Matthew 5-7 (NRSV): A study in contrasts

Posted 5 years ago by Todd Porter
5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the
mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then
he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

 

 

The wide gate

The narrow gate
5:3
 
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:4
 
4 “Blessed are those who
mourn, for they will be comforted.
5:5
 
5 “Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
5:6
 
6 “Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
5:7
 
7 “Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy.
5:8
 
8 “Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they will see God.
5:9
 
9 “Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
5:10
 
10 “Blessed are those who
are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:11-12
 
11 “Blessed are you when
people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you
falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice
and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
 
5:13
but if salt has lost its taste,
how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is
thrown out and trampled under foot.
13 “You are the salt of the
earth;
 
… 15 No one after lighting a
lamp puts it under the bushel basket,…
14 “You are the light of
the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. … but on the lampstand,
and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the
same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good
works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
 
5:17-19
17 “Do not think that I
have come to abolish the law or the prophets;…
19 Therefore, whoever breaks[d]one of the least of these
commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the
kingdom of heaven;
… I have come not to abolish but
to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven
and earth pass away, not one letter,[c] not one stroke of a letter,
will pass from the law until all is accomplished. … but whoever does
them [these commandments] and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom
of heaven. 
5:20
20 For I tell you, unless
your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven.
 
5:21-24
21 “You have heard that it
was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever
murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I
say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister,[e] you will be liable to judgment;
and if you insult[f] a brother or sister,[g] you will be liable to the
council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell[h] of fire. 
23 So when you are offering
your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister[i] has something against
you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar
and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister,[j] and then come and offer your
gift
5:25-26
…or your accuser may hand you
over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into
prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get
out until you have paid the last penny.
. 25 Come
to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court[k] with him,
5:27-28
27 “You have heard that it
was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.”
28 But I say to you that
everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with
her in his heart. 
 
5:29-30
 
29 If your right eye causes
you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one
of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.[l]30 And
if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is
better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go
into hell.[m]
5:31-32
31 “It was also said,
‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 
32 But I say to you that
anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her
to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
 
5:33-37
33 “Again, you have heard
that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but
carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 
34 But I say to you, Do not
swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or
by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of
the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let
your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the
evil one.[n]
 
5:38-42
38 “You have heard that it
was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 
39 But I say to you, Do not
resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the
other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and
take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and
if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42 Give
to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow
from you.
5:43-45
43 “You have heard that it
was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ …
44 But I say to you, Love
your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so
that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise
on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the
unrighteous. 
5:46-48
46 For if you love those
who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the
same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and
sisters,[o] what more are you doing than
others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 
48 Be perfect, therefore,
as your heavenly Father is perfect.
 
6:1-4
“Beware of practicing your piety before others
in
order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in
heaven. 2 “So whenever you give alms, do not
sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have
received their reward. 
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know
what your
right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret;
and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23287a”
data-link=”[a]”
>[a]
 
6:5-6
5 “And whenever you pray, do not be
like the
hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the
street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they
have received their reward.
6 But whenever you pray, go into your room
and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father
who sees in secret will reward you.<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23289b”
data-link=”[b]”
>[b]
 
6:7-13
7 “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as
the
Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many
words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows
what you need before you ask him.
 
9 “Pray then in this way:
Our Father in
heaven,
hallowed be your
name.
10     Your
kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in
heaven.
11     Give
us this day our daily bread.<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23294c”
data-link=”[c]”
>[c]
12     And
forgive us our debts,
as we also have
forgiven our debtors.
13     And
do not bring us to the time of trial,<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23296d”
data-link=”[d]”
>[d]
but rescue us from
the evil one.<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23296e”
data-link=”[e]”
>[e]
 
6:14-15
15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.
 
14 For if you forgive others their
trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you; 
6:16-18
16 “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the
hypocrites,
for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting.
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your
face, 18 so
that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23301f”
data-link=”[f]”
>[f]
 
6:19-21
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth
and rust<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23302g”
data-link=”[g]”
>[g] consume
and where thieves break in and steal; 
20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither
moth nor rust<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23303h”
data-link=”[h]”
>[h]consumes and
where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
 
6:22-23
23 but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be
full of
darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
 
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is
healthy,
your whole body will be full of light; 
6:24
24 “No one can serve two masters; for a
slave will
either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise
the other.
You cannot serve God and wealth.<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23307i”
data-link=”[i]”
>[i]
 
6:25
 
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you
will eat or what you will drink,<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23308j”
data-link=”[j]”
>[j] or about
your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more
than clothing? 
6:26-27
 
26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor
reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not
of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a
single hour to your span of life?<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23310k”
data-link=”[k]”
>[k] 
6:28-30
 
28 And why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the
lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I
tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But
if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow
is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little
faith? 
6:31-33
31 Therefore do not worry, saying,
‘What will we eat?’
or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For
it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things;
and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you
need
all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23316l”
data-link=”[l]”
>[l] and his<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23316m”
data-link=”[m]”
>[m]righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.
6:34
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will
bring worries of its own.
Today’s trouble is enough for today.
7:1-2
“Do not judge, so that you may not be
judged. 
2 For with the judgment you make you
will be judged,
and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 
7:3-5
3 Why do you see the speck in your
neighbor’s<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23320a”
data-link=”[a]”
>[a]eye, but do
not notice the log in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your neighbor,<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23321b”
data-link=”[b]”
>[b] ‘Let me
take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? 5 You
hypocrite,
first take the log out of your own eye, and
then you
will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23322c”
data-link=”[c]”
>[c]eye.
7:6
6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your
pearls
before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.
 
7:7-8
 
7 “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will
find;
knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 For
everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone
who knocks, the door will be opened. 
7:9-11
9 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for
bread,
will give a stone? 10 Or if the child asks for a fish, will give
a snake? 
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts
to your
children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those
who ask him!
7:12
 
12 “In everything do to others as you would have them do
to you;
for this is the law and the prophets.
7:13-14
13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide
and the
road is easy<sup
style=”box-sizing: border-box;”
data-fn=”#fen-NRSV-23330d”
data-link=”[d]”
>[d] that
leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 
14 For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads
to life,
and there are few who find it.
7:15-18
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come
to you in
sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You
will know them by their fruits.
Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from
thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears
good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A
good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 
7:19-20
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down
and thrown
into the fire. 
20 Thus you will know them by their fruits.
7:21
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord,
Lord,’ will
enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in
heaven. 
7:22-23
22 On that day many will say to me,
‘Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many
deeds of power in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew
you; go away from me, you evildoers.’
 
7:24-27
26 And everyone who hears these words
of mine and does
not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The
rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that
house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts
on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The
rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it
did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 
 
28 Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were
astounded at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.