Matthew 5
5
Chapter 5
Jesus teaches his disciples
1Jesus saw that crowds of people were following him. So he went up a hill and he sat down there to teach them. His disciples came near to listen to him. 2He began to teach them. This is what he said:
3‘Happy are the people who know that they need God very much.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like that. #5:3 ‘Happy’ here means that God has blessed people who are like this. They may not always feel happy, but they are in a good place, a happy place. God will take care of them.
4Happy are the people who are sad now.
God will come near to help them. #5:4 Jesus was not only speaking about people who are sad. Some people are sorry about all the bad things that they have done. Jesus was speaking about those people.
5Happy are the people who are kind.
The whole earth will belong to them.
6Happy are the people who want to obey God, as much as they want to eat food.
God will give to them everything that they need.
7Happy are the people who help other people and who forgive them.
God will forgive people like that.
8Happy are the people who have only good thoughts.
They will come near to God and see him.
9Happy are the people who bring people together to be friends.
God will call them his children.
10Happy are the people who do what is right but other people hurt them because of it.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like that.
11Yes, happy are you when people say bad things against you because you believe in me. Or they may hurt you. Or they may say things about you that are not true. 12God is preparing many good things for you in heaven. So you should be very happy when people do these bad things to any of you. People did these same things to God's prophets who lived long ago.’
Jesus' disciples are like salt and light
13Jesus said, ‘You are like salt for all people to taste and use. Salt is good. But if it is not salty any more, you cannot make it salty again. People can no longer use it for anything. They just throw it away and they walk on it.
14You are like a light for everybody in this world. If people build a city on a hill, then other people can see it easily. 15Nobody lights a lamp and then puts it under a pot. He will put the lamp in a high place. #5:15 At this time, people burned oil in a dish to make a light. They called this a lamp. When it was burning, they sometimes put it on a place high on a wall. Everybody who is in the house can then see the light from the lamp. 16You must be sure that your light shines well. Then you will give light to other people. They will see all the good things that you do. #5:16 Jesus is teaching his disciples about how they must live in a good way that makes God happy. Light shows people the way. In the same way, the disciples must show people the way to God. Then they will praise God, who is your Father in heaven.’
Jesus talks about the Laws that Moses gave to the Jews
17Jesus said, ‘You should not think that I have come to destroy God's Law. Also, I have not come to destroy the messages that God's prophets wrote down. No, I have not come to destroy their words. I have come to make what they taught become true. 18I tell you this: One day, even the earth and the sky will finish. But while they remain, God's Law will also remain. Nobody can remove even the smallest thing from it. The Law will remain until everything in it has happened.
19A person may choose not to obey a rule in God's Law. He may think it is the least important rule. He may also teach other people to think like that. Then God will call him the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But a person may choose to obey all the rules in God's Law. And he may teach other people to obey them too. Then God will call that person great in the kingdom of heaven. 20I tell you this: You must always do what is right. You must live in a way that is better than the teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees. #5:20 The teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees thought that they obeyed every rule in the Law. But they did not do it because they loved God. They wanted other people to think well of them. You will never come into the kingdom of heaven if you do not do better than them.’
Jesus teaches about angry people
21Jesus then said, ‘You know the rule that God gave to your ancestors: “You must not kill anyone. Any person who does kill someone will stand in front of a judge. #5:21 At the time when Jesus said this, there were 71 important rulers in Jerusalem. And they met together to judge a bad person. The leader of the priests was their leader. These men had great power. God is the most powerful judge. Only he can send a person to hell. The judge will punish him because he has done a wrong thing.” 22But what I now say to you is this: Anybody who is angry with his brother will have to stand in front of a judge. Or someone might call his brother by a bad name. Then he will have to stand in front of the Jewish leaders. They will judge him. But someone may say to his brother, “You are a fool.” #5:22 When Jesus used the word brother, he was also talking about any special friend. God will judge that person. God may punish him in the fires of hell.
23Maybe you go to the temple to give your gift to God. You take it to the altar. But then you remember that your brother is angry with you. 24You must leave your gift there in front of God's altar. First you must go and find your brother. Tell him that you are sorry. Then you can both become friends with each other again. After that, you can return to the altar and give your gift to God.
25Also, somebody may say that you have done something wrong against him. He may take you to stand in front of the judge. #5:25 A judge listens to what people say against each other. He then decides who is right or wrong. Jesus is telling the people that everyone has done wrong things to God. They do not obey him in the way that they should. Jesus says that we should believe in him now. If we do not, then God will judge us. And he will punish us when we stand in front of him. You should quickly try to agree with this person. Decide with him how to make things right again. Do this even while you are going with him to the judge. If you do not do that, the judge may agree that you have done a wrong thing. Then he will give you to his officer. His officer will put you in prison. 26I tell you this: You will remain in prison until you have paid all the money, even the last small coin.’
Jesus teaches people about bad thoughts
27Jesus then said, ‘You know what God's rule says: “You must not have sex with anyone who is not your husband or your wife.” 28But what I tell you is this: A man may look at a woman who is not his wife. And he may want to have sex with her. In his thoughts, he has had sex with her, so he has done a wrong thing. 29If your right eye leads you to do wrong things, then you should take it out. You should throw it away. Yes, you will lose one eye. But it will be much worse if you keep your whole body and God throws you into hell. 30Also, if your right hand leads you to do wrong things, then you should cut it off. You should throw it away. You will lose one hand. But it will be much worse if you keep your body in one piece and go to hell.’ #5:30 Jesus does not want his disciples to cut their bodies. It is very important for them not to do wrong things. And Jesus is telling them this.
Jesus talks about when a man sends his wife away
31‘God's Law also says: “Any man who wants to send his wife away must give her a letter. This letter must say that they are no longer married.” 32But what I tell you is this: A man must not send his wife away except for one reason. He may only send her away if she has had sex with another man. If he sends her away for any other reason, he has done a wrong thing. It is like he has caused her to have sex with another man. Also, if a woman has left her husband, another man must not marry her. That is the same as if he had sex with another man's wife.’
Jesus teaches people about promises to God
33‘You also know the rule that God gave to your ancestors: “If you make a promise to God, you must do what you have said.” 34But what I tell you is this. Do not use any name to make a promise stronger. Do not use the words “by heaven” to make a promise stronger. Heaven is the place where God rules. Do not use the words “by the earth” to make a promise stronger. The earth is the place where God rests his feet. 35Do not use the words “by Jerusalem” to make a promise stronger. Jerusalem is God's city. He is the great King who rules from there. 36Do not use the words “by my head” to make a promise. You cannot make the colour of even one of your hairs black or white. 37Instead, when you make a promise, you should say only “Yes, I will do it.” Or you should say only “No, I will not do it.” If you say anything more than this, what you say is bad. #5:37 People used to say these extra words when they made a promise. They wanted other people to know that they would keep their promise. Jesus taught that we should always keep our promises (do what we promised to do). It comes from Satan.’
Jesus teaches how to love people
38Jesus then said, ‘You also know that God's Law says: “If somebody destroys your eye, then you should destroy that person's eye. If somebody destroys your tooth, then you should destroy that person's tooth.” 39But what I tell you is this. If somebody does something bad to you, do not do anything against him. #5:39 We should not do bad things to other people who have done bad things to us. Somebody may slap you on one side of your face. Then you should also let him slap the other side of your face.
40Maybe somebody wants to take you to the judge. He says that you should give him your shirt. Give the man your shirt, and give him your coat too. 41Or a soldier may tell you, “Carry my luggage for one kilometre.” You should do that. Even agree to carry it for two kilometres. 42When people ask you for something, you should give it to them. If they ask you to lend them something, then you should not refuse.
43You have heard people say, “Love the people who are your friends. But hate those who want to hurt you.” 44What I tell you is this: You should love the people who want to hurt you. If people want to give you pain, pray for them. Pray that God would help them. 45If you live like this, you will show that you really are children of your Father above. God is kind to everyone. He causes the sun to shine on everyone, both good people and bad people. He also causes the rain to fall on everyone, people who obey him and people who do not obey him. 46Do you only love people who love you? God will not give you good things just for doing that. Even the men who take taxes love their friends! #5:46 The men who took taxes for the Roman government took the money from their own people, the Jews. They often took more money than they should have taken. So people hated the men who took taxes from them.
47If you are only kind to your friends, then you are not doing anything special. Even people who do not believe in God do that. 48So you must be good in every way, as your Father above is good in every way.’
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Matthew 5: EASY
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MissionAssist 2018
Matthew 5
5
Jesus Teaches the People
1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a hill and sat down. His followers came to him, 2and he began to teach them, saying:
3“They are blessed who realize their spiritual poverty,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
4They are blessed who grieve,
for God will comfort them.
5They are blessed who are humble,
for the whole earth will be theirs.
6They are blessed who hunger and thirst after justice,
for they will be satisfied.
7They are blessed who show mercy to others,
for God will show mercy to them.
8They are blessed whose thoughts are pure,
for they will see God.
9They are blessed who work for peace,
for they will be called God’s children.
10They are blessed who are persecuted for doing good,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
11“People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be blessed. 12Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you.
You Are Like Salt and Light
13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and walked on.
14“You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden.15And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house. 16In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven.
The Importance of the Law
17“Don’t think that I have come to destroy the law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to bring about what they said. 18I tell you the truth, nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone. Not even the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will be lost until everything has happened. 19Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches other people not to obey that command will be the least important in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys the commands and teaches other people to obey them will be great in the kingdom of heaven. 20I tell you that if you are no more obedient than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus Teaches About Anger
21“You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone. Anyone who murders another will be judged.’ 22But I tell you, if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be judged. If you say bad things to a brother or sister, you will be judged by the council. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23“So when you offer your gift to God at the altar, and you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace with that person, and then come and offer your gift.
25“If your enemy is taking you to court, become friends quickly, before you go to court. Otherwise, your enemy might turn you over to the judge, and the judge might give you to a guard to put you in jail. 26I tell you the truth, you will not leave there until you have paid everything you owe.
Jesus Teaches About Sexual Sin
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not be guilty of adultery.’ 28But I tell you that if anyone looks at a woman and wants to sin sexually with her, in his mind he has already done that sin with the woman. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Jesus Teaches About Divorce
31“It was also said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written divorce paper.’ 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife forces her to be guilty of adultery. The only reason for a man to divorce his wife is if she has sexual relations with another man. And anyone who marries that divorced woman is guilty of adultery.
Make Promises Carefully
33“You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘Don’t break your promises, but keep the promises you make to the Lord.’ 34But I tell you, never swear an oath. Don’t swear an oath using the name of heaven, because heaven is God’s throne. 35Don’t swear an oath using the name of the earth, because the earth belongs to God. Don’t swear an oath using the name of Jerusalem, because that is the city of the great King. 36Don’t even swear by your own head, because you cannot make one hair on your head become white or black. 37Say only yes if you mean yes, and no if you mean no. If you say more than yes or no, it is from the Evil One.
Don’t Fight Back
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I tell you, don’t stand up against an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also. 40If someone wants to sue you in court and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two miles. 42If a person asks you for something, give it to him. Don’t refuse to give to someone who wants to borrow from you.
Love All People
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. 45If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. 46If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. 47And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don’t know God are nice to their friends. 48So you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.