Audio/Video podcast covering Matthew 5:
Jesus teaching His Disciples(Beatitudes):
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
-Consider yourself Blessed if you do not have so much material things but you are firm and full of the Spirit of God. You will one day be in Heaven where there is no rich or poor. You will soon be in the presence of God where there is no lack at all.
-James 2:5 teaches us how God chose the Poor people of the world, to be Rich in Faith.
-Luke 16 teaches how the poor will soon have their reward in Heaven and how the rich will soon have their reward in hell.
-Matthew 20 teaches how the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
-This is not to say that people with many material blessings can not make it to Heaven, but instead this is to ensure those who have Strong Faith in God, but not much material blessings now, that their reward is soon to come in Heaven. #HoldOn #TheTimeOfTribulationIsSoonToEnd
Blessed are they who are filled with the Spirit of God, but who are not arrogant about it. Blessed are they who have the Spirit of God, but are Meek and Humble as Jesus Christ is, the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
-Forgiven and Refreshed by the Grace of God are those who Mourn(great sadness/grief) their sins. A great comfort comes to those who Repent(ask forgiveness of their sins) in the name of Jesus!
-Those who mourn a person who passed away should be comforted by the Lord and His people. In Romans 12 we are taught to Weep with those that Weep.
-The comfort of the Lord is available in our time of despair.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Meek – having or showing a quiet and gentle nature : not wanting to fight or argue with other people. Enduring injury with patience and without resentment. Not violent.
-We learn in Matthew 11 that Jesus Christ is; meek and lowly in heart.
-The Lord wants us to be like Him, gentle, kind hearted, sweet spirited, self controlled, peaceful, patient, submissive, and longsuffering. He does not want us to be; aggressive, forward, cocky, boastful, or flamboyant.
-Those with this Meek characteristic are fulling God’s will by doing so, and shall receive their part in the eternal kingdom.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
-Those Actively Seeking right standing with God are Blessed. Pursuing the Righteousness and Holiness God has called us to, is His will for His people. As we have this good desire in our Heart, God will be sure to provide what we are seeking.
-Hungry & Thirsty for God? He will continue to fill you up.
-People desire; money, fame, etc. and it is possible that God will provide those things if it is will, but possibly only in a limited portion for them to stay in His will. When we desire Righteousness the Lord will provide all that we can handle. The Lord does not have a limit on the Pure and Holy desire to do His will in your heart. #HaveYourFillOfRighteousness for this is the Will of God!
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
-You have a merciful heart, your actions are merciful, you also shall obtain the Mercy that we all need. Want mercy? Give mercy. Want forgiveness, grant forgiveness. Want to be in God’s will? Give mercy to those who in our natural mind do not even deserve it. Jesus was merciful, and as His followers and disciples we must be merciful just like He was to our fellow brethren and also to the world.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
-God Loves a Pure Heart, His will for us is for our heart to be pure. Pure as an infant child who knows no right or wrong. When we become Born Again believers in Jesus Christ, we are made NEW. We should be learning life all over again as a newborn child with a Pure Heart. Let us let go of all the wickedness in our heart and mind that the world has taught us. Let us learn the Holy ways of God and Jesus Christ and they will purify our heart and mind when we put them into practice. Keep your heart pure and for the Lord and in due time you shall see Him. Live a life of Integrity in ALL areas & Keep a Christ-like character remembering that you are His representative here on earth. Do not compromise that.
Brethren let us be Very Careful to have and Keep a Pure Heart.
God used John the Baptist and Jesus Christ in Huge ways for His GLORY. John and Jesus both had Pure Hearts. Their ambitions were Single. Their goal was simply to Obey the will of God. When our will is in submission to God’s Will, He can use us for Great things. When we come up with our own ambitions, our own goals that have nothing to do with God’s will, our own selfish pursuits, we can lower what God will use us for in this life.
God wants us to have a single heart for Him. He does not want our pursuits scattered all over the place where we give nothing we are pursuing our FULL devotion. God wants our FULL devotion. He wants and commands us to have NOTHING before Him. Remember God teaches us that we cannot serve God and mammon. Let us have our Hearts with Pure intentions constantly, nothing for our own glory, but everything we are used by God to do, let it be for His Glory.
As we continue to grow in the way of God, the enemy will possibly begin to put things in our mind for our own glory, or for our own selfish pursuits just to take our focus(even for just a moment) off of God. Let us REBUKE the enemy when He comes and keep our Heart, motives, and focus Pure for God. The Lord has used so many people in the past time for His glory in such GREAT ways when their hearts were fully devoted to Him. Let us take note to these examples and put them into practice in our own lives consistently.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
-Jesus is Peace. His life created peace between God and man. Maybe in the past time you constantly arguing and fighting was normal, but now that you have been made new in Christ we are to become Peacemakers. We are to now become the people who take the low road, the people who come with peaceful resolutions and not continual contention. The character of the Lord is peace, so let us be the maintainers of peace in our environments in the Lord. Let us speak to people in Love, let us take on the life of a servant, let us care for another before ourselves, and we will never need to say it, but we will be known as the children of God!
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
-Persecute – to treat (someone) cruelly or unfairly. Harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict.
-Notice, the Words of Jesus were not “Blessed are they which are persecuted” instead the Words of Jesus Christ were; “Blessed are they which are Persecuted for Righteousness sake”! All the people in the world likely face some type of persecution for whatever reason, but Jesus wants us to know that if we are being persecuted for a righteous reason, for the will of God to be done, then we are fulfilling His will and we will be heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven! It is super critical that we not be persecuted for wrongdoing, but instead for us to only be persecuted for doing what is righteous.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Revile – to speak about (someone or something) in a very critical or insulting way.
-People insult you because of your uncompromising life for Christ? People treat you bad because of your commitment to the Lord, people talk bad about you because you are living for Jesus Christ? Be EXTREMELY JOYFUL for this, because you will have reward in Heaven for what you endured on earth for the sake of Jesus Christ! Many prophets, fellow disciples, and saints were persecuted for the Lord in the past time and we should be glad to be able to suffer for the Lord as they once did. Let us not be fearful of losing this life, let us not be fearful of being looked down upon by the people of this world who despise the Lord, let us be ready at all times to endure for the Glory of God!
-Followers of Jesus Christ have been persecuted in history since He was nailed to the cross. In 2 Timothy 3 the word of God teaches; “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Brethren if you are persecuted for the Lord, you are probably doing something right. If you have been living Christian for years, but never suffered any persecutions for the faith, maybe your lamp in not being bright enough, maybe you need to be more firm in the things of God. The name of Jesus can bring unity and it can also bring divides. Do not shy away from the persecutions that come from bearing the name of Jesus! If you be ashamed of Jesus in this life, He will be ashamed of you when He returns for His people. Don’t block your blessing that is to come in Heaven because you were unwilling to endure the persecutions of this world for Christ sake.
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
In ancient times salt was often used as a preservative(Something used to keep something fresh for a long time). Similarly, followers of Christ are to preserve both the gospel message and Christian values in our environments and among the world. We as followers of Jesus Christ are to be the living example of God’s Will today. When the world sees us, they should see Christ. In our modern era, many believers have become more like the world, that is NOT the way of Jesus Christ. We must be continuing closer to God daily, becoming more like Jesus Christ. Different from the world. Not talking the things of this world, but instead talking the Words of God. We must begin to live the Word of God in our daily life and also speak God’s Words and ways among the lost world(unbelievers).
If we, the people of God are not as Good salt, but instead are as Old salt/tasteless salt, who will be preserving God’s Word and proclaiming it to the world? It is our Job as the representatives of Christ Jesus to be the Good tasting Fresh salt fulfilling the Will of the Father with all our Heart. As the disciples of Christ our responsibility is great and has such a great reward. We have the duty to proclaim God’s Words of Peace, Redemption, Salvation, Forgiveness, Repentance, to all nations. We have the responsibility to exemplify what the Will of God is for all humanity. We must Never lose our savour/taste, but instead we must keep our taste until the very end.
Often times, salt was used in the old testament as something to cause purification. As Jesus disciples we are to purify the corrupt world in which we live through the example of Righteous(Holy) Living and our proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ our leader. Contaminated salt does not promote Purity, likewise neither does a disciple who is contaminated. A disciple that has lost his savour is one who promotes immoral(wicked) behavior and foolishness. A disciple who has lost his savour is one that claims to be for God and Jesus Christ, but his lifestyle is unrighteous and leads to destruction rather than purification. Contaminated salt is only good for spreading over the ground where one desires to kill plants, likewise is a disciple of Jesus Christ who leads an unrighteous lifestyle. Nothing grows where they go. If we live a life claiming Jesus Christ but walk in the ways of enemy we can be not only sending ourselves in the way of destruction, but also we are affecting those around us. When we lower the standard of God in our own life, we may also be lowering the standard of God in the lives of others.
When we are firm and unwavering in the ways of God, those around us have a great opportunity at growth. When we are lukewarm and just like the world but profess to be followers of Jesus Christ, we then can be lowering the standard of God in the minds of other people.
Example: Your friends know you are a believer in Jesus Christ now, but you still do the sinful things they do. You could be diminishing what the ways of God are in their mind. So many brothers/sisters today are living a worldly lifestyle and it is not only compromising their own relationship with the Lord but it is compromising the truth from God in the minds of those around them.
We must remember our life for Christ is not ONLY about us, but as disciples of the Lord we are to be exemplifying His Word in all that we do. The world should be able to see Christ in us. The world should be able to see righteousness and holiness in us, Not for our own glory, but for the Glory of God! Let us be good for something, not good for nothing. Let us fulfill our duties as the disciples of Jesus Christ.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
We are the Light of Christ in this world today brethren! We must not keep that light hidden, but we must shine our light bright among the world.
These are the last days and the light is limited. Much of the light in the world has turned dim, but God is now doing a work in our lives to not only use us as light but to use us as Very bright lights on the top of the hills wherever we are. Consider that you may be the only genuine believer of Jesus Christ in your community. Consider your mission from God to be exemplifying what the will of God truly is to your community, city, state, nation. Consider that many may be saved from hell fire by them encountering you and realizing that you are truly a child of God by seeing the Holy life that you live. Consider that many will listen to the Words you have to say because they can see that you have been made into a righteous person by God. Consider that when they hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ that you have constantly coming out of your mouth that they too may become disciples of Jesus Christ and have an inheritance in the Kingdom of God for all eternity.
If we keep our light hidden this may never happen, but if we put our light on the candle stick this and so much more can happen.
As Jesus’s disciples we are extensions of His ministry, extensions of the ministry of the Messiah, the Son of God! We are to carry the gospel message to the ends of the earth. You can tell a true disciple when he/she is exemplifying righteousness in their life and is thrilled to spread the message of salvation. Time Square in New York is beautiful at night, why? Because the lights glow the darkness in a beautiful way. If they turned the lights off it would simply be ordinary. New York city is not trying to conceal/dim their lights, neither should we disciples of Jesus Christ conceal righteousness or the gospel message.
As the Light of the WORLD, our role is to get the way and Word of God to ALL people. Jew or Gentile. Rich or Poor. Black or White. All need the Good news and Jesus intends for us to spread that news to all the world.
Only the father in heaven is to be praised for the Good works done through His people, not the mortal man himself. We are but dust and creations of God Himself. All is done for His Glory! God is the source of all our good works and this must not be overlooked. Without the Lord we are nothing so all praise and glory must be rerouted to Him.
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Brethren; please understand this clearly! Jesus did not come to undo the Law of God given through Moses or the teachings of God through the prophets. Jesus came to fulfill the Words of God from the time past. As we learned many times so far, Jesus’s life is fulfilling what God’s Word in the old testament prophesied. He is the fulfillment of the Word of God. Jesus also kept the Law of God! As we will learn as we continue reading, men accused Jesus of breaking God’s law but Jesus then taught them how they were misunderstanding God’s law and showed the world the real expectation of God concerning His Word. Men added laws based on their own understanding. The very keepers of the laws were hypocrites themselves. Jesus exposed mens hypocrisy and showed the correct way.
Jesus regarded the Old testament as accurate and reliable down to the smallest detail. Jesus taught that faithfulness to the old testament teachings determines a diciples stature in the Kingdom of Heaven. Faithfulness to God’s commands is made possible by the marvelous work of God in a disciple’s heart.
Anyone breaking even the smallest of God’s commandments and teaching others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever will live the commands of God, and teach others likewise will be called Great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Scribes and Pharisees were the keepers of the Law, but were hypocritical at times when keeping it themselves. Jesus teaches us to be more righteous than they are if we will enter into the kingdom of Heaven. We must not only know the commands/ways of God, but we must live them without hypocrisy.
Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
-We know God’s commandment in Exodus 20 “thou shalt not kill”.
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment(guilty before the court):
-As born again believers in Jesus Christ, we must always be walking in the Spirit of Christ. Anger in itself is not sin. We learn in Ephesians 4:23 “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath”. To be Angry for no reason with a Brother/Sister in Christ is outside of the will of God. We must continue in Peace & Love with all Brethren. To be angry with another person who is in Christ for no reason is of the flesh. We must rebuke that fleshly way from our lives. Let us consider anyone in Christ that we feel any ill feeling towards. Let us consider closely what has caused that. If it is for no reason, let us rebuke that evil feeling immediately.
and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
-Raca was a severe Aramaic insult meaning something like “empty one” or “Empty headed idiot”.
-Jesus warned that anyone speaking that language to a brother will be guilty before the Supreme court(Sanhedrin court of this time).
-Jesus warned that saying “thou fool” shall put you in danger of hell fire.
Why so serious repercussions for these statements that the people of the world likely use often??? Jesus taught us to LOVE the brethren. Jesus put the brothers/sisters in Christ before His own family members. The people in Christ are those who will be one day(God willing) be in Heaven with us! It is not a characteristic of the Lord nor is it a characteristic of Heaven to insult a child of God! The people of the world use all kinds of insults with each other as jokes and seriously, but among the brethren in Christ it must not be so. We should be communicating with one another in Love and Building one another up, NEVER breaking one another down. Since we have been made new in Christ, this life is like rehearsal for heaven! We can not be in heaven with a spirit that takes pleasure in insulting people, that type of spirit has no place in the kingdom of God. Let us take the spirit that enjoys insulting others and cast it out at once!
*Angry with brother for no reason = danger of being guilty before the court.
*Saying “Raca”(Empty headed idiot) to a brother = danger of being guilty before supreme court.
*Saying “Thou fool” = danger of hell fire.
Maybe you have never killed someone physically before, but the Lord teaches us now that there can be death in our speech with one another. The same way one that kills physically shall be in danger of hellfire, so shall the one who kills with their tongue.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
-Before we make an offering unto the Lord in heaven, we must reconcile with our brothers/sisters here on earth. The Love of the brethren is important to our lives in Christ. Let us pursue living a life of reconciliation. A life where we are quick to forgive, quick to take the high road and quick to be wrong for the sake of having peace among each other. Let us not be so temperamental where we feel someone has did us wrong all the time, but let us think positively about each other considering that maybe we feel someone did wrong to us, but they probably did not mean it to be wrong. They probably meant good, but for whatever reason we received it as evil.
-Brethren; we must be reconciled with one another before we can go to God. A heart of unforgiveness is probably not going to be inheriting eternal life. Forgiveness is a righteous thing. Unforgiveness is an unrighteous thing. Let us live Righteously! Let us go unto God with any shortcomings in our life with unforgiveness and reconciliation and ask the Lord to be our help and strength!
-Some brothers/sisters may not be fully walking in the Spirit and have some problem with us for whatever reason, if we know we must seek that person and find a way to reconcile. They may be wrong, but let us seek to find a way to make things right.
-Once we are reconciled with our brethren and reconciled with God for any sins through Jesus Christ, then we can make an offer or communication to the Lord with a clean heart and we know that He hears us! #Hallelujah!
Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
-Jesus made it crystal clear that we need to agree/forgive/reconcile QUICKLY. If we do not reconcile quickly, we allow a chain of events to occur that could go very wrong for us. Two christians should never be in court against each other. We must find terms of agreement and peace before it ever gets that far. If you allow yourself to go through the court process without finding a way to agree with your adversary first you may be cast into prison and if you go, you may be left there until you have paid all your debts.
-One can normally pay a lower penalty for whatever wrong they have done by seeking a out-of-court settlement instead of waiting on the issue to be settled in court. Reconciliation is Urgent because the longer it is postponed the more severe the consequences can be. #ReconcileQuickly!
***Many have misinterpreted the scriptures, understanding that Jesus was against the Old Testament scriptures. Instead of contradicting or overturning the teachings of the old testament, Jesus opposed the misguided interpretations of the scribes and pharisees(the keepers of the law). The scribes and pharisees were focused primarily on the superficial matters of the law, but Jesus went deeper helping the world to understand the heart of God concerning His law/commandments.
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14.
Adultery – sex between a married person and someone who is not that person’s wife or husband.
Lust – have a strong sexual desire for someone.
-Jesus was speaking from this mountain to a multitude of people that probably knew all knew the commandments of God from the Old Testament. Jesus came speaking the heart of God related to the commandments of God helping the people to know the righteous standard of the Lord. These people likely knew “Thou shalt not commit adultery” so they probably obeyed only that, but lusted in their hearts and felt as if they were still walking in righteousness. Jesus came exposing the hearts of people. Jesus helped us to understand the action did not need to take place for it to be sinful before God. Jesus showed us that even having the strong sexual desire for anyone outside your spouse is adultery. It is not God’s will that man or women have sex with anyone outside their marriage, and it is not God’s will that man or women desire to have sex with another person outside of their marriage. Jesus came helping us to understand that both are Adultery and against the will of the Father.
To be clear; Jesus did not teach here that looking at a man or woman is sin itself, but He taught that looking and LUSTING after a man or woman that is not your spouse is adultery.
Righteousness is not only avoiding adulterous actions, but also avoiding adulterous desires.
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Notice that Jesus speaks on plucking your own eye out if it is causing you to sin and to cut your hand off if it is causing you to sin(so that you may avoid hell) right after He teaches about adultery and lust! Brethren anything that we see that provokes us to lust after anyone not our spouse is sin. Pornography is one of the very common undercover sins in the lives of believers. Pornography promotes a sexual desire. People see pornography with their EYES and possibly seek to satisfy their strong sexual desire with their HANDS. In the mind of people they have done nothing wrong because they did not physically lay with another person outside their spouse, but Jesus lets us know this action and anything like it is sinful.
Jesus is serious on sin. Imagine taking one of your own eyes out yourself because you were not able to overcome the temptation that the enemy presented visually to you. Imagine cutting one of your hands off because it was causing you to sin against God. Many believers are not willing to go that far to avoid sin, but Jesus teaches us that is Exactly how serious we need to take any sin in our lives. It would be a sad situation to be in hell with 2 Eyes and 2 hands but burning for all eternity separated from the presence of God. It would be much better to be missing a hand and missing a eye in the presence of the Lord living in His heavenly kingdom for all eternity.
-Brethren the Lord teaches that few will enter into the gates of Heaven. Likewise few are willing to live up to the standard set by God and Jesus Christ. Let us not miss our chance at heaven because we are not willing to give up any sinful thing in our life. Let us not miss heaven for Adultry, Lust, pornography, masurbation, or any other sinful thing. Let us flee every impure way in our life for the Glory of the Lord. Let us become NEW in Christ Jesus. Let us pursue the Holy standard set by the Lord with all our heart and let us not be fearful to lose anything in this life, even our own body parts to avoid sin.
It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
The old testament commandment: “When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. 3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.” Deuteronomy 24:1-4
The law allowed for a man to divorce his wife for any uncleanness(indecency/something unacceptable) in her. In the past time men could divorce their wives for things such as; “the wife lost her beauty” or “the wife would burn the food too often”. It is not God’s will that men/women ever divorce. Jesus teaches that the only reason a divorce should ever happen is if a spouse commits fornication/adultery. Outside of a spouse cheating according to the Lord, there is no legitimate divorce. Anyone divorcing their spouse for any reason outside of fornication/adultery is causing the other person to commit adultery. Being married but then sending the spouse away with no spouse but not legitimately being divorced is causing that person to commit adultery.
Example 1: Man is married but then decides he hates his wife so he gets a divorce through the government. Now his wife has no one and their marriage was never ended in the law of the Lord so in the way of the Lord they are still married. The man is in error because he is now causing the wife to fornicate because he left her alone but never received a legitimate divorce in the law of the Lord.
Example 2: Man is married but his wife cheats so they get an official divorce from the Lord and from the government. Whoever marries that woman after she has already divorced is committing adultery.
Notice Jesus says; “whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery” that is to say; man put away his wife but it was never a legitimate divorce in the eyes of the Lord, because the putting away of the wife did not happen because of fornication. In the eyes of the Lord the husband and wife are still married.
A marriage is not broken in the eyes of the Lord unless a spouse cheats. The laws of the world are many and are not all in agreement with God. As born again believers in Jesus Christ, God is our Lord, so though the government may grant a divorce, two believers are still married in the law of the Lord unless fornication. What is legitimate in the sight of this world and the government is different than what is legitimate in the sight of God.
-Do not fornicate, do not put away your spouse, do not provoke your spouse to put you away. Stay together until the end. Keep your vow. Do all for the Glory of God, this life we now live since we put our faith in Christ is for Him!
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Leviticus 19:12 “ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.”
Numbers 30:2 “If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.”
The Lord made provisions for swearing in the Old Testament, just as He did for divorce, but Jesus came letting us know that God’s will was never that people swear at all.
An “Oath unto the Lord” (example: “i swear to God”) was considered a binding(forcing or requiring someone to do something because of a promise, agreement, etc.) agreement. The Jews were known to avoid using God’s name and instead used other reverent names referring to God. A clever liar could take an oath/swear(which would be a legally binding agreement) in the name of God without using His name. This essentially brought about people swearing by God’s name but not fulfilling what they swore.
When an oath/swear is made but then broken the person or things involved are to be destroyed. So swearing by; Heaven, Earth, Jerusalem, or even one’s own head if broken would call for Heaven, Earth, Jerusalem, or even one’s own head to be destroyed. It is not in mans authority to decide if any of these things should be destroyed.
Let us be careful not to swear in any circumstances, even as a joke. The people of the world may swear by anything, but let us take this point with high importance just as Jesus did. Let us have our communication to simply be; Yes or No. As the people of God, all that we say MUST be truth, so if we are always speaking truth, we do not need any “assurance words” behind what we say.
Example 1: John tells frank; “I will go to the store at 5pm.”
John is an honest person so Frank believes what John told him. There were no other words needed.
Example 2: John tells frank; “I will go to the store at 5pm, I promise!”
Here John puts the phrase of assurance “I promise” behind what he says. This is indictivate that maybe John is not such a trustworthy person. Maybe he feels the need to say “I promise” because he has compromised his word before.
Let us be men and women of our word for the Glory of God. Let us always follow through on what we say and let us not make any agreements needing any other words of assurance. Let our Yes mean Yes and let our No mean No. It is a righteous thing to keep your word, always. It is righteous to not need any other form of assurance outside of Yes or No. Let us consider everything we said that we would do and be sure that we actually are doing it. Let us consider everything we said we would not do and be sure that we are not doing it. Let all communication from us as born again believers in Jesus Christ, be Truth!
-There will not be any lying in heaven. There will not be any need to swear or gives words of assurance, because only people who speak Truth will be there. Let us put the righteous ways of the Lord into practice.
***Believers of God before Jesus Christ came were following what they understood was right but seemed to be seeking every occasion to make provisions for the flesh. Jesus exposed so much of the error in the ways of the followers of God and taught them the ways of God more perfectly. Without the Lord Jesus Christ the world was still Lost. The Lord Jesus brought direction. When one is walking in the ways of God and Christ Jesus in Truth, perfection is seen.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Exodus 21:24 “..Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,..”
-We can understand from the Old Testament that an “eye for an eye” should be the principle that the courts judge by in determining appropriate punishments.
Jesus then came teaching the heart of God, letting us know that we “should not resist evil”. Remember the way of the Lord is Meek. Meekness is not retaliating to everyone with what they have done to us. The way of the Lord is to accept wrong that one has done to us and keep on moving. That is righteousness! Paying back evil with the evil that was done to us does not equate to a righteous act. Remember, Jesus was led up to be crucified by the same people when He was on the cross He prayed for. He could have had them all killed instantly and fled away from being crucified but He did not resist the evil. He allowed all to transpire for God’s Holy Will to be done.
The slap on the right cheek was a sort of back handed smack that was insulting and caused injury. The Jewish law imposed a fine that was double for one for this type of Open palmed blow to the left cheek. Jesus taught us not to seek vengeance even against the most offensive type of blow. Let us remember; vengeance is the Lord’s! We should have died to our old self and been brought up a NEW person in Christ! This life is now for His Glory. We are not to live according to our own feeling but instead we must be living according to the Spirit of God. If we suffer for Christ sake we must take it as a privilege. 2 Timothy 3:12 teaches us “..all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
#ResistNotEvil #TurnTheOtherCheek #SwallowYourPride Allow God to get the glory from your shame and pain. #WalkInRighteousness #WalkInHoliness #WalkInTheWaysOfJesus
Let us not even flinch at the threat of bodily harm or shame. Let us endure all for the Glory of God in meekness and longsuffering.
Jewish law allowed people to sue another person for their Coat(inner garmet). It was possibly very valuable in the past time and used for making payments or deals. The cloak/cloke(outer robe/wrap) was the more essential piece of clothing because it provided warmth and could also be used as a blanket for the poor. We understand that Jewish law prohibited ones cloke to be seized by the courts because it was understood as a punishment too severe. Jesus commands us to do even more than then courts allow when seeking reconciliation with anyone against us. The Lord will always be sure that those of His people walking in righteousness will have their needs met. Psalms 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
Be willing to give up whatever necessary to reconcile and be at peace with another.
Want to sue me for my shirt? Take the shirt and my jacket as well. All for the Glory of God.
Roman soldiers in the past time were allowed to force civilian bystanders to carry a load/gear on their back for one mile walking.
Jesus taught that we are to carry the load/gear on our back for one mile as commanded to out of obligation, but then we are to exceed all expectations by going a second mile as an act of Love and Service. Righteousness is performing above the expectation. The standard is one mile and that is what most people would probably do, but the standard of the Lord is double the expectation. If we apply this to all areas of our life, radiant light can shine.
To every man whether Jew or Gentile; friend or foe; that asketh alms, whether food or money; give it freely, readily, cheerfully, according to your abilities, and as the necessity requires. All good that we have was a blessing of the Lord. Never have a closed palm with the blessings from God. Consider that God allowed you to have what you do have for you to be a faithful distributor of His Blessing. If we are found unfaithful with the Blessing He has put in our care maybe the blessing will expire. If someone ask 5 dollars from you when you only have 5, be faithful to give the 5 and trust that God will provide your needs. This is an exercise of faith.
Psalms 37:21 “The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.”
Proverbs 21:26 “..the righteous giveth and spareth not.”
Deuteronomy 15:7-8 “If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.”
If the Lord has blessed us to have let us not turn away those that ask to borrow.
-Consider a person who was middle class all their life, living from paycheck to paycheck, one day receives an inheritance of 20 million from a relative they never met. The person was not expecting the blessing but out of nowhere it came. Then a family member comes to the person requesting to borrow 15 million for a life threatening surgery needing to be performed. Many people would possibly hoard their 20 million because they will now have less than half of their inheritance. We as the people of God, must live this life enlightened, knowing that the Lord permitted us to receive the blessing for us to be faithful stewards with it and to obey His will.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Leviticus 19:18 “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.”
But I say unto you, Love your enemies,
-Love > Greek word > “Agape”.
Agape = Love.
Not love just as an emotion for another person, but Love in Deed or Action. Agape is to do things for the benefit of another person, having unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another person. The Love Jesus teaches us to have is Agape! Less concerned about self and instead more concerned about doing for others.
As born again believers in Jesus Christ we should have no enemies. We should be in peace with all people. We should reconcile with those who have some ill feeling toward us. For those who do not receive our attempts to reconcile and insist on hating us, we are to still love them. Instead of speaking evil about them, we can say kind things or nothing. When interacting with our enemy we should still show them the love that in our natural mind they do not deserve.
Proverbs 25:21-22 “ If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.”
It is a righteous thing to Love/Agape those who treat you as if they are your enemy. This brings Glory to God.
bless them that curse you,
When people Curse(vulgar lounge, evil/bitter speech) us, instead of going right back at them with curses, Jesus commands us to Bless them. Instead of engaging in the rough speech being used towards us, we are to respond back with Loving/Kind words, soft expressions. The way of the Lord is Reconciliation. We do not reconcile by treating others the way they do us, but we reconcile by winning over the person cursing us with kindness and love. #LifeChangingPrinciple #ApplyToAllAreasofLife
do good to them that hate you,
The hate others have towards you will show in their actions. When you realize their hate towards you, make it your mission to neutralize their hate and pour in Love. If they are poor; feed, clothe, and supply them, as you are able, with the necessities of life. If they are willing to listen give them advice for the good of their souls(the gospel of Jesus Christ). Make them friends and engage their affections to you.
and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Remember as followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be living as He lived. He prayed for the people crucifying Him, so we need to do likewise in our circumstances. Stephen in the book of acts was being stoned to death (for Jesus Christ sake) prayed to God, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge”.
Note: Jesus life was for the will of the Lord. When people were despitefully using Him and Persecuting Him, it was because of what He was doing/saying in obedience to God, likewise was Stephen at the time of his death. As we start living our lives no longer for self, but instead for the will of the Father, our afflictions will begin to be for the Glory of God, and less for other reasons.
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:
The way of the Father in Heaven is Agape. Let us also live in this Agape way. Let us walk in Righteous, as is the expectation of the Lord. As we begin to live these ways that Jesus taught, people will begin to see the Lord in us. We are living to Glorify the Father, we are living to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. As we start living this New Way in Christ Jesus, others will begin to know without us needing to say anything. The world can recognize righteousness and as we are transformed into the living the righteousness of the Lord, those in our environments will likely know.
for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
The people of God are not the only ones who receive the beautiful sun in the morning each day. The evil people get the sun each morning too. The people of God are not the only ones who get the rain to water their crops, the unrighteous people get the rain too. The same way God’s Blessing is on His friends and His enemies is and example for us to live the same way.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
There is no reward for Loving someone that Loves you. All people are capable of that, even the publicans who are known for their hypocrisy. Jesus calls us to this Higher standard of life. He calls us unto God’s Holy way. God has the perfect plan for the way His people are to live. If we follow His plan, all will be well for us eternally. The world at large does not live according to God’s perfect plan, they live according to how they feel. Loving someone who Loves you is you living based on how you feel. When you Love those who deserve no love, when you treat people well who deserve to be destroyed, now you are exhibiting God’s Holy way. The Perfect way.
The way He(the Creator) planned for His people(all the world) to live. There is a Great reward for those living by the Holy will of the Father through Faith.
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
It is easy to greet your family or those you know and Love, all the world is capable of it, but to greet with Love those we do not know or those who have done us wrong we are then living up to that Higher standard, the standard of righteousness that the Lord Jesus Christ set for us.
The way of the Lord is perfection. As His children that is our expectation. Let us live this life forward imitating the ways of the Lord through Faith. Let us answer this commandment from God with all willingness of heart. The only thing stopping us from fulfilling these Holy ways God calls us to, is our own self. Let us lay down our own way, let us lay down our own life and live this New life for the Glory of our Father which is in Heaven. He has called us to Perfection and He would not call us to a standard that we can not obtain. With the help of the Holy Spirit and a WILLING HEART, we can live these Perfect ways God calls us to. It is time to forget the former life up until this point and move forward in this Reborn life by Faith with the Lord’s help unto Perfection. Unto the Righteous ways of Jesus.