Verse by Verse

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

These verses seem like a continuation of the thought in Matthew 6:25-34 — don’t worry about material things, ask God and He will provide. But Matthew 7:1-6, regarding not judging but being discerning, comes in between. Some of the commentaries say that the Lord was telling His disciples here that He will given them the wisdom to know when to judge.

The commentaries all bring James and Paul back to this passage and try to make Jesus’ words mean what they meant when those writers taught about prayer, but there’s no way the Lord’s hearers at this time could have known that further, future revelation.

This passage fits naturally with such passages as Matthew 18:19 and 21:22, both related to the Messianic Kingdom. We today had better thank God that we do not receive everything we ask God for, even in faith, for the apostle Paul, in Romans 8:26 declares that “we know not what we should pray for as we ought,” and we know that he himself “besought the Lord thrice” that he might be delivered from his “thorn in the flesh,” only to have the Lord assure him: “My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).

But this same apostle assures us that though we may not receive all we ask for in faith, God is working all out for our good (Romans 8:28) and that He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20). Thus the divine instruction: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep [guard, defend] your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). — Stam, pages 106-107.

I think Stam has a very good point, because God certainly did NOT give Paul what he asked for, and Philippians 4 certainly does NOT say that He will. To get around this, Christians have come up with the formula that God answers prayer with “yes,” “no” or “wait,” but that’s not Scriptural. That’s just an explanation to get around the fact that God doesn’t currently answer prayer the way Matthew 7 says He will. But He did with His disciples when He sent them out to minister without provisions, and He will in the Millennial Kingdom.

1 Judge not, that you be not judged.

2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

6 Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

judge (v.1) — referring to motives (Romans 14:3-13; 1 Corinthians 4:5). We are to discern and judge sinful outward actions

The strict meaning of the word “judge” is to distinguish, to decide; and the variety of applications possible to such a word is evidenced by the fact of the variety of ways in which it is translated in our New Testament. In the KJV it is translated in all these ways: avenge, condemn, decree, esteem, go to law, ordain, sentence to, think, conclude, damn, determine, judge, sue at the law, call in question. There is no value in that grouping save as it reveals the fact that the simplest thought in the word is that of distinguishing decision. Sometimes the decision may be adverse, sometimes it may express itself as a decree determined upon, sometimes it may express itself as a sentence to be carried out. All these varieties are seen in the translations made use of. The simplest thought is that of distinguishing, coming to a decision. Sometimes it runs out into action, sometimes it conditions a passive position. Therefore its particular sense must always be determined by the context. Here, evidently, the Lord did not use the word “judge’ in the sense of forbidding us to discriminate, to distinguish, to decide. There can be no doubt whatever that He used it of coming to adverse conclusion in the sense of condemnatory censoriousness. “Judge not,” condemn not, come to no final decision, do not usurp the throne of judgment or pass a sentence, or find a final verdict.” — Morgan, page 72.

Verse 2 is saying that those who judge will be judged by the same standards they use to judge others.

speck (v.3) = small chip of wood, piece of sawdust, mote

plank (v.3) — some commentaries state that this is from a word that means “splinter,” not a huge board of lumber. But either way, it’s referring to something larger and more incapacitating than a mote

hypocrite (v.5) = actor, one who wears a mask

He did not say, “Then shalt thou see clearly the mote,” but, “Then shalt thou see clearly to cast it out.” The man with the beam is the man who is looking for the mote, and beholding it. Notice the question, “Why beholdest thou the mote?” You criticize it, you attack it, but you cannot move it. Get the beam out of your own eye, get the passion for criticism removed, get the … endeavor to find the mote destroyed; and then you will see clearly, not the mote, but how to remove it. The power for removing the mote to which you object lies, not in the acuteness of your vision, but in the passionate love which makes you desire to remove it. And so with the beam of censoriousness and criticism gone, you will be able to take the mote out of your brother’s eye. — Morgan, page 73.

Verse 6 is saying that, while we should not judge quickly or with hypocrisy, we should use discernment and not get close to those who reject the truth.

The issue here, as I see it, is setting up your own standards of righteousness, especially as relating to motives, as the Pharisees did, and then judging others by those standards. The Lord isn’t saying that we shouldn’t judge based on truth.

The Lord Himself in John 7:24, said “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”

Surely our Lord indicated by these words that His hearers should judge — fairly and rightly, though hypocrites (as in Matthew 7:1-5) should take care not to judge at all. Thus God calls upon His people, not merely to judge others, but to be such as are qualified, morally and spiritually, to judge in matters where truth and error, and right and wrong conduct, are concerned. — Stam, page 114.

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing

26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

therefore (v.25) — referring back to “you cannot serve God and mammon” in v.24.

stature (v.27) = age, length of life — so the phrase “add one cubit unto his stature” is an idiomatic term for lengthening one’s life

toil (v.28) — the man’s work of growing flax

spin (v.28) — the woman’s work of weaving flax

oven (v.30) — in that culture, grass was used for fuel

Toward superabundance, as we have seen [in vs. 19-24], they are to be without covetousness. We will now consider their attitude towards necessary things, which is, that they are to be without care. — Morgan, page 67.

All of my commentaries (except Stam, below) attempted to apply these verses to Christians today. They universally ignore the simple fact that the Lord does not always supply the necessities to Christians today. Believers suffer, get sick, starve, and die at the same rate that non-believers do.

Some commentaries tried to twist what the Lord said to mean that we should work to provide ourselves with the necessities, but we shouldn’t worry about them.

Not one of them mentioned the fact that the Lord, in verse 32, contrasts His listeners with the Gentiles. And yes, at that point in time, to be a Gentile was to be a non-believer, but the Lord’s use of the term also demonstrates that this passage doesn’t apply to us today.

So to whom does it apply? To believing Jews of that day (and during the Tribulation — Matthew 24:15-18). It was only a short time later, when the Lord sent His apostles out to witness about the kingdom that He told them: Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food (Matthew 10:9-10). For that group of people, at that point in time, the Lord miraculously provided all their needs.  Keep in mind that in Acts, Paul had to collect money from the Gentile churches to feed the starving, believing Jews in Jerusalem. The Lord wasn’t providing their material needs any more because the kingdom had been postponed.

Today we find ourselves in a situation where it would be dangerous and wrong to follow our Lords’ instructions to refrain from laying up store for the future. Rather we must now again heed the Scripture which says: Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise … [She] provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest (Proverbs 6:6-8).

That this last should be our mode of life during “this present evil age,” is clear from the Spirit-inspired words of the apostle Paul, who wrote to the Thessalonians: For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

And it was on the authority of the glorified Lord that the apostle wrote to Timothy: But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8). — Stam, pages 75-76.

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

lay (vs.19 and 20) — a form of the same word as that translated “treasures” (vs.19 and 20) — “treasure not treasures”

treasures (vs.19-20) — There is a peculiar quality in the Greek word which is not suggested by our word “treasure.” Very literally the idea is to place something horizontally. There are other Greek words which mean to place something perpendicularly.  What was meant by placing horizontally? To place in a passive condition, as the word which indicates to place something perpendicularly means putting it in an active relationship. This word means to lay something aside horizontally — that is, to store something up, to keep it; not to place something perpendicularly, ready for activity and work, but to hoard it. — Morgan, page 64.

good (v.22) = single, unified — sees everything true — focused on things of heaven

bad (v.23) = out of order — focused on things of earth

mammon (v.24) = riches, treasure

The Jewish philosophy toward money was expressed in their statement, “Whom the Lord loveth, He maketh rich.” In Deuteronomy 28 God promised that He would bless the people materially if they walked in obedience to the word of God, and He also promised to discipline them by reducing them to want and poverty if they disobeyed. The Jews thought riches were a sure sign of God’s pleasure and blessing. In Christ’s day their highest goal in life was to accumulate material wealth. But Christ taught that material goals may be lost to thieves, moths, or rust. Thus what is material is temporary, not permanent. On the other hand, one may store up in heaven treasure that is eternal and permanent. In accumulating treasure there is the danger that one will love what is accumulated. It follows that what is loved will enslave the person. — Pentecost, page 184.

 What Pentecost doesn’t mention, but should, is that the promises made in Deuteronomy 28 were made to the entire nation, not individuals, and that they apply to the period of the law. Christ, in this sermon, however, was speaking of the period of the kingdom and preparing His disciples for the way they should live in preparation for it. Of course, during the kingdom itself, the nation will be blessed because their focus will be on Christ because the law will be written on their hearts.

We must not lose sight here of its Jewish application. When our Lord sent forth His disciples in the tenth chapter to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom He gave them instructions how they should go about, depending in all things upon their Father in heaven. The disciples thus sent forth with the preaching of the Kingdom Gospel are the types of another Jewish remnant which is to preach once more in a future day the same Gospel, “The Kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh.” — Gaebelein, pages 144-145.

True, but the basic principle applies under the reign of grace.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-3)

 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness (1 Timothy 6:9-11).

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place;and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

When you fast (v.16) — a reference both to fasting prescribed under the Mosaic law in connection with the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29) and the voluntary fast of that day. The Pharisees added two fast days, on Monday and Thursday of each week, as a case of public display and piety. The true purpose of fasting was intended, however, for deep contrition and spiritual communion. Fasting was especially emphasized as an effective means of dealing with temptation (cf. Isaiah 58:6). The Pharisees regarded the practice of fasting as meritorious and appeared in the synagogues negligently attired. Their sad disfigurement of face and the wearing of mourning garb gave them an opportunity to exhibit their superior ascetic sanctity before the people.  — King James Bible Commentary, page 1185

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The Pharisees fasted every Monday and Thursday; and since it happened opportunely that these were the days when the synagogue met, it was given them to display themselves to the assembled worshipers in their guise of woe. Their fasting was not merely abstinence from meat and drink. They did not wash or anoint themselves, they went barefoot, and they sprinkled ashes on their heads, “making their faces unsightly that they might be a sight to men in their fasting.” — Pentecost, page 184.

anoint your head and wash your face (v.17) — look as you usually do when you go out

Not surprisingly, my commentaries have little to say about verses 14 and 15 because they so clearly don’t fit in with our concept of forgiveness under grace and they don’t wish to make this distinction. There is a passing mention that the forgiveness here is not the forgiveness connected with salvation, but refers to the comfort God gives those who are penitent. Of course, that distinction wasn’t made by the Lord in this sermon because His audience was still under law, and His words meant just what they said. Once again, as through this entire sermon, He was explaining God’s standards for any who tried to attain a right standing with God through works — with the  end purpose of demonstrating that it couldn’t be done.

The fasting the Lord refers to here was fasting under the Old Testament law. During the Transition Period, fasting was voluntary (1 Corinthians 7:5). Paul never referred to it in his epistles written after the end of the Transition Period.

 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Our Father in heaven (v.9) — In Exodus 4:22 we read, “… Thus saith the Lord, Israel is My son, even My firstborn,”

Our Lord insisted on this when He replied to a pleading Gentile woman, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and cast it to dogs” (Matthew 15:26).

But in what sense were the people of Israel God’s children? Had they all been born again? Certainly not. Nicodemus was an Israelite but he had not been born again (John 3:3-10).

When God said to Pharaoh, “Let My son go” (Exodus 4:22-23) He referred, of course, to the nation. It was a national matter, based on a covenant relationship. Thus we read in Hosea 11:1-2: “When Israel was a child, I loved Him, and called My son out of Egypt.” 

It was in this covenant relationship that the Lord, in His Sermon on the Mount, spoke to His disciples about the Fatherhood of God, with the desire that each might know God as his Father in a deeper sense. — Stam, page 91.

hallowed (v.9) = held in reverence and awe

in heaven (v.9) = in “the heavens” — in the universe

in heaven (v.10) — singular, as distinguished from earth

Your kingdom come; Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven (v.10) — At our Lord’s birth the multitude of the heavenly host had praised God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

It was nothing less than the millennial kingdom the angels heralded that day and this is what the disciples were told to pray for. Thus they were instructed to proclaim the kingdom: “And as ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7).

They were told to practice the kingdom. “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give, provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses” (Matthew 10:8-9).

They were told to pray for the kingdom. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

Indeed, our Lord later promised His twelve apostles twelve thrones in that kingdom. “Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). Stam, pages 92-93

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give us this day our daily bread (v.11) — They [the disciples] had given up even their daily employment to follow the Lord Jesus, and He had told them: “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on … consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls” (Luke 12:22, 24).

This was all in line with the kingdom program, and it explains why the disciples were told to pray “give us this day our daily bread,” with the assurance that this would be provided. — Stam, page 93

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And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors (v.12) — Let us not neutralize this clear statement, for our Lord had no more than finished the prayer, than He said, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

There is a difference, of course, between the judicial forgiveness, or justification, proclaimed in Romans and the parental forgiveness obviously referred to here. Nevertheless salvation by grace through faith alone had not yet been manifested. These were the standards of the kingdom to be established on earth, and the subjects of this kingdom were given no hope of receiving forgiveness if they did not forgive others. — Stam, page 94

temptation (v.13) = testing

The English word “temptation” had a broader meaning when our Bibles were translated, than we give it today. It meant trial or testing, and the prayer “Lead us not into temptation,” evidently refers to the great tribulation, “the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

This throws light upon the last part of the phrase, “Deliver us from the evil one.” In Revelation 12:12, we read concerning the great tribulation, that “the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time,” i.e., before he is judged and Christ reigns. — Stam, pages 95-96.

evil one (13) — Satan

The latter part of verse 13, beginning with “For Yours …” is not in the best manuscripts.

This sample prayer appears right after the Lord’s instructions to avoid repetitions and to pray alone in secret.

This perfect model of prayer was given by our Lord to His disciples to be used by them individually and previously to the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was then all on Jewish ground; they were Jewish believers and as such they received this model prayer and used it in the transition state. There came a day when our Lord said another word to these very disciples who had come to Him with the request, “Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples.” It was in the upper room where He spoke all the precious words concerning the Comforter, all that which was so new, altogether new, that which would take them upon a new ground. He said, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full … In that day you will ask in My name …(John 16:24, 27). — Gaebelein, page 140

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When the Church is taken from the earth a believing Jewish remnant will give the witness and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom once more. They will undoubtedly use this prayer during the great tribulation through which they will pass, the tribulation in which the evil one is in the earth and famine and many temptations will abound. Then can they truthfully ask, “Give us this day our daily bread — lead us not into temptations — deliver us from the evil one,” which is the personal Antichrist. “Thy kingdom come.” This prayer will be answered, deliverance will come for them from heaven in the coming of the King. — Gaebelein, page 143

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

vain repetitions (v.7) = babbling, speaking without thinking

openly (v.6) — this probably belongs here, although it doesn’t appear in some manuscripts

The issue here is obviously motive. The Lord was telling the Jews that if they pray to impress others, the regard of others is all the reward they could expect to receive. But I also think that He’s telling them to pray in secret so others don’t think they’re praying to impress people.

My commentaries hastened to add that the Lord wasn’t forbidding public prayer, just public prayer with the wrong motives. This is something I’ve often wondered about. There are examples in Scripture of believers praying together, but are there examples of the sort of public prayers so common today in which one person takes requests and then prays publicly on the behalf of the others? I’m not aware of any.

And as with giving in the previous verses, under the law people prayed and God responded with rewards, or blessings. Under grace, we pray in response to who we already are and what we already have in Christ. Prayer will result in spiritual blessings — peace, wisdom, patience. It’s a means to tap into things we already have access to in Christ.

1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

charitable deeds (v.1) — from a word closely aligned with the word “merciful”

trumpet (v.4) — This is a picture of the popular method of the hour in which Jesus lived. It is an actual piece of portraiture. Some Pharisee, intending to distribute gifts, would come to a conspicuous place in the city, and blow a small silver trumpet, at which there would gather round him the maimed, the halt, the blind. Then, with a great show of generosity, he would scatter gifts upon them. — Morgan, page 60.

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Christ had previously pronounced blessing on the merciful (Matthew 5:7). The giving of alms was designed to be a display of mercy. The need represented an opportunity; it made it possible for the giver to demonstrate the love of God by meeting the need. The Pharisees had perverted the showing of mercy by using it to demonstrate their piety. They tried to impress men with their liberality. This was so prevalent that beggars sought to station themselves at the approaches to the temple so that they might receive alms from the Pharisees as they entered. 

Almsgiving was part of the service in the synagogue, and there we may believe that our Lord gave what He could out of His slender means. There is a veiled irony in the declaration “They have received their reward,” and this adds to its impressive severity. “They receive their pay then and there, and they receive it in full … God owes them nothing. They were not giving, but buying. They wanted the praise of men, they paid for it, and they have got it. The transaction is ended and they can claim nothing more. — Pentecost, page 182.

Of course, under grace, we don’t give in order to receive a reward from men or from God. We give in response to who we are and what we have in Christ. But the principle of serving quietly and without show remains the same.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

love your neighbor (v.43) — Leviticus 19:18-34

Hate your enemy (v.43) — not in Scripture as such (although it had become part of the thinking of the day and is found in the Dead Sea Scrolls), but maybe based on Deuteronomy 23:6

tax collectors (v.46) — Jews, employed by Rome, who collected taxes and exploited their countrymen for their own gain. They were hated and despised by all.

As I expected by this point, the failure to view this passage in context led to incorrect conclusions. Jesus was still demonstrating how God’s standards are so much stricter than the Pharisees’ interpretation of the law. “The law says … But I say …” He sums up this section in verse 48 by stating that if they love as God loves, then (therefore) they will be perfect as God is perfect.

Exactly. If they live by God’s standard of perfection, they will be perfect and righteous as God is perfect and righteous and will not be in need of salvation. But they don’t, and they can’t, and that’s the point.

Here are some of the commentaries views:

Since the New Testament makes it clear that even the believer is capable of sin, the term “perfect” here is not to be taken as absolute sinless perfection. Rather, it is used in relation to the matter of love in this context. “As God’s love is complete, not omitting any group, so must the child of God strive for maturity in this regard.” — King James Bible Commentary, page 1182

But that’s not what it says. That’s just redefining “perfect” to fit what the author thinks it should mean.

Perfection here refers to uprightness and sincerity of character with the thought of maturity in godliness or attaining the goal of conformity to the character of God. While sinless perfection is impossible, godliness, in its biblical concept, is attainable. — Walvoord, page 51.

“Attaining the goal of conformity to the character of God …” As believers, we are given the righteousness of Christ, which is perfect. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). But that wasn’t a truth that was ever revealed to Jesus’ audience — or to anybody else until after the resurrection.

The perfection of God is the standard for entrance into Messiah’s kingdom. Pharisaic precepts, concerned as they were with the externals of the law, could not make the individual perfect and acceptable to God. Only Jesus Christ can purify the mind and heart so that the life is transformed, making the individual acceptable to God. — Pentecost, page 181.

“Making the individual acceptable to God.” I’m thankful I never have to stand before God on the basis of my own righteousness or purity, hoping I’ve achieved a level that is acceptable.  BUT, even if I’m being picky about words, and Pentecost is saying we are acceptable in Christ, this wasn’t a truth revealed to this audience. Nobody who heard the Sermon on the Mount could have possibly come to this conclusion.

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’

39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

it was said (v.38) — Exodus 21:24 — This instruction was included in the law to prevent excessive vengeance and end feuds. The Pharisees evidently used it to exact strict payments for all wrongs.

tunic (v.40) — undergarment

cloak (v.40) — more expensive outer garment worn over the tunic

one mile (v.41) — In order to transport goods from one place to another, a Roman soldier had the right to requisition a person to carry his things. But to protect the conquered citizens from injustice, the Roman law said that a soldier could compel one to carry his burden for only one mile. But Christ said if one is conscripted to carry a burden, righteousness will compel him to carry it two miles. The believer was not to stand on legal rights and stop when the law had been satisfied. — Pentecost, page 181.

The commentaries hedge here by saying that these are attitudes we are supposed to have today to be effective witnesses, but that they are to be taken figuratively. Walvoord does say:

In the millennial kingdom, such high standards could be literally enforced. It is not clear whether Jesus expected immediate compliance. Jesus Himself was unresisting as He went to the cross. Paul, however, claimed his rights as a Roman citizen when falsely accused. The principle should probably be construed as being illustrated here but not applicable to every conceivable situation. What might work with the King present in the millennial kingdom might not work in the mystery form of the kingdom with the King absent. — Walvoord, pages 50-51.

I’m glad he sees the connection between this message and the Millennial Kingdom. And I’m glad he doesn’t try to apply it to the church age (the mystery), since there was no hint of the mystery in any of the Lord’s preaching — as revealed by Paul who repeatedly affirmed that it had been completely hidden before it was given to him.

Yes, Jesus was speaking of the Millennial Kingdom, which He taught was at hand. And yes, the high standards He demanded in this passage will be kept in the kingdom because Israel then will have the law written on their hearts.

But there’s no reason to separate this section from the verses that come immediately before. Once again, Jesus was taking the Pharisees’ interpretation of the law as outward observance and ramping things up to show that God’s standard was righteousness of the heart. A truly righteous man would behave by these principles, BUT THERE IS NO TRULY RIGHTEOUS MAN and, therefore, nobody could possibly live up to God’s standards. Jesus was proving that all men are sinners.

Much later, this was all revealed to Paul who wrote: Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20).

And while this truth hadn’t yet been revealed when Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, an honest listener in the crowd that day would be driven toward the same conclusion — “Wow, I can never live up to that standard. I better listen to this man and see if there’s any way out of my predicament.” And there was — to place faith in Him as the prophesied Messiah and trust Him to save while observing the law as much as humanly possible.