The sermon on the mount
(Matt 4:24-5:2 Mark 3:7-12 Luke 6:17-19) 1 AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying:
The Beatitudes
(Matt 5:3-12 Luke 6:20-23) 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. 5 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blesses are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God. 10 Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: 12 Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.
The disciples compared to salt and light
(Matt 5:13 Mark 9:49-50 Luke 14:34-35) 13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, what shall it be salted with? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men.
The Light of the World
(Matt 5:14-16 Mark 4:21 Luke 8:16) 14 You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. 16 So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
On the Law and the Prophets
(Matt 5:17-20 Luke 16:16-17) 17 Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For amen I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, that unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Against anger
(Matt 5:21-26 Luke 12:57-59) 21 You have heard that it was said to them of old: You shall not kill. (Ex. 20:13; Dt. 5:17) And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. 22 But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, You Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 If therefore you offer your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has any thing against you; 24 Leave there your offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to your brother: and then coming you shall offer your gift. 25 Be at agreement with your adversary betimes, while you are in the way with him: lest perhaps the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. 26 Amen I say to you, you shall not go out from there till you repay the last penny.
Chastity of mind and body
(Matt 5:27-32 Mark 9:43-48 Luke 16:18) 27 You have heard that it was said to them of old: You shall not commit adultery. (Ex. 20:14; Dt. 5:18) 28 But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 And if your right eye scandalize you, pluck it out and cast it from you. For it is better for you that one of your members should perish, rather than that your whole body be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand scandalize you, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is better for you that one of your members should perish, rather than that your whole body be cast into hell.
Divorce 31 And it has been said, Whoseoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce. (Dt. 24:1) 32 But I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, excepting for the cause of fornication, makes her to commit adultery: and he that shall marry her that is put away, commits adultery.
Concerning oaths
(Matt 5:33-37) 33 Again you have heard that it was said to them of old, You shall not swear falsely: but you shall perform your oaths to the Lord. (Lv. 19:12; Nu. 30:2) 34 But I say to you not to swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God: 35 Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool: nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king: 36 Neither shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your yes be yes: no, be no: and that which is over and above these, is of evil.
The new law of retaliation
(Matt 5:38-42 Luke 6:29-30) 38 You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. (Ex. 21:24; Lv. 24:20; Dt. 1921) 39 But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike you on your right cheek, turn to him also the other: 40 And if a man will contend with you in judgment, and take away your coat, let go your cloak also to him. 41 And whosoever will force you one mile, go with him other two, 42 Give to him that asks of you and from him that would borrow of you turn not away.
The love of enemies
(Matt 5:43-48 Luke 6:27-36) 43 You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. (Lv. 19:18) 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: 45 That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who makes his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and rains upon the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? do not even the publicans this? 47 And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more? do not also the heathens this? 48 Be therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.
Commentary on Matthew 5
5:1 went up: Christ's action is our instruction. And therefore, in order to teach preachers that they ought not to be for ever before the public, our Lord withdrew Himself sometimes from the crowd. We are told of three reasons for His doing this. First, for the rest of the body: hence (Mk. 6:31) it is stated that our Lord said to His disciples: "Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little. For there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to eat." But sometimes it was for the sake of prayer; thus it is written (Lk. 6:12): "It came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray; and He passed the whole night in the prayer of God." On this Ambrose remarks that "by His example He instructs us in the precepts of virtue." And sometimes He did so in order to teach us to avoid the favor of men. Wherefore Chrysostom, commenting on Mt. 5:1 Jesus, "seeing the multitude, went up into a mountain," says: "By sitting not in the city and in the market-place, but on a mountain and in a place of solitude, He taught us to do nothing for show, and to withdraw from the crowd, especially when we have to discourse of needful things." (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 3.40.1.3)
5:3 The poor in spirit are those who do not cling to any earthly possessions; if they have no wealth, they do not desire it; if they are rich, they care but little for their riches. They are free from that fatal passion which attracts the souls of men so powerfully towards what have been called the two metals of hell, gold and silver. (Madame Cecilia On the Beatitudes)
5:4 meek: The meekness mentioned in the second Beatitude is simply the outward manifestation of humility. It is the visible body of which humility is the hidden soul. What we call meekness is an attitude rather than a special virtue; it is the appearance, look, and outward behavior of those who are humble in heart. (Madame Cecilia On the Beatitudes)
5:5 mourn: Those who mourn over their own sins and over the sins of the world. (Ishodad of Merv) they shall be comforted: both in this life, for he who mourns for his sin rejoices spiritually, and even more so in the next life. (Theophylact)
5:6 hunger and thirst: It is not enough that we desire righteousness, unless we also suffer hunger for it, by which expression we may understand that we are never righteous enough, but always hunger after works of righteousness. (St. Jerome) shall be filled: another form of expressing the fullness of joy to be reaped forever in heaven. (Bishop John McEvilly)
5:7 merciful: The merciful is he who has a sad heart; he counts others’ misery his own, and is sad at their grief as at his own. (Remigius of Auxerre)
5:8 clean of heart: those who are candid in mind, and not perverse in thoughts, free from inquisitiveness and from evil intent. (Ishodad of Merv) see God: this vision of God may be understood to mean the pure and affectionate knowledge which He often imparts in greater degree in this life to the pure in heart than to others. (Cornelius a Lapide) And it means that they shall obtain the bliss of heaven. (Bishop John McEvilly)
5:9 peacemakers: are not only those who are themselves peaceable with all, but also those who reconcile others who are at odds. The peacemakers are also those who by their teaching convert the enemies of God. (Theophylact) sons of God: the peacemakers shall be called and shall be sons of God and heirs of God in celestial glory, which they shall inherit as the reward of their efforts to make peace. For in heaven all the Saints are, through the beatific glory, sons and heirs of God. (Cornelius a Lapide)
5:10 Those are referred to, who suffer for the faith; for the rights of the Church; for the practice of any Christian virtue. and Pagans infidels, if they suffer, cannot suffer for justice sake. It is not the suffering that begets merit or makes the martyr, but the cause. (Bishop John McEvilly) It pertains to martyrdom, according to the Glossa Ordinaria, as well as Jerome's commentary on this passage. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 2.124.5)
5:11 Blessed are you: Now He addresses the apostles directly, showing that it is especially the mark of a teacher to be reviled. (Theophylact)
5:12 persecuted the prophets before you: He says this so that the apostles would not think that they would be persecuted for teaching something contrary to God. (Theophylact)
5:13 salt lose its savour: It is probable that our Lord may refer here to salt dug from the salt lakes, the upper crust of which, having been exposed to the sun, rain, and wind, for a long time, loses its relish: appearing externally like salt, but possessing none of the properties of that mineral. (Augustin Calmet Dic on Bible)
5:16 Now it is not a sin to know and approve one's own good: as we see written in 1 Cor. 2:12: Likewise it is not a sin to be willing to approve one's own good works: as we see written in Mat. 5:16: Hence the desire for glory does not, of itself, denote a sin: but the desire for empty or vain glory denotes a sin: for it is sinful to desire anything vain. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 2.132.1)
5:17-18 The New Law is compared to the Old as the perfect to the imperfect. Now everything perfect fulfills that which is lacking in the imperfect. And accordingly the New Law fulfills the Old by supplying that which was lacking in the Old Law. Now two things of every law is to make men righteous and virtuous: and consequently the end of the Old Law was the justification of men. The Law, however, could not accomplish this: but foreshadowed it by certain ceremonial actions, and promised it in words. And in this respect, the New Law fulfills the Old by justifying men through the power of Christ's Passion. This is what the Apostle says in Rom. 8:3,4: "What the Law could not do . . . God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh . . . has condemned sin in the flesh, that the justification of the Law might be fulfilled in us." And in this respect, the New Law gives what the Old Law promised, according to 2 Cor. 1:20: "Whatever are the promises of God, in Him," i.e. in Christ, "they are 'Yea'." Again, in this respect, it also fulfils what the Old Law foreshadowed. Hence it is written in Col. 2:17 concerning the ceremonial precepts that they were "a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ"; in other words, the reality is found in Christ. Wherefore the New Law is called the law of reality; whereas the Old Law is called the law of shadow or of figure. Now Christ fulfilled the precepts of the Old Law both in His works and in His doctrine. In His works, because He was willing to be circumcised and to fulfill the other legal observances, which were binding for the time being; according to Gal. 4:4: "Made under the Law." In His doctrine He fulfilled the precepts of the Law in three ways. First, by explaining the true sense of the Law. This is clear in the case of murder and adultery, the prohibition of which the Scribes and Pharisees thought to refer only to the exterior act: wherefore Our Lord fulfilled the Law by showing that the prohibition extended also to the interior acts of sins. Secondly, Our Lord fulfilled the precepts of the Law by prescribing the safest way of complying with the commandments of the Old Law. Thus the Old Law forbade perjury: and this is more safely avoided, by abstaining altogether from swearing, except in cases of urgency. Thirdly, Our Lord fulfilled the precepts of the Law, by adding some counsels of perfection: this is clearly seen in Mat. 19:21, where Our Lord said to the man who affirmed that he had kept all the precepts of the Old Law: "One thing is wanting to you: If you will be perfect, go, sell whatsoever you have," etc. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 1.107.2)
5:18 till heaven and earth pass: Some interpret it as till the end of the world, when the present heaven and earth shall change their form, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; Others interpret the words: Sooner shall heaven and earth pass away, and cease to be, a thing utterly impossible, than any part of the law be unaccomplished; just like the phrase; It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle; a thing utterly impossible. (Bishop John McEvilly) jot or tittle: We must understand only a strong metaphor of completeness, drawn from the letters of writing, iota being the least of the letters, made with one stroke of the pen, and a point being a slight dot at the end of the same letter. The words there show that the Law shall be completed to the very least matter. (St. Augustine Serm Mt. 1.8)
5:19 least commandments: He calls these His own commandments least, according to the opinion of men, for it is thought even now by many, that it is nothing that one should sin in thought, but one must avoid only the sin that is in act. But it is not so. He is the Curator and Director of the conscience, for He seeks to take away from the conscience the desire of sin; that thus even actual sin may not be wrought; so therefore because He knows that many find fault with His commandments as not being necessary nor moderate. (Ishodad of Merv)
|
5:21 to them of old...in danger of the judgment: These latter words are not found in the law, but they are there in substance. The terms expressive of the punishment of such a crime in the law are, "dying, let him die" (Lev. 24: 17); or, as our Lord is quoting the words, according as they “heard” them from the Scribes and Pharisees, who gave the substance of the penalty contained in the law. (Bishop John McEvilly)
5:22 angry: Anger is the thirst for vengeance, and is itself a mortal sin if it deliberately contrive, or wish for, any serious evil of body, or goods, or reputation of one’s neighbour, or rejoice in such evils, even though he deserve them, for he who is angry rejoices in them not as fruits of justice but of revenge. But anger is a venial sin if it desire some trifling calamity to one’s neighbour, even though the anger be violent, and flame out both internally and externally. Lastly, anger is no sin at all if it be assumed from zeal for righteousness, for the removing of sin and sinners. Such was the anger of Mattathias when he slew the legate of Antiochus, who was forcing the Jews to sacrifice to idols. (1 Mac. 2:25.) Such was the anger of Christ when He drove the buyers and sellers out of the Temple. (Cornelius a Lapide)
St. Gregory the Great (Mor. on Job 21.4) gives three degrees of anger, namely, "anger without utterance, anger with utterance, and anger with fullness of expression," corresponding to the three degrees mentioned by Our Lord: "Whosoever is angry with his brother" thus implying "anger without utterance", and then, "whosoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca'" implying "anger with utterance yet without full expression", and lastly, "whosoever shall say 'you fool'" where we have "fullness of expression". (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 1.46.8.3) Thus here are three different degrees of sin. (St. Augustine On Serm Mt. 1.9)
danger of the judgment: That is, shall deserve to be punished by that lesser tribunal among the Jews, called the Judgment, which took cognizance of such crimes. danger of the council: That is, shall deserve to be punished by the highest court of judicature, called the Council, or Sanhedrim, consisting of seventy-two persons, where the highest causes were tried and judged, which was at Jerusalem. danger of hell fire: Literally, according to the Greek, shall deserve to be cast into the Gehenna of fire. Which words our Savior made use of to express the fire and punishments of hell. (Bishop Richard Challoner) Should any ask what greater punishment is reserved for murder, if evil-speaking deserves hell-fire? This obliges us to understand, that there are degrees in hell. (St. Augustine Serm Mt 1.9)
Raca: 1. St. John Chrysostom thinks raca here signifies to address any one out of disrespect.
2. Theophylact says raca means one worthy of being spat upon, for רוק rok means spittle; but this would be a worse form of reproach than to call any one a fool, which Christ here places as the worst reproach.
3. Some think raca here is the Greek ρακος, ragged.
4. And more probably, St. Augustine, Rupert, Anselm, and others think raca is an interjection of despising and opposing, and that by it are denoted all the tokens of an evil-disposed mind, whether murmuring, shouting, or spitting, or wrinkling the brow, and so on.
5. St. Jerome, Angelus Caninius, and others think that raca is a Hebrew word, derived from ריק ric, i.e., “empty,” though not in brain, as St. Jerome says, for that would be a fool; but empty in purse; so that raca would mean a man of straw, a pauper.
6. George Michaelis, the Maronite (in Proœmio Grammaticæ Syriacæ, c. de præstantia Syr. Linguæ) says raca is Syriac, and has three meanings—1. A tortoise, which animal is considered so deformed by the Syrians that they nauseate and abhor it; so too, the Italians, when they would speak of a man slow and deformed, say, pare tartaruga, like a tortoise. 2. Raca, from rac, “he has spit.” For the Syrians, when they would burn any one up with ignominy, call him raco, i.e., “spat upon;” or raca is the same as rauco, i.e., “spittle;” for a Syrian, to show that he made no account of a person, would say, “Thou art but as spittle to me.” 3. Raca with the Syrians means one despised, vile, abject, dirty; and this is the sense in which I think the word raca is here used by Christ. (Cornelius a Lapide)
fool: For the gravity or triviality of a contumelious word must be weighed by the intention of the speaker. If you say it in joke, or not really to dishonour, but to correct, it is not formal, but material contumely, says D. Thom. (2. 2. q. 72, art. 2). Hence parents may severely correct and reprove and rebuke their children, and masters their servants, if it be done with moderation, and for just correction. Thus Christ calls Peter Satan (Matt. 16:23), and Paul calls the Galatians “foolish” (Gal. 3:1). Again, the gravity of the contumely must be measured by the dignity of the person spoken to. For to say to a grave and honourable man, “Thou fool,” is a grave contumely; but to call a man a fool who really is one, is a comparatively light reproach. (Cornelius a Lapide)
5:23-24 This is a precept both of law and of natural religion... Furthermore, the sacrifice of the Eucharist is more holy than the ancient sacrifices.... Since therefore the Eucharist is a sacrifice, as well as a Sacrament and profession of mutual love and peace, it is necessary that all discord should be done away, and that those who have offended should reconcile themselves to those whom they have offended before this holy Synaxis, lest they be found liars. For in truth he is a liar who takes the Sacrament of union, that is, the Eucharist, and is not in union with, but bears a grudge or rancour against, his neighbour. This is why it used to be the custom at Mass, that before Holy Communion, Christians were wont to give one another a holy kiss, as a symbol of reconciliation and union, in place of which what is called the Pax is now bestowed. (Cornelius a Lapide)
5:25 adversary: 1. Tertullian (lib. de Animâ), answers, it is the devil. He is Satan our adversary.
2. St. Athanasius (quæst. 26), thinks the adversary means the flesh: for it is an adversary to the soul.
3. The same Athanasius says with better reason, elsewhere, that it is our conscience, for this is our adversary, and stings us when we do ill, until we agree with it, by following its dictates.
4. St. Augustine, St. Anselm, and St. Bede are of opinion that God, or the law of God is meant, for these fight against our lusts. Wherefore clearly we ought to consent unto them, lest we incur the punishments with which they threaten us. But these are mystical, or symbolical interpretations.
5. I say with St. Jerome, St. Hilary, and St. Ambrose, that by our adversary is here meant any one who has been unjustly offended, or injured by us, and is therefore in a position to be able to accuse us before God. With such a one Christ in the preceding verse bade us be reconciled. (Cornelius a Lapide)
5:26 In this is conveyed the rigor with which the sentence of the Eternal Judge shall be carried into execution in the life to come. If there be question of condemnation for mortal guilt, and of hell's prison, whereas, full satisfaction; the last penny;- can never be made, the culprit shall not leave it for eternity; Some writers, from the particle “until” regard it as possible that reparation would be made in the case, and the accused party would leave his prison; and therefore, they derive an argument in favor of the doctrine of Purgatory. But this does not necessarily follow from the text. It can be understood, and, most likely, ought, of never-ending punishment, as St. Augustine says, always paying eternal punishment. The meaning would be “you must remain there, till you pay the last penny, and if unable to pay it, then you shall never leave“; If there were question of venial sin, then, the interpretation would be different. But it serves no purpose to be adducing weak or dubious arguments in proof of a doctrine clearly established from other undoubted sources. It only does mischief. And the enemies of the faith will be sure to enlarge upon the weak arguments, as if no better were forthcoming, leaving the undoubted arguments unheeded. (Bishop John McEvilly)
5:27-28 For He said not simply, whosoever shall desire, since it is possible for one to desire even when sitting in the mountains; but, Whosoever shall look to lust. (St. John Chrysostom) That is, if one stands gazing and examining, kindling desire by looking, and looking again to desire even more, he has already brought the evil to readiness in his heart. If he did not add to it the deed itself, what of it? He was not able. If he had been able, he would immediately have perpetrated the evil. But nevertheless understand that if we have lusted, and then were prevented from committing the deed, clearly we were protected by grace. And if a woman has adorned herself in order to attract others, yet does not succeed in attracting, she is guilty of having mixed the poison into the cup, though no one drank. (Theophylact)
5:29-30 He speaks about the numbers of the body but uses a figure of speech. It is not that one should literally cut off one’s members. Rather, one is called to mortify them and render them useless for sin. (St. Appollinaris Frag on Matt) It is plain that there are here two parables, taken from the two most excellent and most useful of our bodily members—the right eye and the right hand. And Christ signifies that everything which entices us to sin must be cast away, however dear, precious, and necessary it may be to us. (Cornelius a Lapide) |
|