The main characteristics of the way of life set out in the Beatitudes can be summarised under four headings:-   a)   Inwardness -  rightness of heart and spirit.   If we are not right with God we cannot be right within ourselves or with anyone else.   b)   Enthusiasm, earnestness, perseverance.   The work done within the heart should not exclude action but should be the source of it concerning God and the good works he has called us to do. (Eph. 2: 10)   c)   Disregard for the world's prizes and honours in preference of seeking those things from above (Col. 3:1) and for the supreme and heavenly prize to which God in Christ is calling us to (Phil. 3:14).   d)   Love, not self-regard.   That is, a love for God and for others that will seek the wellbeing of others and not oneself.   The Old Testament parallel of the Beatitudes can be found in Deut. 28 and 33.

The Beatitudes 1 - 12
5:1-2.  When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him.  Then he began to teach them by saying:

It was not to the multitudes that Jesus spoke the Sermon on the Mount but to His own disciples.   In fact he makes certain that only his disciples were there (not necessarily only the twelve) . "When he was set" - he prepared himself before commencing to teach them.

5:3  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

"The poor in spirit".   Although it was those who were considered common and had not much of this world's goods that heard Jesus gladly and responded to him the most this does not refer to physical poverty.   Neither does it mean poor-spirited, that is, a dejected, self-pitying, without any backbone person.   It is the person who knows that he has nothing to offer  God except his sin stained soul, that without God he has nothing and is unprofitable.   The poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud they are humble rating themselves as insignificant.   Goodspeed's translation is 'Blessed are those who feel their spiritual need.'   This realisation of being poor in spirit is not just a condition before being saved but should remain with us throughout our Christian life.   We have a picture in Revelation 3:17-18 of the Laodicean church who had become proud and arrogant.   To the poor in spirit  is given the "kingdom of heaven".   They live in the realm where God rules, where his name is holy.   They are citizens of the kingdom and can therefore enjoy all the benefits that heaven offers here and now and much more when they go to dwell there.  (Rom. 14:17).   

5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.     

"Are they that mourn".   This is a sorrow for our sins against God and the grief they cause Him.   Also the sorrow we have at the loss of someone close to us or because of the testing and trials  of life that we have.   Isaiah 53:3 says that Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and that He has borne our grief's and carried our sorrows.   There is a blessing in sorrow if we turn to the love of God and let him do the works of grace that he wants to do in our hearts.   "They shall be comforted".  As we receive comfort, support and encouragement from Him so we like Jesus can comfort others (2 Cor. 1:3-5).   Hugh Martin says that the deeper meaning of this Beatitude is a blessing upon those who mourn for the needs of others, whose hearts are full of sympathy for their fellow beings.  "Mourning is indeed but another and deeper side of loving" (G.M. Trevelyan).   This is what Jesus Christ has and still does for us (Heb. 4:15)  

5:5  "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Are the meek".   This word is generally misunderstood to mean weakness but it is nothing of the sort.   Jesus called himself 'meek and lowly' (Matt. 11:29) a yet he spoke as one with authority and there were times when he used his authority with power.  The Lord was meek because he had the infinite resources of God at his command (Vine).  It is gentleness and kindness of spirit.   The meek person denies self, does not make selfish demands, whose concern is not for his own interests or reputation but has a care and concern for others that will go all the way.   The story of the 'Good Sumaritan is a picture of a meek man.   "He shall inherit the earth".   In the Old Testament this phrase was used  concerning the Israelites literally possessing the land of promise (Psalm 37:11).  In the New Testament the inheritance of the Christian is usually spoken of as eternal life, salvation, the promises.   It is difficult to fully understand what Jesus meant here.   Was he saying that it is not the strong and mighty, the grab all's that own the earth but those who are meek even as He was.   The earth does not belong to man anyway  "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof" (Ps. 24:1).   As Christians are "joint heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17) it can be said that we inherit the earth through him.   

V6.  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. 

 "Hunger and thirst after righteousness".   That is, who have a ravenous hunger and a burning thirst, not for meat and drink but a longing to do and fulfil the will of God in their lives, to do good and who long to grow more like Christ.   "They shall be filled".   They will be satisfied for God will feed their souls (Isaiah 55:1-2)   They shall be filled with the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19), with the Holy Ghost and power, with the fruits of righteousness (Phil. 1:11) and with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col. 1:9).   Before God can feed the soul however there must  be a hunger and thirst.

V7.  "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  

"The Merciful".   The meaning of the word as used here is "the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it" (Vine).   It is one of the attributes of God who is declared to be rich in mercy (Eph. 2:4) and to be the Father of Mercies (2 Cor. 1: 3).   In the Old Testament particularly the word love is very often translated mercy.   Without love it is impossible to be merciful, they work hand in hand.   Another meaning to this word is compassionate or having compassion on, which is a feeling of distress and pity for the suffering or misfortune of another and a desire to relieve it.   The prime example is of God's mercy to us in that while we were still sinners and deserving the penalty for it of death and hell, Jesus Christ came and paid that penalty (Rom. 5:8).   The apostle Paul exhorts us to clothe ourselves with tender mercies (Col. 3:12) for it is only as we show mercy to others that we shall obtain mercy from God.

V8.  "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

 "The Pure in heart".   That is the clean and sincere in heart.  Note that the region of this purity is the heart that represents the desires and affections.   Again purity or holiness is the very nature of God and we know that of ourselves we are not pure.   The inspired writer in Prov. 20: 9  asks "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from sin ?" and Jeremiah the prophet declares "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it ?" (Jer. 17:9).   Who, or how can we be pure or clean ?   By being washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:13-14, 1Cor. 6:11) and being made clean through the word of God (John 15: 3).   Having been thus made pure in heart through Christ we are exhorted to keep ourselves pure (1Tim. 5: 22), to think upon those things which are pure (Phil. 4:8).   To help us in this we are told in 1 John 3:2-4 if we have the hope within us of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ that when we see him we shall be like him, then this hope purifies us, even as he is pure.   "They shall see God".   The only other place in scripture that I can find where it is said that God will be seen is in Job 19:26-27.   We know that God is a spirit and that Jesus said "no man hath seen God at any time" (John 1:18).   He also said that whoever had seen and knew Him (that is Jesus Christ) has both seen and know the Father.   Yet here is the promise to the pure in heart that they will see God.   ( When Jesus said "no man has seen God at any time"  was He saying that up to that time no one had, but that through the way that he was going to make those who are cleansed by him would see God ?).   In fact the Lord Jesus Christ is God manifest in the Flesh (1 Tim. 3:16).   So those who saw Him while He was on earth saw God although few believed it.   It is certain as we have seen in 1 John 3:2 that all believers will see Jesus Christ who was God manifest in the flesh.  

V9.   "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.  

"The Peacemakers".   Again this is a characteristic of God and thus of Jesus for he was the one who came and made peace between the sinner and God and reconciled us to God.   This does not mean keeping the peace at any price, certainly not at the expense of the truth of the word of God, or of patching things up.   If we put the word the other way round we have makers (of) peace.   This we can only do through Christ who is the 'Prince of Peace'.   Hugh Martin says "'"Peace making ought to mean dealing with causes, not only with symptoms.   It is often thought of as intervening in a quarrel; it ought to mean preventing a quarrel from arising at all".   To those who are peacemakers "they shall be called the children of God".

V10.  "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.  

"Persecuted for righteousness sake".   Doing the work of God as a peacemaker and of reconciliation will bring persecution because the world is at enmity with God.   Note that it is persecution that is brought on as a result of doing that which is good and upright - doing God's will and does not refer to that which we bring on ourselves (1 Pet. 2:19-20, 3:17).   Unfortunately, there are some Christians who have suffered what they have called persecution  because they have done things which in no way could be called the work of a peacemaker or of God.   As in the first Beatitude they have the promise of the "kingdom of heaven".    

     
V11.  "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me.  

"Insult, persecute, falsely accuse - for Christ's sake".   Three forms of suffering.  1.   Insult or revile - abusive and scornful language.   2.   Persecute -  oppress, harass, maltreat.   3.   Falsely accuse - malicious slander, saying things about a person that have no truth in them.   This time not for righteousness but on account of Christ.   Jesus himself suffered all these three forms of treatment and Isaiah tells us that "he was oppressed, afflicted, led as lamb to be slaughtered but he spoke not a word against his tormentors ( Is. 53: 7 and 1 Pet.2: 21-23).

V12.   Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way 

In all that we suffer for Christ we are to be glad and rejoice.   The "great reward in heaven" is not compensation for the sufferings nor are they ours to make a claim for.   They are a statement of fact that by the sovereign act and grace of God they will be given to those who suffer for righteousness and Christ's sake.  (Rom. 8: 18). Jesus having spelt out the characteristics of a believer in the Beatitudes now goes on to say that the work of grace accomplished in the soul should bring forth fruit for the benefit of all the earth.   In fact in Matthew 7:17-20 he says that it is by their fruits we will know whether a person is Christian or not.

V13.   "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.

"Salt of the earth".   In eastern countries salt is a symbol of loyalty and friendship.   To eat of a person's salt and so to share his hospitality is still regarded among the Arabs.   In the scriptures it is a symbol of the covenant between God and His people (Num. 18: 19).   In the Lord's teaching it is a symbol of the spiritual health and activity essential to Christian morality and its counter effect in a corrupt world.   All the offerings made to God by the children of Israel had to contain salt (Lev. 2:13).   

W.E. Vine says that "this was symbolic of the holiness of Christ and suggests the reconciliation provided for man by God on the ground of the Death of Christ".  1.   Food is seasoned with salt to bring out the full flavour of it.   2.   It is a preservative - it keeps things from decaying.  3.   It has antiseptic qualities, therefore it heals.  4.   It cleanses or purifies.   5.   In small quantities it is also used to  fertilize soil.  This then is the properties and potential that every believer has through Jesus Christ.  

1.   Believers are the seasoning that is sprinkled throughout a sinful world that makes it a more pleasant and beautiful place to live in.   2.   Our presence in the world keeps it from  falling into decay and ruin and from completely being ruled by wicked men until the day of grace ends and we are taken to be with the Lord.   3.   As Jesus healed the broken hearted and the sick so we too are called to do this work by the preaching of the Gospel, the Ministry gifts of Christ and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Math. 24:19-20, Mark 16:17-18). 4.   While it is only the blood of Christ that cleanses from all sin the believer can have the effect of being a cleansing agent because he has been made clean and pure in Christ.   By being among people we can silence the foul and blasphemous mouth and can hinder evil deeds and practices from being carried out.   5.   We are also able to prepare the hearts of the people to receive the word of God by praying for it to fall on good soil so that they may be saved.   (Before planting seeds the gardener prepares the soil so that it will be fertile enough to help the seeds grow).   In Col. 4: 6 we are told that everything that we say as Christians should be with grace and seasoned with salt, that we may know how we ought to answer everyman.   Jesus concludes this verse by stating that if salt looses its properties, or if a Christian looses his Christ given life and character, how can he regain it, it is an impossibility, it becomes worthless.   (Heb. 6:1-6)

V14.  You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.  

"Light of the World"   The "Light of the World" in the truest sense is the Lord Jesus Christ (John 8:12).   Because Christ indwells every believer they are the "Light" and He radiates from them so that all men should know they are His disciples and that they are walking in that "Light".   Light is as essential in the world as salt, it cannot be dispensed with.   Natural light is needed for production and  growth.   It is needed to give sight and it gives us colour.   As a Light in the world the children of God are: 1.   To so shine as to produce fruit in bringing many to receive Christ as Saviour and to instruct them in the ways of the Lord that they will grow in His grace.   2.   To reveal the truth that men are in darkness, dead in trespasses and sins but that  Jesus Christ has come to deliver and save to bring out of darkness into light and to give eternal life.  "A city set on a hill".   Christ has lifted His church to a place of prominence in Him and has given it gifts to enable it to be effectual and that all may see that He is in the midst of her and that because of this she cannot hide herself away.   

V15.  People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  

Believers are not made partakers of the "Light" to go and hide themselves in a monastery or cut themselves off from the world, this would be as idiotic as lighting a candle and sticking it under a basket where it would be of no benefit to anyone.   

V16.   In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven. 

We are to let the Light that is in us to blaze forth in the good works that we are called to do (1Tim. 6:18, Tit. 2:7 and Matt. 25:35-36).   In so doing we shall bring glory and honour to God our Father for they will be a reflection of Him.

Christ the Fulfilment 17 - 20.
V17.   "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them.

Many of the people who had heard the teachings of Jesus were by now wondering if He had come to replace the Law given by God and recorded in the first five books of the Old Testament and also that which had been revealed by the prophets because His sayings seemed to be so different to them.   Jesus therefore corrects them and says He has not come to destroy but in fact He has come to teach them the "spirit" of the Law, for up to now they had become bound by the letter of it.   In other words they had endeavoured to live by the do's and don'ts of the Law but He came to show them that it was a new spirit and the Law written in their hearts that were needed (Ezek.36:26-27; Heb. 8:10; Rom. 7:6).  He came to accomplish and to fulfil all the righteous requirements of the Law and because He was without  sin, the spotless Lamb of God He was the only one who could do so

V18.   I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.  

He has not come to do away with the Law for not the least of them would be nullified until heaven and earth has passed away (2 Pet. 3: 10) and all has been accomplished according to the plans and purposes of God.Notes:   a)   Jot or the Greek letter iota is the smallest letter in the alphabet and tittle the smallest stroke of a letter.b)   It is by the Law of God that we have a knowledge of sin (Rom. 3: 20) and it is a schoolteacher to bring us to Christ (Gal. 3: 24)

V19.   So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  

Whoever therefore breaks or tries to do away with the least important of these laws and teaches others to do the same, they will be of least importance in the Kingdom of Heaven.   Those who practice them and teach others to do so will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.  

V20.   For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  

The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees were after their own standards and many rules and regulations that they had added to the Law of God were sometimes considered more important than the Law.   The only righteousness that can exceed theirs and thus gain entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven is the righteousness of Christ (Phil. 3:9).

Spiritual Standards in Society 21 - 32.
 
5:21 "You have heard that it was said to an older generation, 'Do not murder,' and 'whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.'

 

In the law of Moses, murder was considered to be the (Ex. 20:13) unlawful premeditated killing of someone for which the person responsible was brought before the local judges (Deut. 16:18) and if found guilty was to be put to death (Ex. 21:12) usually by the sword. The interpreters of the Law at that time applied this only to the actually physical act of murder.

 

5:22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says 'Fool' will be sent to fiery hell.

 

But Jesus decared that the action of murder begins in the heart of man, since anger that is allowed to build up and become uncontrolled can lead to violence. Col. 3:8 tells us to completely rid ourselves of anger. Note that it is anger against a Christian brother. Jesus defines murder as being angry or harbouring malice without any real reason for it. Those who do so will be brought to judgement and pay the penalty of a murderer.

 

The word Raca, means empty-head, or idiot, and those who called a brother an idiot was to be brought before the ruling Council, the high court of those days, who had the power to impose death by stoning. But if a man calls his brother "a fool" which means a godless moral reprobate, such a person would be judged by God to be worthy of the punishment of hell.

 

5:23-24 So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift.

 

Consequently, because of what Jesus has just said, if anyone remembers that he has any grievance against a brother when he comes before God to offer his gift he should leave the gift there as a token of his sincerity and determination to put the matter right. Having done so he will be able to offer his gift, for it will be acceptable to God.  The equivalent of the alter today would be the communion (1 Cor. 11:26-28).

 

5:25-26 Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny!

 

The adversary referred to here is the a legal term for an opponent in a lawsuit. If you are being taken to court by someone you owe a debt then you should come to a friendly agreement with them while you have the chance. Otherwise you might end up in prison. If God were your adversary, for you had turned against him with anger in your heart, then judgment may go worse for you, too. So be right with God, and to be right with God, you must be right with your brother. (1 John 3:15-16).

5:27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'

 

Adultery was forbidden by the law of God (Ex. 20:14 and Lev.20:10). Lawyers of Jesus' time interpreted this to mean only the physical act of adultery, but Jesus applied this law to the heart of man.

 

5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

 

It is not the passing glance or the momentary impulse of desire but the continued or regular looking at another woman with sexual intentions that arouses the evil desires which ultimately express themselves in bodily activity. The sin starts in the heart, before it is committed in body.

 

5:29-30 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.

 

The word offend means to cause another to stumble or fall into a trap. The words used by Jesus "pluck it out - cut it off" were not meant to be literally applied, for even if these parts were destroyed it would not remove the inward sin of corruption. It is as Paul says in Col. 3:5 to "mortify", that is to account as dead and "to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Rom. 13:14). Jesus means us to deal with sin in a serious way, for it can lead us away from him and back into the world. In Corinth, when a man was living with his stepmother, Paul had to intervene to impose strict discilpine, but it worked, and the man's soul was saved. This is the idea behind the "cutting off your hand".

 

5:31 "It was said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.'

 

The law on divorce was given in Deut. 24:1-4. The interpreters of this Law said that a man could be divorced from his wife for any reason simply by issuing a certificate to her. But in Matthew 19:3-9 Jesus said that God ordained that when a man and woman married they became as one flesh, which means inseparable. But that because of the hardness of men's hearts Moses permitted them to divorce their wives. 

 

5:32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

 

Jesus states that the only grounds on which God will permit a man and wife to separate or divorce is "fornication", meaning sexual intercourse olutside of marriage. Note that this really does mean the full physical act, not the thought of the heart. A man who marries a divorced woman (and by implication a divorced man remarrying) is committing adultery.

 

 

5:33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, 'Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.'

 

The word forswear used in the A.V. Actually means to swear falsely, to tell lies under an oath. Although oaths were not commanded by the Law of God, it had become practice to use oaths in common speech without really thinking, and it is this practise which Jesus condemns. Anyone who needs take an oath to prove that he is telling the truth is bringing their own honesty into question. To invoke the Lord's name in an oath is to use His Name in vain and this was forbidden in the Law (Ex.20:7 and Lev. 19:12).

 

5:34-35 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all — not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.

 

Jesus tells us not to bind ourselves to oaths at all. To use heaven or earth as a surety is to appeal to God and implies a reference to the Eternal whose throne is heaven itself and who uses the earth as His footstool, Jerusalem being the city of the King of King's (Isaiah 66:1). None of these are ours to swear by anyway, so we have no right to use them.

 

5:36 Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black.

 

Nor are we to swear by our own heads because we have no power to alter the colour of a single hair with our words.

 

5:37 Let your word be 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no.' More than this is from the evil one.

 

If we are living in the light of Christ then we should be confident that we are living a life of truth and honesty, and so our yes or no should be sufficient in dealings with others (James 5:12). Anything more than a yes or a no comes from the devil. The Annotated Paragraph Bible commentary says in fact that 'the first recorded appeal to God was made by Satan in his support of the lie by which he tempted Eve' (Gen. 3:5). There are however examples of sacred vows that were made before and to God in the Bible, e.g. Acts 18:18 by Paul, and Acts 21:23 by four believers.  According to the word of God these are to be kept (Num. 30:2, Deut. 23:21 ). In Hebrews 6:17 we read that God in order to show beyond any shadow of a doubt to those who were heir to His promises that He was the unchangeable God concerning His plans and purposes confirmed it with an oath.  So it could be said that the only one that we make our vows to is God and that they should be made concerning our commitment and service to Him.

 

5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

 

This law was given in Ex. 21:24 "as a check on the wild justice of revenge" (Ellicott).  The purpose of the Law was not that the injured party should do the same to the person who had injured him but that the judges should make the punishment fit the crime.

 

5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.

 

In contrast Jesus teaches us that we are not even to put up a fight against anyone who physically assaults us but to show a spirit of meekness and forgiveness.

 

5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, give him your coat also.

 

If anyone should take us to court to obtain a payment from us we are not to make a counterclaim but give him more than he asks for. (Note: the coat (tunic) was the undergarment worn next to the body and would have been of less value than the cloak which was the heavier and dearer top garment).

 

5:41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

 

Jesus uses this illustration to show that we should not put a limit on our wiligness to suffer wrongfully or to forgive. When wrong is done to us, ing, we are not to retaliate (Rom. 12:17) but to leave the way open for God's wrath.  For He declares that the right of vengeance belongs to Him alone (Rom. 12:19)

 

5:42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you.

 

The Amplified New Testament says "Give to him who keeps on begging from you". This translation rightly suggests that if someone who is in need comes asking something from you then give according as you are able (Deut. 16:17; 2 Cor. 9:7). Or if someone comes to borrow from you, do not turn them away (Deut. 15:8).  In Luke 6:35 Jesus says to "lend hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great." However, we need the wisdom of God in handling these matters for we are stewards of all that He has given to us and are accountable to Him to use it wisely. For example, it would not be wise for a man to give money so another child can have food, when that money should have been used to buy his own child food.

 

5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor' and 'hate your enemy.'

 

Only the first part of this verse is correct (Lev. 19:18) but the second part of "hate your enemies" is what the scribes added.

 

5:44 But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.

 

Jesus not only gives the correct spiritual interpretation of the Law but reverses the order and tells us to do what is impossible in and of ourselves.

 

love our enemies - W.E. Vine says "Christian love has God for its primary (first) object, and expresses itself generally, is not an impulse (fancy) from feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations (tendencies), nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some relation is discovered - Love seeks the welfare of all'.  We are able to love our enemies only with the Love of God that is poured into our hearts by the Holy Ghost (Rom. 5:5). God loved us when we were His enemies and saved our souls, so we ought to love likewise. 

 

bless not curse - we saw in verse 39 how we should react to those who physically abuse us, here we are told how we should treat those who verbally abuse us. The literal meaning of bless is to speak well of.

 

Pray for those despitefully using you - those who make false accusations and persecute you.

 

5:45 So that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

 

In loving, blessing and praying for them it shows that God is our Father, that the Lord Jesus Christ dwells in our heart and we are truly His children, for God is impartial.   He providentially provides for the good and evil.

 

5:46-47 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don't they?

 

The love of the heathen, or tax collectors, is confined to those who give to them whereas ours should be that universal love that God has "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son" John 3:16. (see 1 Pet. 2:20-21).

 

5:48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

The fulfilment of the standard set down in these verses can again only be accomplished as we allow the nature Christ to be perfected in our hearts and lives. The word perfect signifies complete and mature. We know that God is perfect. When this word is applied to the believer it means that we are mature in our spiritual growth. It is in this way that Paul exhorts us to go on to perfection (Heb. 6:1) for he said concerning himself that he was not already perfect but that he was going an to perfection (Phil. 3:12). By the grace of God let us therefore go on to perfection.

 

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