Matthew Ch.5

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Verse 11

This condition is only when the people insult or persecute or say evil against me because of Jesus, not my wrongdoing. So, normally I need to do the right action, and it’s essential but even if I did righteousness people do evil to me because of Jesus. If you want to be persecuted because of Jesus, you must do something related to Jesus. If you do not do anything related to Jesus, how can you be persecuted? Therefore, those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake are blessed because they were already doing something for Jesus.

let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Verse 16

Jesus says to us to shine our light before men, not hide it under desks. By doing this, the people can see our good deeds and praise Father in heaven. Through this sentence, we can recognize that shining light means doing good deeds. Equal both doing good deeds and shining light. God is light in the world and in new Jerusalem. The light is good deeds.

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brotherwill be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.

I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.

And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Verse 21 – 45

Verse 20

Through all this, we have learned that Jesus wants us very high attitude against normal people’s thoughts. Even the teachers said normal standards but Jesus is asking for very high standards beyond the teachers’ teaching. Jesus asking is beyond common sense.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Verse 46~48

Yes, Jesus said if we don’t beyond normal people what is different with them? Even bad people love their brothers and family, so if we only love our lovers what reward will we get? So, Jesus is asking to love enemies and to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect.

Sometimes it’s easy to think that if we’ve done this much, we’ve done well. However, the standard the Lord wants us to be perfect is like God’s perfection. He wants us to actually act that perfectly.

So today I try to live perfectly as God’s perfection and through Jesus’ teaching. All these things come out from the Love toward God and toward neighbors. If we love so much toward God and our neighbor then we can be perfect like God’s perfection because God is love itself.