NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part I

Verses 1-2: “When Jesus saw the crowds of people there, He went up on a hillside and sat down. His followers came and sat next to Him. Then Jesus began teaching the people.”

To keep this in context, after listing the various places that Jesus taught, Matthew ends chapter four by saying that He went to “the other side of the Jordan River.” When we look at what happened at the end of this long discourse in Chapter 7:29 and Jesus’ next move in Chapter 8:5, it fits the topography of the area around Capernaum best. When Luke records this same incident, he adds that Jesus found a level place on the mountainside, and that’s where He began His teaching. Luke also notes that in the crowd were people from Judea, Jerusalem, and as far away as the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon. Not only that, but in addition to teaching, Jesus also healed the sick and drove out demons. The crowd was so awed by this that they tried just to touch Him, because others who did so were instantly healed.¹

From what Matthew has told us so far, when Jesus’ new disciples sat down next to Him on the mountain slope, it was the first time they had all been together and heard Him teach. Today, we use the English word “disciple” to describe those called by Jesus, and from it we conclude that they were more than casual or part-time followers. Matthew uses the Hebrew term “Talmidim.” This word conveys the deep attachment that existed between a Rabbi and his talmidim in those days. These were people who became attracted to the leadership and teaching of a man of God, both those who traveled, like Jesus, and those who opened schools. These talmidim gave themselves unconditionally and wholeheartedly to their teachers. They wanted to learn and grow in the Word of God. The essence of this relationship was built on trust and their goal was to become as wise and astute as their Master. So they not only learned from Him, but they also witnessed how to share what they would learn from Him in an effective way. But unlike the oriental understanding of a disciple, where the student has the potential to grow and become equal, if not superior to his master, a talmid would always continue to be a follower because there is no one greater than his master.

Just as in any culture, body language often speaks louder than words. That’s why we get such phrases as “sitting in judgment”, “standing in the breach”, and “bending beneath the weight”. The same with teaching. One Jewish master teacher outlines this in his writings, He says: “How is Torah taught? The teacher sits at the head and the students sit around him, so that all can see the teacher and hear his words. The teacher should not sit on a chair, while his students sit on the ground. Rather, either everyone should sit on the ground or everyone should sit on chairs. Originally, the teacher would sit and the students would stand. However, before the destruction of the Second Temple, everyone followed the practice of teaching while both they and the students were seated.”²

So when Jesus sat down on the ground and His disciples sat next to Him, as was the custom, the people knew immediately that He was about to teach. In fact, one Rabbi says: “How do we know that the master should not sit on a couch and teach his disciples while they sit on the ground? Because it says, ‘But as for you, stand here beside me³.’”⁴ Jewish scholars say that this Rabbi is referring to a conversation between God and Moses. In other words, even God doesn’t want His students to sit while He is speaking to them.

And in another place where a writer is lamenting the deaths of great rabbinical teachers and the effect it had on the people he says: “When Rabban Gamliel the elder died, the glory of the Torah ceased [people no longer had the strength to learn while standing], and the purity and self-discipline perished.”⁵ Jesus was a teacher, and I’m afraid that teaching from the pulpit is now a dying ministry in the church, and it has resulted in a similar demise of purity and self-discipline. What follows in the next three chapters can be looked at as a summary of His teaching. I’m sure if Matthew had included every word, it would take more than three chapters to contain it.

Verse 3: “Great blessings belong to those who are spiritually humble. The World to come belongs to them.”

The next ten verses have become known as the “Beatitudes.” This is because in the earliest Latin versions the word “blessed” is “beatus.” The King James Version chose the English word “blessed” to translate the Greek word “makarios.” When we look at it in the context of verses 10 and 19, we get a fuller understanding. We see this in the Amplified Version, “happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous – with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions.” So as we have rendered this verse in the text above, whenever this virtue or characteristic is present in a believer’s life, they are truly blessed and favored of God.

In Chapter 11:25, Jesus gives an example of someone who is ready to learn.⁶ For instance, as God is teaching the children of Israel through Moses, He touches on the need for people to realize their need for instruction and discipline. He says: “But maybe they will become humble and accept the punishment for their sin. If they do, I will remember my agreement with Jacob. I will remember my agreement with Isaac. I will remember my agreement with Abraham, and I will remember the land.”⁷ We also see a promise to those who fit this description of those who are spiritually humble: “Seek ADONAI, all you humble in the land, you who desire to apply His justice; seek righteousness, seek humility – that you might be protected on the day of ADONAI’S anger.”⁸ This is further illustrated in these other Scriptures.⁹

The Psalmist expresses this same sentiment on God’s part toward those who suffer disappointments.¹⁰ We also find this in other parts of the wisdom books in the Old Testament.¹¹ While teaching this, Jesus may have remembered what He said in the synagogue in Nazareth taken from Isaiah 61:1-3. But there is no question that this was a well-known teaching as we find in what the prophets had to say.¹² A respected Rabbi once said: “Be exceeding lowly of spirit, for the hope of man is but to decay.”¹³ Many believe that this Rabbi was simply paraphrasing a saying from the Wisdom of Sirach where it says: “Don’t be too good or too bad, and don’t be too wise or too foolish. Why should you die before your time?”¹⁴ But some of his fellow rabbis did not agree. One of them said: “He who profanes The Name of Heaven [God] in secret will be repaid openly: by profaning The Name it is all determined whether it was done unknowingly or knowingly.”¹⁵ To understand this better, HaShem is Hebrew for “The Name” which was another way of saying “God” without the risk of using it in vain. To profane The Name was to go against His will and disobey the Law. So we can see why the open and positive teaching of Jesus may have caused some controversy among the Jewish elite. But our Lord came to make His heavenly Father better known on a personal basis. And what better way than for God to send His only Son to share the good tidings about the new relationship He wanted with those who would believe.

Verse 4: “Great blessings belong to those who are heartsick, because God is there to comfort them.”

The key word translated in the KJV is “mourn.” This should not be automatically thought of as that which is done at death or funerals. It can also mean to “lament,” to “regret with sadness.” It not only points to the grief that comes with loss, misfortune, or what we would call “bad breaks,” but to do so with the attitude that while we may be wrong, we need not go wrong. This is reflected in one of the oldest Hebrew versions of Matthew, where it reads: “Blessed are those who wait.”¹⁶ To put it another way, “those who are disappointed for now, but willing to wait.” A football player who drops the ball on the one yard line will get a pat on the shoulder pads from the coach who says: “You’ll do better next time.” In our English language a word that might give us a better clue as to what is said here is the word “remorse.”

King David expressed this need for encouragement: “O Lord, don’t punish me now. Don’t correct me when You are so angry. Lord, be kind to me. I am sick and weak. Heal me, Lord!”¹⁷ And we find this same sentiment in other Psalms.¹⁸ In fact, after the Messiah has been revealed, the prophet sings a song of praise that begins: “At that time you will say, ‘I praise you, Lord! You have been angry with me, but don’t be angry with me now. Show your love to me. God is the one who saves me. I trust Him, and I am not afraid. The Lord is my strength. He saves me, and I sing songs of praise about Him.”¹⁹ We see this same attitude echoed throughout Isaiah.²⁰ The ensuing prophets also express this mindset: ²¹ Some scholars see the text in the apocryphal Book of Tobit as applying to the Jewish theme of those who mourn, “Happy are those who love you, and happy are those who rejoice in your prosperity. Happy also are all people who grieve with you because of your afflictions; for they will rejoice with you and witness all your glory forever.”²²

To put all this into a more modern frame of reference, what our Lord is saying applies to the fact that when a person is ready to admit they made a mistake; that they committed an error and are sorry for their failure to live up to God’s expectations; they will not be abandoned or thrown out like trash, but He will put His arms around them and tell them to keep trying, that He has faith in their ability and willingness to succeed in the mission He has given them. But most of all, that He is right there by their side for encouragement and assurance. The important truth in this is the fact that unless a person is willing to move the roadblock that is blocking the path leading to their destiny, they will be unable to move on, they will only keep going around in circles. Admitting one’s mistakes is not a weakness, in fact, it is a sign of mental, emotional and spiritual strength.