A New Believer's Bible Commentary: The Gospels

By Dr. Judy Barrett

A New Believer's Bible Commentary: The Gospels is an easy to read guide explaining the background and intricacies of the gospel accounts. Parables are explained in simple language with real life examples, and history is recounted so that you fully understand why the people react as they do. Why we believe Jesus is God is also made clear.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781300602422

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A New Believer's Bible Commentary: The Gospels

A New Believer’s Bible Commentary: The Gospels

By Dr. Judy Barrett

Copyright © 2012 Dr. Judy Barrett (all rights reserved)

ISBN# 978-1-300-60242-2

Photography by Matija Barrett with special thanks to Kristin Andraka for the use of her foot.

Introduction

This book was written to help those who did not grow up in the church ‘catch-up.’ It is an easy-to-read commentary designed to cover what one should have learned in Sunday School and make the Bible a bit more easily to understood. It is not a major theological tome. Instead it is a down-to-earth guide to help simplify some of the harder to understand sections of the Bible.

So, if you came to Christ as an adult, or merely slept through most of your church school classes and/or decided the main purpose of youth group was to meet members of the opposite sex, this book is for you.

Will you agree with everything in it? No. If you haven't noticed, there are more than a few different denominations, and there are sections of the Bible where they disagree. I am a female Pentecostal. Luckily the sections that talk about women in ministry and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are relatively short. Ask your pastor for information on why your denomination believes what they believe. Reading differing views causes you to more fully examine your beliefs. Not a bad thing. And, you have just talked theology with your pastor. Getting used to asking a real, live human being who has studied their Bible questions will also help you grow in Christ. Also not a bad thing. So, whether you use this as a learning tool, or a tool to examine your Bible and prove why I am wrong, you now understand why you believe what you do better, and that is an accomplishment. Truthfully though, I hope you don’t disagree too vehemently… I have feelings too!

That being said, I hope you enjoy what I have written. I worked hard on it, and gained a bit of weight doing it, since typing on the treadmill was a bit too much for me to handle. (Ecclesiastes 12:12b tells us that much study 'wearies' the body- bet you didn’t know that was in there!)

Read well, and pass it on and make my sacrifice worth something, okay?

Blessings,

Dr. Judy Barrett

Matthew

Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. He was also known as Levi, and was a tax collector, working for the hated Roman government, when Jesus called him. He is best known as the disciple who, when he was called, threw a big party and invited all of his ‘sinner’ friends, causing Jesus to be yelled at by the Pharisees (again) for not being ‘holy’ enough...

As a tax collector, Matthew would have known short hand. Some believe that Matthew used this knowledge to ‘take notes’ during Jesus’ ministry. These notes, which may, or may not, exist, are sometimes referred to as ‘Q’ –which stands for the Germen word ‘quelle’ meaning ‘source.’ So perhaps along with notes of others these were collected. If they exist they are thought to be the basis for not only the book of Matthew, but of Mark and Luke as well. This is only a guess though. Some people see similarities in the gospels and come up with these theories. The similarities between the first three gospels may also be due to the fact that these things really did happen and it wasn’t too hard to remember them, or due to the help of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew is a Jewish man and is writing to a Jewish audience. For this reason you will see more in this gospel that shows how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament scriptures than in the others. I will try to point these things out as they come. You will also notice throughout the four gospels that the different writers report things differently. This is normal when you have more than one witness, and shows that the scripture is reliable. If these four were trying to make things up, they would have gotten together and made sure that their stories lined up a bit better. Where they are different, it usually shows that each person has a different perspective of what is most important in the story. For some, like Mark, if it doesn’t show that Jesus is God, the detail is left out. Luke likes detail, and Matthew is in the middle. John is on his own planet altogether. He is writing to new believers to strengthen their faith though, so his points have a different focus. He is also a bit more ‘flowery’ (poetic), but we will discuss him later. Right now we have Matthew. He is a Jew, a Levite (so he was supposed to be teaching people God’s Word) and a tax collector (so he has spent much time making lists). We will see how his personality comes out in this gospel. Remember, Matthew is a man with his own personality, but also remember that the accounts he includes are included, not just to amuse you, but to make a point. Look for the point. Think of this as a letter, from a friend, trying to convince you that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah you, as a Jew, have been waiting for.

Matthew 1

Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus. He starts with Abraham and follows Joseph’s line.

FYI: In Biblical times the father’s line was the most important. Today Jewish faith is determined through the maternal line. I do not know when, or why, this changed. I can only guess that it changed because it was often the mother, not the father, who taught the children the faith they came to believe. This genealogy shows that Jesus, through Joseph, fulfills the prophecy that Jesus is to be from the line of David. Since we know that biologically Jesus is not Joseph’s son, it also shows us that God takes ‘adoption’ very seriously and does consider the man who actually raised you to be your true father.

FYI: Joseph and Mary are both of the line of David, but Joseph is descended from Solomon, and Mary is related to David through David’s son Nathan.

We are then told that there are 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 from David to exile, and 14 from exile to Christ.

We are then told about the birth of Jesus. Mary is pledged (engaged) to marry Joseph, but before they ‘come together’ (i.e. have sex) Mary finds out that she is pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, we are told, is a righteous man who does not want to expose her to public disgrace, so he plans on divorcing her quietly.

FYI: According to Jewish law if Mary was living ‘in town’ both Mary and the man who slept with her are to die. If she became pregnant in the country, where no one would hear her scream, only the man would be put to death. If she screams and is saved from an attacker in town, only he dies. Mary’s father may also agree to a marriage and save both parties from death. Joseph seems to assume that Mary was willing, and would like to be free to marry the father of her child, so he is trying to keep things quiet and make this possible. At this time he does not want anyone to know about what he thinks she has done. Even though he is likely very hurt, we see Joseph trying to do the most honorable thing possible, by trying to protect Mary from public shame.

Real life: Recently I received a phone call from a very godly young man. He was told by a girl’s mother that he was not to have any contact with her, but he loved her desperately. (They were different denominations of Christian and the mother saw them as ‘unequally yoked.’ –More on that later.) He still loved her, but did not know what to do. He told me that through it all he has prayed for her every night, and wished the best for her even if he could not be with her. This is the type of man I believe Joseph to be. Even though he cannot have the girl, he still works to do what is best for her.

An angel appears to Joseph in a dream. He tells him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, that she has conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that he is to name the baby Jesus, because this baby is destined to save the people from their sins. (Is.7:14, 8:8-10)

FYI: Jesus means ‘savior,’ or ‘the Lord saves.’ It is a form of Joshua, and a very popular name at this time. The people are hoping for the Messiah to come, and many parents are hoping that their child is the ‘one.’ Of course many of them do not understand fully what the Messiah is to do and are looking for a great ‘judge’ or ‘king’ who will overthrow the Roman government and set Israel up as the predominant nation on earth.

We are then told that this fulfills the prophecy stating that a virgin will give birth to a son and the people will call him Immanuel, meaning ‘God is with us.’

Joseph keeps his pledge to Mary, but does not sleep with her until after she has her son. He names the son Jesus.

FYI: The prophecy about the virgin is a prophecy that has two levels. (Is. 8:14-17) In Isaiah, it is a prophecy about a new wife that predicts the timing of when Assyria will overtake Israel during the time of King Ahaz. The ‘wife’ of Ahaz does not stay a ‘virgin.’ (Although the word used for virgin can also mean young woman, these terms are synonymous because a young woman is expected to be a virgin!) The Holy Spirit, through Matthew, shows us that these verses have a double meaning. Some teachers at Jesus’ time did see this as a Messianic prophecy, though most did not recognize it as such. Many Jews point to this as a problem and a reason that Jesus is not the Messiah. If this were the only prophecy Jesus fulfilled, they may have a case, except, as we will see, Jesus fulfills so many more prophecies. Further, being born of a virgin through the Holy Spirit is a ‘big deal’ whether it was clearly predicted or not! The text here clarifies that Mary has not slept with anyone, and has conceived through the Holy Spirit, not through any other means. So she is not just a ‘young woman’ according to scripture. Further, Joseph and Mary allow people to know that Jesus is not Joseph’s child by remaining ‘betrothed.’ They would not do this if there were not a very good reason. By doing this Joseph is making it clear that Jesus is not his child. Why would he do this if he was a good man who was going to marry Mary anyways? Wouldn’t a ‘good man’ hide her shame, and save himself some embarrassment by allowing people to think the child was his? During this time unwed motherhood was a really, really bad thing. The only reason Joseph would subject himself, Mary and Jesus to this kind of ridicule and danger would be that Jesus’ true parentage was important, and he did not want anyone to be confused… Joseph, through his actions, shows that he too believes Jesus to be God’s son.

Matthew 2

Jesus is born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Herod is king. Magi from the east go to Jerusalem and ask where the king of the Jews is. They tell Herod that they have seen his star and have come to worship him.

FYI: The Magi are likely kings (leaders, like Daniel and the three boys whom God saved from being fried in the furnace) from the area of Babylonian captivity. They are probably Jews, or at least ‘God-fearers’ (people who hold to Jewish beliefs, but do not participate in all of the Jewish customs) whose families stayed in Babylon after a time of Jewish captivity. (Remember, not all the Jews went back, and many Jews were trained to rule in that area.) We do not know why they believed there would be a star showing them the Jewish king. It could be that some prophecies were passed down orally (likely through Daniel) that did not become part of scripture. Now this information would not have pleased King Herod. While he had some Jewish blood, he was definitely not looking for the Messiah to come. He had obtained a very high position with the Romans, and did not want the Jews to be ‘free’ of him. Further, he had already killed many of his relatives, including some of his own children, for fear someone would take the throne from him.

Herod tells the Magi to find the child and then report back to him so that he may worship him as well. The Magi find the child in a house (not the manger), worship him and give him gold, incense and myrrh. They are warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they head home by another route.

Joseph is then told, in a dream, to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt, and to stay there until he is told to return because Herod is looking to kill the baby. Joseph gets up during the night, packs up his family and leaves. (Hosea 11:1)

FYI: Not only does God say that He will call His son out of Egypt, but this fleeing at night with no notice also parallels the Exodus of Israel.

King Herod then realizes that the Magi are not coming back to tell him where the baby is and he orders that all the babies in Bethlehem two years old and younger be put to death. We are then told that this fulfills a prophecy made by the prophet Jeremiah about Rachel (who is buried in Bethlehem) weeping for her children who are dead. (Jer. 31:15)

FYI: Again Matthew is pulling out an obscure prophecy that has a double meaning. He is likely pointing these out specifically to show just how many prophecies there are. The Jewish people at this time know their scripture and will recognize the more prominent signs that the Messiah has come. (I am trying my best to put the reference beside them for you!) Where you see an explanation in the book of Matthew however, it is likely because the prophecy was not readily apparent to the Jewish audience and needed some clarification. Matthew is trying to show just how many prophecies there were that were fulfilled by pointing out even the minor ones.

Joseph then has another dream where he is told that it is safe to return because Herod is dead. Joseph hears that Herod’s son, Archelas, is ruling in Judea, so he decides that his family will be better off in Nazareth in the district of Galilee. We are told that this fulfills another prophecy.

FYI: This too is an obscure prophecy. The term ‘shoot’ is similar to the word Nazareth. The Messiah is to be the ‘shoot’ out of the root of Jesse. (Is.11:1) Apparently there are a lot of hints about the Messiah in the Old Testament, that we would not normally pick up on and Matthew is pointing them out for us!

Point to Ponder: Joseph has no blood relationship to Jesus, yet the angel is giving him messages and treating him as a person who has a responsibility to care for this family. Although God has not chosen to have Joseph related by blood to Jesus, He clearly wishes Jesus to be raised by him! Joseph is clearly Jesus’ earthly father, by God’s choice. Mary is not the only one God talks to! (This is also not saying that God only talks to the husband either. In the case of Samson’s parents God spoke to the wife, and when the husband asked for confirmation God confirmed it by telling him to listen to his wife. (Judges 13) Rebekah too received a prophecy about her sons, even though Isaac was alive and godly. (Gen. 25:23))

Matthew 3

John the Baptist is preaching in the desert. His message is ‘Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near.’ We are then told that this is the fulfillment of a prophecy made by the prophet Isaiah (Is. 40:3). John is the voice calling in the desert to prepare the way for the Lord.

FYI: When a king was scheduled to visit part of the preparations included repairing the roads. This is what is referred to by ‘prepare the way of the Lord,’ and ‘make straight paths for him.’ Straight paths, and no ‘valleys’ meant that you were removing the places where people would stumble and or evil people could hide. Repenting, and cleaning up your life involves removing the same types of things (things that make you stumble, and/or places where evil inclinations may hide and overcome your best intentions).

Point to Ponder: The gospels keep telling us that the kingdom of heaven is ‘near,’ or ‘at hand.’ This likely means that the reign of God is accessible to men, if we choose God as the Lord of our life. Jesus was not coming as a ruler who physically made sure people would behave. Instead He was changing hearts and turning people to God. By changing our hearts, we could now stand up and do what is right. With enough people standing up to make sure that justice is done, God’s laws would be obeyed on earth. The kingdom of God is therefore ‘near’ because those who believe would follow His laws and not allow oppression and injustice to reign. We have the power to do this, if we choose…

John wears clothes of camel hair and a belt of leather. He eats locust and wild honey.

FYI: Locust were dried and usually salted then dipped in honey and eaten as a snack. This is kind of like our modern day ‘chips and dip.’ (Though even referring to it as ‘chips and dip’ is not going to make it any easier for me to eat locust!) By the way, locust are a ‘clean’ food according to the rules in Leviticus. A hinged back leg is not counted as a ‘leg’ during this time, so they are not classified with the other insects. Locusts are also a good source of protein, and honey never goes bad. (They have found honey in ancient tombs that is still perfectly safe to eat.)

Point to Ponder: John lives incredibly simply, but Jesus does not. Neither man is sinning. Everyone is called to a different way of life. Be sure not to impose what the Lord has called you to do onto others who have a different calling.

People are coming to John, confessing their sins and being baptized in the Jordan River.

FYI: Baptism is not new. It is a sign that you want to be seen as a ‘new’ person, and that you do not plan to return to your ‘old’ (sinful) ways.

The Pharisees and Sadducees then come and John calls them a ‘Brood of Vipers.’ John asks them who warned them to flee from the coming wrath. He tells them that they need to ‘produce fruit’ (do deeds) that show that they are truly repentant. He then tells them not to think that just because they are descendents of Abraham (Jewish), they are safe. John reminds them that God can raise up descendents of Abraham from rocks if he needs to. He then tells them that the ax is at the root of the trees, and that every tree that is not producing fruit (doing good) will be chopped down. (i.e. If you are not behaving godly, God’s patience with you is close to running out!)

John then tells them that he baptizes them with water, but there is another person coming who will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire. John again warns them that punishment is near. This time he describes it in terms of the harvest. He says that the winnowing fork (used for separating the chaff from the grain) is in God’s hand, and the chaff will be burned in the fire.

FYI: A brood of vipers is a reference to a bunch of demons. (Is. 59:5, Ps. 140:3)

FYI: After you harvest grain you must separate the chaff from the wheat. The chaff (outer shell, very thin, falls off of ripe grain easily, but is closely adhered to non-ripe grain) is then burned, while the wheat ‘berry’ (it looks like rice) is ground into flour.

Jesus then comes to John to be baptized. John tried to change His mind, and tells Him that He (Jesus) should be baptizing him (John) and not the other way around. Jesus tells John that it is proper to do this in order to fulfill all righteousness.

Point to Ponder: Why, if Jesus is sinless, must He be baptized, and what does ‘to fulfill all righteousness’ mean? To tell the truth, there is no consensus. Most people agree that Jesus being baptized is an act of obedience and serves as an example for us to follow. Being baptized is definitely a humbling act. For a typical (not Jesus) person, it tells people that you believe you have been bad (are a sinner) and that you intend to change. While Jesus does not need to repent, He definitely has humbled Himself by coming in human form. His ministry is about service and humility, which this action shows.

As soon as Jesus emerges from the water (He is baptized by being submerged.) the heavens open. The Holy Spirit descends upon Him in the form of a dove, and a voice from Heaven tells those who are present that Jesus is His son, whom He loves and who He is ‘well pleased’ with. (re: heavens opening: 2 Sam. 22:10, Ps. 18:9, 144:5, Is. 64:1)

Matthew 4

Jesus is then led into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasts 40 days and nights (similar to Moses on Mt. Sinai). Jesus is hungry. The devil comes and tells him that if He is the Son of God, He should turn these stones into bread. Jesus answers the devil by quoting Dt. 8:3 saying that man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Point to Ponder: What exactly is the devil asking, and why does Jesus answer the way He does? The devil knows that Jesus is the Son of God, he does not need proof, but I believe that the devil does not understand authority, or how to submit to it. If Satan were Jesus, there would have been as much bread as he wanted, any time he wanted it, without any thought about any thing else. Jesus’ answer says that there is a proper time and place, and way to do everything, and that God’s Word is our guide to knowing what that way is. If you follow God’s laws, and do not try to satisfy every desire as soon as it occurs, you will live. i.e. Sometimes God has a reason for making you wait even if you are hungry, and, in the end, your life will be ‘safe’ by doing things His way.

Real life: While editing this I noticed my spell check turned the word ‘bread’ into ‘friends.’ Interesting. I thought about that. Today in the United States we do not experience much hunger. Instead we do hunger for the approval of people. Could God be telling us (or me), through this mistake, that we too do not live by ‘friends’ alone, but by every word from the mouth of God? Is other people’s opinion of us so important that we compromise the word of God, or spend so much time agonizing about what others think about us that we do not spend enough time on God? Interesting… (And yes, I did edit this, and I know I missed things! Sorry. My last book was highly edited by more than one reader and still went to press with the phrase ‘wedding might’ instead of ‘night’ in it… There are also two other errors that to my knowledge only I have noticed and I am not telling! This work is longer, so expect a few more, unless a ‘real’ publisher picks it up…)

The devil then takes Jesus to the highest point on the Temple and tells Him that if He is the Son of God He can jump off and the angels will save Him. This time the devil quotes scripture. (Ps. 91:12)

Jesus then quotes scripture as well, and tells the devil that you are not to test the Lord your God. (Dt. 6:16)

Point to Ponder: So what does this teach us? I believe the point here is that even though scripture makes us promises, we are not to use scripture to try to get God to do what we want Him to do. Instead, we are to do what is right, and rest assured that God will take care of the rest. For example, I am not sure that God blesses people in quite the same way if they are tithing in order to get rich, or fasting in order to lose weight, as he does people who are doing the same things with the intention of pleasing God and helping others.

Point to Ponder: Just because someone is using scripture does not mean they are godly. Scripture can be used incorrectly. Know the context of each verse! Scripture, even when quoted correctly, may be applied out of context to situations it was never intended to be used in. A ludicrous example would be to apply ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13 paraphrase) to psyche yourself up for robbing bank. Somehow, I do not believe God will ‘strengthen’ you for that!

The devil then takes Jesus to the top of a high mountain and shows him all the kingdoms in the world and their ‘splendor.’ He then tells Jesus that he will give them all to Him if He bows down and worships him. (Remember, Adam was given authority over the earth and all that is in it, and in obeying the devil he transferred his authority to Satan. Whom you obey is who your ‘lord’ is.)

Jesus tells Satan to flee and tells him that scripture says to worship the Lord and serve Him alone. The devil leaves, and angels come to minister to Jesus.

John is then put into prison, and Jesus begins His speaking ministry. We are told that this fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2 about a great light seen in Galilee by people living in darkness. Jesus’ message is the same as John’s, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’

Jesus then meets two brothers, Simon (who will be called Peter) and Andrew. They are fishing when Jesus calls them to follow Him. Jesus tells them that He will make them ‘fishers of men.’ They leave their nets and follow Him.

Jesus then meets two more brothers, James and John. They are in a boat with their father, Zebedee, preparing the nets. Jesus calls, and they leave their father to follow Him.

FYI: Typically a person who wishes to follow a rabbi would first become a student. A student pays a wage to sit and learn from the rabbi. The student may then ask to become the rabbi’s disciple, a person who follows him around, observes everything he does, and is taught why the rabbi lives as he does. This is called ‘walking in the dust of the rabbi.’ A disciple at this time goes to the rabbi and hopes to be allowed to follow him. Jesus turns this around by going up to people and asking them to follow Him. Further, he picks people who do not have jobs, or money, that would typically allow them to be anyone’s disciple. Being a rabbi’s disciple is a huge honor, and implies that one day you will be a respected rabbi, able to have disciples of your own.

Jesus then goes to the synagogues teaching and healing the sick. News about Him spreads and people begin bringing sick to Him. Large crowds are also forming to hear Him speak.

FYI: In the synagogue it is common for people to take turns speaking. Typically the person in charge of the service is there primarily to decide who speaks and when, as well as to make sure that God’s Word is followed.

Matthew 5

FYI: This section of scripture is commonly called ‘The Beatitudes,’ or the blessings. The word ‘beatitude’ does not occur in the Bible. It is Latin for ‘blessing,’ but yes this portion of the Bible was originally written in Koine Greek, not Latin. (Koine means ‘common.’) The word ‘beatitudes’ is a leftover from when the Catholic Church used a Bible translated into Latin to read scripture from.

Why did they use Latin? Latin was the language of the Roman Empire. The Catholic Church was started at the end of the Roman Empire, when the Romans were weak and the church felt the need to help hold the empire together. The bishop in Rome successfully negotiated with enemies when the Roman emperor fled (and then returned) and thought it would be good for the church to be a bit more organized for situations like these. (People began to call him, Papa, which became ‘Pope.’) The local churches agreed, while those further away pointed to the fact that more organization was not Biblical. An official split between the two groups did not occur until much later, with the Roman church taking the name ‘Catholic,’ which means ‘all’ indicating that if you are not part of their church, you are not part of the church at all, and the other churches using the term ‘orthodox’ indicating that they are the ones following scripture. Both terms are essentially a slap in the face designed to tell the other group exactly what they think of them.

By the way: Latin is actually a good choice for a translation if you are looking to preserve the meaning of scripture. Since the Romans began speaking Greek, Latin died out. Dead languages do not change over time, so the meaning of the words is preserved. Unfortunately many people did not use the Latin to preserve the true meaning of the text, but rather to keep ordinary (non-priest) people form reading and understanding the Bible. (Another use for a dead language...)

Jesus is telling us who is ‘blessed.’ These are not the people who would be considered ‘blessed’ in the current Jewish culture.

1.       The ‘poor in spirit.’ (The humble. Those who do not exalt themselves, thinking that they are better than others.) These are the people who will inherit the kingdom of heaven.

FYI: Inheriting the kingdom of heaven may mean ‘go to heaven,’ but it may also indicate that they will have power from God on earth. This flies in the face of all of the religious leaders who believe that they are more blessed by God, and show it. Further, the culture at this time is consumed with the idea of status (read a little of Josephus and remember that even Jesus’ disciples frequently argued about their ‘place’ in the group). This is contrary to the way most people of this time would see the world.

2.       Those who mourn. They will be comforted.

FYI: This also contradicts current Jewish thought, which taught that bad things happened to you because you sinned and God is punishing you. Here Jesus says that God will comfort you.

3.       The ‘meek.’ They will inherit the earth. (Remember those that ‘inherit’ are the heirs, and they ‘rule’ what they inherit.)

FYI: The meek here are not ‘doormats’ who let people walk all over them. They are those who walk with a quiet strength, who do not need to prove to people that they are ‘all that and a bag of chips,’ but when trouble comes, handle things firmly with the least amount of fuss.

4.       Those that hunger and thirst for righteousness. They will be filled.

FYI: These are the people who hate seeing evil triumph and do something about it, especially when people are oppressing the weak.

5.       Those who are merciful will be shown mercy. i.e. Don’t be quick to judge, or that is how God will judge you. Treat people with mercy, and God will do the same for you! (This does not mean not to do justice- see blessing number 4- but that the punishment should not be harsh or longer than absolutely necessary.)

6.       The ‘pure in heart.’ They will see God.

FYI: The ‘pure in heart’ are those who do not entertain evil thoughts. i.e. When they see a naked woman, they think ‘She must be cold,’ and get her some clothes!

7.       The peacemakers. They will be known as the ‘sons of God.’

FYI: This is not the ‘appeasers.’ Giving people what they want just to get them to shut up is not ‘doing justice.’ Peacemakers are people who do not incite the situation, but instead calm it down. But they do not do so by giving bullies their way. They make decisions that are fair to those the bullies oppress. Too many times we use this verse to justify rewarding those who yell, and misbehave. It seems to keep peace because the ‘good’ people are ‘mature’ enough to hold their tongue and not make a fuss. Although there seems to be peace, it is not right. The ‘good’ people will eventually leave, and the ‘bad’ people (because you keep rewarding them) will become worse. Good luck with that. This is why many churches are small and won’t grow…. Appeasing people, in the long term, does not keep the peace. Making hard decisions, using Biblical teachings, in a calm, but firm manner is what truly keeps the peace.

8.       Those who are persecuted because they are doing the right thing. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

FYI: This includes those who are insulted, persecuted, and lied about because of Jesus. You are to be glad, because your reward is in heaven. You are just like the prophets who came before you.

Point to Ponder: Jesus is already teaching that people will be persecuted because they are following His teaching, and that this is the same as what happened to the prophets who preached before them. The prophets preached God’s Word, and were persecuted. These people are preaching Jesus’ word and will be persecuted. Jesus is again telling people He is equal to ‘God.’

Jesus then tells the people that they are the salt of the earth, but that if the salt loses its saltiness, it must be thrown out.

FYI: People at this time used a lot of salt. There was no refrigeration, and salt preserved things. Salt kept you alive. It kept meat from spoiling and made things safe to eat for long periods of time. Salt ‘preserves.’

Jesus also tells people that they are the light, and that light cannot, and should not, be hidden. (After telling them that they will be persecuted, this is probably a good encouragement. Their tendency may be to go hide!)

Jesus also tells them that He has not come to abolish the Law or the words of the prophets. These will stand as true until the end of the earth.

Point to Ponder: Since Jesus is teaching against the way some people at this time interpret the law, this likely needs to be said. Jesus is not starting a new religion. This is the same religion as before, with a bit of clarification and prophecy fulfillment, and a little more power from the Holy Spirit.

Jesus then tells them that anyone who is angry with his brother has in essence committed a sin worthy of the same judgment as murder. (i.e. Both get you to hell.)

He also tells us not to call anyone ‘Raca,’ or ‘Fool.’

FYI: ‘Raca’ means a ‘worthless person.’ Although it is translated as ‘fool’ at times this is not an admonition to not call people names. Most of Proverbs would be unbiblical if this were so, since God spends a lot of time telling you exactly who the ‘fools’ are and how they act, even in the New Testament. Biblically, we are okay when it comes to pointing out who is behaving like a fool. What we are not to do is to consider anyone worthless, especially when it comes to hearing the gospel. Every human being has worth, and should be given the opportunity to come to the Lord. Today, we call many people ‘raca’ by not wanting them in our church, and by doing subtle, judgmental things to drive them away. We are in essence telling them that they are not ‘good enough’ to sit beside us and hear God’s Word, because they do not know how to behave. This is wrong. (The most common excuse I hear to justify this type of behavior is that they ‘interfere with my worship.’ My opinion: If you can only worship God on Sunday, when the music is exactly right, and everyone around you is ‘perfect’ then you have serious problems with your relationship with God.) In Jewish culture calling a person ‘worthless’ (Raca) would get you into trouble with the Sanhedrin because the Jews recognized that all people were created in the image of God, and therefore had worth. (Their actions sometimes said otherwise, but that is not the point here.) Here Jesus says that even if you soften ‘Raca’ a little, and merely believe that someone is a ‘fool’ you are still calling a person ‘unworthy’ of being ministered to and this is wrong. (Here, by pairing the more generic term ‘fool’ with Raca, Jesus is describing a permanent condition, not just a description of their behavior that they can overcome if they choose. You are not saying that the person engages in foolish behavior, which is a godly thing to point out and address, but that the person will always be a fool and there is no hope for them.) Everyone deserves a chance. You do not get to avoid them until after you have tried and they have rejected your help, not before. (Think: The disciples wiping the dust from their feet and Mt. 18:15-17 which tells us when we can put people out of fellowship.) At this time many people, especially the Gentiles, the Samaritans and the handicapped, were considered to be ‘raca’…

Jesus also tells them to settle matters quickly, before they wind up in court. (i.e. Being pig-headed and stubborn will only lead to the court system having to decide and likely that will leave you with very little money. Try your best to make matters right between yourself and others before it becomes a ‘big deal.’)

Jesus also tells us that adultery starts as soon as you look at someone lustfully. He then tells them to do whatever it takes to avoid such things, even if it means poking out your eye, or cutting off your hand. He says that it is better to go to heaven maimed, then to go to hell.

Point to Ponder: This is strong language. Jesus is serious about being faithful to your spouse. For some people, this is not a huge issue. For others though (ask anyone who has done marriage counseling) the temptation to sin in this way is huge. Jesus is advising these people to do whatever it takes to avoid this temptation. He is serious about the sanctity of marriage, and you should be too!

FYI: Being maimed, or blind in this culture is a serious thing since people believed that these injuries show that God is punishing you for something (They didn’t read the book of Job very carefully.). Jesus is saying that permanent public disgrace, along with disability is still a better thing to face than cheating on your spouse. Do everything you can to avoid it! Today that may mean getting rid of the computer, changing jobs or anything else that keeps you away from the temptation. (See Proverbs 5:8 which tells you to avoid going anywhere near the house of a woman who tempts you. The movie Fireproof is also a good resource.)

Jesus then makes the laws concerning marriage stricter and says that you may not divorce, unless the person has cheated on you. By divorcing a woman (who cannot easily support herself in this society) you force her to remarry and cause her to commit adultery. (Because God’s plan is one man and one woman for life.)

Point to Ponder: Jesus is making a law stricter here. This is unusual, since He is usually making the Pharisees overly strict laws more lax. But it also shows that He is God. He is not only explaining God’s law, but is free to modify it as well. Later in scripture He will explain why the law was more lenient before. You can only know this (the reason why a law is the way it is) if you are the one who made the law, in this case- God. BTW- Jesus is only speaking about men divorcing women here because during