the face" is used in reference to insults and slights. To "turn the other cheek" implies taking that insult and accepting that another might be on the way. In short, Christ's command here does not mean "you must do nothing while someone beats you into a bloody pulp." He is speaking to believers who will experience persecution and hate from the world (Matthew 5:11–12). The proper Christian response to discrimination, mocking, or insults is to simply let it go: "don't resist the evil person." Instead, prove that such acts are not worth a response.

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.