Matthew

Take-Aways

Part of the impulse that leads to our misuse of creation is a natural desire to ensure that our needs, and those of our families, are met. It is right and appropriate for us to look to the gifts of creation to meet our needs for food, fuel, shelter etc. What we must remember is that our ultimate reliance must not be on ourselves, but on God. Our primary concern should be to trust and obey. God provides graciously for the beautiful lilies of the field; even more so will God provide for humanity, who is made in God’s image. We must care for the earth that has been entrusted to us, and God will care for us.

Calvin’s Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom31.ix.lix.html?scrBook=Matt&scrCh=6&scrV=25#ix.lix-p2.1

Throughout the whole of this discourse, Christ reproves that excessive anxiety, with which men torment themselves, about food and clothing, and, at the same time, applies a remedy for curing this disease. When he forbids them to be anxious, this is not to be taken literally, as if he intended to take away from his people all care. We know that men are born on the condition of having some care; and, indeed, this is not the least portion of the miseries, which the Lord has laid upon us as a punishment, in order to humble us. But immoderate care is condemned for two reasons: either because in so doing men tease and vex themselves to no purpose, by carrying their anxiety farther than is proper or than their calling demands; or because they claim more for themselves than they have a right to do, and place such a reliance on their own industry, that they neglect to call upon God. We ought to remember this promise: though unbelievers shall “rise up early, and sit up late, and eat the bread of sorrows,” yet believers will obtain, through the kindness of God, rest and sleep. Though the children of God are not free from toil and anxiety, yet, properly speaking, we do not say that they are anxious about life: because, through their reliance on the providence of God, they enjoy calm repose.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible

Evil of Being Worldly-Minded

Worldly-mindedness is a common and fatal symptom of hypocrisy, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and faster hold of the soul, under the cloak of a profession of religion. Something the soul will have, which it looks upon as the best thing; in which it has pleasure and confidence above other things. Christ counsels to make our best things the joys and glories of the other world, those things not seen which are eternal, and to place our happiness in them. There are treasures in heaven. It is our wisdom to give all diligence to make our title to eternal life sure through Jesus Christ, and to look on all things here below, as not worthy to be compared with it, and to be content with nothing short of it. It is happiness above and beyond the changes and chances of time, an inheritance incorruptible. The worldly man is wrong in his first principle; therefore all his reasonings and actions there from must be wrong. It is equally to be applied to false religion; that which is deemed light is thick darkness. This is an awful, but a common case; we should therefore carefully examine our leading principles by the word of God, with earnest prayer for the teaching of his Spirit. A man may do some service to two masters, but he can devote himself to the service of no more than one. God requires the whole heart, and will not share it with the world. When two masters oppose each other, no man can serve both. He who holds to the world and loves it, must despise God; he who loves God, must give up the friendship of the world.

Trust in God commended

There is scarcely any sin against which our Lord Jesus more warns his disciples, than disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of this life. This often insnares the poor as much as the love of wealth does the rich. But there is a carefulness about temporal things which is a duty, though we must not carry these lawful cares too far. Take no thought for your life. Not about the length of it; but refer it to God to lengthen or shorten it as he pleases; our times are in his hand, and they are in a good hand. Not about the comforts of this life; but leave it to God to make it bitter or sweet as he pleases. Food and raiment God has promised, therefore we may expect them. Take no thought for the morrow, for the time to come. Be not anxious for the future, how you shall live next year, or when you are old, or what you shall leave behind you. As we must not boast of tomorrow, so we must not care for tomorrow, or the events of it. God has given us life, and has given us the body. And what can he not do for us, who did that? If we take care about our souls and for eternity, which are more than the body and its life, we may leave it to God to provide for us food and raiment, which are less. Improve this as an encouragement to trust in God. We must reconcile ourselves to our worldly estate, as we do to our stature. We cannot alter the disposals of Providence, therefore we must submit and resign ourselves to them. Thoughtfulness for our souls is the best cure of thoughtfulness for the world. Seek first the kingdom of God, and make religion your business: say not that this is the way to starve; no, it is the way to be well provided for, even in this world. The conclusion of the whole matter is, that it is the will and command of the Lord Jesus, that by daily prayers we may get strength to bear us up under our daily troubles, and to arm us against the temptations that attend them, and then let none of these things move us. Happy are those who take the Lord for their God, and make full proof of it by trusting themselves wholly to his wise disposal. Let thy Spirit convince us of sin in the want of this disposition, and take away the worldliness of our hearts.

Take-Aways

The Great Commandment is repeated so often that it can be easy for us to not hear it with its full force. Love God and love neighbor; Jesus says that ALL of the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. See the sections “Creation Reveals the Glory of God” and “God Cares for and Sustains Creation” for examples of how loving God is tied to caring for God’s creation. God and creation are inextricably bound and true reverence for one appropriately leads to reverence for the other. In addition to loving God, we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. One need only look to the story of the Good Samaritan to know that Jesus has a very broad definition for who constitutes our neighbors (Luke 10:25-37). We love ourselves enough to ensure that we have food to eat and water to drink; we protect ourselves against the threat of illness and when natural disasters strike, we rebuild. Climate change is severely contributing to the global food crisis; 40% of the world’s population gets its drinking water from glaciers that are disappearing; diseases such as malaria, typhoid and yellow fever are one the rise due to climate change; the poor are 20 times more likely to be impacted by natural disasters. In light of these realities, what does it mean to love our neighbor as ourselves?

Calvin’s Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom31.ix.li.html?scrBook=Matt&scrCh=22&scrV=39#ix.li-p11.2

39. And the second is like it. He assigns the second place to mutual kindness among men, for the worship of God is first in order. The commandment to love our neighbors, he tells us, is like the first, because it depends upon it. For, since every man is devoted to himself, there will never be true charity towards neighbors, unless where the love of God reigns; for it is a mercenary love which the children of the world entertain for each other, because every one of them has regard to his own advantage. On the other hand, it is impossible for the love of God to reign without producing brotherly kindness among men.

Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible

The double love commandment, coming near the end of Jesus’ life, recalls his teaching on love for enemies in the Sermon on the Mount at the beginning of his public work (5: 43-48). The love commandments give further definition to the notion of just social relations and attitudes promoted by the Gospel. The demand of the law and the prophets can be summarized by the golden rule (7:12; cf. Hillel in b. Shab. 31a) or by the love commandments (22:40; cf. also 19:19, 24:12). Though may Christian interpreters have understood love as a rejection of the Jewish law (understood as legalistic and meaningless), Matthew is more concrete and demanding. Though love, especially faithful love (Heb. hesed), cannot be directly legislated, its framework may be outline with laws. The love commandments serve as the center of the law, giving to the Bible and Jesus’ teachings an order and thrust which characterize Matthew’s community and distinguish it from other Jewish communities and movements (p 1048).

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible

The Substance of the Commandments

An interpreter of the law asked our Lord a question, to try, not so much his knowledge, as his judgment. The love of God is the first and great commandment, and the sum of all the commands of the first table. Our love of God must be sincere, not in word and tongue only. All our love is too little to bestow upon him, therefore all the powers of the soul must be engaged for him, and carried out toward him. To love our neighbour as ourselves, is the second great commandment. There is a self-love which is corrupt, and the root of the greatest sins, and it must be put off and mortified; but there is a self-love which is the rule of the greatest duty: we must have a due concern for the welfare of our own souls and bodies. And we must love our neighbour as truly and sincerely as we love ourselves; in many cases we must deny ourselves for the good of others. By these two commandments let our hearts be formed as by a mould.

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary

37. you shall love: Jesus cites Deut 6:5. The “love” is not primarily a feeling but covenant fidelity, a matter of willing and doing. With all your heart . . . soul . . . mind: The rabbis stressed this part of the commandment: heart meant will, soul meant life, and strength meant wealth. Here Matthew has not translated “strength” but given another translation of “heart” as mind; cf. on 4:1-11. 38. Jesus sees the law as a unified whole. From the love of God all the other laws can be derived and supported. 39. Love your neighbor as yourself: Jesus now cites Lev 19:18, a less central text in Jewish liturgy, but one that becomes important in the NT (Matt 5:43; 19:19; Rom 13: 8-10; Gal 5: 14; Jas 2:8). The commandment includes a right form of self-love. The combination of these two commands is not clearly attested before Jesus and marks an important moral advance; cf. 1 John 3:17. 40. on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets: The rabbis said that the world hangs on Torah, Temple service, and deeds of loving-kindness – or, on truth, judgment, and peace (m. ’Abot 1:3, 18). Matthew makes the law itself depend upon deeds of love (p 666).

Matthew 25:31-45

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

Take-Aways

As with Micah 6:1-8, in this passage from Matthew, the requirement set for pleasing God is not right belief or profession of faith, but hinges on action. Jesus says, “I was hungry and you gave me food.” 100 million people could be forced into poverty as a result of the worsening food crisis. “I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.” More than one billion people are likely to face inadequate water supplies by 2050. “I was sick and you took care of me.” Diarrhea, malaria, and protein-energy malnutrition caused more than 3 million deaths worldwide in 2002. A rise of 1 degree Celsius in global temperatures will result in a spike of typhoid, malaria, and water borne illnesses. “Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” What is our responsibility to those vulnerable to and already suffering from the effects of climate change?

Calvin’s Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom33.ii.xxiii.html?scrBook=Matt&scrCh=25&scrV=31#ii.xxiii-p2.1

Christ does not here specify every thing that belongs to a pious and holy life, but only, by way of example, refers to some of the duties of charity, by which we give evidence that we fear God. For though the worship of God is more important than charity towards men, and though, in like manner, faith and supplication are more valuable than alms, yet Christ had good reasons for bringing forward those evidences of true righteousness which are more obvious. Accordingly, Christ does not make the chief part of righteousness to consist in alms, but, by means of what may be called more evident signs, shows what it is to live a holy and righteous life; as unquestionably believers not only profess with the mouth, but prove by actual performances, that they serve God. For to comfort mourners, to relieve those who are unjustly oppressed, to aid simple-minded men by advice, to deliver wretched persons from the jaws of wolves, are deeds of mercy not less worthy of commendation than to clothe the naked or to feed the hungry.

But while Christ, in recommending to us the exercise of charity, does not exclude those duties which belong to the worship of God, he reminds his disciples that it will be an authentic evidence of a holy life, if they practice charity, agreeably to those words of the prophet. Christ is telling us that our senses do not yet comprehend how highly he values deeds of charity, so now he openly declares, that he will reckon as done to himself whatever we have bestowed on his people.

New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary

Like the NT in general, Matthew has been very restrained, despite his apocalyptic orientation, in picturing what actually transpires when the Son of Man comes. This is the only scene with any details picturing the last judgment in the NT. To the reader’s surprise (ancient and modern), the criterion of judgment is not confession of faith in Christ. Nothing is said of grace, justification, or the forgiveness of sins. What counts is whether one has acted with loving care for the needy people. Such deeds are not a matter of “extra credit,” but constituted the decisive criterion of judgment presupposed in all of vv. 23-25, the “weightier maters of the Law” of 23:23.

Jesus has taught that self-giving care for others is the heart of the revealed will of God in the Torah and its hermeneutical key (5:17-48; 7:12, 22:34-40). The messianic king has lived out his teaching that his kingdom consists of service to others (20:28). The same word translated “minister” (Greek diakoneo) recurs here as the final summary of the deeds performed by the righteous and neglected by the condemned (25:44).

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary

This much-loved text presents a practical religion of deeds of loving-kindness, love of neighbor. It has been overinterpreted to say that neither faith in Christ nor membership in the church is necessary for salvation; but, in fact, it is addressed to Christian disciples, and discipleship is understood in a very bold way as identical with care of the needy. This is not a denial of faith; it is of the essence of faith . . . 40. As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me: This great answer identifies service to the needy with love of Christ. There is currently much debate over whether the “brethren” refers only to Christians or to any people in need. Note that in v 45 the world “brethren” is dropped. A glance at Matthew’s usage of the term in nonsibling contexts shows two senses: in on series (12:48-50; 18: 15, 21, 35; 23:8; 28:10) adelphos refers to a member of the Christian community; in other (5:22, 23, 24, 47; 7:3, 4, 5) it refers to any human being as the object of ethical duty. Verse 40 should be taken in this broader ethical sense. 41-43. This binary thinking may offend some. It stems from the deuteronomistic theology of a covenant conditioned by human obligation (as opposed to the covenant of unconditional divine commitment, represented in the NT by Paul’s theology). It presupposes human moral responsibility and conscience and God taking human actions seriously (p 669).