Seeing that salt is a preservative (Matt. 5:13a), the very presence of the Lord’s people on earth (the blessed ones of vv. 3-12) helps prevent total moral corruption that would otherwise necessitate the world’s destruction. But if followers of Jesus fail to endure in the face of worldly temptations, distractions, and persecutions (vv. 10-11), they lose their Christlike influence and therefore serve no useful or impactful purpose (v. 13b; cf. Mark 9:49-50).
As Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5),1 it is said of his faithful disciples, “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14a), illuminating the realm of spiritual darkness and dispelling ignorance and sin by living and proclaiming God’s word (cf. Matt. 10:27; Mark 4:21-25; Luke 8:16-18; 11:33-36). Note the broad-to-narrow focus: world … city … house (Matt. 5:14-16). The behavior and works of Christ’s loyal followers are observable, with the express purpose of glorifying the heavenly Father (Matt. 5:16).
The expression “Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16, 45, 48; 6:1, 9, 26; 7:11, 21) is not found in the Old Testament. The expression “our/your Father” does not occur in Luke, only once in Mark (11:25), but multiple times in Matthew (5:16, 45; 6:1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 14, 18, 32; 7:11).
The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ (Matthew 5:17-48)
Speaking to a pre-Christian Jewish crowd—at least two years before Christ’s new covenant was ratified (cf. Heb. 9:15-17)—rather than taking issue with or negating the Mosaic Law at this point in his ministry, Jesus opposes wrongful interpretations of it. “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matt. 5:17-18).
These listeners were assured that Christ’s purpose was not to nullify (destroy, overthrow, abrogate) the Law or the Prophets. In fact, Jesus himself was an Israelite who was amenable to the Jewish Law (Gal. 4:4; cf. Matt. 8:4), and he kept it perfectly. Instead, his purpose was to “fulfill” (plēróō = to fill up or make full) all that the Law and the Prophets had said concerning the promised Messiah.
One of the primary aims of Matthew’s Gospel is to establish the fact that Jesus and all that was accomplished in his ministry were in fulfillment of the prophetic scriptures (Matt. 1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:54, 56; 27:9, 35). Accordingly, these things were not to remain unfulfilled for millennia after the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension. Once Jesus accomplished his mission on earth, the role that the Law and the Prophets had served for centuries was complete (see Gal. 3:16-25; Heb. 8:6-13). In other words, when the intended purpose was fulfilled, that purpose then became obsolete.
Contrary to what many have inferred from this text, the Lord did not say that the old Mosaic legal system was to remain binding until the end of time. Twice in this passage he uses the expression héōs án (“until”). From the standpoint of his contemporary Jewish audience, heaven and earth could pass away at any time. Yet the Lord affirms that until that happens (whenever that might be), nothing will fail from the Law or the Prophets until all things come to pass. This is a statement of assurance, i.e., the Law will unquestionably be vindicated and will have served its purpose when Jesus has completed his personal mission on earth (cf. John 4:34; 5:36; 17:4; 19:30).
The six antitheses of Matt. 5:21-48, rather than taking issue with the written Law of Moses, contrast the traditional misinterpretations of the Law vs. the loftier conduct expected in the Lord’s kingdom (cf. v. 20). Note, “You have heard that it was said …” (Matt. 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43), NOT “You have read” or “It is written …” The Law never states, “hate your enemy” (Matt. 5:43b; cf. Lev. 19:17-18), but apparently this is what these Jews had heard from their misguided teachers. The Law did not justify unrighteous anger as long as it didn’t lead to murder, or lust as long as it didn’t lead to adultery, or divorce for any or no reason, or questionable oaths, or senseless retribution, or hatred …. irrespective of what others had “said” to the contrary.2
Murder Begins in the Heart (Matthew 5:21-26)
Anger itself is not necessarily sinful (cf. Eph. 4:26), but it is when generated for the wrong reason and/or expressed in the wrong way. Sinful anger leads to sinful actions, like murder, or sinful words, like hracá (Aramaic “empty head”) or moré (“fool”). The impulsive venting of hostility with hateful and insulting labels is what Jesus condemns. Although saying the English word “fool” is not inherently sinful (cf. Matt. 23:17), it is an English translation of Matthew’s Greek translation of Jesus’ Aramaic description of something irrationally spoken from a sinful heart – however that translates into English.
If a brother has something against you, you are responsible for trying to make it right (Matt. 5:23-24). If you have something against a brother, you are responsible for trying to make it right (Matt. 18:15).3
Adultery Begins in the Heart (Matthew 5:27-30)
Sexual sin stems from the premeditation of a lustful heart (cf. Matt. 15:19; Mark 7:21; 2 Pet. 2:14; also Acts 5:4; Job 31:1; Jer. 5:8). Jesus uses graphic imagery to stress the importance of ridding oneself of whatever leads to sin, and avoiding what he describes as géenna (Matt. 5:29-30). Plucking out the right eye and cutting off the right hand is hyperbolic, highlighting the seriousness of sin and its consequences. While the Grecized term géenna is rendered in most English versions as “hell,” it is derived from the Aramaic gēhannā and its Hebrew equivalent ge Hinnom, meaning “Valley of Hinnom.” Similar to picturing heaven with the most beautiful and precious things known to man (e.g., Rev. 21:11-21), the Lord portrays the destination of the wicked with imagery familiar to his listening audience. The most disgusting place imaginable was the rubbish dump outside of Jerusalem (the Valley of Hinnom), with decomposing carcasses and cadavers covered in maggots (“where their worm does not die”) and its perpetual smoldering (“and the fire is not quenched”) (see Mark 9:42-48).4
Divorce and Remarriage (Matthew 5:31-32)5
The current Jewish attitude toward divorce (succinctly stated in Matt. 5:31) had apparently become as lax as their attitude toward other moral issues discussed in this chapter. According to the Law of Moses, the death penalty could only be administered “on the testimony of two or three witnesses,” without which execution would be unlawful (Deut. 17:6-7; 19:15). In cases of adultery, the availability of two or three witnesses would have been so rare that divorce became an alternative (Deut. 24:1; cf. Matt. 1:19; 19:7-8).6
The term used in Matt. 5:32 to express the reason for the divorce is porneía, generally referencing any kind of “unlawful sexual intercourse” (BDAG 854). In the plural form it might be argued that this word “points out the various factors that may bring about sexual immorality” (ibid.), e.g., lust, fondling, licentiousness, etc., but in its singular form (as in Matt. 5:32; 19:9; etc.), it refers to the specific act of sexual intercourse.
Being remarried to someone else following an unlawful divorce, Jesus says, “is committing adultery.” The verb moicháō (along with its noun form moicheía) is a specific kind of porneía, namely “adultery,” i.e., consensual sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her legitimate spouse (cf. Lev. 18:20; 20:10; Deut. 22:22; Prov. 6:32; Matt. 5:28; John 8:3; Heb. 13:4). It follows that if a divorce occurs without divine sanction, God does not recognize the dissolution of the marriage, thus every time the unscripturally remarried couple engages in sex, they are committing the sexual sin of adultery.
A few chapters later Jesus is asked about the “cause” or “reason” for a lawful divorce, and he gives the same answer, reaffirming God’s intent from the beginning: one man and one woman for life (Matt. 19:3-6). He then contrasts the written Law of Moses (still subject to misinterpretation) with what “I say to you” (vv. 7-9). There are divorces the Lord does not sanction and remarriages the Lord does not sanction, and vice versa (cf. also Mark 10:1-12).
--Kevin L. Moore
Endnotes:
1 Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the New King James Version (1996).
2 The so-called Golden Rule (“do unto others ...”) is cited in the same discourse (Matt. 7:12), and just because it summarizes “the Law and the Prophets” does not mean it is no longer applicable as a fundamental principle in Christ’s new covenant system.
3 See K. L. Moore, “Conflict Resolution (Part 1),” Moore Perspective (17 June 2026), <Link>, + accompanying Link (Part 2).
4 See K. L. Moore, “One of the Worst Things About Hell,” Moore Perspective (9 Dec. 2012), <Link>.
5 See K. L. Moore, “Divorce and Remarriage (Part 2),” Moore Perspective (7 May 2015), <Link>.
6 In John 8:3-11 Jesus upheld the Law while the scribes and Pharisees were in violation of it. Both parties who were guilty of adultery (not just one) were to be punished (Deut. 22:22), but only on the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deut. 17:6), and the witnesses were to cast the first stones (Deut. 17:7). Without these legal requirements, neither Jesus nor anyone else could lawfully condemn her (to death). See K. L. Moore, “The Pericopae Adulterae,” Moore Perspective (12 Sept. 2018), <Link>.
Related Posts: Matthew 5:17-20, Sermon on the Mount: Part 1
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