Quality over Quantity
Read Matthew 5:19-20 Thus far our Lord has stated how he is in harmony or continuity with the Old Testament. But in verses 19-20, he describes the Christian’s righteousness…
David Hall
Not the Smallest Letter
Matthew 5:18 Jesus, the Giver of Grace, shows his respect for the eternal and binding authority of the Old Testament when he states that not even in the slightest respect…
Christ and the Law
Read Matthew 5:17-20 Having established Christ’s love for the Law, we’ll now proceed to consider three main points: 1. Jesus’ relationship to the Old Testament Law was one of…
Christ’s Love for the Law
Read Matthew 5:17-20 The first verses in this chapter examined the Christian’s character as described by the Beatitudes. Following that, we saw what the influence of Christian would be. In…
You are the Light of the World
Read Matthew 5:14-16 If you remember Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth…” then you’ll recognize the parallel with this second metaphor. First there is the emphatic affirmation.…
Salt and Light, Not Honey and Shade
Read Matthew 5:13-16 One of the things that is clear from the Beatitudes is that they cannot be practiced in total isolation. Evidently, the teachings of the Sermon on the…
The Imitation of Christ: Incarnating the Beatitudes
Read Matthew 5:7-12 The Beatitudes provide moral virtues for believers. But to avoid moralism, we should also note how each of these was perfectly incarnate in Christ; they each point…
Jesus Fulfills the Beatitudes
Toward the very end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he enters Jerusalem—knowingly headed to the Lamb’s slaughter. With less than a week of his mortal life remaining, would-be kings or rulers…
Purity and Peacemaking
Read Matthew 5:6-10 God’s benediction rests on you (you’ll have true happiness) if you are pure in heart. This blessing is not bestowed upon the intellectually keen or emotionally pious,…
Hunger and Mercy
Read Matthew 5:6-9 One of the keys to the spreading of the gospel is to have believers who make a difference in life—and who live differently. There must be some…
The Blessings of Mournfulness and Meekness
Read Matthew 5:4-5 The opening theme of the Sermon on the Mount is that those who mourn over their own impoverished ability are in Jesus’ kingdom. The Pharisees do not…
The Greatest Question Confronting Mankind
Read Matthew 5:3-12 This first sermon in the first Gospel deserves the attention of all readers. In sum, the Sermon on the Mount is the constitution of the Christian’s life,…