If You Salute Your Brothers Only Matthew 5:47

Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples if their “righteousness” did not “exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees” they would, “in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus then shared about “murder, adultery, swearing turning the other cheek and giving and lending to those who ask”, and He told His disciples, “You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Jesus continued, “For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans the same?”, and in chapter five and verse forty-seven of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus asked His disciples, “if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others” where we read:

And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? do not even the publicans so?

The verse reads, “And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others?” Matthew began with the words, “and if you salute” which means “and whether you greet, bid welcome and wish well” “your brethren only” which means “the disciples' fellow believers who are united to another by the bond of affection” “what do you more” or “what greater thing or way are the disciples making ready, preparing and producing” “than others” which refers to “than other people carry out and execute”. Jesus employed a second example of “loving” others as he used “greeting” one another like everyone else does to someone they know.

The verse goes on to say, “do not even the publicans so?” Matthew continues with the words, “do not even” which means “” “the publicans“ or “the tax gatherers, collectors of taxes or tolls and ones who is employed by a tax collector or farmer general in the collection of taxes” “so” which means “in this manner and thus”. Jesus questioned His disciples whether they knew that “tax collectors” also “love” those who “love” them.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how people who know and care for one another naturally greet and wish each other well. Some of the most wicked people in the world have others whom they “salute”, so if the disciples and we “greet” others who “greet” us, how are we any different? Jesus' directive was to “care” for and “respect” people who are different than they, and when a relationship with God is established through Jesus Christ His Son, they become able to “salute” others who are different than them.

Next time Jesus tells the disciples, “be you therefore perfect”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.