Forsaking one's right for vengeance and retribution (vss. 43-47) would have seemed radical enough for those brought up on the Pharisees' skewed notion of righteousness, but Jesus was not content to stop there. The righteousness He demands requires citizens of His Kingdom to do the most radical thing of all: love their enemies. 43 “You... Continue Reading →

A subtle shift of focus occurs begins with vs. 38. In the words of Paul Earnhart, “He has now moved from dealing with the problem of evil in ourselves to the challenge of wrestling with evil in others. It is one thing for the kingdom citizen to withhold all injury from the innocent, but what... Continue Reading →

33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’ 34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool... Continue Reading →

The Pharisees' teaching on adultery had severely weakened God's will regarding the love and commitment which should exist between husband and wife. For them, the only sin to avoid was adultery. Jesus reset the bar to where God intended it to be: love and commitment in marriage prompts one to cleanse the heart of lust... Continue Reading →

Jesus continues His teaching on true righteousness, contrasting the righteousness of the Pharisees, “you have heard...” with the true righteousness of the Kingdom, “but I say to you...”. Having explained how true righteousness addresses the heart’s attitude toward others, not just violent actions against them (vss. 21-26), the Lord turns His attention to matters of... Continue Reading →

21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty... Continue Reading →

Jesus emphasized the importance of righteousness when He declared that citizens of His Kingdom would be those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (vs. 6) and would be “persecuted for the sake of righteousness” (vs. 10). Simply put, righteousness is concerned with doing right. And since only God is qualified to determine right (see Jeremiah... Continue Reading →

The beatitudes reveal two sobering truths about the citizens of Jesus’ Kingdom. First, they are not great by any standard of this world. They are not the rich, the powerful or the wise. Rather, they are poor, gentle and hungry. Second, they are going to be hated and persecuted by the world. Why, what is... Continue Reading →

Each of the eight beatitudes begin with the comforting words, “blessed are...” Those expecting the arrival of an earthly kingdom may have expected more than this simple comfort. They may have anticipated safety, earthly joy and financial prosperity. Jesus promised an even greater reward, namely the “kingdom of heaven” (vss. 3,10), but to receive it... Continue Reading →

Paul Earnhart said of the beatitudes that “they mark off the radical difference between the kingdom of heaven and the world of other men.” This truth should already be evident to us as we’ve seen that the Kingdom belongs to those who are “poor in spirit” and those who “mourn”. Every notion of success and... Continue Reading →