Bible Knowledge Project: Matthew 5
Read: Matthew 5
Matthew Five begins the first major discourse of the book. Running through chapter seven, that section is known as the Sermon on the Mount. The entire Sermon is meant to unpack the real intention of the Law as given to the people of old.
5:1-12
These verses are known as the Beatitudes. Each line (5:3-11) begins with a Greek term translated as “happy.” However, that doesn’t quite explain the word. The idea is far more than an emotional state of being, but one of contentment and established hope granted to the one who does what Jesus instructs. Each of the “blessing statements” follows a specific progression leading to the Kingdom of Heaven. Christians would do well to meditate on the meanings of each one and seek to bring forth fruit from it in their lives.
5:13-16
Jesus points out that God’s people are salt and light in the world. Too often, these verses are presented as exhortations or commands to the Christian when they are statements of fact. As a Christian, and by definition, you are salt and light. Jesus is a master of analogy, and he chooses these two terms on purpose. Salt is a preservative, and it is needed because we live in a decaying, dying world. Light removes darkness. The ungodly are living in darkness and only the light of God’s people and the hope of the gospel will remove the darkness from them. Therefore, live your Christian life before the decaying, dark-ridden world.
5:17-48
The sermon begins in earnest throughout this section as Jesus unpacks the abiding nature of the moral law and then explains the true intention of various commands given to the people of old. For example, he deals with the sixth commandment (5:21-26) to show that murder is not merely taking away the life of another, but it is also anger and bitterness toward another in the heart. Jesus continues that basic theme throughout the sermon, and the reader is alerted to it when he says, “You have heard that it was said, but I say to you.”
Applications:
The Beatitudes function as a progressive item, beginning with poor in spirit. The proud and arrogant will never thirst for righteousness or consider it a blessing when persecuted.
The Sermon on the Mount offers insight into the deeper meaning of the moral law of God. It demonstrates that the moral law is not merely outward behavior but also the heart. Obedience to God’s commands is not a merely external act but one that must spring from the motives and intentions of the person.
Learn:
Memorize the Beatitudes in order.
Memorize Matthew 6:33