Matthew’s Good News

An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Matthew’s *Gospel

www.easyenglish.info

Hilda Bright

The translated Bible text has been through Advanced Checking.

Words in boxes are from the Bible.

A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.

About Matthew

The author was a *Jewish Christian who wrote especially for *Jews. One early Christian writer said, ‘Matthew collected what Jesus taught in the *Hebrew language.’ This book contains much of what Jesus taught. So the early Christians gave Matthew’s name to the whole book. Matthew collected taxes, but he became one of Jesus’ 12 special friends (Matthew 9:9). Matthew did not write the first book about Jesus’ life. Mark wrote about Jesus first. And Matthew uses much of what Mark wrote. The Christian *church put Matthew’s book first because Matthew often refers to the *Old Testament.

About Matthew’s Book

1. The author arranged what Jesus taught in five main sections:

            1. What Jesus taught on the mountain 5:1 - 7:29

            2. King Jesus sends his friends out with his message 10:5-42

            3. Stories about where God rules 13:1-52

            4. Relationships in the Christian society 18:1-35

            5. When Jesus returns to the earth 24:1-25:46.

Between these sections, the account emphasises what Jesus did.

2. The author arranges his material in groups of three and seven. This helps his readers to remember it. For example, there are three groups of three *miracles (Matthew 8:1-15; 8:23–9:8; 9:18-34). There are seven stories about where God rules in chapter 13. There are three stories about the time when Jesus returns to the earth in chapter 25.

3. Matthew shows that what God told his people in the *Old Testament came true in the life of Jesus. Therefore, Jesus was the *Messiah that they were waiting for. Matthew refers to words from the *Old Testament over 60 times. He often uses words from the book of Isaiah. He introduces important *Old Testament words in a special way 12 times. He says, ‘This shows that the *prophets’ words came true’. (See, for example, Matthew 1:22-23; 4:14-16.)

4. He emphasises that Jesus is the King.

            1. Jesus comes from David’s family (1:1).

            2. He was born in David’s city, which was called Bethlehem (2:5-6).

            3. The blind men and the woman from Canaan called him ‘Son of David’ (9:27; 15:22).

            4. Jesus is the king in the story about the sheep and the goats (25:24-46).

            5. He has ‘all authority in heaven and on earth’ (28:18).

5. Matthew shows that Jesus is the *Messiah. He was the special person that the *Jews had been waiting for. But Matthew does not leave out the rest of the world. There were also other people who recognised that Jesus came from God (2:11). Matthew records that Jesus healed the *Roman officer’s servant (8:5-13). Jesus said: ‘Many people will come from the east and from the west.’ They will join those people where God rules (8:11). People will tell the good news about Jesus to the whole world (24:14). Jesus’ final command was to ‘make *disciples in all the nations’ (28:19).

6. Four men wrote the Good News about Jesus. But Matthew is the only one who uses the word ‘*church’. At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus said that nothing would be able to destroy his *church (16:18). The local *church would settle arguments between Christians (18:15-17).

7. Matthew shows that he was interested in the end of the world. He writes a lot of what Jesus said about the end. Jesus will return to earth, and he will be the Judge (chapters 24 and 25).

Chapter 1

The *ancestors of Jesus 1:1-17

Verse 1 Jesus is the ‘Christ.’ ‘Christ’ is a *Greek word, and the same word in the *Hebrew language is ‘*Messiah’. Both words mean ‘the man that God chose’. Samuel poured a special oil on David’s head long ago. This showed that he was the king. It showed that God had chosen David to be king (1 Samuel 16:13). Jesus was the son of David. In other words, he was David’s *descendant who lived many hundreds of years after David. Therefore, Jesus was the king whom the *Jews were expecting. He would be a great king like David. But Jesus did not come to use military power to establish himself as king. He had to show by his life and death that he came to defeat the devil. He suffered as he defeated the devil. He did not come to rule a place or an area. When you accept Jesus as your king, then he rules your life. As king, Jesus invited people into the place where he rules.

Jesus is also the ‘son of Abraham’. That means that he was also Abraham’s *descendant. But he lived many hundreds of years later. God called Abraham to begin the *Jewish nation. And God promised Abraham that one of his grandsons in the future would bring good things to the whole world (Genesis 22:18). This promise came true when Jesus came to the world. Abraham was willing to obey God. He was even willing to kill his only son Isaac and offer him to God. He was willing, if God wanted him to do that. Jesus always obeyed God. He offered himself to God when he let people kill him. He died because the people of the world needed a *sacrifice for *sin. He died. And so, all people since then have the offer of life with God that will never end.

Verses 2-17 Matthew records Jesus’ *ancestors until Joseph. Jesus was Mary’s son, but he was not Joseph’s son. Matthew explains this in the next section. However, when Joseph married Mary, he became the legal father of Jesus.

Matthew divided the list of these *ancestors into three groups. This made it easy to remember. The first section reminds people of their history up to king David. He was Israel’s best king. The second section records later kings when the people did not obey God. Then they went as prisoners to *Babylon. The third section ends with Jesus Christ. He rescued people from the effect of all that they do wrong.

There are four women in the list: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Uriah’s wife. It was not usual to put the names of women in a family list. But Jesus showed that women are important to God also. Tamar (verse 3), Rahab (verse 5), Ruth (verse 5) and Uriah’s wife, whose name was Bathsheba, (verse 6) were not even *Jews. The good things that Jesus brought are for everyone. They are for *Jews and for everyone else as well. Three of these four women were guilty of bad behaviour. Tamar had sex with her father-in-law (Genesis 38). This was the only way that she could have a son. This son would continue his father’s family name. Judah had broken the law. He should have arranged for Tamar to marry one of his other sons. Judah says that Tamar is right (Genesis 38:26). Rahab sold herself for sex in the town called Jericho (Joshua 2:1-7). Bathsheba had sex with David before she became his wife (2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12). God can use people in his plans, even if they have done wrong things. Perhaps Matthew included these women to remind us about that. Jesus came to rescue people who have done bad things (Matthew 9:13).

The birth of Jesus 1:18-25

Verses 18-19 Joseph and Mary had promised to marry each other. But Joseph thought that Mary had not been loyal to him. They were *Jews. And the only way for *Jews to break this promise was to divorce each other. But Joseph was kind. He planned to protect her from public gossip. He wanted to divorce her in private. He himself would risk public gossip.

Verses 20-21 Matthew and Luke agree that Mary had the child ‘by the power of the *Holy Spirit’ (Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:20). God showed the truth to Joseph in a dream. ‘Jesus’ is the same as the *Old Testament name ‘Joshua’. The name means ‘the *Lord saves’.

Verses 22-23 ‘Immanuel’ means ‘God is with us’. God’s servant Isaiah lived about 700 years before Jesus. He gave the name ‘Immanuel’ to the son of a young woman. Isaiah wanted to encourage the king and the people to trust God. God would protect them from their enemies (Isaiah 7:14). Isaiah’s words came true in an even more wonderful way when Jesus came into the world. The whole *gospel describes how Jesus was ‘God with us’. Everything that he said and did showed the power of God. And he showed how much God loves people.

Verses 24-25 Joseph believed the *Lord’s *messenger and he obeyed God’s message.

Chapter 2

Wise men visit Jesus 2:1-12

Verses 1-2 ‘Bethlehem’ means ‘house of bread’. It is a small town six miles from Jerusalem. It was the home of David (1 Samuel 16). The *Jews were expecting a king who would come from David’s town. This king would be even greater than his *ancestor, King David.

The ‘wise men’ studied the stars. The *Greek word for them is ‘magi’. They probably came from Persia. Christians often call them ‘kings’. God’s servant Isaiah wrote about this long before this time. He said that other nations and ‘kings’ would come to give honour to God’s light in Jerusalem (Isaiah 60:3). Psalm 72:10-11 describes ‘kings’ who bring their gifts to a great ruler. The idea of ‘kings’ probably comes from these verses.

Verse 2 We do not know what the ‘star’ was.

Verse 3 The *Romans allowed Herod to rule as Judea’s king. But he was very afraid that he would lose his power. Herod suspected that some men wanted to be the ruler instead of him. So he killed anyone whom he suspected. He even murdered three of his own sons. He thought that they were plotting against him. The great *Roman king Augustus said that it was not safe to be Herod’s son. He said that it was safer to be Herod’s pig.

The people in Jerusalem were worried. They knew that Herod would remove the child. And they knew how he might do it.

Verses 4-6 The ‘chief *priests’ were those who had been high *priest. The chief *priests came from a few special families. The men who taught the law were experts. They explained the *Old Testament. They reminded Herod of what God’s servant Micah wrote long ago (Micah 5:2). God had promised that the ruler would come from Bethlehem. They gave the right answer, but they did not go to Bethlehem. They did not go to see whether Micah’s words had come true or not.

Verses 7-8 Herod pretended that he wanted to show respect to the new king. Instead, Herod was making plans to kill him. He wanted to know when the wise men first saw the star. Then he would know how old the child was.

Verses 9-11 The wise men arrived in Bethlehem a long time after the birth of Jesus. The men who look after sheep had seen the ‘baby’ at the beginning. He was in a box where they usually put animal food (Luke 2:16). Matthew says that the wise men went into the house. They saw the ‘child’ with his mother. The wise men may have travelled for nearly two years to find this new king. People think that there were three wise men because there were three gifts. ‘Gold’ showed that Jesus was a king. ‘*Frankincense’ showed that Jesus was a *priest. The *priests offered it to God when they *worshipped him in the *Temple. Because of Jesus, people would be able to come near to God. People used to put ‘*myrrh’ on dead bodies. This gift showed that Jesus would die. He would rescue people from their *sin.

Verse 12 The wise men did not tell King Herod where Jesus was.

Joseph, Mary and Jesus escaped into Egypt 2:13-18

Verses 13-14 Many *Jews had gone to Egypt in the centuries before Christ. Egypt was far away from Judea. They found that they could live there safely. So there were many groups of *Jews in the towns there. In the city called Alexandria, there were more than a million *Jews. So Joseph and Mary would not be among strangers. They would find *Jews with whom they could live and work.

Verse 15 God called Israel’s people his ‘son’ (Exodus 4:22). God’s servant Hosea had said that God greatly loved his ‘son’. He had helped Moses to bring his son, all Israel’s people, out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1). Jesus, God’s Son, had the same experience as the people of Israel. God had called him to return from Egypt.

Verses 16-17 Herod did not know which little boy was the new king. So he killed all those boys that could have been the king. But Jesus had escaped.

Verse 18 Rachel lived long ago. She was the wife of Jacob, who was also called Israel. Therefore, she was the mother of Israel’s people. God’s servant Jeremiah imagined that she was sitting by her grave near Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19). She was weeping for her children as their enemies took them away to *Babylon (Jeremiah 31:15). Now Rachel was weeping for the children in Bethlehem whom Herod had killed.

The family returned to Nazareth 2:19-23

Verses 19-22 After Herod died, the *Romans divided his land among three of his sons. One of his sons was called Archelaus, and he became Judea’s ruler. He was like his father. He was a very cruel man. But God warned Joseph in a dream, so that he did not go back to Judea.

Verse 23 Herod Antipas was Galilee’s ruler. He was a better ruler than his brother Archelaus. So Joseph returned to Nazareth, where he and Mary had come from first. The town was near the main roads for trade. One road came from Africa and Egypt. Another road went to countries in the east. The word ‘Nazarene’ means ‘someone who comes from Nazareth’.

Chapter 3

The work of John the *Baptist 3:1-12

Verse 1 ‘In those days’. Matthew does not tell us exactly when John began his work. But Luke tells us the names of all the rulers at that time (Luke 3:1-2). It was about 30 years after Jesus was born.

Judea’s wild country was the desert area on the west side of the Dead Sea. John may have stayed in the desert with the Essenes. They were a group of *Jews who lived a very strict life together. They lived at Qumran, which was by the Dead Sea. Nobody had given the people a message from God for about four hundred years. Then John suddenly arrived in the desert.

Verse 2 John said that people must turn from their *sins. They must prepare themselves for God to rule as he does in heaven. The *Jews greatly respected God and his name. They would not use God’s name. Instead, they used the word ‘heaven’. God rules in heaven. But now God wants to rule in a person’s life. It is not a political idea. People should obey Jesus the king. Then they can become citizens of where God rules.

Verse 3 John made Isaiah’s words (Isaiah 40:3) come true. All four *gospels agree with that. In those days, people had to repair a road before a king travelled on it. John was like someone who gave orders to the people. He described himself as ‘a voice that is calling out in the desert’ (John 1:23). He was telling people to prepare for the *Messiah.

Verse 4 John had made rough clothes from camel’s hair. They were like the clothes that God’s servant Elijah wore long ago (2 Kings 1:8). The *Jews believed that Elijah would return. Then he would announce that the *Messiah was coming (Malachi 4:5). John’s food was simple. He ate a kind of insect that flies. These insects can cause trouble for farmers. They are called ‘locusts’. The *Jewish law allows people to eat these insects (Leviticus 11:22-23).

Verses 5-6 Sometimes people who were not *Jews wanted to become *Jews. Then they asked for *baptism. They did not usually *baptise people who were *Jews already. But John *baptised *Jews in water. They had confessed their *sins and they wanted to obey God. Water cleans a person’s body. In a similar way, *baptism shows that a person is ‘clean’ from their *sins. They would then be ready to meet the *Messiah.

Verse 7 The *Pharisees were *Jews who wanted to obey God’s Law. There were many good *Pharisees. One was called Gamaliel (Acts 5:33-39). But there were also many proud *Pharisees. They believed that they were the only people who obeyed God’s law. But they destroyed what the law really meant. Through the years, the official writers (called ‘scribes’) had introduced hundreds of extra rules. The *Pharisees said that people must also obey all those extra rules.

The *Sadducees came from the families of *priests. They were wealthy. They wanted to keep their political power. So they opposed any *religious ideas that might make them lose their authority.

John called the *Pharisees and the *Sadducees ‘a family of poisonous snakes’. Later, Jesus used the same words about the *Pharisees (Matthew 12:34; 23:33). They were dangerous. They were like poisonous snakes. John said that they were like snakes that were trying to escape from a fire in a forest. He meant that God was angry with them. They were trying to escape from him.

Verses 8-9 A person’s actions show whether they have sincerely changed their way of life. The *Jews believed that Abraham’s actions were good enough for himself and for all his children and their families always. So *Jews thought that they were safe after they died. But John said that that was not enough. A person may have Abraham as his *ancestor but each person must change his own actions.

Verse 10 A farmer cuts down trees that do not produce good fruit. He throws them into the fire. God is like a farmer. He will punish those people who do not live in the right way.

Verse 11 John knew that he was preparing the way for someone. That person was much greater than he himself was, John said. Only a slave carried other people’s shoes. John said that he was not good enough to do even this humble task for the *Messiah. John *baptised people with water. This showed that people desired to be free from *sin. The *Messiah would give the *Holy Spirit. The *Jews had looked forward to the time when the Spirit would come. ‘It shall happen that I will pour out my Spirit on everyone’, God’s servant had said long ago (Joel 2:28). The Spirit teaches people how to live in the true way. The Spirit also gives people the power to live in the right way. Fire is very powerful. Fire can also destroy. Therefore, it is picture language for God’s judgement.

Verse 12 At harvest-time, people used a tool like a large fork to throw dry plants into the air. The grain fell to the ground, and the wind blew the rest away. The farmer stored the grain. Then he burned the part of the plant that he could not use. In this picture, John showed that the *Messiah would separate people. The people who believed him would be like the grain. They would be his people. But some people did not accept the *Messiah. They were like the part of the plant that the farmer burned. God would judge them.

The *Baptism of Jesus 3:13-17

Verse 13 Jesus was perfect. He had no *sins to confess. Jesus did not need John’s *baptism. But he was showing that John’s work was right. Jesus had come to rescue people from their *sins. He wanted to show people that he was a real person too. His *baptism also showed that he was going to begin his own public work.

Verses 14-15 Only Matthew’s *gospel records that John protested. Jesus was greater than John was. So John thought that Jesus ought to *baptise him.

Verse 16 This gentle bird was the sign of peace. It is called a ‘dove’. Jesus would bring peace between people and God. He would also bring peace between different people. The gentle bird was also a sign of a new start. It would remind Matthew’s readers about Genesis 8:8-11. The same kind of gentle bird came back to Noah after the flood. This bird was a sign that Jesus would do his work in a gentle way. It was also a sign of the *Holy Spirit. The Spirit gave Jesus the power to do God’s work.

Verse 17 The voice from heaven links words from Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1. Psalm 2 describes God’s ‘son’. He is the king, and all the rulers on earth must serve him. Bible teachers call Isaiah 42 one of the ‘Servant Songs’. God was very pleased with this special Servant and he would have God’s Spirit. This Servant would then be able to do God’s work. The last of the ‘Servant Songs’ was in Isaiah 53. It spoke about a Servant who would suffer and die for other people.

Chapter 4

The Devil tests Jesus 4:1-11

Verse 1 Jesus was God’s servant, the *Messiah. He had to decide how he should do his work. The desert was a lonely place where Jesus could pray about his work. The devil wanted Jesus to use his power in the wrong way. So the devil tested Jesus in three different ways.

Verses 2-4 Forty (40) days and nights is a long time to be hungry. Because Jesus was very hungry, he could have used his power for his own benefit. The hot, flat stones there in the desert looked like bread. He could have made those stones fit to eat. Jesus could have given people bread so that they would follow him. But that would have been a mistake. Food satisfies a hungry body. But it does not help people to have a relationship with God. Jesus used words from the Bible (Deuteronomy 8:3) to answer the devil rather than his own words.

Verses 5-7 The highest point of the *Temple in Jerusalem was about 450 feet (137 metres) above the Kidron valley. Jesus could jump into the Kidron valley or into the *Temple court. That would astonish people. Then they would follow him. The devil used the promise in Psalm 91:11-12 that spoke about God’s protection. But Jesus knew that a sign like this had no use. He might attract people at first. But people soon forget about the things that had once astonished them.

Jesus would not take foolish risks. He knew that this was wrong. He would not try to prove that God cared. It would show that he did not trust God. Instead, Jesus used words from Deuteronomy 6:16.

Verses 8-10 The devil took Jesus to a mountain, from where he had a wide view. He could think about all the countries in the world. He could compare them to where God rules. He could use force to become a political ruler. He could free his people from the *Roman rulers. But Jesus came to free people from their *sin. He refused to use the devil’s methods. Jesus would show the world’s people that he is their king. He would do that, as he loved them. He also suffered for them. He answered the devil with words from Deuteronomy 6:13. He emphasised that people must give honour only to God.

Verse 11 Jesus defeated the devil. Then God gave Jesus all that he needed.

Jesus moves to Capernaum 4:12-17

Verse 12 Matthew does not explain here why Herod put John in prison. Matthew tells the whole story in Matthew 14:3-12. He did so because Herodias wanted it. She had been the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. Then Herod Antipas married her. John had said that Herod should not have married her. The details of what happened are in Matthew 14:3-12. John had finished his work. He had prepared the way for the *Messiah. So Jesus could begin his own work now.

Galilee was a very rich area for crops. An enormous number of people lived there. Josephus lived at that time and wrote history books. He said that there were 204 villages. Each village had thousands of inhabitants. It was an area with many foreigners. There were foreign lands that surrounded Galilee too. So people called it ‘Galilee of the non-*Jews’. (People who are not *Jews are called ‘Gentiles’.) Main roads for trade went through Galilee. The people in Galilee were more willing than the people in Judea to believe new ideas. The people in Judea did not meet many foreigners. So people in Judea were less ready to change their opinions. Therefore, Galilee was an ideal area in which Jesus chose to work.

Verse 13 Matthew does not give details of Jesus’ visit to his own town of Nazareth. Luke tells us about that (Luke 4:14-30). Jesus went there after he had already worked for a while in Capernaum.

Verses 14-16 In Isaiah’s time, soldiers from Assyria attacked the region called Galilee. They caused the people in Galilee to suffer. Galilee was the area of the two *tribes, Zebulun and Naphtali. Isaiah’s message promised good things to the people in the future. It was like the sun as it rises after the dark night (Isaiah 9:1-2). Jesus came to Galilee. That proved that Isaiah’s message was true. In the darkness, people cannot see the right way to go. To do wrong is like being in the dark. Jesus came to Galilee like a light. He was like the sun that rises at dawn. He would show people the right way to live. Jesus later described himself as the ‘light of the world’ (John 9:5).

Verse 17 Jesus brought the same message that John had brought to the people. Jesus spoke with authority. He ordered people to turn from their *sins. God’s rule was about to begin. Jesus the king would invite people to choose God’s rule.

Jesus chooses the first *disciples 4:18-22

Verses 18 and 21 Simon and Andrew, James and John had not met Jesus before. John tells us in his *gospel that they had been *disciples of John the *Baptist. (See John 1:35-42.) They had already talked to Jesus and they had probably listened to him several times. Now Jesus was telling them to leave their work and their families. They would not catch fish any more. He wanted ordinary people to follow him and to learn from him. He wanted them to help him in his work.

Verse 19 People who catch fish have special qualities. Their work prepared them to bring men and women to God. They needed patience. When people fish, it is sometimes difficult to get quick results. It is like that when people talk to other people about God, too. The person who fishes is like the person who talks to people about God. They both need to continue their efforts, even if there are difficulties. Men who fish every day need courage. They often sail their boats on dangerous seas. Some people will want to teach the truth. But they may meet other people who oppose them. And men and women do not always want to hear the truth. The teachers will tell people that they need to change. And this may make people angry.

Verses 20 and 22 The words ‘immediately’ and ‘at once’ tell us that there should be no delay. We should follow Jesus when he calls. The four men had to leave their businesses and their families. Jesus became the most important person in their lives.

Jesus heals sick people 4:23-25

Verses 23-25 The news that Jesus could heal people spread quickly. And people with all kinds of illness came long distances to get his help, even from foreign countries. Many other people came just to listen to him. They wanted to see him heal people. And they wanted to hear what he was teaching. *Epilepsy is a terrible illness. It suddenly causes people to shake a lot and fall down without control over themselves.

Chapter 5

Jesus teaches 5:1–7:29

Introduction

This is the first of the five main sections that report what Jesus taught in Matthew’s *gospel. Chapters 5–7 are where Jesus taught his *disciples. He explained how they should live. He probably gave his instructions on more than one occasion. Luke also writes about this, but it appears in different parts of his *gospel. In these chapters, Matthew has collected together the things that Jesus probably taught at different times. Jesus expected his *disciples to have the same character and qualities that he had. Matthew includes the things that Jesus taught about the *Law and about *worship. Jesus wanted his *disciples to know about these things. They should know what these things really mean. Jesus wanted people to know the truth about God. They need to trust God and to serve him. Then they will know that God looks after them.

Verse 1 A teacher ‘sat down’ when he was giving his *disciples official instruction.

Verse 2 He ‘began to teach’. The *Greek phrase here means that the words will be serious and important. They also mean that Jesus taught them more than once. Although Jesus was speaking first of all to his *disciples, other people were there. And they heard his message at the same time. Matthew tells us in Matthew 7:28 that ‘the people were astonished at his teaching’.

What makes people really happy 5:3-12

The Latin word for ‘really happy’ is ‘beatus’. So people often call these words the ‘Beatitudes’. Latin is the language that people spoke in Rome. People talk about God ‘blessing’ us. God’s blessing makes us really happy. People usually think of life as ‘happy’ when it is without difficulty. But ‘happy’ here means joy that no difficult circumstances can take away. The beatitudes are not talking about future happiness. They describe the present joy that Jesus’ *disciples can know. ‘Nobody can take your joy from you’ (John 16:22).

Verse 3 The ‘poor in their spirits’ refers to people who know that they need God. They need him to forgive them. They need him to help them. They depend on God for all that they need. Then they can live in the right way. They will be able to live as citizens where God rules.

Verse 4 People may be very sad because relatives or friends have died. People may be very sad because they are very sorry about their own *sins. They may be very sad about all the people who suffer in the world. All of them will find comfort because God loves them. He will forgive them. God will help them to change unfair situations.

Verse 5 Some people are humble. They know that they need God to forgive them. They need God to teach them. Then they can obey him. They trust God rather than trust themselves. Jesus reminds people about God’s promise (Psalm 37:11).

Verse 6 A man who is starving is desperate for food. A man might be dying because he has no water. He is desperate for a drink. A *disciple should be desperate to be good. He is like a starving man or a *thirsty man. His greatest desire is to obey God completely. He is eager to do what God wants. And he wants to see other people obey God too. Then he will find joy because God satisfies him.

Verse 7 A person who pities other people will forgive other people. He or she will forgive even when the other people do not deserve it. We expect God to forgive us. So we must forgive other people. God really loves everyone in the world. He pitied people, so he sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16). Someone who pities people will also understand another person’s problems. They will be kind like the foreigner who helped a *Jew in Jesus’ story (Luke 10:29-37).

Verse 8 ‘Pure’ means clean and sincere. People may think that a person’s actions are good. But he may have acted so that other people would praise him. Or perhaps he wanted to be proud of himself. God told Samuel, ‘The *Lord looks deep inside a person’ (1 Samuel 16:7). There are people whose thoughts are ‘pure’. And they will be able to ‘see God’ because they understand more and more about God all the time. When they die, they will be able to ‘see God’ very clearly. This is impossible for us to imagine now.

Verse 9 God is the ‘God of peace’ (Philippians 4:9). People who ‘work for peace’ are like God. He wants people to be without trouble with him and with each other. People who are at peace with God will be without trouble inside themselves. Then they can work and struggle to establish right relationships between other people and between nations.

Verse 10 The first Christians often suffered because sometimes people ordered them to *worship a false god. Sometimes it happened at their work or during social times and they refused to *worship false gods. Then the authorities punished them. Family life is important. But sometimes the family suffers too when a Christian is loyal to Christ.

Verse 11 Jesus explained the last beatitude more. He spoke directly to the *disciples: ‘How happy you can be...’, he said. He warned them about how difficult it may be to remain loyal to him. After Jesus returned to heaven, people told many evil lies about the Christians.

            a) People changed the meaning of the words about the ‘body and blood of Christ’ (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). They accused Christians of terrible things. They said that Christians *sacrificed children and ate them.

            b) Christians greeted each other with the kiss of peace (Romans 16:16). So people said that Christians had lives that were not moral.

People said many other bad things about Christians too.

Verse 12 In the past, people hated God’s special servants. When Christians suffered, they were like those special servants long ago. The world’s people hated Christ (John 15:18-20). So *disciples are like their Master too. They can be glad because they will be with him for ever.

Salt and Light 5:13-16

Verse 13 Salt gives flavour to food so that it tastes better. So, like salt, Christians should make the world a happier place. Salt is a good thing to add to food. Then the food does not go bad. Christians should make it easier for other people to be good. They should live as God wants them to live. If they live in a pure way, then they can be an example to other people. In Jesus’ time, salt was not as pure as it is today. It could lose its pure flavour. Sometimes Christians may not show that they are happy. Or other people may make them behave badly. They may become less pure and honest. Then they are like salt that has lost its proper flavour. Such salt is no longer any use.

Verses 14-16 Jesus said that he was the light of the world (John 8:12). So his *disciples must be light in the world too. It would be foolish to hide a lamp under a bowl. A lamp gives light to the people in a dark house. A light also shows the right way to go. So Christians should allow people to see their right actions. Christians should obey God because they believe him. People need to see that. Then the Christians’ light can show people the right way to live. They can warn other people who might make bad decisions.

A city on a hill is easy to see. Jesus’ *disciples are like such a city. They cannot hide the way that they live. A Christian’s good actions should be so attractive that other people will praise God.

Jesus’ attitude to the *Law 5:17-20

Verses 17-18 Jesus said that he had come to teach the *Law more clearly. He showed that God’s messages from long ago were completely true. He would show by six examples in verses 21-48 what he meant. The smallest letter that God’s servants had written was the *Hebrew jodh (some translations call it a ‘jot’). It is like a very small mark. The ‘smallest detail’ is a tiny line that a pen makes (some translations call it a ‘tittle’). It shows the difference between two letters. Jesus says that the *Law is very important. Even the very smallest detail is important and will not change.

Verse 19 Everything that is in the *Law is important. It is easy to keep some parts of the *Law and to neglect other parts.

Verse 20 The *Pharisees were proud of themselves because they obeyed the *Law. The men who taught the *Law had many extra rules. They used these rules to explain the *Law. The *Pharisees were willing to obey these extra rules as well. They appeared to be good. But Jesus knew that the *Pharisees were not sincere. Instead, they worried about small things. They blamed Jesus when he healed people on God’s holy day. They blamed people if they carried something on God’s holy day. Or even if they just wrote something on that day. Jesus obeyed the true meaning of the *Law. He showed what it really meant to respect God and other people. He showed how we can really live in God’s way.

The authority of Jesus 5:21-48

Each of the examples that Jesus gave in these verses begins with the same words. ‘You have heard what God told people long ago…’ Then Jesus reminds them of one of the commands, and continues: ‘But this is what I tell you...’

When Jesus finished teaching the people, Matthew tells us: ‘His words astonished the crowds because he taught like someone with authority. He did not speak like the men who taught the *Law’ (Matthew 7:28).

Long ago, God’s special servants used to tell the people what God told them. ‘This is what the *Lord says...’, they said. In Jesus’ time, the men who taught the *Law would not give their own opinion. They would only refer to what other people had said in the past. Jesus did not argue about what the *Law meant. He spoke with his own authority and said what the true meaning was. It is not surprising that his words astonished people.

Murder 5:21-26

Verses 21-22 Murder is wrong (Exodus 20:13). However, a person might feel angry, and he might become more and more angry. Then he is guilty as well. People sometimes used the word ‘Raca’ which meant that a person was stupid. He had little worth. The word ‘fool’ has the same meaning as in Psalm 14:1, ‘The fool has said that there is no God’. The man denied that God exists. Such a person wants to go on living a bad life. So the word ‘fool’ means someone with a bad moral character. Someone might accuse such a person because they were not behaving well. But that is putting yourself in God’s place as judge. ‘Gehenna’ was another name for Hinnom valley. It was just outside Jerusalem city, and the *Jews threw out their rubbish there. They burned fires there all the time. So it became the name for God’s punishment place. People usually translate it as ‘hell’. God will judge people by the way that they think. He will also judge them by the way that they speak. And he will judge them by the way that they behave. God will judge anger. He says that evil insults are like murder. ‘Anyone who hates his brother is murdering him’ (1 John 3:15).

Verses 23-24 A person should only offer something to God when they are friends with everyone else. A sincere relationship with God is only possible if people forgive each other.

Verses 25-26 Advice to settle trouble quickly is very practical. Otherwise, the situation gets worse. A quarrel between two people could become a quarrel between two families. The quarrel could last for many years and cause greater trouble. Also, Jesus probably meant that we do not know the future. We do not know when life will end. So people should settle quarrels quickly. We all have to stand in front of God, as he is the judge.

Marriage 5:27-30

Verses 27-28 Everyone knows someone else who is already married. If they have sex with that person, they are both guilty. This is called *adultery. The act is wrong and they have not obeyed the seventh *commandment (Exodus 20:14). Jesus said that the thought is wrong as well. The tenth *commandment says that a man must not want his neighbour’s wife (Exodus 20:17). The thought can lead to a wrong act, and more wrong acts may follow. King Herod Antipas began to desire Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Then Herod and Herodias were guilty because they lived together. John the *Baptist told them that they were wrong. And this led to John’s murder (Matthew 14:3-12).

Verses 29-30 Jesus did not mean that people should actually remove their eyes or hands. He was using a picture. People want to do wrong things. So they should remove anything that causes these *sins. Many things in the world cause people to do something wrong. Some books and pictures may excite wrong thoughts and desires. People might choose to go on looking at these things. But they would not be obeying God’s commands. It might be painful to remove these things from their lives. But that would be better than to destroy their whole life now and after death.

Divorce 5:31-32

Verse 31 Divorce was common among *Greeks and *Romans in the time of Jesus. It was easy for a man to divorce his wife. People often thought that sex outside marriage as normal. God had said, ‘I hate divorce’ (Malachi 2:16). The *Jewish law allowed divorce if the husband found something ‘indecent’ or bad in his wife (Deuteronomy 24:1).

Verse 32 There was a difference of opinion about the word ‘indecent’ used here. Shammai was an important *Jewish teacher. He taught that it meant to have sex outside marriage. That was the reason for divorce. Hillel, another important *Jewish teacher, made divorce much easier for a man. A husband could find many reasons for divorcing his wife. She could have put too much salt in his dinner. Maybe she talked too much. Jesus told the *Pharisees that the *Law allowed divorce (Matthew 19:8-9). But God had intended that marriage should last for life (Genesis 2:24).

Promises 5:33-37

Verse 33 A serious promise in front of God is often called an ‘oath’. Someone may require a person to tell the truth. Or the person may want to do something special. Then he will call on God to act as a witness to his promise. However, God will punish someone who does not keep such a promise. People must keep promises that they make in front of him.

Verses 34-35 The *Jewish teachers said that there were differences between promises. A person could make a promise in front of God, or they could appeal to a different witness. If they did not appeal to God, it was not such a serious promise. A person might promise ‘by heaven’ or ‘by earth’ or ‘by Jerusalem’. But Jesus said that God hears all these promises. He is in heaven. Earth belongs to him and Jerusalem is his city.

Verse 36 A person’s hair will always keep growing. It will change to white, as he gets older. But he cannot change it just because he wants to. A man’s life belongs to God.

Verse 37. A man’s good character should show that he is telling the truth. He should not need to promise something in a special way. He should say what he means honestly. People sometimes have to make serious promises in a court. This is necessary because there are evil things in human nature. Sometimes people think that it is difficult to tell the truth.

Do not hurt people who hurt you 5:38-42

Verses 38-39 People usually want to hurt the people who hurt them. Before they made this law (Deuteronomy 19-21), an injury to one person often led to fights between families. These fights could continue for years. The *Law wanted a limit to this. Punishment should be equal to the injury. However, the *Law came to mean something different. Perhaps a guilty person has hurt someone. Then he will need to pay them money. A judge decided how much money the guilty person should pay. Jesus said that his *disciples should not want to hurt people like this. Someone might insult them. People might hit them on the cheek. But they must not reply in an evil way or hit back. Jesus’ enemies often insulted him, but he did not answer back.

Verse 40 The shirt was a man’s inner clothing. The coat was large. A person wore it over the shirt and also used it as his blanket. Therefore, nobody must keep a man’s coat after sunset (Exodus 22:26-27). Jesus said that a Christian should not fight for his legal rights. Christians ought to think in a responsible way. This should be more important to them than their rights. Paul blamed the Christians in Corinth because they took legal action against each other (1 Corinthians 6:1-8).

Verse 41 The *Romans controlled the *Jews’ country. And a *Roman soldier could make a *Jew serve him. He might make the *Jew guide him or carry his load for a mile. The *Romans made Simon from Cyrene carry Jesus’ *cross. Someone might demand something that is not fair. But Christians should act in a cheerful way. A Christian should not think about his right to do as he likes. He should think of ways in which he can help other people. He must serve beyond what anyone expects.

Verse 42 Christians must not encourage other people to become lazy or greedy. But they must still love people. There are many people who need things. So Christians should help them. Christians must not be selfish with their possessions. They must be generous to other people.

Christian love 5:43-48

Verse 43 The *Old Testament *Law said that people should love their neighbours (Leviticus 19:18). There was no command to hate their enemies. But the *Jews believed that they must hate God’s enemies. That would mean that they could hate their own personal enemies. To most *Jews, ‘neighbour’ meant another *Jew only.

Verse 44 People love in different ways. There are several different *Greek words to show this. Parents love their children in a particular way. This is because they are part of a natural family. Friends love each other in a different way. But the word here is another word. This word describes how a Christian should act. He should want to be kind to other people. He may not like them. He may not want to love them. But he should still decide to love them. It may be difficult to do this. Jesus also said that Christians should pray for their enemies. God wants to help everyone and he wants to forgive everyone. Christians recognise that their enemies need God. And Christians know that God loves them too.

Verse 45 God’s gifts are for everyone. Both good and bad people receive God’s kindness. To be a true child of God means that a person will act like God the Father.

Verses 46-47 If Christians love only their friends, they are not acting like God. They would be no better than the men who collected taxes for the *Romans. (People hated those men.) They would be no better than other people who do not believe God.

Verse 48 These words are like those in Leviticus 19:2: ‘You must be *holy because I am *holy. I am the *Lord your God and I am *holy.’ We should want to be like God. We need to please him in every part of our lives. To be ‘perfect’ means to have the same character that God has. If we want to become like God our Father, we must forgive people. We must forgive our enemies too. As Christians, we must love everyone.

Chapter 6

The right way to give gifts 6:1-4

Verse 1 Jesus’ *disciples must be careful how they act. They may want other people to praise them. But they must try to please God alone. Jesus then gives three examples of what he means:

            1. The right way to give, verses 2-4

            2. The right way to pray, verses 5-15

            3. The right way to act when you are not eating, verses 16-18.

Verse 2 The *Jews taught that to give to the poor was a special duty. It was a duty that people did for God. Jesus showed that his *disciples should continue in this way. But they must give secretly, and they must not be proud about it. He used an example of the wrong way to give. Some *Jews made their gift very noticeable. It was like making a loud noise to announce it. They wanted people to look at them. They wanted other people to praise them. But that would be the only reward that they would receive. Jesus used a word that came from business. If someone bought something, they received a receipt. Other people may praise you when you do something good. That is like a ‘receipt’ for the good action. There will be no reward from God.

Verse 3 When we give things to people or to God, it should be a secret from other people. Some translations say: ‘One hand should not know what the other hand is doing’. This is a way to use a picture to say that. We must not even want to praise ourselves. God knows how we think. And he knows how we act. So he will reward us properly. And on the day of judgement, God will praise us (1 Corinthians 4:5).

The right way to pray 6:5-15

Verses 5-6 *Jews usually stood up when they prayed. They prayed three times in the day. A *Jew might choose to be in the house where people meet. Or he might choose to be in the street when it was time to pray. Then people would notice him. They were selfish, proud people, sometimes called ‘hypocrites’. Jesus said that such people were not really praying to God. The *Pharisee in the story in Luke 18:9-14, prayed ‘to himself’. We should each pray to God in a private place. God can see what we do in secret. He will reward us. Jesus did not mean that nobody should join in public meetings with other people. But he wanted people to be sincere whenever they pray. Christians must not pray so that other people will admire them.

Verses 7-8 People who did not believe God also prayed. They wanted their gods to listen to them. They often repeated the same word or phrase many times. They were like Baal’s special servants who shouted to Baal. ‘Baal, hear us’, they shouted, for half a day (1 Kings 18:26). (Baal was a false god.) Such people also said as many names of the god as possible. They hoped that the god would reply to one of those names. God knows what we need. We do not have to persuade him to answer us. It is possible for Christians to repeat prayers. But they should not repeat the words without really thinking about them. They need to really mean those words.

Verse 9 Matthew introduces the ‘*Lord’s prayer’ here. It is as an example of the right way to pray. Jesus told them this prayer in Luke’s *gospel too. He was replying to a request from the *disciples. They wanted to learn how to pray (Luke 11:1). This is both a prayer by itself and it is a model for other prayers. The prayer is for *disciples to use. God and how he rules are the most important parts of the prayer. So Jesus mentions them in the first three parts of the prayer. The next three parts are about people’s needs. They are for the present, the past and the future.

‘Our Father in heaven’. The *Greek word ‘Abba’ is a special word for ‘father’. A child would use it to his father. It reminds us that God loves his children. ‘In heaven’ shows that we respect God. He is *holy and his name is *holy. A father may not always know everything about his child. He may not always know the best thing that he should do for the child. He may not be able to help him. He may not have the resources. But God has all the wisdom and the power. He can combine perfect love with perfect discipline. ‘Our’ reminds us that we are only one part of God’s family. We should think about other people as well as think about ourselves. ‘We pray that people will respect your *holy name.’ This means more than just to say the word ‘God’ in the right way. We need to think about who he is. In *Hebrew, a ‘name’ meant the whole character of a person. ‘The name of the *Lord is a strong *tower.’ The *Lord’s people can be safe with him (Proverbs 18:10). The writer knew that God is love. He is also a powerful God in whom we can trust. *Disciples should help other people to understand God’s character. People can think strange things about God. *Disciples should be careful what they say.

Verse 10 We want more and more people to accept Jesus as their king. God’s rule on earth extends as people obey him. There are people who live in heaven. And they do what God wants. So we pray that more people on earth will want to obey God too. We want God to rule completely.

Verse 11 People depend on God who made them. He gives them food for their bodies. Long ago, God gave the *Israelites their food each day in the desert (Exodus chapter 16). So we ask God to give us food for each day. The *Israelites had to go out and collect their food. God expects us to work. Then we can obtain our food. We need both to pray and to work. Then God will provide what we need. The writer in Proverbs 30:8-9 asks only for his ‘daily bread’. Give ‘us’ reminds us that we must not be selfish. Some people may be hungry because other people are greedy. Jesus also called himself ‘the bread of life’ (John 6:33-35). Bread is food that makes a person strong. Jesus can give strength to our characters so that we do good things. Jesus also said that we need the ‘word’ of God (Matthew 4:4). Therefore, we should also pray that we will learn the truth in the Bible. Then God will give us strength for our minds and for our spirits.

Verse 12 Everyone needs God to forgive them. We fail to love God. We fail to love other people. Jesus has died. And that made it possible for God to forgive us. But we also need to forgive other people. Otherwise, God cannot forgive us. Verses 14–15 repeat this truth.

Verse 13 It is never necessary for someone to do something wrong. God does not act in this way (James 1:13). But he allows situations that test us. We must ask God to help us. Then we can avoid situations that would be a very difficult test for us. We need God to protect us. We must not allow the devil to win. The *Holy Spirit’s work is to guide us. Then we will live in the right way that God wants.

The right way to act when you are not eating 6:16-18

Verse 16 When we do not eat by choice, we are ‘fasting’. In Jesus’ time there was only one time in the year when *Jews had to stop eating. It was on the day of *Atonement (Leviticus 16:31). Some *Jews chose to ‘fast’ at other times. It was a sign that a *Jew did not want to do wrong things. He wanted to turn away from evil things. Sometimes the whole nation decided to not eat. The people recognised that they had not obeyed God (1 Samuel 7:6). Many *Jews chose to ‘fast’ twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. Some wanted other people to see how good they were. So they let themselves look untidy, miserable and pale. Jesus said that this way to ‘fast’ was wrong. Such people got their reward when other people noticed them.

Verse 17 It was clear to Jesus that people would choose not to eat sometimes. It can be a valuable way to prepare yourself. Then you can wait for God to show you his plan. Jesus chose not to eat when he was in the desert (Matthew 4:2). The Christians at Antioch ‘fasted’ and prayed. Then they sent Barnabas and Saul on their journey and God *blessed them (Acts 13:2-3).

Valuable things in heaven 6:19-24

Verse 19 A wealthy man can lose his wealth on earth. Jesus describes three ways in which this can happen.

            1. Beautiful clothes were valuable in the east. But small insects can destroy the clothes’ beauty and value. The insects are called ‘moths’.

            2. *Rust destroys metal things.

            3. Thieves can break into a house. Then they can steal a person’s money.

Verses 20-21 ‘Valuable things’ are completely safe in heaven. Nothing can attack them there. They are still there after a person’s life on earth ends. A relationship with God is more valuable than any riches on earth. God’s rewards are waiting for us in heaven. The rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-22) was sad. But he was not willing for God to be first in his life. So he lost the joy that he could have had. His thoughts were about ‘valuable things’ that could not last for ever. But he could have had ‘valuable things in heaven’.

Verses 22-23 The way that we see things makes a difference. It changes the way that we speak. It changes the way that we act. Someone with a ‘good’ eye and light inside them is generous. A ‘bad’ eye means that a person can not see clearly. Someone is dark inside them if they are greedy or selfish. They will be like a person who is in the dark. He cannot see other people clearly as those that he should love. John writes: ‘Someone may say that he is in the light. But if he hates his brother, he is still in the darkness’ (1 John 2:11).

Verse 24 It was impossible for a slave to serve more than one master at the time when Jesus lived. A slave had no free time, as he was the property of his owner. The owner could do what he liked with his slave. ‘Mammon’ is the Aramaic word for money. Aramaic was the language that Jesus’ family spoke. God wants us to serve him. He does not want us to serve money. It is impossible to do both. God expects us to be completely loyal to him. If money is more important to us, then ‘things’ become more important than people. The desire to serve God can disappear. Paul writes: ‘To love money is the start of all kinds of evil’ (1 Timothy 6:10).

Do not worry 6:25-34

Verse 25 Jesus had spoken about the danger of wealth and possessions. Here he is speaking to *disciples who have few possessions. They may be quite poor. Life is more than the basic necessities of food and clothes. God gave us life. So he will give us the things that are necessary for us to live.

Verse 26 The birds do not worry. They do not store food for the future. They do not work to grow their food. And they do not work to make their clothes. But God provides for them. And people are more valuable than birds.

Verse 27 Worry is no use. Nobody can increase the length of his life by worrying. Worry will probably make his life shorter rather than longer. This verse can also mean that nobody can make himself taller by worrying.

Verses 28-30 Wild flowers have more beauty than the rich clothes that king Solomon wore. These flowers last only a short time. Then they can become fuel for a fire. Someone can use them to heat an oven. A flower may soon die, but God still gives it great beauty. God does this for flowers, so he will look after people even more.

Verse 32 Someone who does not believe God worries about things. They do not know what God is like. They may believe in a jealous god who can act sometimes with kindness and at other times with hate. A Christian knows that the *Lord God himself is different. He is a Father who always acts with love. He provides everything that his children need.

Verse 33 If God rules our life, worry will disappear. We will be able to trust God for everything.

Verse 34 One day at a time is enough to think about. Each day produces problems and difficulties. To worry about the future is foolish in two ways:

1. It will make it more difficult to deal with today’s problems.

2. The things that we worry about may never happen.

Chapter 7

Do not be judges of other people 7:1-6

Verses 1-2 Jesus does not forbid us to have an opinion about other people. But we must not make a judgement and blame them. God alone is the perfect judge. He knows the reasons why people do things. It is very easy to blame other people. We do not know a person’s circumstances or thoughts in the way that God knows them.

Verses 3-5 The word ‘brother’ here does not mean a close relative. It means another person who believes in Jesus. He is part of the same ‘family’ of God’s people. A man with a heavy piece of wood in his eye cannot see at all. His offer to remove a tiny bit of dust from another person’s eye is stupid. This humorous picture would make people laugh. So they would remember it. It is wrong to talk about other people’s faults if we refuse to recognise our own faults. Our own faults may be much worse than the faults that we notice in other people.

Verse 6 Pigs will walk all over anything that people throw to them. They cannot see the difference between what is valuable and what is not valuable. Wild *dogs will bite anyone who feeds them. They do not care if the meat is part of a special gift to God. Jesus used the words ‘pigs’ and ‘*dogs’ here to refer to certain people. They do not recognise the value of things. They do not recognise the value of what we offer them. The ‘*holy things’ and ‘valuable things’ probably refer to Christ’s message. Jesus told his *disciples not to continue to teach people who would not listen (Matthew 10:13-16). This picture can also mean something else. Perhaps we should be careful about teaching God’s truth. There are people who are not ready to appreciate it.

Prayer 7:7-11

Verses 7-8 Jesus teaches that Christians should continue to pray. They must believe that God will answer their prayers. We do not have to persuade God to answer us. He is our Father. He wants us to ask him for things. We depend on God if we continue to pray. And our relationship with God grows stronger.

Verses 9-10 Bread and fish were the usual food in Jesus’ time. Sometimes human fathers can behave badly. But they would not give their children something that was of no use or dangerous.

Verse 11 God is much more willing to give than human fathers. He always wants to give good gifts to his children. He knows about what we have asked him for. He knows whether it would be a ‘good’ gift. So he will answer in the way that is best for us.

The best rule of behaviour 7:12

Verse 12 Jesus gave many examples of this rule. We can express it in a negative way too: ‘You must not do to other people what you would not like them to do to you.’ This is not really a *religious rule. The law of the country would punish someone who hurts another person. A man may never hurt another person in any way. But he might not be a good and helpful citizen. We would like other people to do what is best for us. Jesus showed what the Christian attitude should be. Christians should act with generous love towards other people. The *Law and what God’s special servants wrote were the two main parts of the *Jewish Bible. (These special servants were called ‘prophets’.) In these two books, God gave rules to the people. They should always have the right attitude to other people (Deuteronomy 15:1-9; Isaiah 1:17). Jesus’ rule of behaviour here puts the *Old Testament rules all together in one brief statement.

The *Old Testament often speaks about the choice between two ways. Moses said that the *Israelites had to choose between life and death (Deuteronomy 30:19). Jeremiah told the people that the *Lord had shown them two ways to go: ‘the way of life and the way of death’ (Jeremiah 21:8). Psalm 1 shows that there is a difference between people. There is the person who obeys God. And there is the person who is wicked. Matthew 7:13-27 shows that people have a choice:

There are two ways that they can go.

There are two fruits that they can choose.

And there are two types of house that they can build.

The two ways 7:13-14

Verse 13 Many people like to choose their own way of life rather than to follow Jesus. But that easy road does not lead to true life.

Verse 14 Things may be difficult if we decide to follow Jesus. There are many people who oppose his *disciples. It will not be easy to obey Jesus. Matthew recorded some of what Jesus taught people (Matthew chapters 5-7). But the few people who choose this narrow road become his *disciples. And they will obtain *eternal life.

The two fruits 7:15-23

Verses 15-20 In the *Old Testament, God’s special servants were true to him. Also, there were those people who were false and not true to him. Jeremiah said that the true ones told people to turn away from their *sins. The false ones pretended to say good things from God. They would say that they had a message from God. But then they encouraged people to do wrong things. The people continued to do wrong things, and the false teachers did not obey God’s laws themselves (Jeremiah 23:16-22). People recognise a tree by the fruit that it produces. In the same way, God’s good servants live a good life. The false ones show that they are false. They show it by their bad life.

Verses 21-23 Just to say “*Lord, *Lord” is not enough. Unless the speaker obeys God, the words mean nothing. God’s false servants performed wonderful things in the name of Jesus. Even this was possible. But God knew what they were really like. An early Christian book of rules was called the Didache. It told how to tell the difference between good and bad people. It showed who were really God’s special servants. A person who asked for money for himself was not true to God. He would be lazy and he would not want to work. He would expect other Christians to look after him for more than a few days. If a person is teaching the truth, he will show it. He will do the right things. Jesus showed that he had the authority to judge people. And he will deny that he ever knew false people. They are people who act without a sincere desire to please God. Jesus used words from Psalm 6:8: ‘Go away from me, all you who do evil’. To send someone away like that was a most serious punishment.

The two houses 7:24-27

It is easy to build a house on the sand by a river. But a wise man makes sure that he builds his house in a strong place. When the rain comes, the river becomes a flood. That rush of water and the strong winds would destroy a house if someone built it on sand. A foolish man does not obey Jesus’ words. So he will not continue to believe Jesus when trouble comes. All kinds of problems are like storms that attack us. A person needs to obey Jesus’ words in order to stand strong in such problems.

The end of Jesus’ teaching on the mount 7:28-29

Each section of teaching in Matthew’s *gospel ends with words like these. Jesus spoke with real authority. So the crowds said that he was surprising or astonishing. The men who taught the *Law usually referred to what other teachers had said. However, Jesus declared, ‘I say to you’.

Chapter 8

*Miracles when Jesus healed people 8:1–9:38

Matthew showed Jesus’ authority by what he taught in chapters 5-7. Now Matthew shows Jesus’ authority by his actions. There are nine incidents. We can divide these *miracles into three sets of three with some teaching in between.

The first set of three is:

            1. Jesus heals the man who had very bad skin disease 8:1-4

            2. Jesus heals the *Roman officer’s servant 8:5-13

            3. Jesus heals at the town called Capernaum 8:14-17.

The next set of three is:

            1. The storm on the lake 8:23-27

            2. The men with evil *spirits in Gadara 8:28-34

            3. The man who could not walk 9:1-8.

The next set of three is:

            1. Jesus raised a girl to life and he healed a woman 9:18-26

            2. He caused two blind men to see 9:27-31

            3. He healed a man who could not talk 9:32-34.

1. The man who had a very bad skin disease 8:1-4

Verse 1 The word ‘leprosy’ appears in many Bibles and it can mean various skin diseases. It also means Hansen’s disease, which is the disease that we know as ‘leprosy’ nowadays. Anyone with ‘leprosy’ had to stay away from other people. These people with leprosy had to warn people by shouting ‘I am not clean!’ So the sick person suffered both from the disease and from the fact that people avoided him or her.

Verse 2 The man believed that Jesus could heal him. But he was not sure that Jesus wanted to heal him. He was humble in the way that he approached Jesus. He behaved as if he was *worshipping Jesus. He was humble as he requested help.

Verse 3 The *Law said that a person with ‘leprosy’ must not come closer than 6 feet (2 metres) to another person. They were ‘not clean’ so they might make the other person ‘not clean’ too. But Jesus is very kind. So he touched the man who had this bad skin disease. Then he caused the disease to leave the man.

Verse 4 Jesus ordered the man not to spread this news. Nobody should know that Jesus had healed him. The *Jews were already looking for someone to be their leader. They wanted to fight against the *Romans, who ruled them. The crowds wanted to make Jesus their king when they heard about these *miracles. Jesus had to prevent them. Jesus also ordered the man to go to the *priest. The *priest also acted as a medical officer at that time. He would examine the person who had been ill. Then that person had to offer certain gifts to God (Leviticus 14:1-32). The *priest needed to be sure that the patient was clean. Then that person could return to society. Jesus wanted to show that he respected the *Law. That is why he told the man to do this.

2. The *Roman officer’s servant 8:5-13

Verses 5-7 This *Roman officer was a ‘centurion’. That means that he commanded a hundred soldiers. He was not a *Jew. He was in the *Roman army or the army of Herod Antipas. In Luke’s account, the *Jewish leaders asked Jesus to help this officer. Matthew records that the officer came for help himself. It was unusual for someone to care about his slave. Most people did not care if their slaves suffered. They owned the slaves, so they thought about them as ‘things’ rather than as people. And the slaves had no rights. Their master could easily get another slave if one died. But this officer cared about his slave. He did not want to see the slave suffer.

Verse 8. This man was an important army officer, but he was humble. He said that he was not good enough to have Jesus in his house. He may also have thought that Jesus would not want to enter his home. *Jews did not want to be with people who were not *Jews. They did not like to enter foreigners’ homes. They thought that it would make them not ‘clean’ for their religion.

Verse 9 It was usual for the officer to receive orders and to give orders. Superior officers had the authority to give orders to him. Also, he knew that his slave and his soldiers would obey him. He was able to order them to do things because someone had authority over him. He showed that he believed Jesus. He just wanted Jesus to use his power and to give an order. That order would heal the slave, because Jesus had God’s authority.

Verse 10 Jesus was astonished that this foreigner should believe him more than God’s own people, the *Jews.

Verses 11-12 The *Jews believed many things about the future. They believed that, when the *Messiah came, there would be a very special party. They would enjoy the special meal with those who began their nation - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They never thought that any foreigners would be there. Jesus said that many other people would come to share this special meal. The ‘wise men from the east’ (also called ‘magi’) had already come to *worship him (Matthew 2:1-12). Many other people who were not *Jews would believe later. Jesus’ *disciples would go ‘to many places all over the world’ to tell people his message (Matthew 28:18-20). Many *Jews, who should have been in God’s house, will lose their place at the special meal. Although they belong to the families of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they will be out in the darkness, To trust in being a member of the ‘nation that God chose’ is not enough. People can only enter where God rules when they believe Jesus.

Verse 13 Jesus was a long way from the slave when he healed him. The *Roman officer believed that Jesus could give such an order. So Jesus did it that way.

3. Jesus healed people at Capernaum 8:14-17

Verses 14-15 Peter’s home was in the town called Capernaum. Jesus may have used Peter’s house as his own home. Jesus healed Peter’s wife’s mother at once. Usually people feel weak after they have been ill like that. But she immediately got up and served a meal to Jesus.

Verse 16 We know that it was God’s rest day. Mark and Luke wrote that they left the synagogue that day (Mark 1:29; Luke 4:38). The synagogue was a building where *Jews gathered to pray. Nobody could go for a walk until the evening, when that special day ended. They could not travel very far. Also, they could not carry a sick person.

Verse 17 Matthew added the words from Isaiah’s poem about a servant (Isaiah 53:4). Jesus made these words come true. All his life, he sympathised with those who suffered. He healed those who were ill.

Other people wanted to go with Jesus 8:18-22

Verses 19-20 Jesus attracted a man who taught the *Law. This man recognised that Jesus was teaching differently from himself and other teachers. Jesus was honest. He never taught that it was easy to be his *disciple. He wanted the man to think about the kind of life that he would have with Jesus. Jesus did use Peter’s home in Capernaum. Also, there were women who helped him. They provided many things that he needed (Luke 8:2-3). But it was true that he did not have his own home. Even animals and birds have their own place to live. But Jesus did not have such security.

Jesus used the words ‘Son of Man’ to describe himself. It is like the name ‘*Messiah’. This idea comes from the book of Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14). Someone who was ‘like a son of man’ came to God. He ‘received power and honour and he became a king’.

Verses 21-22 This man was already a *disciple, but he did not want to be completely loyal to Jesus. It was the duty of a son to bury his father. But this man’s father was probably still alive, so his funeral would not be soon. The man wanted to follow Jesus, but he wanted to postpone it too. He wanted to wait until his father had died. That might still be years later. Jesus knew that the man just wanted to delay. Jesus’ answer was, ‘Follow me’. It showed that a *disciple must make Jesus most important, even more important than family relationships.

‘Let the dead bury their own dead’ may mean that someone would be sure to bury the man’s father. Or it may refer to people who did not follow Jesus. They were the people who were *spiritually dead. The people who did not follow Jesus could carry out the funeral ceremonies.

In the second set of three *miracles, Matthew shows the power of Jesus over nature, over evil *spirits and over *sin.

1. The storm on the lake 8:23-27

Verse 23 The true *disciples went wherever Jesus went.

Verse 24 The lake is below the level of the sea and hills surround it. So storms can come up without warning. Matthew calls this storm a ‘seismos’, which means that the earth shook. So he is suggesting that there was unusual movement below the lake. This was as well as the sudden strong wind. The waves were so high that they were going right over the boat. But Jesus was very tired and he was asleep. Mark’s record (Mark 4:1, 35-36) shows that Jesus had been teaching from the boat.

Verse 26 It is possible for a wind to become less strong very quickly. But waves usually continue to be rough for some time. Jesus’ order showed his authority over nature.

Verse 27 These were the men who followed him. They called him ‘*Lord’. They probably thought about the Psalms, where God makes the waters calm (Psalm 89:9; 107:29).

Christians often remember this account when they meet ‘storms’ (problems) in life. They remind themselves not to be afraid. The problems may be sudden illness or danger. Perhaps something that is not good attracts them. Or there may be other problems. When Jesus is with us, there can be calm in our lives.

2. The men with evil *spirits in Gadara 8:28-34

Verse 28 Some Bibles say Gergesenes, or Gerasenes, which means ‘Gergasa people’ or ‘Gerasa people’. The right word is probably ‘Gadarenes’.

Mark gives many details about this event that Matthew leaves out. But Matthew writes about evil *spirits that possessed two men. Mark mentions only one man. The caves where they buried dead people were in the rocks. (The caves were also called ‘tombs’.) Men could find shelter there. People believed that evil *spirits lived among these ‘tombs’. The men were so wild and strong that other people were afraid to come near them.

Verse 29 But Jesus was not afraid. It was the evil *spirits who were afraid of him. They called Jesus ‘Son of God’. They knew that God would judge them one day. They knew that God would punish them then. These evil *spirits were afraid that Jesus would punish them immediately.

Verses 30-32 The pigs’ death convinced the men that the evil *spirits had gone for ever. People who tried to drive evil *spirits out of other people in those days used all kinds of special words and ceremonies. Jesus gave only a brief command and the evil *spirits obeyed him. People sometimes blame Jesus for the pigs’ death, but a human being is much more valuable than an animal.

Verse 34. The people from Gadara wanted Jesus to leave. They were afraid of someone with such great power. Jesus never forced people to listen to him. So he left that region.

Chapter 9

3. The man who could not walk 9:1-8

Mark and Luke also record this *miracle (Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26). They give much more information, but Matthew has included the essential facts. He showed that the incident was very important.

Verse 1 We know that Jesus returned to Capernaum (Mark 2:1). Matthew also tells us that Jesus lived there (Matthew 4:13). This town was the main place where he taught. So it was his ‘own town’.

Verses 3-4 Jesus told the man that he had forgiven his *sins. But the teachers of God’s law thought that Jesus was insulting God. The teachers believed correctly that only God can forgive *sins. But Jesus was God’s Son. Therefore, he had the authority to forgive *sins. He had shown his authority over the wind and the waves already (Matthew 8:27).

Verses 5-8 Jesus could easily say that God had forgiven the man. But that was difficult to prove. The *Jews believed that the man was ill as the result of his *sin. So, Jesus showed his authority and healed the man. And that was how he proved that God had forgiven the man.

Jesus called himself ‘Son of Man’ again. (See Matthew 8:20.) He had many different names.

Jesus calls Matthew 9:9-13

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