Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part IV (con’t)

Verse 19: “The same is true with obeying every command in the law, even one that does not seem important. Whoever refuses to obey just one command and teaches others not to obey it will be the least important in God’s kingdom. But whoever obeys the whole law and teaches others to obey it will be great in God’s kingdom.”

Practice what you Preach is the theme here. Christ Jesus places extreme emphasis on the equal application of the two. Our status in the kingdom of God is gauged by our adhering to this principle even though we are no longer under the Law but under Grace. As a born again believer in Christ we must still practice what we preach. Jesus knew He was talking to people who experienced daily what verbal teachings said about being not only aware of the circumstances that require obedience to the law, but every detail of that obligation. We see this discussed in the Jewish literature about obeying the laws of the Sabbath.¹ Not only is one liable if they forget that the Sabbath is holy, but they are further penalized if they forget each detail of their liability which could end up requiring many more sacrifices to cover their sins. One Rabbi commented²: “If a man performs but a single commandment things will go well with him and he will have a long life and will inherit the Land; but if he neglects a single commandment things will go bad for him and he will not have a long life or inherit the Land. He who is well versed in Bible, Mishnah and good manners will not easily sin, for it is said: ‘A threefold cord is not quickly broken.’³”⁴

This verse also strikes to the very core of hypocrisy. How many teachers advocate open-mindedness for others but restrict themselves from being likewise? How many point to the highway of holiness and yet fail to walk on it themselves? In the eyes of God, both are guilty of hypocrisy and will suffer the consequences. Jesus is now reminding His Jewish listeners what they were taught so they would apply the same principle to His teachings. They all knew that Moses told the people of Israel that after they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, the Levites would keep reminding them of what they had been taught. And one of the things the Levites would chant was, “Let a curse be on the one who does not support this law and agree to obey it.”⁵ Laws are not given to be looked at and then randomly chosen to obey. What if everyone driving on our highways drove with the same attitude! One Psalmist held this same view.⁶ But Moses added a warning: “You must be careful to do everything I command you. Don’t add anything to what I tell you, and don’t take anything away.”⁷ This is especially true today of theologians and ministers who feel free to reinterpret what God’s Word says to meet their expectations, not God’s will. Jesus’ teaching was important for the disciples to remember because He often had to show them where God’s word had been misunderstood.

We must keep in mind that most of these people in Jesus’ day had never read a scroll containing God’s Word, they had only heard it read by the Scribes and Rabbis. This gave rise to an oral tradition of the Word, which when compared to the Word itself showed its flaws. Even in our day, many oral traditions have been taken as the Word of God, when in fact it is in conflict with God’s written Word. I’ve even heard ministers say that the Bible says: “God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.” In fact, this was said by hymn writer William Cowper in 1773, one hundred and sixty-two years after the King James Version was printed.

To the western ear what Jesus is saying here does not pick up on the subliminal message that is being conveyed by Jesus to the leading priests and Jewish religious hierarchy. What was part of the verbal teaching of the Rabbis even before Jesus’ day became written down in the Jewish Mishnah and later commented on in the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds. But there were many who were still committed to keeping God’s word pure. Said one Rabbi: “It is better that one letter be rooted out of the Torah than to speak publicly against God’s will.”⁸ Today we would call this “Situation Ethics.” In other words, the Jewish leaders were teaching that it is okay to change the law to meet the situation, even though it may violate the letter of the law. That way they would keep God from looking bad in spite of what He had written to the contrary. Unfortunately, we are seeing this done today despite what God’s word says about marriage, adultery, capital punishment, etc. In the same document we read that one Rabbi sent this inquiry to another: “Cannot the Rabbinical Court lay down a condition which would cause the annulment of a law of the Torah?”⁹ In other words, if the law in the Written Word does not fit the situation, then rules can be made up that are more in harmony with current social norms than those existing when the law was written.

We have seen this in our own court system where a judge will repeal or rescind or vacate a law passed by the State Legislature because they felt it violated the spirit of his or her interpretation of the Constitution. And then one Rabbi objected to what another well-known Rabbi was saying about how certain laws could be ignored by saying: “…you taught us that abstention from the performance of an act is not regarded as an annulment of the law, I have nothing to say since all these are also cases of self-denial.”¹⁰ In other words, if you don’t violate the law yourself but someone else does it for you, you have not broken the law. To put it this way, a man gets into his limousine and tells his driver to step on it and get to the next destination as fast as possible, if the limo is stopped for speeding, the driver gets the ticket but not the passenger because he wasn’t actually driving. To bring this into the purview of God’s laws, If a father sends his son to the store to steal a hammer or measuring tape and the son gets caught for shoplifting, then the father is not charged because he did not actually steal the item. Those were some of the decisions that the Rabbinical Courts were making in Jesus’ day. One venerable teacher confirms this by saying:

“A court may suspend the application of such decrees temporarily, even if it is of lesser stature than the original court. The rationale is that these decrees should not be considered as more severe than the words of the Torah itself, and any court has the authority to abrogate the words of the Torah as a temporary measure. What is implied? If a court sees that it is necessary to strengthen the faith and create a safeguard so that the people will not violate Torah law, they may apply beatings and punishments that are not sanctioned by Torah. They may not, however, establish the matter for posterity and say that this is the law based on the Talmud. Similarly, if they saw that temporarily it was necessary to nullify a positive commandment or violate a negative commandment in order to bring people at large back to the Jewish faith or to prevent many Jews from transgressing in other matters, they may do what is necessary at that time. To explain by analogy: Just like a doctor may amputate a person’s hand or foot so that the person as a whole will live; so, too, at times, the court may rule to temporarily violate some of the commandments so that they will later keep all of them. In this vein, the Sages of the previous generations said: ‘Desecrate one Sabbath for a person’s sake so that he will keep many Sabbaths.’”¹¹ In another place, the same Rabbi exhorts more on the same subject:

“A prophet who violates his own prophetic instructions, and one who refrains from prophesying, are liable for death at the hand of God, since concerning the three of them, it is said, “I will seek retribution from him.” When a prophet – who has already proven himself to be a prophet – instructs us to violate one of the commandments of the Torah or many laws whether they be severe or light in nature, for a limited amount of time, it is the law listen to him. The Sages of the early generation taught as part of the spoken tradition: If a prophet tells you to violate the precepts of the Torah as Elijah did on Mount Carmel, listen to him with regard to all things except the worship of false gods. This applies when his command is temporary in nature. For example, on Mount Carmel, Elijah offered a sacrifice outside the Temple’s premises, even though Jerusalem was chosen for such service, and one who offers a sacrifice outside the Temple’s premises is liable for excommunication. Since he was already established as a prophet, it was the law to listen to him. The commandment, “Listen to him,” applies in these circumstances as well. If they would have asked Elijah: How can we violate the Torah’s command: “Be careful…so you don’t offer your burnt offerings everywhere’?,¹² he would have told them: We should not say anything, but anyone who offers a sacrifice outside the Temple premises is liable for excommunication, as Moses said. The present instance, however, is an exception. I am offering a sacrifice today outside the Temple at God’s command in order to disprove the prophets of Ba’al. Similarly, if any other prophet commands us to transgress for a limited time, it is the law to listen to him. If, however, he says that the law has been nullified forever, he is liable for execution by hanging, for the Torah has told us: “It is for us and our children forever.”¹³

As we can see, this pick and choose as it relates to the Law was already being practiced, and the time will come when Jesus will confront these scribes and teachers on this practice. But for now He wants them to know that His teachings and explanation of the law under the new covenant would not tolerate such manipulation. They all knew the accepted tradition of interpreting the law for convenience so as to avoid breaking it. No wonder Jesus came to fulfill all that the law required, so that our trust in Him does not require us to meet the same demands. Nevertheless, obedience to the new covenant brought by Christ is still mandatory if we are to enjoy the blessings that are promised for such obedience.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part IV

While the story you just read may sound somewhat cryptic, the point is that apparently the Philosopher was referring to a copy of Matthew’s Gospel, and this Rabbi couple wanted to prove him wrong. Even back then, a donkey was considered an animal of lesser intelligence than others. So when the Rabbi’s wife complimented this Jewish Christian for his wisdom, her Rabbi husband wanted him to know that even a donkey was smarter than he was. But one reason I included this was to show that by the time this Jewish verbal tradition document containing this story was written, there already existed the fact that the writings of the Gospels were being read by the Jews of that day. No wonder Jesus was confident enough to say God’s Word would not pass away until every part was fulfilled according to His plan for mankind. The ingenious writer of Psalm 119 also expresses this belief: “Lord, your word continues forever in heaven. You are loyal forever and ever. You made the earth, and it still stands…”Long ago, I learned from your rules that you made them to last forever. ”¹

Our Lord’s favorite writer, Isaiah, said it best: “Grass dies and flowers fall, but the word of our God lasts forever.”² Not only would the demands of the law concerning the payment for sin be carried out through our Lord’s sacrifice, death, resurrection, and ascension back into heaven, but His promise to return and eventually set up His kingdom here on earth to rule and reign a thousand years. But what changes the whole picture here is that Jesus puts His own imprimatur by the way He says: “I give you My word.”³ The KJV has: “For verily I say unto you.” The NIV puts it: “I tell you the truth.” But the original Greek has it, “For amen I say to you.” The Aramaic Version reads: “For truly say I to you” the oldest Hebrew text Gospel of Matthew has: “Truly I say to you.”⁴ English translators decided to render “amen” as “verily” or “truly” when it appears at the beginning of a sentence, and “amen” when it is put at the end. The prophet Jeremiah uses “amen” this way: “Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people standing in Adonai’s house — the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May ADONAI do it! May ADONAI fulfill the words you have prophesied and bring back from Babylon to this place the articles from ADONAI’S house and all the people who were carried away captive!”⁵

It is interesting to see how the Jews used it in their writings. For instance, in the oldest Palestinian Talmud we read where a woman accused of infidelity answers: “Amen, she says, I have not committed adultery with this particular man, and Amen, I have not committed adultery with any other man.”⁶ Also in another case of unfaithfulness, the accused says: “Amen, I have not gone aside while engaged, married, awaiting levirate marriage, or wholly taken in levirate marriage.”⁷ Then in the Mishnah we have this example concerning the misappropriation of a bank deposit: “Amen – if witnesses testify against him that he himself had misused it, he pays only the principal.”⁸ This is repeated when it is a question of whether or not the deposit was stolen, when the guardian replies: “Amen – if witnesses testify against him that he himself had stolen it, he has to repay double.”⁹ Also, we read that: “Rabbi Jose ben Hanina said: ‘Amen’ implies taking an oath.”¹⁰ From this then we see that when “Amen” is used it implies making a promise, accepting a promise, or confirming a promise. So in Jesus’ case, He was making a promise. This teaching is upheld by a venerable Rabbi who says: “Whether one takes an oath falsely on his own initiative or is placed under oath by another person and answers Amen to his statements, he is held accountable.”¹¹ With this understanding we may take Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 1:20 to read: “Amen to all God’s promises in Christ, and through Christ to the glory of God we say, Amen!”

By having this background on the use of the term “Amen,” we can better understand how serious Jesus was in making this statement about the infallibility and longevity of His words and how it impacted His Jewish listeners. Also in this rendering of verse 18 we have phrases from the King James Version in 1611 AD that remain part and parcel of our modern day English. They are: “jot” and “tittle.” It was borrowed from William Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament in 1526 AD, which reads: “One iott or one tytle of the lawe shall not scape.” But since Matthew wrote his journal in Hebrew, it’s best to look at that language for a better understanding. The “Jot” is the English equivalent of the Hebrew “Yodh”, which is the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet [י]. It is also the smallest letter. The English pronunciation is like the letter “Y” in the English term Yahweh. The Greeks translated it as “iota”, from which we get our English transliteration. The term “tittle” is the small decorative spur or point on the upper edge of the yodh, somewhat like our dot over the “i”. “Tittle” is used by Greek grammarians as accents over letters, such as in á or è. It denotes a change in pronunciation. In English we can see this represented in how an I is changed to an L with the mark at the bottom. We also use phrases in English such as: “the dotting of the i, and the crossing of the t,” and “every iota.”

It is interesting that the Jewish scribes who copied the Massoretic Greek Text of the Hebrew Bible scrolls paid the greatest attention to the minutest of details and to each mark attached to the consonants throughout the entire text. They even numbered every letter, word, sentence, paragraph, chapter, section, and scroll to insure that the total equaled that of the text being copied before allowing it to enter the holy synagogue. So now the meaning of this passage is very clear. Not even the smallest letter or even its decorative spur will ever disappear from the “God Breathed” Word until all is fulfilled. In fact when heaven and earth are replaced by a new heaven and earth, the Word of the Lord will have accomplished its purpose and will be fulfilled in every detail even to the dot over each i. Any educated Jew, especially the scribes who heard this spoken by Jesus were aware of its special meaning. It was an integral part of their thinking and validation of the Scripture. We see this clearly in the Talmud where it says: “The law had to be taught with respect to each tittle on the letter yod.”¹²

This was so important that we find the following in a major Jewish journal that Rabbi Meir in 1305, which is a very influential document: “…containing a minute treatment of every letter, nay, of every jot and tittle, in the sacred Scroll.”¹³ This may sound like quibbling over minuscule dots and dashes to the average English reader, but to a Jew it was critical. In other words, Jesus was declaring, more than indicating, that every “i” would not lose its dot, nor would every “t” lose its “cros” before the Word of God would be declared invalid, but that He would make sure that even if the written word would become invalid due to a copiers error, His word will never be made outdated or irrelevant because of what others may miscommunicate by interpretations of what He said.

Let me illustrate this concept: During WWII, an engagement between American and Japanese naval forces in the Surigao Strait during the battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines produced a simple tactic that helped win the war. Both sides were trying to out maneuver each other to gain an advantage. Battleships of that era had large guns mounted on turrets both in the bow section and stern section of the ship. If a ship was heading straight for another ship, it could only use its forward guns because those in the rear were rendered useless since they could not fire above the main section of the ship. American reconnaissance aircraft spotted a line of Japanese ships sailing in single file like the letter I. A message was sent to the American ships to confront this line of Japanese battleships by positioning themselves ahead of them in a perpendicular line, so that the Japanese formation and the American formation created the letter T on the ocean surface. That way the American vessels could use both their forward and rear cannons firing sideways on the Japanese convoy. After they were in position, they began firing. The Japanese were caught with only the forward most ship being able to return fire straight ahead. Had the messenger to the American fleet not crossed his T, it would have become an I, and the American warships would have been at the same disadvantage as the Japanese.

How clearly this points out the critical need for getting things right so that the message going out is clear and correct. That’s how much importance the Jews gave to correctly writing each letter of the Law. In Jewish writings there is a story about Solomon’s downfall. The writer says that Solomon wanted to change one small letter in the book of Deuteronomy. So the book itself appealed to God, and the Lord answered: “Solomon and a thousand like him will be null, but not one word of yours will be nullified.’”¹⁴ As a matter of fact, one Rabbi told that God changed Sara’s name to Sarah, and Abram’s name to Abraham by simply adding an “h”, but what a difference that letter made in the meaning of their names.¹⁵ How important this is to all of us who are assigned the joy and opportunity of sharing God’s Word with others who do not know it well, that we get it right. This idea is now carried over in the next verse by Jesus to illustrate the proper obedience of the Word of God.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part III (con’t)

One place in Jewish writings we read where Caesar Nero sent troops to destroy Jerusalem before he sent Vespasian in 67 AD. There they encountered a man who is described as a master of light, and that one of his disciples was “the light of the world.”¹ We can perhaps see a motivational challenge here by our Lord. In other words, the Jews looked up to their teachers and instructors on things related to the Word of God as lights to direct and enlighten them, now Jesus is saying to His disciples, you are going to be the new lights in this world. The Scribes, Pharisees and priests were those lights had gone out, now God needed new lamps to shine the truth in the world. And when our Lord referenced a city built on a hill, He may have been thinking of Sepphoris in Galilee, but to most they took at as a reference to Jerusalem which was built on seven hills. Coming from any direction, the glow of its oil lamps could direct any traveler or pilgrim to its gates.

The Jews also tell us that when the captives returned from Babylon and Persia, they “went up from Babylon.” So the question was asked, “Why do they say, ‘went up?’ The writer concludes that they are being told something in passing. He says, “As it was taught: then you will get going and go up to the place that the Lord your God will choose”;² this teaches that the Temple is higher than the rest of the Land of Israel, and the Land of Israel is higher than all other countries. As for the Temple being higher than the rest of the Land of Israel, that is so, just as it is written.” One Jewish Commentator explains it this way: “The Torah is aware that no person ever qualified as blameless and possessed a solid enough character to be considered a fair judge, who also possessed the required legal training to resolve all the issues that they were called on to decide. Moses therefore provides a system by means of which such unresolved cases are to be presented to a higher tribunal. The ultimate arbiter will be the Sanhedrin whose offices are situated on the Temple Mount adjoining the Temple itself.”³ Then we see that the Jews claimed: “…the Temple was higher than the rest of Palestine, and Palestine is geographically higher than all other countries.”⁴ And in a discussion being held on this same subject, when someone questioned it they turned to the Book of Joshua to prove it.⁵

But could this saying about the disciples being the light of the world and tying it to a city built on a hill not have contained a hidden meaning which would later be revealed when the disciples were praying in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit lit tongues of fire over their heads. Perhaps this could give Pentecostals a new impetus to be the light of the spiritual world among churches around the world today. But just in case His listeners didn’t get the whole message, Jesus uses a different example of how light should be used not only as a beacon, but for illumination. But being this light was not designed to draw attention to themselves, but to give increased understanding of who God is, what God is, and why God is, so that all attention will be directed to Him. We can now certainly see how proper exegesis of God’s Word will open the eyes of listeners so they can better comprehend what God has done to bring them such a wonderful plan of salvation by grace through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son. But as John Gill states, “…when the ministration of the Gospel has been blessed, for the illumination of the minds of men, to a thorough conviction of their state; and for their regeneration, conversion, sanctification, and comfort; they may give praise to God, and bless his name for qualifying and sending such Gospel ministers to show unto them the way of salvation; and that the word has been made useful to them for communicating spiritual light, life, joy, and comfort.”⁶

Also, the phrase “our Father in Heaven” was not new. Jewish writers had used it before, as we find where one noted Rabbi said: “Upon whom, can we rely on? Only on our Father in Heaven.”⁷ And we also read: “Fortunate are you O Israel! Before whom do you purify yourselves? And who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven!”⁸ So once again we see that Jesus was using their language and phrases to help them see that He was not some foreigner or alien who did not understand their status and relationship with God. What seemed to upset the leading priests and religious officials the most was that He was not one of them; not a product of their schools and a pupil of their venerated Rabbis. He claimed that all of this came from God the Father Himself. And that was hard for them to swallow.

Verses 17-18: “Don’t think that I have come to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to destroy their teachings but to help you understand them better. I give you My word that nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone. The law will not lose even the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter until it has all it demands has been carried out.”

To better understand in what context Jesus was referring to the Law of Moses and the Prophets, the Jewish Bible (Tanakh) consist of three sections: The Torah, which are the first five books of Moses, which we Gentiles know as the Pentateuch – Greek and Latin for “Five Books.” Then the Nevi’im, which are the Prophets. The final section is the Kethuvim, which are the Writings. This last section is considered as inspired Scriptures, but not at the level of the first two. Some books included in the Kethuvim that some may find startling are: Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 & II Chronicles. So this helps us understand why Jesus spoke only of the Torah and the Prophets. I can imagine that by now Jesus is sensing that some who were listening to Him started thinking that He was putting Himself and His revelation ahead of what God had already revealed through the writings of Moses and the Prophets. Jesus knew that His Father had sent him. Therefore, it was not necessary for Him to lift Himself up, the Father would do that because it was the Father’s desire to receive praise for sending His Son. Could it be that Jesus was echoing what David said: “Lord, you made me understand this: You don’t really want sacrifices and grain offerings. You don’t want burnt offerings and sin offerings. So I said, ‘Here I am, ready to do what was written about me in the book.’ My God, I am happy to do whatever you want. I never stop thinking about your teachings.”⁹ Isaiah had long ago prophesied that it was God’s will for His people to learn His word and do what it says.¹⁰

But while Jesus was putting emphasis on what God had already said, He wanted His listeners to know that His teachings were equally important because they too had come from the Father.¹¹ This was received by most, but there were, and always will be, those who cannot believe that God in heaven would chose such an insignificant self-appointed prophet from Galilee to carry His message. For instance, a well-known Jewish opponent of the Church comments on this saying of Jesus about fulfilling the law and the prophets: “These words are in direct opposition to the belief and the assertion of the Christians, that the law of Moses has been superseded by the coming of Jesus. Thus, circumcision is replaced by baptism, and the sanctity of the seventh day is deferred to the keeping of the first day of the week. With the same inexcusable freedom, many other Divine laws have been rejected by the Christians, only few having been retained, such as those regarding incest and moral enactments, respect to parents, love to our neighbor, charity to the poor, avoidance of theft, rapine, adultery, murder, shedding of blood, and some other crimes which reason enforces, and which other nations, who were without revelation, had acknowledged before the coming of Jesus.”¹² While we may react negatively to these charges, they certainly are not without merit among some who call themselves Christians today. We also see these same charges in another polemic writing: “He himself caused the Torah of Moses to be truncated by abolishing circumcision, observance of the Shabbath, and many commandments.”¹³ And in the main Jewish Rabbinical text we find an interesting story that relates to this saying of Jesus.¹⁴ It goes:

“Imma Shalom, Rabbi Eliezer’s wife, was the sister of Rabbi Gamaliel. It happened that a certain philosopher¹⁵ lived in their vicinity, and he earned a reputation for not accepting bribes.¹⁶ Rabbi Gamaliel and his sister Imma wanted to destroy this man’s reputation,¹⁷ so she brought him a golden lamp. As she stood before him she said: ‘I want to be given my share of my deceased father’s estate.’ So he ordered that it be divided. But then her husband Rabbi Gamaliel reminded him, ‘It is written in the law, that where there is a son, the daughter does not inherit.’ The Philosopher replied, ‘Since the day that you were exiled from your land the Law of Moses has been superseded, and another book has been given,¹⁸ wherein it is written: ‘A son and a daughter inherit equally.’¹⁹ The next day, Rabbi Gamaliel brought him a Libyan donkey. He said to them, ‘Look at the end of the book where you’ll find it written, I came not to destroy the Law of Moses nor to add to the Law of Moses, and it is also written there, A daughter does not inherit when there is a son.²⁰ Imma said to him, ‘Let your light shine bright like a lamp.’²¹ But Rabbi Gamaliel said to him, ‘A donkey came and knocked the lamp over!’²²

To put this last part of the story into perspective, it’s like someone in the dark asking for a lamp to be brought, but when it arrives tells them to turn it off because it’s too bright. That seems to be the case with our Lord. The Jews were expecting a light to come, after all, that’s what Isaiah spoke of.²³ But when Jesus arrived, His light revealed too many of their flaws and so they quickly set about trying to extinguish it.

Here’s another brain teaser I read: “A clerk at a butcher shop stands six feet two inches tall, with a 46 inch waist, and wears size 13 boots. What do you think this butcher weighs?” I’m sure you got that one right away. But you must admit, although it wasn’t hard, it was subtle. We know the dictionary defines “subtle” as a change so delicate or precise as to be difficult to quickly analyze or describe. Another way of putting it is that subtle things are hard to notice because they are not so obvious. That’s why subtle ways are often used by people because it is clever, not revealing the real purpose.

Subtle hints or suggestions are often used as a way of achieving something in an indirect way as opposed to coming out and saying it as it is. This is what Satan did to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The real danger is that at first the idea looks so innocent. It’s almost like a small dare. But what happens is that once the first step is taken, then the perpetrator is not satisfied and hints that another little step won’t hurt us. That’s how many people have become desperate alcoholics and drug addicts.

But it works the same way with sin, which is best described as “lawless behavior”. A little white lie can often steer one on the path of lying in order to cover up lies. An unauthorized sampling in a candy store or slipping a small item in the pocket in a toy store or drug store can lead to embarrassing shoplifting. The same goes for cheating, dishonesty, immorality, irresponsibility, temptation, pride, anger, on and on. The most simple and unsubtle way of dealing with this is clear. Just take each one of these, look at the opposite, and do it.

Most Bible readers know the sad story of Samson and Delilah in the Old Testament which ends in tragedy for a son born to parents who were told ahead of time by an angel of his coming. The common understanding is that Delilah was the one who gave him the new haircut because she was paid to do so. But this is a misconception often caused by the way the tale is told, not by the way rendering is read. Here’s what the Scriptures really tell us: “Delilah got Samson to go to sleep with his head lying in her lap. Then she called in a man to shave off the seven braids of Samson’s hair.”¹

How many times have you heard someone quote the Scriptures and really didn’t know they were saying it incorrectly? This should be reason enough for us to do what the Messianic Jews did in the city of Berea² in northern Greece when Paul came to preach the Gospel to them. Listen to what Luke tells us: “The people in Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. They were so glad to hear the message Paul told them. They studied the Scriptures every day to make sure that what they heard was really true.”³ Why is this important? Let the intelligent young man in King David’s day tell you why: “I study Your teachings very carefully so that I will not do something wrong against You.”⁴ That way, you won’t be one of those who gets it wrong or goes wrong.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part III

Verse 13: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, it cannot be made salty again. Salt is useless if it loses its salty taste. It will be thrown out where people will just walk on it.”

When reading this verse it is quite easy for most Christians to think that Jesus was automatically applying it to them. But we must remember that He was speaking to an exclusively Jewish crowd. So how did they understand His reference to their being the salt of the earth? We find our first clue in what God said to His people through Moses: “You are to season every grain offering of yours with salt — do not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant with your God, but offer salt with all your offerings.”¹ Then what the LORD said to the children of Israel through Aaron: “All the contributions of holy things which the people of Isra’el offer to Adonai I have given to you, your sons and your daughters with you; this is a perpetual law, an eternal covenant of salt before Adonai for you and your descendants with you.”² And Abijah, the new king of Israel reminded his people while standing on Mount Zemaraim: “Don’t you know that Adonai, the God of Isra’el, gave rulership over Isra’el to David forever, to him and his descendants, by a covenant of salt which is unbreakable?”³ The Jews understood this very well. They were God’s chosen people. They were part of the covenant in the same way salt was to the grain offering. Thereafter, salt became a metaphor of their part in God’s covenant.

We read where they lamented the passing of great teachers such as Rabbi Meir, Rabbi ben Zoma, Rabbi Yehoshua; Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel and others, and how their absence left everyone in limbo so that there were no more tellers of parables, no expositors, and no goodness.⁴ This was their way of saying that like salt that loses it savor, so the Jewish spiritual community had lost its savor. But to comprehend it as a figure of speech, we must also understand it in its literal sense. Also, another Rabbi is quoted as saying: “All dishes require salt, but not all dishes require spices.”⁵ Commentators add that this is why salt should be pounded with a pestle and mortar and be ready before the Festival. But while on the same subject, another Rabbi states: “All spices lose their flavor, but salt never loses its flavor.”⁶ Jesus was trying to tell His listeners that they were the salt that preserved the covenant between them and God. But if that salt becomes tasteless and has no affect, how can it ever be rejuvenated. And what does that do to the covenant? If it does not recover its saltiness, then it will be thrown out and replaced. So what Jesus was trying to get them to understand is that He came to them first, but if they reject Him, then they are of no use.

In light of all this we might say that Jesus was also referring to His new believers as the salt represented in God’s new covenant. Taken this way, it certainly gives what Jesus goes on to say new meaning. For if we who are the salt of the new covenant lose our flavoring or purifying power by becoming lukewarm and indifferent, how then can we be re-flavored or re-purified? For instance, if the human body loses it’s life essence, it cannot be reanimated simply by stuffing it with feathers or embalming it with fluid. Therefore, the only thing left to do is either bury or cremate the corpse. But Christ is more explanatory than that. As a parallel, we could say, “If a flame loses it’s heat, how can it be made hot again.” Heat is the very substance and essence of the flame, just as saltiness is to salt. When it loses its saltiness, it becomes nondescript, worthless and useless. When a Christian stops being Christ-like, they become worthless and useless in the world. Just like salt brings out the best flavor in the food, so we Christians are supposed to bring out the best in society. Throughout this portion, Jesus does some excellent preaching using the O.T. Scriptures for His text with an up-to-date exegesis. Let’s see how His outline conforms to the original Ten Commandments:

1^st Commandment – Remember your covenant with God (v.13).

2^nd Commandment – You are the upholders of the Law. (vv.14-20)

3^rd Commandment – Loveless use of sacred things devalues the gift. (vv.33-37)

Christian principles acted out in Christ’s life. (vv.38-42)

Christ’s life which is stated as a Christian principle. (vv.43-47)

A hypothesis which can only become a reality in Jesus. (v.48)

6^th Commandment – Murder is first committed in the heart before carried out in the flesh.  (vv.21-26)

7^th Commandment – Lust enters the mind through the eye then into the heart before being performed by the body. (vv.27-32)

Verses 14-16: “You are the light that shines for the nations to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and give praise to your Father in heaven.”

Now our Lord turns from salt to light. In the Jewish mind of that day, they saw themselves in the role as salt, seasoning and preserving the land God had given to them. But they also saw themselves as a light to the rest of the world, as spoken to the prophet Isaiah: “I will also make you a light to the nations, so my salvation can spread to the ends of the earth.”¹ In fact, Rabbi Gamaliel and others were discussing the rights of inheritance, and Rabbi Gamaliel said: “Look at the end of the book, wherein it is written, I came not to destroy the Law of Moses nor to add to the Law of Moses,² and it is written therein, A daughter does not inherit where there is a son.” Those listening to Gamaliel were so impressed, that one of them said: “Let your light shine forth like a lamp.”³

Using light in this manner may also be our Master’s inference to what the Psalmist said, “A light shines in the dark for those who are good, for those who are merciful, kind, and fair.”¹⁰ In that sense, God’s glory is the source, Jesus is the conduit, and we are the light bulb. Solomon understood the importance of light: “Don’t take the path of the wicked; don’t follow those who do evil. Stay away from that path; don’t even go near it. Turn around and go another way…The path of those who live right is like the early morning light. It gets brighter and brighter until the full light of day. But the path of the wicked is like a dark night. They trip and fall over what they cannot see.”¹¹

To further illustrate His point, Jesus mentions the effect of a city built on top of a hill, especially at night when all the oil lamps are lit. Even though the traveler may only have moon light or star light on their path, the illuminated city serves as a beacon to guide them. Therefore, it’s not only important to know where you are at, but know where you are going and the direction you are headed in. As such, we can easily imagine believers as lights for others to follow and as beacons so that those who are lost can find their way to Him who is the way, the truth and the life.

Then Jesus segues from lit city to lit lamp. In His day, this would be either a candle or oil lamp. Such light sources were lit to provide illumination in the house for everyone, not just the person who lit it. Likewise, says Jesus, this light is not just for you, it’s for all those around you. This was the theme of what Isaiah said: “If you do these things, your light will begin to shine like the light of dawn. Then your wounds will heal. Your ‘Goodness’ will walk in front of you, and the Glory of the Lord will come following behind you.”¹² And Jesus seems to be giving the same encouragement here to His followers that we find expressed in Isaiah’s clarion call, “Get up and shine! Your Light is coming! The Glory of the Lord will shine on you. Darkness now covers the earth, and the people are in darkness. But the Lord will shine on you, and his Glory will appear over you. Then the nations will come to your light. Kings will come to your bright sunrise”¹³ In other words, let the glory of God shine in your words and deeds; don’t try to hide it. I’m sending you out as lights in the world so they can see the truth and come to salvation. Just in case someone thought Jesus was making these things up or inventing new ideas, He assures them that all of this has been said before.

In Daniel we read: “The wise people will shine as bright as the sky. Those who teach others to live right will shine like stars forever and ever.”¹⁴ So Jesus was echoing what Daniel had said about those who live right and teach what is right. This was something He expected His disciples to do from now on, so that they could be a light to those in spiritual darkness, just as He had been to them. John Gill quotes from one of the Jewish paraphrases of the Song of Solomon where it says: “How beautiful are the great ones of the congregation, and the wise men, who sit in the Sanhedrin! for they are those ‘that enlighten the world’, the people of the house of Israel.”¹⁵ This idea of those who spread insight and wisdom from God’s Word serve as lights in the world was not foreign to Jewish thinkers.

Taken altogether, in our Lord’s teaching there is a message for all believers. The way we live, work, act, and speak as motivated and anointed by the Holy Spirit serves as God’s flavoring in the society were we live. If we stop being God-like and Christ-like in our attitudes and actions, then God’s influence loses it savoring. In the same manner, as lights that shine forth the truth of what Jesus came to teach and do, we are not to hide this light for the sake of blending in with those around us who walk in the darkness that comes from not knowing God or what Jesus the Christ came to do in providing a path to salvation. So when we neglect God’s Word and have little interest in studying what He came to say, then that light grows dimmer and dimmer. God help us all to tap into His Word each day to renew our light so that it may shine for His glory, honor and praise!

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part II (con’t)

So what is the difference between a “peacemaker” and a “peacekeeper?” In an ironic twist, in 1873 gun manufacturer Samuel Colt introduced a pistol that was named “The Peacekeeper.” It was easy to load with shell cartridges instead of the older style loaders. And anyone could learn to use it in a very short time. This was an attempt to make everyone equal, so that a tall strong man could no longer intimidate a smaller, weaker man with impunity. Victory that once depended on strength, now depended on speed and accuracy. In other words, a peacekeeper confronts violence and aggression with force. But a peacemaker, is proactive, and thereby takes the sting out of anger and frustration before it becomes violent. They do this by living peacefully and harmoniously among their fellow man. I once heard a pastor’s wife say, “I get so upset with my husband at times, because he won’t argue with me.” What she was really saying was that she had trouble controlling her temper and wanted her husband to have the same problem so she would be as admirable as he was.

Jewish Rabbis also speak highly in their commendation of peacemaking. They say: “The following are the things for which a man enjoys the fruits in this world, while the principal [reward is not diminished and] remains for him in the World to Come: honoring one’s father and mother, practicing charity and making peace between man and his neighbor, but the study of the Torah is equal to all of them.”¹ We also find the same message promoted in other Jewish writings.² In the same document we find further commentary: “Of peacemaking it is said: ‘Seek peace and pursue it,’³ to which a Rabbi said: ‘We learn ‘pursuing’ by ‘pursuing’, Here it is written: ‘Seek peace and pursue it’; and elsewhere it is written: He that pursues righteousness and lovingkindness.”⁴ Jewish scholars say that this implies: these will be rewarded both in this world and the world to come.”⁵ In addition, we have these words by a highly thought of Rabbi: “The disciples of the wise increase peace in the world, as it is says, And all your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be the peace of your children⁶.”⁷ One Jewish writer states that God is saying: “Though I gave you the Torah to study in this world, all too few labor in it. In the world-to-come, however, I Myself shall be teaching it to all Israel, and they will study it and not forget it.”⁸

Some Jewish scholars define “world-to-come” as a reference to the afterlife following the resurrection. Others, however, define it as the world after the Messiah comes. Yet, because Jesus of Nazareth did not fit their mold of the expected Messiah, they gave Him no heed as the One sent by God to teach them personally about His Word. Rabbis say, this emphasis on peace and peace making is founded on the motto of Moses: “Let the law cut through the mountain, Aaron, however, loved peace and pursued peace and made peace between man and man as it is written, ‘The law of truth was in his mouth, unrighteousness was not found in his lips, he walked with Me in peace and uprightness and did turn many away from iniquity.”⁹ In another Jewish work we find this beatitude: “Blessed is he who imparts peace and love. Cursed is he who disturbs those that love their neighbors.”¹⁰ So this teaching by Jesus was not new to the ears of the listening crowds, especially the Pharisees and Scribes who may have stood among them. But it does not conflict with what He said later on in Chapter 10, verse 34.

Verse 10: “Great blessings belong to those who suffer persecution for doing what is right. God’s kingdom belongs to them.”

As we have seen in all of the beatitudes, there is the constant danger that by doing right one may encounter trouble and opposition. But He wants them to know, that such persecution is an honor, not a humiliation. Later on in Chapter 10, before Jesus sent out His disciples on their first evangelism effort, He warned them about opposition. It is like saying to someone, there is a pot of gold on the other side of this high wall, but you have to have the courage to try and climb over it if you want any part of it. The same that an Olympic athlete is told that they must train and then put all they have into the race if they ever hope to win to gold medal. Being part of the kingdom of God was never meant to be an easy ride, especially if you are open and honest about your faith and continually stand for what is right. Jesus wanted His followers to know that this was not incidental, they should always expect it to happen. God promised Abraham that the land of Canaan would belong to his descendants, but look at how many battles they had to fight to obtain it and keep it.

To this very day Israel is still fighting to maintain control over the land God gave them. We should have the same attitude concerning the Kingdom of God. He promised it to us, but we must be ready to defend it at all cost. This last beatitude is the only one where recompense is mentioned. One can readily see the close relationship between the humble and persecuted. But there are greater differences upon closer observation. The humble are such because of inward influence; the persecuted are such because of outward influence. The humble will receive the kingdom of heaven without stipulation, the persecuted will receive the kingdom of heaven because of their righteousness and faithfulness under persecution. While the Book of Galatians contains the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, here we may opine that these are the Fruit of Christ’s Spirit which every born again believer should possess. Therefore, we might propose that these would then necessarily come first. Let me put them in paraphrase form: “Those who realize their need for God in their lives. Those who confess their weaknesses. Those who are willing to let others go first. Those who want to be fair and just at all times. Those who take time for others before taking time for themselves. Those who are not biased or critical. Those who prefer to live in peace. Those who will do right no matter what it costs them. Those who are willing to suffer any reproach to hold firm to their beliefs. Those are the one who make up the kingdom of heaven.”

Verses 11-12: “Great blessings belong to those who are insulted and made fun of, and who endure lies and all kinds of evil things said about them just because they follow me. But when you do that, know that great blessings belong to you. Be happy about it. Be very glad because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did these same bad things to the prophets who lived before you.”

Some might offer that today when a person is falsely accused, ill treated, or slandered, they should go to court to clear their name instead of feeling blessed. But in disagreeing, I would add this: the same stipulation is required today as it was when Christ spoke these words, it must be for Christ’s sake. Many so called Christians today have been slandered and maligned because of what they did to themselves, not what they did for Christ. King David faced such opposition. He tells us: “There are witnesses trying to harm me, and I’m being asked questions concerning things I know nothing about.”¹¹ But Isaiah had an answer: “You who obey the Lord’s commands, listen to what He says: ‘Your brothers hated you. They turned against you because you followed me. Your brothers said, “When the Lord shows his glory, then we will rejoice with you.” But they will be punished.’”¹² Since Jesus loved the scroll of Isaiah, could He have had this verse in mind when He spoke these words? While the persecutors would be punished, Jesus promised a reward in heaven for those who remain faithful.

God gave Abram a similar promise: “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your protector; your reward will be very great”.¹³ One Jewish commentator states that when God said to Abraham, that his reward would be great, was referring both to this world and the world-to-come.¹⁴ In other words, you won’t have to wait until you get to heaven for God to bless you for your obedience. Another Rabbi commented that after God last spoke to Noah, He spoke to no other creature until He spoke to Abraham. According to this Rabbi, God said to Abraham: “With you I began a new way of speaking.”¹⁵ Also, Boaz complimented Ruth for taking care of her mother-in-law Ruth during trying times.¹⁶ And the Psalmist echos the same sentiment.¹⁷ This same thought is expressed by Solomon¹⁸ and Isaiah.¹⁹ Then it’s almost as though Jesus puts His hands on the shoulders of those listening to Him, and tells them that this has happened to others before, it even happened to some of the prophets. This can be factually authenticated in Old Testament writings.²⁰ We find among the sayings of the rabbis similar ones to what Jesus is teaching here. For instance they say: “Let people curse you instead of you cursing them.”²¹ Jewish commentators also explain: “The curses always recoil on oneself or on one’s descendants.”²²

Another great Rabbi offered this: “A person should always strive to be among the persecuted rather than one of the persecutors; just as there is no birds more persecuted than doves and pigeons, and yet Scripture made them alone eligible for the altar²³.”²⁴ And another venerable Rabbi stated: “The rule is…be among those pursued and not among the pursuers, among those who accept humiliation but not among those who humiliate others. Whoever does all the above and others like them it is stated: “You are My servant, Israel, through whom I will be glorified²⁵.”²⁶ And the Jews say: “Our Rabbis taught: Those who are insulted but do not insult; who hear themselves shouted at without shouting back, act through love and rejoice in suffering, of them the Scriptures say: ‘But they who love Him are as the sun when they go onward in His might²⁷.”²⁸ So again, Jesus is not teaching some radical theology, He is reinforcing what was already part of oral tradition. He would never had done so as the Son of God, had not His Father in Heaven approved of His endorsement of these virtues.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part II

Verse 7: “Great blessings belong to those who show compassion to others, because compassion will be shown to them.”

We find this expressed by David in his Song of Praise: “With the merciful You show Yourself to be merciful.”¹ And again in another Psalm: “Adonai is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and great in grace.”² Today, we might use the word “compassionate” to best describe the virtue being expressed here. Job prays to God that he might be found having been compassionate in every situation.³ The Psalmist lays it out quite well, “Those who help the poor succeed will get many blessings. When trouble comes, the Lord will save them. The Lord will protect them and save their lives. He will bless them in this land. He will not let their enemies harm them. When they are sick in bed, the Lord will give them strength and make them well!”⁴ We find the same blessing in other Psalms.⁵ King Solomon shares this same maxim in Proverbs.⁶ The prophet Isaiah passes on this same thought,⁷ and then shares a word from the Lord.⁸ This is what Daniel advised King Nebuchadnezzar to do,⁹ and Micah preaches on this same theme.¹⁰

The great Jewish teacher Maimonides comments on the concept of showing compassion for others: “A person will never become impoverished from giving charity. No harm nor damage will ever be caused because of charity [Commentary: on the contrary, it leads to blessing as scripture states: ‘He who gives to the poor will not lack’],¹¹ and: ‘And the deed of charity is peace.’¹² Everyone who is merciful evokes mercy from others, as scripture states: ‘And He shall grant you mercy and shower mercy upon you and multiply you.’¹³ Whenever a person is cruel and does not show mercy, his lineage is suspect as a comment on the Mishnah states: ‘Whenever one does not show mercy to the created beings, it can be recognized that he is not from the seed of Abraham our patriarch.’],¹⁴ for cruelty is found only among the gentiles, as scripture states: ‘They are cruel and will not show mercy.’¹⁵ The entire Jewish people and all those who attach themselves to them are as brothers, as it states: ‘You are children unto God your Lord.’¹⁶ And if a brother will not show mercy to a brother, who will show mercy to them? To whom do the poor of Israel lift up their eyes? To the gentiles who hate them and pursue them? Behold their eyes are pointed to their brethren alone.”¹⁷

And Rabbi Simeon ben Eleazar taught: “Perform [righteousness and mercy] while you can find [an object for your mercy], and have the opportunity.¹⁸ Commentators explain: “Literally, ‘it is found in you and within your power to use.”¹⁹ We find that in the Genesis Rabbah they explain that ‘mercy’ and ‘righteousness are taken from the same Hebrew word, “zedakah.”²⁰ But there is a notice posted here. You may have mercy on someone in need, but only when you put it into action does it become righteousness, which is another way of saying: “doing what’s right in the right situation.” So we can see that Jesus is using already known concepts among the Jews listening to Him, in order to build on such understanding and lead them to higher ground.

So we can see that having compassion on others, even those whom many may feel do not deserve it because they lack self-motivation, is pleasing in God’s sight. But such compassion must be designed to help and not hurt. For instance, helping a homeless person by giving them money so they can buy more alcohol or drugs is not helpful. However, buying them a meal and sharing the love of God is helpful, and assisting them in finding a job is even more encouraging. But just as God had compassion by sending His Son to the cross, whether His love is accepted or not does not make that compassion void. In such cases, their destiny is in their own hands, not in the hands of the giver.

Verse 8: “Great blessings belong to those whose hearts are without malice. They will see God.”

The concept here is to avoid hypocrisy in dealing with others. It would not be out of the question if those listening to our Lord’s teaching immediately thought of David’s question on who qualified to enter God’s house, “Who may go up to the mountain of Adonai? Who can stand in his holy place? Those with clean hands and pure hearts, who don’t make vanities the purpose of their lives or swear oaths just to deceive.”²¹ Jesus goes into a long discourse on this subject in Chapter 23. It means to stay away from ulterior motives, especially when trying to impress others with sincerity. We find this attitude in David’s prayer for Solomon: “My God, I know that You test people, and that You are happy when people do what is right. I gladly give You all these things with a pure, honest heart. I see Your people gathered here, and I see that they are happy about giving these things to You.”²² David expresses this same thing in other Psalms.²³ Solomon learned a lot from his father and sought such people as friends.²⁴ It may be that Jesus was also thinking of what His Father had promised: “I will also put a new spirit in you to change your way of thinking. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and give you a tender, human heart. I will put my Spirit inside you and change you so that you will obey my laws. You will carefully obey my commands.”²⁵

But scholars have differed over what Jesus said at the end. After Jacob prepared to reconcile with his brother Esau, during the night he wrestled with an angel, after it was over we read: “Ya‘akov called the place P’ni-El [face of God], ‘Because I have seen God face to face, yet my life is spared’”.²⁶ Another Jewish translator renders it: “I have seen God face to face and I came out alive.”²⁷ As another Jewish scholar expounds on Jacob’s brush with God face to face: “to reflect the great miracle that had happened to him there, that he had survived an encounter with Divinity, especially with the attribute of Justice. He took this as a hint that God would save him bodily during the encounter with Esau.”²⁸

Some Rabbi’s also took this wrestling with the angel and then receiving the blessing asked for, was Jacob’s way of making up for the blessing he stole from Esau, and as God’s way of saying the blessing was his after all.²⁹ And to others, this was another way of Jacob saying: “I wasn’t sure that reconciling with Esau was the right thing to do. But now that I’ve wrestled over this in my mind with God, I’m convinced that it is right. I believe that because I’m still here. God did not harm me because He saw that I was sincere.” Job, on the other hand, had a different perspective. By remaining true to his principles of faith, and in the midst of his trials because of staying true, Job proclaimed: “I know that there is someone to defend me and that He lives! And in the end, He will stand here on earth and defend me. After I leave my body and my skin has been destroyed, I know I will still see God. I will see Him with my own eyes. I myself, not someone else, will see God. And I cannot tell you how excited that makes me feel!”³⁰

This teaching was Jesus’ way of saying, it may be hard and troublesome living a sincere life, but don’t give up, the end will be worth the effort. After all, look at all the opposition and criticism that Jesus endured while He healed the sick and preached God’s new plan of salvation to those who were struggling under the burden of hundreds of laws that were supposed to save them, but was in fact suppressing them. But our Lord did not despair. He knew that His words and His example would be accepted by those who earnestly sought a new relationship with God. So He pressed on, never wavering. That’s why today there are billions of believers around the world doing the same.

Verse 9: “Great blessings belong to those who work to bring peace. God will call them His sons and daughters.”

The KJV uses the phrase “peacemakers.” This is the only place in the N.T., where that is used. We find an example of this when David was thrown out by Saul and had to find some warriors who were with him in prior battles willing to join him. He didn’t mind when some came from the tribe of Benjamin, and others from the tribe of Gad. But when a group showed up from Judea, David left his camp in Ziklag and went out to meet them. After they introduced themselves David said to them, “If you have come in peace to help me, I welcome you. Join me. But if you have come to spy on me when I have done nothing wrong, may the God of our ancestors see what you did and punish you.”³¹

This gives us insight into how this idea of being a peacemaker works. War should only be a matter of last resort. When we enter a fray, everyone will quickly know if we are there to bring peace, or try to prove we are right and they are wrong. After all, when Isaiah was speaking about the coming Messiah he says: “His name will be ‘Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.’”³² When the Psalmist expresses such joy about going with those who invited him to accompany them to the house of the LORD, he finishes with a prayer: “For the good of my family and neighbors, I pray that there will be peace here. For the good of the Temple of the Lord our God, I pray that good things will happen to this city.”³³

But Jesus wanted His disciples and the crowd to know, that being a peacemaker had its benefits. That these were the kind of people God was looking for so He could make them His children. It is safe to say that Jesus was not saying this in the context of relationships between nations, ideologies, political factions, or in war. He was concentrating on how those who would follow Him would treat each other.

Also, being a peacemaker does not automatically imply being an umpire or referee, but a mediator. For instance, an umpire is someone who watches what’s going on closely to make sure that no rules are broken and enforces whatever punishment is required. A referee is a person who examines an act to see if it abides by the law, then when finding any violation works to bring about a settlement. But a mediator is one who helps people find an answer and come to an agreement out of their own will, not that of the ruling official. This is the role that Jesus served here on earth and continues to perform at the right hand of the Father.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part I (con’t)

NOTE: Luke includes a Beatitude not found here in Matthew.¹ It reads, “Great blessings belong to you who are crying now. You will be happy and laughing.”² This expresses the concerns of person who grieves and weeps because of issues such as hunger, financial loss, or being poor and how they will be given a reason to be happy and laugh when their needs are met. It may be compared to what David often felt.³ It is almost a repeat of what we find in Jeremiah: “I will change their sadness into happiness. I will comfort my people, making them happy instead of sad.”⁴ It is not the laugh that Sarah had,⁵ but like the rejoicing in the Song of Ascents,⁶ and the Prophets.⁷ One Jewish translator comments on Sarah’s statement: “God has given me good reason to laugh; now everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.”⁸ He says that the Hebrew used here allows for this to also be rendered: “God has made me laugh, but whoever hears me laughing will laugh at me.”⁹ In other words, everyone who hears about Sarah having a child in old age may result in some laughing for joy with her, and some laughing with disdain at her.

Verse 5: “Great blessings belong to those who are humble. They will be given the land as God has promised.”

This same thought is expressed in the Psalms this way: “But the meek will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”¹⁰ The key word here is “meek” (KJV). The New American Standard Bible renders it “gentle.” Some translate it as “humble” such as the Living Bible. But “meek” can be very misleading as English as spoken today. The Greek word translated by the KJV means: “mildness of disposition and gentleness of spirit.” I like the way James Strong defines it in his lexicon: “Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend against injustice. Thus, meekness toward evil people means knowing God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver His elect in His time.¹¹ Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will¹².”¹³

Jesus gives a personal illustration of this: “Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit.”¹⁴ Moses was considered such a person.¹⁵ In the Psalms we see this spirit lauded,¹⁶ as well as in the prophets.¹⁷ In Zechariah 9:9, we find a line that was quoted by Matthew in 21:5 with reference to Jesus when He rode toward Jerusalem on the back of the donkey.

All though the Jews were admittedly a proud and sometimes arrogant people, they also had great respect for this virtue of being mild mannered. According John Gill, in one Jewish writing it is said: “Wisdom, fear, and meekness are of high esteem; but, meekness is greater than them all.”¹⁸ And we also read: “Our Rabbis taught: A man should always be gentle like Hillel, and not impatient like Shammai.”¹⁹ Taking this into consideration, we might say that the moral ethic of patient tolerance is raised here by Jesus to the level of it being a Christian virtue of grace and a fruit of the Spirit. As a result, when true believers practice and implement this virtue, they will end up inheriting and managing their portion of the land as God originally planned it to be.

One facet of this teaching that has caused some difference in interpretation, involves the word “earth” (KJV), being given to believers as part of God’s promise. In the Old Testament, this referred to the Promised Land which was designated as a gift from God to Abraham, and toward which the Israelites marched after they escaped Egyptian bondage.²⁰ Some of Jesus’ listeners may have thought that He was promising that the Romans would be driven out and the land returned to them where they would govern as a people. Most scholars believe that Jesus is quoting from the Psalms: “Humble people will get the land God promised, and they will enjoy peace.”²¹ But the apostle Paul gives his understanding: “Abraham and his descendants received the promise that they would get the whole world. But Abraham did not receive that promise because he followed the law. He received that promise because he was right with God through his faith.”²² Therefore, as far as Paul was concerned, this promise through Abraham is passed on to all who have faith in God fulfilling that promise for both Jewish believers and the church. However, Jesus was talking to a Jewish audience, and not doubt they held to the concept that one day Israel would be a free nation where they would be the ruling party. Paul was speaking to Gentiles and so for them it was a matter of believing that one day they would rule and reign with Jesus the Messiah over all the earth. Yet we must admit, that over the centuries that followed our Lord’s teaching, Christianity grew into world-wide dominance as a great religion and teacher of morals.

Verse 6: “Great blessings belong to those who want to do things without ulterior motives, for they will see God work things out.”

The KJV uses the word “righteousness.” This has often been thought of as some personally developed level of acquired holiness. As Dr. Roy Blizzard put it: “Unfortunately, we have been guilty of equating righteousness with holiness, or spirituality, being in a right relationship with God. We have never quite understood that in order to be in a right relationship with God, one must first be in a right relationship with his fellow man.”²³ In the original Greek the word simply means: integrity, virtue, purity of life, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting in relationship to the law and society. So in the religious and spiritual sense it means the same thing, only with respect to God’s laws and brotherly love. Another way of putting it, is seeking a way to do God’s will in this world.

It is not something that comes naturally, it must be sought after. The Psalmist puts it so reflectively: “As the deer pants for water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. Where can I find Him to come and stand before Him?”²⁴ We see this spoken of again in other Psalms.²⁵ The prophet Amos shares a message from God on this subject, “Look, the days are coming when I will cause a famine in the land. The people will not be hungry for bread. They will not be thirsty for water. No, they will be hungry for a word from the Lord”²⁶ But God is not just satisfied with our hunger to learn more and more about His will and plan for our lives, He wants to fill that hunger in such a way that we want more and more. Again the Psalmist puts this in a most poetic way: “Many people say, ‘I wish I could enjoy the good life. Lord, give us some of those blessings.’ But you have made me happier than they will ever be with all their wine and grain. When I go to bed, I sleep in peace, because, Lord, you keep me safe.”²⁷ We also find this theme continued in other Psalms.²⁸ The prophet Isaiah sees the spiritual side of this “I will pour water for thirsty people, and streams will flow through the desert. I will pour my Spirit on your children, and I will bless your family.”²⁹ He reemphasizes it again in other chapters.³⁰

So in the long run, righteousness can best be described as doing God’s will by the way we treat God and each other. Now we can see the connection when Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.‘”³¹ Our Lord was giving these guidelines because He knew that His followers were going to be sent out into the world as witnesses of the new covenant, to preach salvation by grace which flows from the love of God. How could they be effective if they insisted on making things work for their benefit, instead of doing things for God’s benefit.

That’s why a current phrase we often hear: “In it to win it!” does not apply here. Instead, we are in it because Jesus won it on the cross. The love and joy that we received from our heavenly Father is not ours to hoard and lather ourselves with. It is to be given away so that others my come to the same knowledge of the truth. Some of the happiest people you’ll ever meet are those through whom the Holy Spirit is working to win souls for Christ. And it works because they believe in what Jesus taught here in this beatitude.

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.