"Judge not lest ye be judged…." Don't folks love to quote this passage of Scripture, especially when someone is calling them on their own sin. The pagans love to throw this one at us. In today's society it is all the vogue to create our own reality, to have our own truth, and we must not only tolerate someone else's truth, even though it may contradict our own, or in many cases good sense, but we must acknowledge that at least "for you that is the truth." In other words I have to accept your beliefs as just as valid as my own and if I don't, I am a judgmental narrow minded bigot, sounds rather like a judgment itself doesn't it? And often they will even use this Scripture to defend themselves, taken out of context of course. Is Jesus saying that we should not have an opinion on anything? Should we take this to mean that we cannot contradict those who contradict the plain teachings of Scripture? No, in fact later in this same passage He admonishes us to "judge a tree by it's fruit" (vs. 15-20) by telling us that we will recognize false prophets by the fruit they bear. Recognition implies a modicum of judgment, which we must exercise in order to determine the "good fruit" from the bad.

We know that the Scriptures do not contradict one another, and that our God is not a God of confusion, so just what is meant when Christ admonishes us to "judge not lest ye be judged?" In order to answer that question we need only read a little farther in this passage.

"When Jesus taught that men should not judge others with critical harshness, he did not forbid having an honest opinion about the character and conduct of another. He was condemning unkind criticism and constant faultfinding. Such an attitude will be repaid measure for measure. It is the law of the harvest; sow criticism and reap criticism."³⁹ -- Roland Q. Leavell

So Christ's intention is to stop us from being unduly critical towards others. As Christians, and human beings without the ability to judge the heart, we must be careful to use the correct stick to measure our judgments. For it is with the same stick that we judge others, that our actions will be judged. It is likely that many of us have suffered harsh and unfair judgment from others because we too have been harsh, and unfair.

2. For with what judgment - He who is severe on others will naturally excite their severity against himself. The censures and calumnies which we have suffered are probably the just reward of those which we have dealt to others."⁴ -- Adam Clarke

We must in love bring it to the attention of our brothers in Christ when they are living in sin. What we must avoid is judging in manner that is based on "I am better than you," or "I have reached a higher spirituality than you." Our motivation should be to bring our brothers back into conformity with the Word of God, so that we can see them restored to a proper relationship with God, because we love them.

We must also do some "housekeeping" of our own before we approach our brothers. No one is going to be in state were there is no sin at all in their lives, however, we must make sure that we are in a position where we can approach our brother and not bring judgment upon ourselves.

"Jesus used a typical Oriental hyperbole about this, which perhaps brought forth a hearty laugh from his hearers. He asked why one would try to remove a mote (a dust particle, a straw, a chip, a little splinter) from another's eye when there was a beam (a rafter, a joist, a log, a fence rail) in his own eye. One should clean up around his own house before he criticizes the housekeeping of others. To be hypercritical is to be hypocritical. In such action one deceives himself more that he deceives others. Love begets love, not vicious criticism."³⁹ -- Roland Q. Leavell

Verse 6 appears a little out of place at first glance. However, it is not just a random saying that appears in the text. In order for us to obey this command of Christ we must have the preceding doctrines correct in practice. There is another extreme to which we can err, which is to allow holy things to be defiled by those who are unable to receive them correctly, or we may even subject that which we hold most dear to those who would trample them under their feet, and then break our hearts by abusing them.

"Jesus warned against the other extreme, careless appraisal of others. A person can discriminate between people when he loves them. Christians are warned against putting sacred and holy things before those who would receive them only to defile them, like scavenger dogs would defile something very precious or like repulsive swine would defile costly pearls. Leaders could cultivate the ability to discern whether an individual is ready or unready to receive a certain truth."³⁹ -- Roland Q. Leavell

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""I fast twice in the week," boasted the proud Pharisee in a parable which Jesus told. It was not his fasting but his boasting that Jesus condemned. Fasting may be beneficial to health, and it certainly can be a means of self-discipline. It does not bring any spiritual blessings if it is practiced to bid for public recognition of superior piety. God knows the difference between self-discipline and self-display. Fasting, to be worthy before God, should be voluntary. All religious performance worthy of the kingdom of heaven must be motivated by inner, spiritual desire to glorify God."¹ -- Roland Q. Leavell

Of all the abused, and misunderstood doctrines, fasting is one that has been as mistreated in our day as it was in the first century. Once again the motivation behind the practice of fasting has shifted from a Theo centric focus, to an anthropocentric attempt to be really insistent about getting a blessing from God, or an answer to a specific prayer. While we can fast legitimately, when we are seeking guidance in a particular area of prayer, the main focus is to bring our thoughts into conformity with our Father in heaven. When we begin to feel the pangs of hunger, we remember our Lord, and focus our thoughts on Him rather than our hunger. The learned professor Leavell speaks of fasting being a matter of self-discipline, rather than a display of piety, for if we are fasting for appearances sake, or under improper motivations, we may as well not fast at all. Our fasting should come primarily out of a motivation to glorify God.

I have been asked by students on many occasions what would be legitimate reasons or methods of fasting. Our Lord does not go into much detail here as His purpose here is to condemn the hypocritical treatment of fasting by the Pharisees. However, I can see were we may profit by a little aside to discuss some of the proper reasons ("proper" meaning "Biblical") for observing a fast. But first we should observe our Lord's admonition to keep our fasts between us and God, no one else should know what we are doing (unless you have a medical condition were someone would need to know that you are fasting, or in the case of a congregation, or family setting aside a special time of prayer and fasting, which are right and proper), we should operate in a manner that no one else sees a difference in our activities, in fact we should be at the top of our game, so to speak.

Fasting should be a normal part our spiritual lives, however, most of us do not, nor is there much teaching on the subject. Many of us seek to avoid some of the stigma caused by improper, and heretical teachings that we see and hear from fringe movements, so in order not to appear like them we avoid the subject so we don't look like one of "those people". In the early church we see some examples of the proper use of fasting, and the apostle's teaching that this is a normal thing for normal and quite serious Christians to do. One of the primary functions of fasting is to attempt to gain a greater communion with God through denying our baser selves. A fast in this case reveals the knowledge that God is the One who provides us with all of our needs, both physical and spiritual, and acknowledges our utter dependence on Him for our needs. By disciplining ourselves to deny ourselves food, or some other comfort or luxury, we acknowledge His providence, and bring glory to God. Fasting is an adjunct to times of serious prayer, when seeking the will of the Lord (Acts 13: 2, 3; 14: 23). Or fasting is can be an expression of repentance, or mourning (2 Sam. 2: 15-25), which is a common act in the OT.

Another worthy purpose for fasting is when we realize that luxuries, or treats, or entertainment are gaining preeminence over our time with God, we can stop them completely for a time in order to regain perspective, and correct our priorities. When our correct focus has returned we can participate in these areas again in their proper times. We could probably spend a great deal of time on this subject but I don't want us to get too far from the intent of studying the earthly life of our Lord.

Three Prohibitions

"Jesus knew that no man is any stronger spiritually than his attitude toward money and what money can buy. Jesus understood the vital relationship between gold and godliness. He was aware of the plague of materialism, the very antithesis of spirituality. Jesus did not discourage the making of money; he deplored the fact that some men give money the place that God should occupy in the affections…………. The throne of a Christian's heart should be in heaven, not in a national bank. A kingdom man's deity should be Almighty God, not the almighty dollar. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (v. 21)."¹ -- Roland Q. Leavell

As stated by the doctor, it is not that making money itself is wrong, it is when money, or the things that money buys take up the place that God should have in our lives. The old saying, "you can't take it with you" is in fact the truth. The thing about earthly riches is that they are all fleeting, they are all finite in some way. Whoever says "money can't buy you happiness" probably never had any money to begin with. Money can in fact buy many things, and although you can't literally buy happiness, you can surely rent it for a time. And there is the rub, you are only renting it, because when you depart this mortal coil, you go out like you came in, with nothing. For the believer we should only hold on to things with an open palm, we do not have to be foolish with our money, or imprudent with our children's inheritance, but we need to remember that our true treasure is in Christ.

When our minds are centered on Christ, rather than on perishable things, we are storing up for ourselves treasures that are eternal, and infinite in scope. Here also is where an eternal mindset, rather than a 75 or so years and then your dead mindset comes into play. I once heard a teacher at my high school say "your dead a whole lot longer than your alive." He is partially right, we are here on this earth, in this reality only for a very short time, but we will be in the presence of God for the rest of eternity. In the interest of making good investments, I have always heard that the long term investment is the more profitable.

"The lamp of the body is the eye" (v. 22, ASV). To Orientals the eye was the window of the soul. It is a most expressive feature of the face. The "single eye" was the clear window of a godly soul; the "evil eye" was one distorted and blurred by such poison as covetousness or worldly-mindedness about things which money can buy. Such covetousness is idolatry. Money easily can become the rival of God for a man's affections. If the light of the love of God is blinded by inordinate love of money, how dense the darkness of the soul will be!"¹ -- Roland Q. Leavell

It is not possible for us to serve two masters in our lives, one thing must be the dominant driving force over all others. For us to despise money, insofar as it may be our master, in favor of God, but how often is the opposite the case?

Therefore, we should not worry about our lives, what we will eat, or what we will wear? Does that mean that we simply quit our jobs and wait on the kingdom? No, there is plenty of evidence that work was to be part of man's life even before the fall, and it is a condition of the curse that we must labor for our meat. Christ is talking about an excessive and unhealthy obsessiveness about these things. Sure we must work to eat, but that is not the most important thing in our lives. Our chief pursuit is to glorify God, to worship and serve Him. If we do our jobs as unto the Lord, then He is faithful to insure that we will have what we need, but not always what we want.

It boils down to a matter of trust, that no matter what the circumstance, even those that lead to physical death, we can depend on God to do what is best according to His will. When we begin to spend too much time worrying about these things, we go down the path to sin and error by failing to trust in His providence.

Jesus points to nature for examples of how God provides for His creation. If He provides so generously for the birds of the air, are we who are the image bearers not more important? If He makes adorns the flowers in the fields so beautifully, when they are cut down and then burned up, will He not do so for us? Our eternal life is of more importance to us that any of these other needs that we have. Of what good is it for us to have all the necessary components of the survival pyramid, i.e. food, clean water, shelter, clothing to protect us from the elements if we do not have the thing we need the most, God? Through Christ we have been forgiven our sin debt, and clothed in His righteousness, and we can now feed upon the Word for our spiritual nourishment, this is more important than food, or any thing that money can buy for us.

Christ continues to point out to us that we must first seek the kingdom of God, and it's righteousness. So does He mean that this is more important than all the other things in life? Yes, of course! But if we are pursuing the things of heaven we can be sure that all of the rest of life will come into line, and better yet our priorities become more godly than worldly.

"34. Take therefore no thought - That is, be not therefore anxiously careful. How much good is omitted, how many evils caused, how many duties neglected, how many innocent persons deserted, how many good works destroyed, how many truths suppressed, and how many acts of injustice authorized by those timorous forecasts of what may happen; and those faithless apprehensions concerning the future! Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof - Sufficient for each day is its own calamity."² -- Adam Clarke

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¹Studies in Matthew, The King and the Kingdom, By Rolland Q. Leavell, Ó 1962 Convention Press; Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 62-10285; Printed in the USA

²Adam Clarke; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd.

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1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven." --Matt. 6: 1

"Here Christ expands the thought of 5: 20, showing how the Pharisees' righteousness was deficient, by exposing their hypocrisy in the matters of "charitable deeds" (vv. 1-4); "prayer" (vv. 5-15); and "fasting" (vv. 16-18). All of these acts are supposed to be worship rendered to God, never displays of self-righteousness to gain the admiration of others."¹ -- John MacArthur

The first of the three hypocritical practices that Christ speaks against in this passage set the tone for all three. With the exception of verse one, the statement is made "Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full." However, the statement in verse one has the same implication as the other two that when we set out to do the "religious" things just to be noticed by others, then because we were seeking to be noticed by men, rather than God, we have already received all the reward that we will receive. The motivation for righteousness should be to please God, not men, often when we seek to please God we will offend men. The admonition here is to simply do those things that we should do, for the simple reason that they are right and pleasing to God, for if we are seeking to please God, with no regard to the personal reward, and full regard of God's glory.

In verse two, and following, Christ goes on to speak of giving to the needy, that when we do so we should not do it like the rest of the world who does it for recognition. We need to simply give to those in need, wherever, and whomever that may be, without regard for who is watching. If we give so that we are seen doing it, and for the sake of being seen, that is our reward. I have seen Christians despair over the admonition to practice acts of charity in secret, so that when their acts of kindness are discovered, they think "oh, well, there goes that crown." because they believe that cancels out the reward they would have had in heaven. No, beloved, you cannot lose crowns that you earned because of something someone else does outside of your control. This practice of keeping your charity secret is to avoid the appearance of doing it for show, and to keep us from falling prey to the sin of pride. We can, despite our original intentions, be lulled into the incorrect practice because of the praise of others. When we receive flattery, and praise, it feels good, and too much of even a good thing can be poison, and cause us to sin. Christ, knowing this about us, is warning us to avoid the attention of others when we give so that we do not ere.

The second hypocritical practice that Christ warns us against is using prayer times to make ourselves look ultra pious, or highly spiritual to others, as well as the misuse of prayers in vain repetitions to achieve some "blessing" or another. Before we get into what is the incorrect use of prayer let's take a quick look at a proper usage of prayer, we will expand on this in a moment, but here is a short word from Adam Clarke on the proper use of prayer.

"5. And when thou prayest - A proper idea of prayer is, a pouring out of the soul unto God, as a free-will offering, solemnly and eternally dedicated to him, accompanied with the most earnest desire that it may know, love, and serve him alone. He that comes thus to God will ever be heard and blessed. Prayer is the language of dependence; he who prays not, is endeavoring to live independently of God."⁴ -- Adam Clarke

I am sure that most of us have heard more than one treatment of the Greek word "hypocrite" or 5273. ὑποκριτής hupokrité̄s. however, it is necessary to do so again here. The word refers to someone who is acting a part, like an actor on the stage, or an individual who is pretending to be something that they are not. In this case Christ is referring to those people who in order to be thought well of, or praised for their piety, like to be called upon to pray in the synagogues (church in our case) in order to showcase their "religiousness". These people pretend to be followers, when there is no true religion in them. We have all heard these folks in church at least once. Or those who during specific prayer times², like to be "caught" praying, or making it a point to be seen praying in public. We should not be afraid to pray when called upon during corporate worship, in fact it is okay to volunteer, so long as we are praying to please God, rather than those who might overhear. Neither of course should we be afraid to pray over a meal at a restaurant, God has in His providence given you that meal too, so thank Him for it, just don't do it to be seen, or draw unnecessary attention to yourself which should be focused on Him. When we pray for the correct reasons, our Father is pleased to hear our prayers.

Besides the use of prayer for one's own vanity, there is the use of prayer which is equally sinful, which is vain repetition of formulaic prayers designed to elicit a response from God as though they were an incantation, or if worded correctly place God in a position were He "must" answer. Now this does not mean that we can only pray for something once, and then we have to let it go, that is a pagan idea anyway, we may be ferverent in our prayers. It comes to my mind that a mother praying for the salvation of her child every time she prays is not a vain repetition, it is a good and pure request which pours out from a mother's love. Vain repetitions are the careless use of words repeated thoughtlessly, or formulaic prayers repeated automatically. It comes to mind some of the current teachings that say if we pray a certain prayer, like oh I don't know the prayer of Jabez, that it places God on the hook so to speak. He must answer you if you pray this way, or that way. God knows what it is that you need, and He is sovereign over the resources that we need to exist on this planet. It is presumptuous to assume that we could tell God how He is to bless us. It also, despite some current averant teachings, shows more of a lack of faith to try to "hook" God with these vain ramblings, as if He is not going to give us exactly what we need when we need it, in the correct amount that is needed. I believe that that was what got Adam and Eve in trouble, they thought that perhaps God had withheld from them something greater than what He had given them, and we can clearly see what that got us. As alluded to by our esteemed teacher from the past Adam Clarke, the point of prayer is to acknowledge our utter dependence on His providence, our confidence that He is capable of answering our prayers, and to bring us into conformity with Him, not the other way around. It is a function of our narcissism in the Church today that we assume its about us, and what we can get, rather than about Him and His glory.

"Pray, then, in this way…." This example of the correct format for our prayers was not intended to be used itself as a prayer, or a liturgy to be repeated. In some liturgical denominations the prayer is repeated in the corporate worship service as a reminder of how it is that we are to pray, and this is profitable for instruction.

Just as the Decalogue is divided into two tables, so is this outline. The first three requests relate to God and His glory, and the last three to ourselves and our relationships with others.

"Our Father who art in heaven Whenever we engage in prayer, there are two things to be considered, both that we may have access to God, and that we may rely on Him with full and unshaken confidence: his fatherly love toward us, and his boundless power. Let us therefore entertain no doubt, that God is willing to receive us graciously, that he is ready to listen to our prayers - in a word, that of Himself he is disposed to aid us."³ -- John Calvin

"Hallowed be Thy Name…" It is of the utmost importance to us that our God reigns and is concerned about His own glory. God is the greatest good, His glory is connected to His kingdom, and His sovereignty. For God to cease seeking after His Own glory would be disastrous.

"Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done….." Once again Christ illustrates to us that all prayer submits primarily, and willingly to the will of God, and all of His plans, purposes, and glory.

"Give us this day our daily bread - We must ask only that which is essential to our support, God having promised neither luxuries nor superfluities."⁴ We often miss that our God, who is a loving God, who loves us enough to sacrifice His own Son for our sins, will surely provide for His children not only the best of creation, but that which best for us, which is not always what we "want" at any given time, especially if that "want" comes from the flesh.

"Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors……" The parallel verse in Luke 11: 4 uses the Greek word 266. ἁμαρτία hamartía; which is translated sin, or a missing of the mark, which causes a spiritual debt. Christ has paid our sin debt in full, however, when we recognize that we have missed the mark it is appropriate to ask forgiveness from the offended party, which is God. In this way we do not forget the debt that we owe God, which is ourselves, because of what He has done for us, even when we were formerly His enemies. In view of the undeserved forgiveness that we have been given, we should extend the same "grace" to those who have offended us, and forgive the debt they owe us due the offence.

"6: 13 do not led us into temptation. Cf. Luke 22: 40. God does not tempt us (James 1: 13), but He will subject us to trials that may expose us to Satan's assaults, as in the case of Job and Peter (Luke 22: 31, 32). This petition expresses the believer's desire to avoid the dangers of sin altogether. God know what a person's need is before he asks (v. 8), and He promises that no one will be subjected to testing beyond what can be endured. He also promises a way of escape - often through endurance (1 Cor. 10: 13). But still, the proper attitude for the believer is the one expressed in this petition."¹ -- John MacArthur

Jesus closes the outline with an acknowledgement of the supremacy of God's will, and His ability to in fact answer our prayers. When we pray we to God, we come under the assumption that in His sovereignty, and His all powerful will, He is fully capable of answering our prayers. God is not capricious or treacherous like many of the pagan gods, we can trust Him to answer our prayers when they are in conformity to His will for our lives. We do not treat our Father like some genie granting wishes, who if we aren't careful how we word our wishes, we may not only not get the answer we wanted, but face dire consequences as a result. Remember first of all that prayer is to bring us into conformity with the will of God, the flesh argues with our spirit against this, but we must crucify our flesh and seek His will first, then we will be truly blessed.

Verses 14 and 15 once again warn us to remember to forgive as we have been forgiven, let us turn to John MacArthur again as I don't think I can write a better explanation of this passage.

"6: 15 neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. This conditional statement does not mean that God will withdraw justification from those who have already received the free pardon He extends to all believers. Forgiveness in that sense - a permanent and complete acquittal from the guilt and ultimate penalty of sin - belongs to all who are in Christ (cf. John 5: 24; Rom 8: 1; Eph 1: 7). Yet Scripture also teaches that God chastens His children who disobey (Heb. 12: 5-7). Believers are to confess their sins in order to obtain a day-to-day cleansing (1 John 1: 9). This sort of forgiveness simply washes a person from the worldly defilements of sin but does not repeat the wholesale cleansing from sin's corruption that comes with justification. It is like washing of the feet rather than a bath (cf. John 13: 10). God threatens to withhold forgiveness as a day-to-day cleansing form Christians who refuse to forgive others (cf. 18: 23-35)."¹ -- John MacArthur

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"Matthew 5: 21. You have heard that it was said It is a mistake to suppose this is a correction of the Law here, and that Christ raises his disciples to a higher degree of perfection, that Christ could raise a gross and carnal nation, which was scarcely able to learn first principles. It has been a prevailing opinion, that the beginning of righteousness was laid down in the ancient law, but that the prefection of it is pointed out in the Gospel. But nothing was farther from the design of Christ, that to alter or innovate any thing in the commandments of the law. There God has once fixed the rule of life which he will never retract. But as the law had been corrupted by false expositions, and turned to a profane meaning. Christ vindicates it against such corruptions, and points out its true meaning, from which the Jews had departed."³ -- John Calvin

Once again, the tendancy among the religious leaders, and "experts" on the Law, was to teach a merely external practice of the Law. This is fine among non-believers, if you do not commit murder because you know you will go the gas chamber, or at least spend your entire life in jail, or you only pay your taxes because of the financial and legal ramifications, that's fine, you don't have to like, or believe a law is right for it to carry weight in your life. But, for a believer to follow the Law simply because you do not want to face the consequences is missing the point. God's Law is more than just external does and don'ts, or keys to success in life. God's Law is also to be part of who we are as believers.

Jesus is teaching here that the point behind the commandments was that this was a matter of more than just the external obedience of law, but a state of the heart. Just because we do not kill someone, who may or may not desparately deserve it, does not mean we have not assassinated them in our minds, or assassinated their character with our speech. These things are equally as bad in the eyes of the Law, and to illustrate this fact Jesus points out that being angry with your brother is enough to be brought before the court, and calling your brother, created like yourself in God's image (a marred image no doubt) a fool, or good for nothing is in danger of the lake of fire. We are held equally as guilty for our thought life, and our trash talking as we are for our actions. So then, who is without sin now?

The fact is that our own righteousness, cannot save us, no effort of man is capable of producing righteousness unto salvation. Even if you were somehow able to start today, and commit no sin, in thought or in deed for the rest of your life, it would not atone for the sins you have already committed, therefore, your so called "good works" are mere dirty rags (Isaiah 64: 6) in the eyes of a Holy God. It is by Christ's righteousness, through imputation, that we are declared righteous (Romans 1: 16-17; 3: 21-31).

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^{3John Calvin; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., pages 62, 64}

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"Matthew 5: 23. Therefore, if thou shalt bring thy gift This clause confirms, and at the same time explains, the preceding doctrine. It amounts to this, that the precept of the law, which forbids murder (Exodus 20: 13), is obeyed when maintain agreement and brotherly kindness, with our neighbor. To impress this more strongly upon us Christ declares, the even the duties of religion are displeasing to God, and are rejected by him, if we are at variance with each other."³ -- John Calvin

Even in the case of being sued, Christ tells us to aggressively seek reconciliation, especially with our brothers in Christ. It would be better to be wronged than to embarrass the cause of Christ (1 Cor 6: 1-11).

"You have heard it said that 'Thou Shalt not commit Adultery';" Once again Jesus explains that this is as much a matter of the heart, as well as the actions we engage in. To commit adultery is a crime against the will of God in marriage, that it be a union between one man and one woman. The wedding vows are made before God, and the members of the community, to declare a commitment between a man and a woman to be joined until death do you part. The first institution that God formed in man was the institution of marriage (Gen. 2: 24; Matt 19:5; Mark 10:7, 8; 1 Cor 6:16; Eph 5:31), and we all can see how not only hurtful, and demeaning it is to split up this union, but it is also a very unhealthy situation in the family of Christ. Christ goes on to explain that to look upon a woman in lust is tantamount to adultery. First, sin begins in the thoughts, and allowed to go unchecked it eventually leads to action, so, whenever we sin, we sin with malice aforethought. It is important to take drastic action to avoid committing sin even in our thought lives, we must strive daily, hourly, and by the minute to keep our thoughts pure.

Christ goes so far as to say in order to avoid sinning with our members, it is better to remove them than to allow them to cause us to sin. Of course Jesus is not advocating literal amputations of our body parts¹, He is using hyperbole here to tell us that we must take drastic measures to avoid sin, in our lives. If it is lust that vexes us we must avoid those places and situations that bring the objects of our lust to our eyes. Yes, I know, in this day of "sex sells", and loosening morals, it is virtually impossible to not see more than you want to see of your sisters in Christ or the lost women who you are around, for that matter you ladies are also inundated with half naked guys too. Simply looking at someone of the opposite sex is not a sin, even to the point of acknowledging that that person is attractive is not sin, but when we start to ponder all the "wonders" of that person we have stepped over the edge. But for some of us, until we have retrained our minds, we might just stick with eye contact for a bit.

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¹Matt. 5: 29 pluck it out and cast it from you. Jesus is not advocating self-mutilation (because this would not cure lust, which is actually a problem of the heart). He uses this graphic hyperbole to demonstrate the seriousness of sins of lust and evil desire. The point is that it would be "more profitable" (v. 30) to lose a member of one's own body that to bear the eternal consequences of the guilt from such a sin. Sin must be dealt with drastically because of its deadly effects. John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

^{3John Calvin; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., page 64}

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"It was said, 'Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce';" (Deut. 24: 1-4; Jer 3:1; Matt 19:7; Mark 10:4). There had been much liberty taken in the interpretation of this portion of the Law. The rabbis treated this passage as though it was a reference more to the regulation of the administration of divorce.¹ They believed that a man could divorce a woman if she displeased him in any way that he felt was unforgivable. However, it does not take much more than a cursory review of the passage in Deut. 24: 1-4 to see that the reason given for divorce was "unchastity" or impurity in sexual matters, i.e. adultery (Matt 19:9; Mark 10:11f; Luke 16:18; 1 Cor 7:11f), and this only because man's heart is hard, and he is unable to behave as his Father in heaven does (Jer. 3). Our Lord reveals adultery to be the only reason for a divorce, and then only is the divorce recognized by the Lord. The rest of His statement reveals the assumption that most will remarry after a divorce, and that those who divorce for any reason other than sexual immorality, commits the same sin themselves when they remarry since God does not recognize divorce on any other grounds, (latter Paul reveals abandonment based upon the intolerance to a believers faith as grounds as well (1 Cor 7: 10-16), but he qualifies this with "I not the Lord say this".) therefore, to remarry when you are not legally divorced in God's eyes is adultery.

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¹Matt. 5: 31 it has been said. The rabbis had taken liberty with what Scripture actually said. They referred to Deuteronomy 24: 1-4 as if it were given merely to regulate the paperwork when one sought divorce. Thus they had wrongly concluded that men could divorce their wives for anything that displeased them, as long as they gave "a certificate of divorce." But Moses provided this process as a concession to protect the woman who was divorced, not to justify or legalize divorce under all circumstances. John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' This has been used often to "prove" that God has contradicted Himself by first saying "an eye for an eye"¹, and then saying latter "turn the other cheek"². In point of fact, one of these applies to both personal, and public crimes, while the other applies to personal crimes. An eye for an eye speaks to a punishment equal to the crime committed, and does not by definition allow, or excuse personal vengeance, and turn the other cheek definitely indicates that we should not seek retribution in personal matters.

So if someone seeks to take your shirt from you, you should give him your coat as well, if someone seeks to take your freedom from you for his own benefit, serve him all the more, and if someone asks of you give to him all that you can. Oh, and I have not forgotten the affront to your dignity, "whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." It is human to take offense when someone insults us, or strikes us to cause embarrassment, but it is godly to simply give up our "right" to defend ourselves personally, so long as we are not allowing someone to trample on the Word of God. And even in that case we simply speak the truth, and move on (Matt. 7: 6). Remember that this is when we are speaking of things on a personal level, the government always has the right to protect it's citizens, and we should always differ to that authority in criminal matters, and matters such as defense of our borders, etc. (Romans 13). As a function of God's common grace, He has allowed governments to be His instrument to control the workings of man, even in the case of a bad government they at least keep the peace.

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¹Matt. 5: 38 An eye for an eye. The law did establish this standard as a principle for limiting retribution to that which was just (Ex. 21: 24; Lev. 24: 20; Deut. 19: 21). It aimed to insure that the punishment fit the crime. It never sanctioned personal retaliation. So again, Jesus does not alter the true meaning of the law. He merely explains and affirms the law's true meaning. John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

²Matt. 5: 39 not to resist an evil person. Like verse 38, this deals only with matters of personal retaliation, not criminal offenses or acts of military aggression. Jesus applies this principle of non-retaliation to affronts to ones dignity (v. 39), lawsuits to gain one's personal assets (v. 40), infringements on one's liberty (v. 41), and violations of property rights (v. 42). He is calling for a full surrender of all personal rights. John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' The first half of this is found in Moses (Lev. 19: 18), but the second half was added by the Scribes and Pharisees in their explanation of the Law. In their estimation you only called neighbor those who were worthy of the designation, and others are enemies. Christ's teaching that not only should you love the neighbor who is good to you, but also the ones whom you consider enemies, is a higher standard than that which was taught by the rulers, however it is not new in the Law (Prov. 25: 21). We must remember that while we were yet at enmity with God, He gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. We were no less God's enemies that the most pagan of pagans, and when we look at those who are not among God's children, it should not surprise us when they act like the enemy, because they are, just as we were. We should treat them with the same grace that has been given to us.¹ It is easy to be kind to those who are kind to you, but don't the pagans do the same, in my personal experience as a chaplain assistant in the Army I have on occasion been treated better by the pagans (literally, the Pagan Support Group in Kaiserslautern Germany) than by my own Christian brothers and sisters. The real deal is when you treat even those who persecute you with more respect than they give you, when you love your enemies and pray for them, not curse them. Even the pagans field is blessed by God, for He causes it to rain on the fields of the unrighteous and the righteous alike, which is a function of His common grace. So is it of any consequence when you love those who love you back, or are kind to those who are kind to you? No, even the pagans do that. We must love as our Father in heaven loves, then we can call ourselves His children because we are acting like who we belong to for a change.

"Matt. 5: 48 you shall be perfect. Christ sets an unattainable standard, which sums up what the law demands (James 2: 10). Though this standard is impossible to meet, God could not lower it without compromising His own perfection. He who is perfect could not set an imperfect standard of righteousness. The marvelous truth of the gospel is that Christ has met this standard on our behalf."² -- John MacArthur

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²John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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I am sure that most of us have heard many sermons on this passage, some good, some bad, and I am sure that we understand the salt that was used in the first century could lose it's saltiness over time, becoming useless except to be thrown down on the road to provide weed control, and to prevent slipping on ice. So I will not cover that again. The Lord is addressing His disciples whom He is going to send out into the world, to "salt" the earth with the Gospel of Grace. I found a lengthy quote by John Calvin that I think sums up the point that our Lord was making here in this verse…..

" What belongs to doctrine is applied to the people to whom the administration of it has been committed. When Christ calls the apostles the salt of the earth, he means, that it is their office to salt the earth: because men have nothing in them but what is tasteless, till they have been seasoned with the salt of heavenly doctrine. After having reminded them to what they are called, he pronounces against them a heavy and dreadful judgment, if they do not fulfill their duty. The doctrine, which has been entrusted to them, is shown to be so closely connected with a good conscience and a devout and upright life, that the corruption, which might be tolerated in others, would in them be detestable and monstrous. "If other men are tasteless in the sight of God, to you shall be given the salt which imparts a relish to them: but if you have lost your taste, where shall you obtain the remedy which you ought to supply to others?" Our Lord skillfully pursues his metaphor, by saying that other things when they lose their original qualities, are still useful after they have become corrupted: but that salt becomes even hurtful, and communicates barrenness even to dunghills. The amount of his statement is, that it is an incurable disease, when the ministers and teachers of the word corrupt and render themselves tasteless: for they ought to season the rest of the world with their salt. This warning is useful, not only to ministers, but to the whole flock of Christ. Since it is the will of God that the earth shall be salted by his own word, it follows, that whatever is destitute of this salt is, in his estimation, tasteless, how much so ever it may be relished by men. There is nothing better, therefore, than to receive the seasoning, by which alone our tastelessness is corrected. But, at the same time, let those whose business is to salt it beware lest they encourage the world in their own folly, and still more, that they do not infect it with a depraved and vicious taste."³

It should not be so amazing that Calvin was able to preach such a sermon from one verse our Lord's own sermon…..but today I'm afraid it is. Note that although this passage can be applied to all believers, it is first aimed at those who are preachers and teachers of the Word, specifically the apostles when He preached this sermon, but by application it follows that all preachers and teachers of the Word should heed His words. I am not saying that every sermon that you have heard is a misapplication of this passage, the problem is, that we only hear only application, and not the who, what, when, where, and why of the passage, as time goes by application by itself goes astray as we have belabored the meaning of the text beyond it's logical bounds, and therein lies heresy.

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^{3John Calvin; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., pages 60, 62}

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Remember here that Jesus is primarily addressing His apostles, however, we do not have to belabor the point to understand that His words apply to the Church, and individual Christians as well. Christ tells the disciples that they are the light of the world⁴ (Proverbs 4: 18; John 8:12; 9:5; 12:36), that is, it is their assignment to spread the light of the Gospel throughout the world, as it is now the duty of every born-again believer (Matt 28: 16-20). Each individual Christian should be a reflection of the true light which is Christ. The fact that Christ has chosen believers to spread His light, the light of life, to the world should be such a high honor to us that our efforts become like a city on a mountain. You cannot hide a city on a mountain, it is there for all to see, nor does someone light a candle, or a lantern (Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; 11:33; Phil 2:15), and then hide it. We who have the light of Christ, and understand the gift of life that He gives, should be lighting up every room that we walk into with the Gospel of Grace. It is not just behavioral, as some have misapplied the following conclusion of this verse, although our behavior should be of such a character that it brings glory to our Father in heaven (1 Peter 2: 12). But also shining the light of truth on the world, and you cannot shine the light of the truth if you do not speak against the lies of this world and it's ruler the devil (Eph. 6: 10-24). As it written by the Westminster Divines; "The chief ends of man is to glorify God (Psalm 86; Isaiah 60: 21; Rom 11: 36; 1 Cor 6: 20, 31; Rev 4: 11), and enjoy Him forever. (Psalm 16:5-11; Isaiah 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil 4:4; Rev 21:3-4)"¹  It should not, in view of our Lord's work in salvation be much of a stretch to expect such joy in those who belong to Him, that they would endeavor to spend their every last hour on this earth in pursuit of His glory.

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^{4Ye are the light of the world - That is, the instruments which God chooses to make use of to illuminate the minds of men; as he uses the sum (to which probably he pointed) to enlighten the world. Light of the world was a title applied to the most eminent rabbins. Christ transfers the title from these, and gives it to his own disciples, who, by the doctrines that he taught them, were to be the means of diffusing the light of life throughout the universe. Adam Clarke; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd}

^{¹The Westminster Catechism, (Shorter); Ibid}

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Law, righteousness, and the kingdom (Matthew 5: 17-20)

The Lord makes it clear that He has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. It is the tendency among some Evangelicals to try to separate out the Old Testament from the New Testament, as though Christ has done away with the old. Christ teaches here that His purpose was not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. Christ in His lifetime fulfilled all of the Law in same way that He fulfilled prophecy,² the Law and the Prophets refers to the entirety of the OT Scriptures, not to the rabbinical interpretations of it.

"I am come not to destroy. God had, indeed, promised a new covenant at the coming of Christ; but had, at the same time, showed, that it would not be different from the first, but that, on the contrary, it's design was, to give a perpetual sanction to the covenant which He had made from the beginning, with His own people."³ John Calvin

Christ goes on to affirm the inspiration and authority of the Old Testament Scriptures, as the Word of God. So we cannot say that NT abrogates or annuls the OT. The fact of the matter is that the NT is the fulfillment of the OT. In Christ the totality of the Law has been fulfilled, and therefore none of it has been erased, nor will it be until all has been accomplished. This does bring about the question of the Levitical law, and the fact that in both the general and Pauline epistles it appears that it is being taught that the ceremonial law is no longer a necessary practice amongst Christians (Col 2: 16, 17). In the case of the ceremonial law, which was to point to Christ, the types and shadows reflected in the law have their fulfillment in Christ, therefore, since the Lamb has been sacrificed there is no longer a need for the Passover lamb to be slain, however, we need the types and shadows to reveal to us the one who was to come. The Levitical law remains profitable to us in revealing to us who He is, and the necessity of His sacrifice, to save us from God's wrath against our sin. In this way, truly not one yot or yiddle shall pass away from the Law ever.

The Pharisees, and other "religious" leaders had so corrupted the practice of the Law, and had through tradition reduced it to a mere outward practice. There were even loopholes built into the rabbinical traditions that were not of God (Luke 11: 37-52; Matt 19: 1-12; Mark 7: 1-13). Christ goes on to point out that even amongst believers there is no room for teaching that is not in keeping with the entirety of the Scriptures. When we do not teach the fullness of the Scriptures, either for fear of causing insult, or to help out God's press, we hold the Word in low esteem. We must not shirk the teaching of the truth, even if it steps on toes, and we cannot break even the "least"* of the commandments.

"shall be called least…….shall be called great. The consequence of practicing or teaching disobedience to any of God's Word is to be called least n the kingdom of heaven. Determining rank in the kingdom of heaven is entirely God's perogative (Matt. 20: 23); Jesus declares that He will hold in lowest esteem those who hold His Word in the lowest esteem. There is no impunity for believers who disobey, discredit, or belittle God's law. That Jesus does not refer to loss of salvation is clear from the fact that, though offenders will called "least," they will still be in the kingdom of heaven. The positive result is that whoever keeps and teaches God's Word shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Here Jesus mention the two aspects of doing and teaching. Kingdom citizens are to uphold every part of God's law, both in their living and in their teaching."¹ -- John MacArthur

In verse 20 Jesus calls the disciples to a deeper holiness than that which was seen in the merely external righteousness practiced by the Pharisees. "Jesus explains the full moral significance of the law, and shows that the righteousness which the law calls for actually involves an internal conformity to the spirit of the law, rather than mere external compliance to the letter."¹ This sets up an impossible barrier to works salvation, as the Scripture continually teaches that we, as sinners, are incapable of perfect and unflawed righteousness, unfortunately perfection is the standard. "Therefore, the only righteousness by which sinners may be justified is the prefect righteousness of God that He imputes to those who believe (Gen. 15: 6; Rom 4: 5)."¹

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²fulfill. This speaks of fulfillment in the same sense that prophecy is fulfilled. Christ indicates that He fulfills the moral law by keeping it perfectly. He fulfills the ceremonial law by being the embodiment of everything to which the law's types and symbols pointed. And He fulfills the judicial law by personifying God's perfect justice (cf. 12: 18, 20). John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

^{3John Calvin; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., page 62}

^{*The Pharisees were remarkable for making a distinction between weightier and light matters in the law, and between what has been called, in a corrupt part of the Christian Church, mortal and venial sins. Whosever shall break. What an awful consideration is this! He who, by his mode of acting, speaking, or explaining the words of God, sets the holy precept aside, or explains away it's force and meaning, shall be called least - shall have no place in the kingdom of Christ here, nor in the kingdom of glory above. That this is the meaning of these words is evident enough from the following verse. Adam Clarke; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd.}

^{¹John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.} 

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At this point in His ministry Jesus goes up to a mountain to pray, where He stays all night in prayer (Lk. 6: 12). Upon His return in the morning, Jesus sets out to ordain His chosen apostles upon whom He will build His Church. Many of these men were already part of His "inner circle", as we have seen in our earlier studies in this Gospel Harmony study. Mark and Luke give us some personnel insights into several members of the Twelve. It is at this point (although it is not the first time), that Simon's name becomes Peter for most of the remainder of the Gospel, although he is still called Simon from time to time. Peter's role of "the rock on whom I will build My Church", is reflected in the surname Peter which is a derivative of "rock", or "stone". James and John the sons of Alpheaus are given the nickname the "Sons of Thunder", or as Mark refers to them the "Boanerges" an Aramaic term in deference to his Gentile audience, which carries the same meaning as above. James and John were very outspoken and intense, which got them in trouble on occasion. Thaddaeus is the only disciple who has a different name in each of the lists of the names of the Twelve.² This is likely to avoid confusion with Judas Iscariot. The other Simon was known as the Canaanite, which was a transliteration of an Aramaic word which means "to be zealous", used in reference to those who were zealous about the Law. Luke uses a transliteration from the Greek for "the Zealot", in different translations we simply see him referred to as "Simon the Zealot". And finally, Judas Iscariot* who is referred to as the betrayer in some fashion in all of the lists of the original Twelve.

His calling of the Twelve was based on sovereign prerogative, the text indicates His choosing based upon His own divine wishes, towards His own purpose.** Even Judas Iscariot was chosen based upon Christ's divine purpose, although he is responsible for his own actions in betraying Christ, his purpose was to do so. Jesus chose these men as the foundation for His Church, and ordained them to that purpose. The ordination of the Twelve involved giving them, primarily, the authority to preach the Word, as well as sign gifts to confirm their being sent from Him, i.e. the authority to cast out demons. Later, they would be given the power of the Holy Spirit to heal, raise the dead, and speak in tongues. These sign gifts would be one way of confirming their authority to speak on the Lord's behalf before the completion of the rest of the canon of Scripture. Our authority is no longer based upon these "sign gifts", but as a result of speaking forth the Word of God as it is written in the Holy Scriptures, this is how we are able to say "thus sayeth the Lord" with authority.

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¹Matthews mention of the Twelve comes latter in his Gospel, we have listed it as a confirmation of the lists given in Mark and Luke.

²Mk 3: 18 Thaddaeus. The only name that is not the same in all the NT lists of the Twelve (cf. Matt. 10: 2-4; Luke 6: 14-16; Acts 1: 13). Matthew calls him Lebbaeus, with Thaddaeus as a surname (Matt. 10: 3); Luke and Acts call him "Judas the son of James"; and John 14: 22 refers to him as "Judas (not Iscariot)." John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Page 1205

*Mk 3: 19 Iscariot. This Hebrew term means "man of Kerioth," as in Kerioth-Hezron, south of Hebron (Josh. 15: 25). John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Page 1205

**2309. θέλω thélō; fu thelé̄sō. To will, wish, desire, implying active volition and purpose. ^{Zodhiates, Spiros ; Baker, Warren: The Complete Word Study Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. Chattanooga : AMG Publishers, 2000, c1991, c1994, S. Ge 1:1}

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There was a great multitude that was following Jesus, and so He set Himself up on a mountain, and once He was ready He called His disciples to Him and began to teach them. Often the Sermon on the Mount is taught in small bites, which can lead to this section of Scripture being treated as "several sayings" of Christ. But the Sermon on the Mount is a continuous whole, and to understand it correctly each section has to read in light of what was said before. As a class we are going to break it down into bite size pieces to help us to understand the context better, but Jesus would not have had to do the same with His first century audience, they would have heard the sermon as a continuous whole, being familiar with the manner of first century speech. In order to get a feel for this as a sermon, rather than a collection of sayings, the class is going to read the entire Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5: 3-7: 29) aloud first, and then begin to break it down over the next few Sunday evenings. I would suggest for those of you reading this on the internet that you would read it straight through (ignoring the sub-headings, and the chapter breaks), as a continuous whole, I think that just reading it as it was heard will eliminate some incorrect notions about parts of the sermon. May God add His blessing to the reading and the hearing of His Word!

"The Sermon on the Mount introduces a series of five important discourses recorded in Matthew. The sermon exposits the law masterfully and assaults Pharisaic legalism potently, closing with a call to true faith and salvation (7: 13-29). In it Christ expounds the full meaning of the law, showing that its demands are humanly impossible (5: 48). This proper use of the law with respect to salvation closes off every possible avenue of human merit leaves sinners dependent on nothing but divine grace for salvation (cf. Rom. 3: 19, 20; Gal. 3: 23, 24). Christ plumbs the depth of the law, showing that its true demands go far beyond the surface meaning of the words (5: 28, 39, 44) and set a standard that is higher than that the most diligent students of the law have realized (5: 20)."¹ John MacArthur

The "Beatitudes" (Mt. 5: 3-12) as they are called have been poorly handled by many teachers. They have been drug through the mud so much I don't even have the energy to list even a couple of the ways we have mistreated this portion of the Sermon on the Mount. Christ is here handing out covenant blessings and curses, not your best life now promises. Note that St. Matthew is careful to inform us that Christ has gathered around Himself His own disciples, and is at first speaking to them, of course the rest of the crowds are listening in, and certainly these "Beatitudes" apply to all believers. The Greek word translated "blessed" in these verses is 3107 makarios {mak-ar'-ee-os}, which expresses more than a surface emotion, and this stylistic expression also implies that the one who is making the blessing is God.² These are not intended to be pursued individually to obtain the following blessing, these are qualities that are found in the life of the regenerate.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit." The first of the "Beatitudes" speaks of the "poor in spirit." Those who are poor in spirit are the ones that realize their own utter spiritual bankruptcy, and know that they owe all to God's grace. These individuals are acutely aware of their lack of righteousness, and utter dependency on God's grace alone for their salvation. This is the type of person that inherits the kingdom of Heaven, not the self sufficient, but the utterly dependent. This verse and the following clearly presupposes the truth of salvation by grace. So those who are conscious of their own spiritual poverty, and their utter dependence on God's grace, will participate in all the covenant blessings of the New Covenant which are summed up in the Kingdom of heaven. Notice that the implication is made that although there will be blessings here on earth, the most important blessings are those that come after in the Kingdom of heaven, which will be demonstrated throughout this passage, and it is these blessings that we should seek after first and foremost. The person who seeks only after worldly things, and earthly rewards is not the person/persons being described here by our Lord.

"Blessed are they that mourn……" Those who mourn after their sin, and its affront to God, who are driven by that godly sorrow to repentance, which leads to salvation (2 Cor. 7: 10), "will be comforted." Their comfort will come from their salvation, and forgiveness (Is. 40: 1, 2).

"Blessed are the meek." The Greek word translated "meek" is 4239 praus { prah-ooce'}, which indicates a mildness of spirit that is directed to God, and places confidence in His ability to defend His elect against injustice.* This is a person of immense self control,** aided and empowered by the Holy Spirit to take all manner of abuse, who is able to get along with even the worst of peoples, both believer and non-believer. "For they shall inherit the earth" is a quote from Psalm 37: 11.***

"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness." Christ speaks of those who seek after God's righteousness, realizing that they cannot establish righteousness of their own (Romans 10: 3, 4; Phil. 3: 9). It is impossible for man to live out the righteousness of the law on his own, which Christ will reveal in His explanation of the law in the sermon. Those who seek after God's own righteousness will be filled, and therefore experience a right relationship with God, which is more satisfying than any righteousness of their own could ever be.

"Blessed are the merciful." It is in the nature of someone who has been forgiven great wrong to be forgiving to others, for as we are forgiven, we should forgive. Mercy is a fruit of regeneration that flows from out of our correct understanding of from whence we came. When we were yet the enemies of Christ, He died for our transgressions, can we be any less merciful to our own enemies? In fact it is taught in the Scriptures that if it is a fruit of regeneration to be merciful, those who are unable to forgive need to fear that they have not an assurance of forgiveness (James 2: 13). The one who practices mercy, as our Father has been merciful to him has assurance of his own sins have been forgiven.

"Blessed are the pure in heart." Jesus is not referring to the outward appearance of purity, but the actual state of the heart. Only those who have been given a new heart of flesh, in place of their old heart of stone will be able to see God. This pureness of the heart comes out a new affection for those things that are good, pure, and praiseworthy, over those vile affections that we had in our previous unregenerate state.

"Blessed are the peacemakers." "As all men are represented to be in a state of hostility to God and each other, the Gospel is called the Gospel of peace, because it tends to reconcile men to God to each other. Hence our Lord here terms peace-makers the children of God: for as he is the Father of peace, those who promote it are reputed to be His children."⁴ -- Adam Clarke

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted…." These are those who are persecuted because of their stand on the Gospel. The price for following Christ is higher for some than others, and for some of us it will require our lives. This should also tell us that we can expect to be persecuted because of Christ, which is quite the opposite of what we here from many pulpits in our land today. Our reward is in heaven, but here on earth we should expect to be treated as aliens and strangers, and even criminals. Look how the world treated our Lord, if we are His children should we expect any less?

"Blessed are you when men shall revile you….." The previous verse spoke of physical persecution, and all that men can physically do to you. This verse speaks of all the things that the tongue can do to us. Persecute here is a legal term that refers to all sorts of slander, and unsubstantiated charges brought against those who serve Christ in an attempt to discredit them and prosecution for spreading the Gospel.

"Rejoice and be glad." The world is at enmity with God, and is hostile towards the Gospel. Throughout redemptive history those who have come and said "thus sayeth the Lord" have faced great persecution at the hands of those who would silence their cries on behalf of the Lord. We are in good company when we are persecuted because of the Gospel, and we should be happy to suffer as those who have come before us, and as our Lord suffered, for our reward for our faithfulness will be great in heaven.

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¹John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

²Blessed: 5: 3-5, 11; 16: 17; 24: 46; lit. "fortunate" or "happy." This term appears in classical Greek literature, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT), and in the New Testament to describe the kind of happiness that comes only from God. In the New Testament, makarios is usually written without expressing the agent who blesses, that is, God. Thus "Blessed are the meek." This stylistic habit expresses reverence for the name of God, and readers would know that God is the One who is blessing or favoring the person. John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

*4239 praus { prah-ooce'}, 1) mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness 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 them 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. (Is. 41:17, Lu. 18:1-8) 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 will. (Gal. 5:23)^{Zodhiates, Spiros ; Baker, Warren: The Complete Word Study Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. Chattanooga : AMG Publishers, 2000, c1991, c1994, S. Ge 1:1}

^{**5: 5 the meek. Meekness is the opposite of being out of control. It is not weakness, but rather supreme self-control empowered by the Spirit (Gal. 5: 23). John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.}

^{***Psalm 37: 11 "11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." King James Version}

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We have discussed so far some of the early controversies surrounding the practice of the Sabbath, and here are some more of these controversies occurring just prior to the choosing of the twelve and the Sermon on the Mount. Still the Pharisees and others were arguing against Christ, and His disciples behavior on the Sabbath which they considered a violation of the Sabbath, which was really more an infraction against the Mishnah Shabbath, which were the 39 articles added to the Levitical Law by rabbinical tradition, setting forth the things that they considered unlawful to practice on the Sabbath. In their pursuit of personal holiness, or at the very least the appearance of holiness, the Pharisees and their ilk added to the Law so many regulations, and were so legalistic in the pursuit of the outward appearance of righteousness that they have made the Sabbath, intended as a day of rest, and worship of God, into a strict, somber, highly restrictive and stressful exercise.

Christ and His disciples were about the business of His ministry, and on the Sabbath they were passing by a field, because they were hungry they were gleaning handfuls of grain, rubbing them in their hands to remove the shells, and then eating the grain. This of course was considered "work", by the Pharisees. The debate as to what is considered "work" on the Sabbath, or even in the case of the Lord’s Day for us Christians, has gone on for a considerable time. It becomes apparent by Jesus response to the Pharisees in this situation, as well as the healing of the man with the withered hand in the next passage we will study that the intent was for man to take a break from his normal labors, or whatever it is that he does to make a profit, however, it is not a sin to do good, or to help the sick or wounded, or to feed the hungry. "Activity per se was not unlawful. Good works were especially appropriate on the Sabbath - particularly deeds of charity, mercy, and worship. Works necessary for the preservation of life were also permitted. To corrupt the Sabbath to forbid such works was a perversion of God’s design."¹

Christ points out the incident were the Ahimelech gave the Showbread to David and his men. The Showbread was unlawful for anyone outside the priesthood to consume under normal circumstances, however, God did not want David and his companions to starve, and so the priest gave them the bread (1 Sam. 21: 1-6). Nowhere in the Scriptures was this action condemned, nor apparently did Jesus condemn it. The Sabbath was intended to be for man’s benefit, not his detriment. Even before the establishment of the Law, way back in the garden (Gen 2: 1-3) , God established the pattern for man’s work week. Before the fall, when man was still in his pre-fall condition, and the "work" was not all that laborious, since there was not curse, or death, or weeds in the garden, God considered it good for man to take one day in seven to rest from his labors, and spend time in worship, and reflection on his Creator, as well as fellowship with his Creator. Later, after the fall, the Sabbath rest became a type and shadow of the Christ in whom we have our true Sabbath rest.

Again the Sabbath was made to benefit man, to give him a break from his labors, and to be a blessing to him (Mark 2: 27). However, tradition, and legalism had made it a burden that enslaved man to legalistic manmade rules. Christ, the Lord of the Sabbath opposed the manmade regulations and set out to oppose them to bring back the Father’s original intent for the Sabbath. By claiming that He was Lord of the Sabbath Christ was making the statement that He is greater than the Sabbath, and only God could be greater than the Sabbath, this was therefore another claim of divinity on the part of the Christ.

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¹John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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"This narrative and that which immediately precedes it have the same object; which is to show, that the scribes watched with a malicious eye for the purpose of turning into slander every thing that Christ did, and consequently that we need not wonder if men, whose minds were so depraved, were His implacable enemies. We see also, that it is usual with hypocrites to pursue what is nothing more than a shadow of the righteousness of the Law, and as the common saying is, to stickle more about the form that about the substance."³ -- John Calvin

The Pharisees at the synagogue saw the man with the withered hand in the congregation, and knew because of Jesus character that it was likely that He would heal the man. Unlike other so-called healers, Jesus healed everyone that asked it of Him, and many that were providentially "in the right place, at the right time" to glorify God, and reveal His purposes. One of them asked Jesus, "is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" Jesus uses a common device in the Oriental tradition which was to show two clear cut extremes to illustrate His point. Matthew reveals this event in the most detail, and he tells us that Jesus’ reply was to point out a point in law which allowed for one to take care of his livestock, or even to save it’s life should it be in peril. Before He does so He calls the man forward, so he is standing there in contrast to His question about livestock. "Self interest is a very decisive casuist, and removes abundance of scruples in a moment. It is always the first consulted, and the most readily obeyed. It is not sinful to hearken to it, but it must not govern nor determine by itself."⁴ In effect He is saying to the Pharisees, "if your sheep was stuck in pit, which could effect your lively-hood, you will pull him out on the Sabbath, but you would assign less value to this man, created in the image of God, than a sheep?" They would save their own pocket books, but have this man who stood before them remain in his current state. Their hypocrisy was now laid bare, and further our Lord presses them whether it is good in general to do good on the Sabbath, or evil, save or kill? "The obvious implication is that failure to do good or save a life was wrong and not in keeping with God’s original intention for the Sabbath."¹ The Pharisees kept silent, as they had been revealed for the hypocrites they were, and by their silence implied that their Sabbath practices were false.* Looking around at them Christ burned with righteous anger against their hypocrisy and the hardness of their hearts.

In answer to His own questions, Jesus commanded the man to stretch forth his hand, and when he did so he was immediately healed. By merely commanding the man to stretch forth his hand the Lord performed no visible "work", and therefore had done nothing that He could be accused of in front of the Sanhedrin. The Pharisees further displayed their hypocrisy and rebelliousness by being angry, and plotting to try to destroy Jesus, rather than rejoicing for the miracle that God worked in their presence. Christ’s true righteousness stood in stark contrast to their own, and as the good doctor John Calvin has revealed to us with his comments above, it is the appearance of righteousness that they truly cared about, rather than it’s actual practice. So angry were they at Jesus, that they were willing to conspire with the traitorous Herodians** against Him (Mark 3: 6).

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¹John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

^{3John Calvin; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., page 148}

^{4Adam Clarke; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., page 153}

^{*"Our Lord’s argument is what is called argumentum ad hominem; they are taken on their own ground, and confuted on their own maxims and conduct. There are many persons who call themselves Christians, who do more for a beast of burden or pleasure that they do for a man for whom Christ died!" -- Adam Clarke ; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., page 153}

^{**"This secular, political party, which took its name from Herod Antipas and was strong in its support for Rome, opposed the Pharisees on nearly every issue, but were willing to join with them because both desperately wanted to destroy Jesus." John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Page 1204}

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Withdrawal to the Sea of Galilee with a great multitude from many places.

Jesus was aware of the intentions of the Pharisees, and the Herodians, so He wisely and providentially retired to the Sea of Galilee. By this time Christ had gathered a large following, despite His enmity with the Jewish authorities He remained quite popular with the people. While He was in the area of the Sea of Galilee He continued to perform healings, and casting out demons. He healed all who came to Him. Jesus continued to command those He healed not to make Him known. This was because He did not want to be forced into the mold of the conquering Messiah which the rabbinical experts had drawn from messianic prophecy.

The evangelist quotes from Isaiah 42: 1-4¹* to prove that in fact the Messiah would not come with political agendas, or lead military campaigns, but would come gentle and meek. Even when He was tried, beaten, insulted and spat upon He did not defend Himself, there was not a contentious spirit within the Christ. There are differing views on the meaning of the "bruised reed"²*, and the "smoking flax"²**, * . The point is that Jesus was not here to stir up rebellion, or to force His way into power, until the day of judgment. "And in His name shall the Gentiles trust - they shall hope. Jesus Christ is the sole hope and trust of mankind; to trust and hope in His name, JESUS, is to expect salvation, and all things necessary from Him alone, to despise, comparatively, all earthly promises, to esteem, love, and desire heavenly things only, and to bear with patience and tranquility all the losses and evils of this life, upon the prospect and hope of that felicity which he has purchased for us."⁴

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¹*Is 42:1-9 — This is the first of four "Servant Songs" in Isaiah (see also Is. 49:1-9; Is 50:4-11; Is 52:13-53:12 [some would add 61:1-3 although the term "servant" does not appear there]). Some Jewish theologians tend to identify the "servant" in these passages as the people of Israel. This is primarily a reaction to the Christian view that these songs are prophecies of Christ. However, there are several problems with this view, which include Israel being presented as the beneficiary of the servant’s action (Is. 49:6). A similar difficulty arises from the statement that the servant suffers vicariously for the sins of others (Is. 53:5-6). There were no righteous people in Israel who could suffer for others (Jer. 5:1), especially since Israel was suffering for their own sins (Jer. 25:1-10). The servant is clearly said to be an individual (Is. 52:13-53:12), but the language of the passage in chapter forty–two shows an objective point of view which means that Isaiah cannot be referring to himself. Furthermore, there are references to future events that exclude historical characters (Is. 52:1315; 53:11). The servant’s sinless character, resurrection, and work go infinitely beyond man’s capabilities (Is. 42:4; 49:5; Is 53:4-6, 11). These passages can only refer to Christ. In fact, the New Testament explicitly identifies the servant as Jesus (Matt. 12:18-21; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47; 26:23), especially in relation to Isaiah 52:13-53:11. ^{Zodhiates, Spiros ; Baker, Warren: The Complete Word Study Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. Chattanooga : AMG Publishers, 2000, c1991, c1994, S. Ge 1:1}

^{²*A reed is, in the Scripture, the emblem of weakness, Ezekiel 29: 6; and a bruised reed must signify that state of weakness that borders on dissolution and death. Adam Clarke ; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., page 155}

^{²**Some suppose that Jewish state, as to ecclesiastical matters, is here intended, the prophecy declaring that Christ would not destroy it, but leave to expire of itself, as it already contained the principles of its own destruction. Others have considered it as implying that great tenderness with which the blessed Jesus should treat the weak and the ignorant, whose good desires must not be stifled, but encouraged. The bruised reed may recover itself, if permitted to vegetate under the genial influences of heaven; and the life and light of the expiring lamp may be supported by the addition of fresh oil. Jesus therefore quenches not faint desires after salvation, even in the worst and most undeserving of men; for even such desires my lead to the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of peace. Adam Clarke ; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., page 155}

^{*bruised reed….smoking flax. Shepherds used the reed to fashion a small musical instrument. Once cracked or worn, it was useless. A smoldering wick was also useless for giving light. These represent people deemed useless by the world. But Christ restores and rekindles such people, not "break" or "quench" them. This verse speaks toward the lowliest of the lost. He came not to gather strong for a revolution, but to show mercy to the weak. Cf. 1 Corinthians 1: 26-29. John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Page 1146}

^{4Adam Clarke; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd.}

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"John 5: 17-47. These verses reveal the ultimate reason Jesus confronted the Jews' religious hypocrisy, I.e., the opportunity to declare who He was. This section is Christ's own personal statement of His deity. As such, it is one of the greatest Christological discourses in Scripture. Herein Jesus makes five claims to equality with God: (1) He is equal with God in His person (vv. 17, 18); (2) He is equal with God in His works (vv. 19, 20); (3) He is equal with God in His power and sovereignty (v. 22); and (5) He is equal with God in His honor (v. 23)."¹ -- John MacArthur

Because of the truths that He has spoken in the previous verses, He is able to make the statement in verse 24 that He is able to bring those who believe from death to life. If Jesus was anyone but God He would not be able to make the claim that He can raise the dead. The NASB does a good job in getting the idea from the Greek across, the individuals to whom Christ is referring pass away from death, and pass into life, and life eternal. Notice that the tense is the present tense, they have passed from one state to another, already, so it has already become a reality. Those who have entered into eternal life are no longer condemned, nor will they ever be (Romans 8: 1; Col. 1: 13).

"5: 25-29. The theme of these verses is resurrection. Jesus related that all men, saved and unsaved, will be literally and physically resurrected from the dead. However, only the saved experience a spiritual ("born again"), as well as physical, resurrection unto eternal life. The unsaved will be resurrected unto judgment and eternal punishment through separation from God, i.e., the second death (cf. Rev. 20: 6, 14; 21: 8). These verses also constitute proof of the deity of Jesus Christ since the Son has resurrection power (vv. 25, 26), and the Father has granted Him the status of Judge of all mankind (v. 27). In the light of other Scripture, it is clear that Jesus speaks generally about resurrection, but not about one, general resurrection."¹ -- John MacArthur

In verse 25 Jesus speaks of two realities, one that has already happened, and one that will happen in the future in regards to the resurrection. The hour that is spoken of that "is" is the "spiritual" resurrection that takes place when we are "born again". Before we are saved we are spiritually dead (Eph. 2: 1; Col. 2: 13), but once we are "born again" in the spirit we are alive spiritually, when before we were "dead". And the hour that is to come (1 Cor. 15: 35-54; Phil. 3: 29, 21) speaks to the resurrection of the dead that will happen during the second advent of Christ, when the dead will be raised out of the grave and be reunited with their "spirits". In both these cases the "dead" are responding to the voice of Christ which they hear through the preaching of the Gospel, and the shout of Christ upon His return.

"the dead - the spiritually dead, as is clear from John 5: 28. Here He rises from the calmer phrase "hearing his word" (John 5: 24), to the grander expression, "hearing the voice of the Son of God," to signify that as it finds men in a dead condition, so it carries with it a resurrection-power."² -- David Brown

Our Lord goes on to state that as the Father has power over life, and the power to give life, so does the Son (John 1:4; 6:57). And the Father has also turned over the task of judging mankind to the Son (John 9:39; Acts 10:42; 17:31). This authority was given over to the Son who is our High Priest that has suffered as we have suffered, and been tempted in every way as we are, and did not fail (Heb. 4: 14, 15). This appointment as Judge is one of the greatest demonstrations of divine wisdom, as our Judge is familiar with our physical nature. Remember Jesus is talking about Himself, and His relationship to the Father, there is no ambiguity in His claims to deity, and as His statement at the end of verse 27 reveals, it is because of this deity that He is able to claim His authority.

Verse twenty eight speaks to Christ's agreement with, and submission to the Father. He states that He does nothing on His own initiative. He seeks only the will of the Father in all of His activities, even His judgments are based on the Father's will. This complete agreement with, as well as submission to the will of the Father gives us an insight into the agreement within the Trinity which has always been in existence. Every act that Christ performs is in direct agreement with the Father, and He never seeks His own will, but only the will of the Father. This is also part of the doctrine of propitiation as He is able to obey perfectly in our place.

In verse thirty one our Lord says that if He alone is the only one who has testified to these things then His testimony is not true, this is not to say that He cannot speak truly. In the Law in order to prove guilt, or innocence there must be two or more reliable witnesses, less does not bare out the burden of proof. Jesus is allowing for their human limitations and saying that He is not the only one who has born witness to His identity, and therefore His authority. In the following verses Jesus is pointing to four "witnesses" to His divine identity and authority.

John the Baptist bore witness to Christ's identity (John 1:7, 15, 19, 32; 3:26–30), but Jesus says to them in effect, he is just a man who you respected, but I am going to show you who has witnessed about me, whom you cannot refute, namely the very works that He has performed which could only have been performed by someone who had been sent by God, so therefore, His works bore witness to His identity as one who has been sent by the Father.

Jesus reveals that the Father Himself has testified about Him (Matt 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; 24:27; John 8:18; 1 John 5:9). God's voice was heard after His baptism, as well as the Spirit descending upon Him in a shape like a dove.

And the Scriptures themselves have born witness of Him.

"5: 39 You search. Although the verb "search" could also be understood as a command (I.e., "Search the Scriptures!"), most prefer this translation as an indicative. The verb implies diligent scrutiny in investigating the Scriptures to find "eternal life." However, Jesus points out that with all their fastidious effort, they miserably failed in their understanding of the true way to eternal life through the Son of God."¹ -- John MacArthur

Although they searched the Scriptures for the way to eternal life, they rejected the person to whom the Scriptures referred, as the way to eternal life. Jesus is the central theme of the Scriptures. They were looking for a great king who would bring about a golden age of Israel, and conquer all of their enemies, but Jesus was not here to please men, He was here to do the work of the Father.

Moses was one of the greatest heroes of the Jews, and wrote the first five books of the Scriptures which pointed to Jesus, yet they did not believe in the One who was sent, the One to whom Moses was pointing. Those who sought salvation in the Law of Moses will be judged according to the Law of Moses, rather than by Grace like those who believed on Him. Jesus implies that they did not truly believe in Moses, for if they did they would know Him for who He is. But since they obviously did not believe what was written about Him by Moses, how could they believe in Him?

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¹John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

²David Brown; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., page 459

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John 5: 1-9

"This section (John 5:1-7: 52) evidences the shift from reservation and hesitation about Jesus as Messiah (John 3: 26; 4: 1-3) to outright rejection (7: 52). The opposition started with controversy regarding Jesus' healing on the Sabbath (vv. 1-18), intensified in chapter 6 with many of His disciples abandoning Him (6: 66), and finally hardened in chapter 7 into official opposition against Him with the religious authorities' unsuccessful attempt to arrest Him (7: 20-52). Accordingly, the theme of this section is the rejection of Jesus as Messiah."¹ -- John MacArthur

Jesus had come to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the feasts, which one is the source of much debate, and I do not consider myself a great enough scholar to either venture my own theory, nor point to one specific theory. This is the only instance where John does not relate the particular feast that was being attended. The point to be made here is that Jesus was always careful to keep up the requirements of the Jewish people, at least those that were true to the Scripture's, rather than simply the traditions of men. There were three feasts that were "feasts of obligation" for all adult males that resided within twenty miles of Jerusalem: Passover; Pentecost; and the Feast of Tabernacles. We also see Christ participating in other feasts, i.e. Hanukkah or the Feast of Dedication (John 10: 22), where Jesus takes advantage of an opportunity to worship with His people, as He was wont to do on every good and proper opportunity.

Jesus had come to the pool of Bethesda, by the Sheep Gate, not the market. Most scholars believe this refers to the same gate spoken of in Nehemiah 3: 1, 32; 12: 39. Which was located on the north wall of the city just west of the northwest corner. The pool of Bethesda, (Bethesda being the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning "house of olives", or "house of mercy.") was reputed to have healing properties. The water was so full of minerals that the water was a reddish color. It is believed that it was fed by several springs that would cause the water to roil occasionally. A common superstition of the day believed that this was caused by an angel who would trouble the water, and that the first to enter after the water was troubled would be healed of their infirmities.

In many of the best and most reliable manuscript evidence the later half of the third verse and the fourth verse are not present (I found that this is true of the Greek text that I use as well), it is thought that this verse was added at some time by way of explaining why the people were there waiting by the pool. Many scholars point to certain words and expressions that are unfamiliar to the body of John's works, and that this militates against John being it's author. I do however, believe that it is found here for a reason, and that it points the particular superstition that was being held to here, and sheds light on the details of the reason for the people's gathering there that we would not have been familiar with otherwise. I will use J. Vernon McGee's comments on this issue to answer for me:

"The fourth verse of this chapter is not in the better manuscripts. To say this, does not mean that I don't believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. I want to assure you that I do believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. Why in the world do you think that I teach the entire Bible?^* But I do think we should heed scholarship; fundamental, conservative scholarship which suggests that because it is not in the better manuscripts, it was put in by a scribe as a word of explanation. I believe it is factual and it helps me understand why this crowd of impotent folk are here. But whether it belongs in Scripture or not is not worth an argument. To me it is not the essential thing because there is something far more important here………. This is the explanation of why they were there."² -- J. Vernon McGee

Just as today, there were many in the ancient world who sought after miraculous healings from their infirmities. They seek out faith healers, and mystical burn marks on toast that resemble "saints", to find healing. This was the sort of thing that was happening here at the pool of Bethesda when Jesus came on the scene. He of course knew that the impotent (powerless, or severely crippled) man was there. And of all those that were seeking healing he approached only this one man. It is likely that many of those who sought healing were only sick in their heads, which was the type of healing that they could expect from the waters. But this man had been crippled for 38 years, and was likely well known for being in the state that he was in. The Greek word 1097. --???--?-- ginó¯sk-- which is to know, in a completed sense, is used here to imply that His knowledge of this man was divine in nature, coming from, or as a result of Him seeing, or perceiving him (3708 horao). Jesus knew that this man was in need of physical, and spiritual healing, and chose him based on sovereign initiative, out of all the rest.

It is at this point that Jesus asks the man a seemingly obvious question, "Do you wish to get well?" To the man at the pool the question seemed to be an offer to help him into the water, by his answer to the question it is revealed that he believed this to be such an offer. He did not know that Christ Himself intended to heal him, or that he the impotent one had come into contact with the omnipotent one. Jesus then without any pomp and circumstance simply tells the man to rise up, take up his bed and walk, and he immediately does so. Many times when we see people "healed" by these supposed faith healers, or by touching mystical things, they are not "completely" healed, nor is the "cure" always permanent. By telling the man to pick up his mat and walk Christ is demonstrating the completeness, and permanence of this healing. By carrying away his mat the man is leaving behind the last vestiges of his infirmity, and making no provision for it's return.

The day on which Jesus healed the impotent man was the Sabbath, and when the Jews saw him carrying the mat their response was to me a bigger surprise than the fact that Jesus just healed him. Since this man had been infirm for 38 years, it is likely that he was well known for his infirmity, he would have had to beg for money to buy his food, he would have had to have been helped to and from the pool on occasion, and he had been lying around for 38 years! The reaction to the fact that a man who has been unable to move about on his own for 38 years walking by carrying his bed is "hey, it's the Sabbath, you can't be carrying your mat" is not exactly what comes to my mind. They were so caught up in the practice of their religion, they could not see the real miracle that was going on right in front of them, it was more important to follow their man made tradition than to praise God for a man being healed of his crippling disease.

"The OT had forbidden work on the Sabbath but did not stipulate what "work" was specifically indicated (Ex. 20: 8-11). The assumption in Scripture seems to be that "work" was one's customary employment, but rabbinical opinion had developed into oral tradition beyond the OT which stipulated thirty-nine activities forbidden (Mishnah Shabbath 7: 2: 10: 5), including carrying anything from one domain to another. Thus, the man had broken oral tradition, not OT law."¹ -- John MacArthur

So it was not really breaking the Sabbath to carry his mat, nor was it breaking the Sabbath for Jesus to heal him, and then command him to carry away his mat. The oral tradition was so restrictive, and at times so ridiculous that if one was badly wounded, or ill on the Sabbath, a physician could do things to keep you from dying, but he was not allowed to actually save your life on the Sabbath. There had been such a crowd at the pool, however, and Jesus had never identified Himself to the man, so when they asked who had healed him he was unable to answer.

Later Jesus found the man at the temple and warned him "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you." This appears to contradict other times where Jesus teaches that diseases are not a result of some particular sin that has been committed (John 9: 1-3; Luke 13: 1-5), however, Jesus is simply saying to the man that sin has it's consequences (Gal. 6: 7, 8), and that sometimes illness and injuries can be tied into ones moral condition (1 Cor 11: 29. 30; James 5: 15).

Once the man was aware of Christ's identity he went back to the Jews to tell them who had healed him. I do not think that his motivation was to get Jesus in trouble, I believe it was simply so that they too could go and see Jesus. It is at this point that direct opposition to Christ begins in earnest, as they approached Him about healing on the Sabbath, He makes a comment "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." Even rabbinical tradition teaches that although God rested after the physical creation of the universe, He never stops the work of sustaining the universe. By making the statement that like His Father is continuously working, He is likewise working implies, and this is supported by the reaction of the Jews, that He is equal with God, and was therefore a claim to deity.

"John 5: 17-47. These verses reveal the ultimate reason Jesus confronted the Jews' religious hypocrisy, I.e., the opportunity to declare who He was. This section is Christ's own personal statement of His deity. As such, it is one of the greatest Christological discourses in Scripture. Herein Jesus makes five claims to equality with God: (1) He is equal with God in His person (vv. 17, 18); (2) He is equal with God in His works (vv. 19, 20); (3) He is equal with God in His power and sovereignty (v. 22); and (5) He is equal with God in His honor (v. 23)."¹ -- John MacArthur

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*Dr. J. Vernon McGee was the founder of "Thru the Bible Radio Network", which is still on the air, and the internet even after his death. He would preach through the entirety of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, which would take five years, and then begin again.

¹John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

²John Volume I, J. Vernon McGee; Thru the Bible Books, Box 7100 Pasadena, California 91109; third printing 1982

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Levi the son of Alphaeus, is more familiar to us as Matthew, who would later become one of the "Twelve." Matthew was a publican, a tax-collector for the Roman government. Publicans were Jews who had purchased a tax franchise from the Romans. Rome did not directly pay the publicans, they were allowed to keep any excess moneys collected over and above the amount required by Rome. This of course led some to be diligent in their duties, for if they did not collect, they still had to pay the government it's share out of their own pockets. Others were of course driven by greed to exact more taxes than was required to make a greater profit, this built in usury caused many to view the publicans as being traitors against their people.

It is possible that Matthew already felt the burden of his sins, as when Jesus called him to follow Him, he gave no resistance, and left everything to follow Jesus.

The next scene we come to is a feast in the home of Matthew. Matthew's first act as a believer is to invite over all of his friends in his former business to come and see Jesus. Jesus of course has no fear of reclining at the table with these publicans and sinners. The Pharisees would have considered reclining with these sinners as a defilement, and they ask His disciples why He would do such a thing. Jesus of course hears their question and answers with a common phrase "They that are not sick are not in need of a physician, but they who are sick." There would have been no ambiguity in His statement, that He was not there for those who think that they are righteous, but for those who know that they are need of salvation. Many who are religious, and some of the elect themselves are guilty as well, believe that they are better than those "sinners" who are around them. For the religious it is because they believe that they have a greater knowledge, and practice, that makes them righteous, and sometimes believers can forget that they too have come from utter depravity themselves, and look down on those whom are in need of the same salvation they were once in desperate need of.

Christ's call is to those who know their need for salvation, not those who believe that they are righteous. The tax collectors heard every day from many people that they were sinners. And because of the way that they made a living through a system of built in usury, they would have had no doubt personally that they were thieves, and liars. The Pharisees and scribes that were present were just as guilty as the tax collectors, yet they believed that they were not. Often it is easier to preach the Gospel to those who inhabit the world, and have no illusions toward any sort of righteousness, than to those who have grown up in the church. We have forgotten that the reason that we need to be saved is because of sin, which has offended a Holy God, and that we are called to repentance, not to our best life now.

During the banquet some of the disciples of John, who had not converted to Christ, and some of the Pharisees approached Jesus on the subject of fasting. The Pharisees sought to draw the disciples of John to their party and cause a quarrel between themselves and the disciples of Christ. Christ did not require His disciples to fast during His time on earth. The Scriptures list only one required fast, which is on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16: 29-31; 23: 27), and although other fasts can be practiced for specific reasons like an answer to special prayers, or penitence, they are voluntary in nature. And Jesus Himself fasted on one occasion that we know of during His temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4: 2), but this was done according to His own teachings, off by Himself in a private place (Matt. 6: 16-18). The Pharisees fasted twice a week, which was a major orthodox practice in the time of Christ (Luke 18: 9-14), but, when they fasted they made a big show of it, not combing their hair or beards, putting on a grave expression, etc. to emphasize their spirituality by an outward show. But not only did Jesus' followers not fast, while He was with them, they were also instructed by Him not to make a show of it. It is clear that the Pharisees were more concerned with the outward appearance of righteousness, rather than the actual inward presence of it.

To illustrate this to them Jesus used a short example of the friends of the bridegroom.

"Mark 2: 19 friends of the bridegroom fast. In Jesus' illustration, the "friends of the bridegroom" were the attendants of the bridegroom selected to carry out the wedding festivities. This was certainly not a time to fast. Fasting was usually associated with mourning or times of great spiritual need. Jesus' point was that the ritual practiced by John's disciples and the Pharisees was out of touch with reality. There was no reason for Jesus' followers to mourn and fast while enjoying the unique reality of His presence among them."¹ -- John MacArthur

So as long as Christ was present with His followers there was no reason for them to fast, but there would come a time when He would be violently taken from their presence (Mark 2: 20), which is prophetic of His capture and crucifixion, and at that time His followers would mourn and fast, because it would be appropriate to do so then.

Jesus then follows up with two parables to illustrate how the reality of the New Covenant of the internal gospel of repentance from sin, and the forgiveness of sin, which has become a reality in Christ, could not be connected to, nor contained by the old types and shadows, or the external traditions of self righteousness and ritual.

If you try to patch an old pair of jeans with a new piece of cloth, when the garment is washed the patch will shrink, but the older fabric of the jeans will not shrink anymore, or at least not as quickly as the new material. This will cause the stitching to pull away and the patch to fall off, at the very least, and it will sometimes even tear the jeans more, leaving them in a worse state than before. Which is like trying to patch New Covenant truths onto old Mosaic types and shadows.

"new wine into old wineskins. Animal skins were used for fermentation of wine because of their elasticity. As the wine fermented, pressure built up, stretching the wineskin. A previously stretched skin lacked elasticity and would rupture, ruining both wine and wineskin. Jesus uses this as an illustration to teach that the forms of old rituals, such as the ceremonial fastings practiced by the Pharisees and John's disciples, are not fit for the new wine of the New Covenant era (cf. Col. 2: 17). In both analogies (Matt. 9: 16, 17), the Lord is saying that what the Pharisees did in fasting or any other ritual had no part with the gospel."¹

Luke is the only one to add a final statement to the end of the parable of the wineskins; "Luke 39 "And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.' " Those who had developed a taste for the pomp and circumstance of OT ritual, and the Pharisaic traditions did not easily give up on their old ways for the more inward practice of Christ's gospel. They were so used to being "righteous" that they could not grasp the fact that true righteousness comes from God alone (Romans 1: 16, 17) through faith in Christ, not by any amount of "righteous" behavior. They wanted everyone to see their righteousness, and the righteousness that Christ spoke of stemmed from inward faith that could not be seen by anyone……except God.

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¹John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.