Matthew what does it mean

That's why it is so important they do the good works God gives them to do. It is how those in the darkness of the world will see God. Like lamps give light to a dark room, or salt prevents decay in food, Christian influence is meant to counter evil and despair Matthew — Jesus then makes it clear He has not come to do away with "the Law or the Prophets. They are not being dismissed, but Jesus has come to satisfy them. His mission is not to discard those commandments, but to bring them to their full and complete purpose.

In order to do that, Jesus explains the deeper meaning of those commands. This begins with a remark about exceeding the righteousness of the infamously strict scribes and Pharisees. His point is twofold: their righteousness is superficial, and no person can be good enough to earn heaven on their own Matthew — What does it mean to have a righteousness that surpasses that of Israel's religious leaders?

Jesus explains this with a series of examples using a pattern of "you have heard…but I say. Rather, Jesus' point is to explain that there is something more to God's commandments than bare legalism. In each case, Jesus explains that merely avoiding physical sin is not "good enough. Avoiding murder follows the sixth commandment Exodus Yet truly following that commandment, as God intended, also means not harboring unrighteous anger.

Anger is not exactly identical to murder, but anger is a sin just as much as murder is a sin. Christians ought to seek reconciliation, both with God and with others, rather than face judgment Matthew — The seventh commandment forbids adultery Exodus , but God means something more than merely avoiding physical acts.

The phrasing Jesus uses here implies active thinking: the choice to dwell, fantasize, or "ogle" someone. It can also mean making efforts to tempt another person into sin. Lustful thoughts are not exactly the same as physical adultery—but they are every bit as sinful.

With that in mind, Jesus makes deliberately exaggerated statements about the danger of our urges. It's better to be maimed or blinded, rather than to let our natural instincts drag us into hell Matthew — Divorce, in Jesus' era, was given very loose restrictions.

In practice, men could dismiss their wives for virtually any reason. God's command about divorce was not a sign of His approval Deuteronomy —4 , it was meant to protect women from unfair treatment. Jesus shreds selfish attitudes towards marriage by saying no divorce is valid except in cases such as sexually immorality. Marriage is not something we are meant to put on and take off like a coat. It has sacred implications and should be treated accordingly Matthew — Jesus also dismissed the use of casual oaths.

This does not mean wedding vows, courtroom oaths, or contracts. Jesus is speaking of sealing promises with some kind of "I swear by…" statement. While the Old Testament allowed for oaths in the name of God Leviticus , people of Jesus' era would swear on lesser things, often to excuse later violations. People even today will add "I cross my heart…" or "I swear…" to suggest a promise is sincere.

Since this implies the person's word is not always trustworthy, Jesus says such oaths are evil Matthew — Christ also refers to the Old Testament's law of retaliation Deuteronomy As with prior teachings, Jesus' meaning here is about the hearts and motivations of God's people.

This does not mean Christians should never have any money, or own property, or that they cannot have a bank account. Paul will teach clearly that believers must provide for their families 1 Timothy and wisdom demands some planning for even our temporary future on earth Proverbs —8.

Wealth is like any other blessing from God 1 Timothy and can be used according to His purposes. What is dangerous is becoming dependent on worldly wealth—crossing the line into greed or materialism. Those heart questions are the issues Jesus will challenge in the following verses.

Under the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter preaches the initial sermon as the church is born and 3, people come to faith in Christ in a single day Acts 2. Peter, though, is far from infallible and his faith falters on several occasions, both before Christ's death and resurrection Matthew and during the time of the apostles Galatians — However, the church—the collection of all people who come to faith in Christ as Savior——exists only because of the central truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

That is the power that keeps the gates of hell from overcoming those who are in Christ, His people, the church. Most English translations follow the pattern of the ESV: "the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

Jesus' reference to the days of John the Baptist likely means the time of John's ministry before he was imprisoned Matthew The most direct meaning of these words seems to be that when Jesus began His public ministry, the kingdom of heaven was beginning on earth in the form of Jesus and His followers.