John Wesley

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand - Although it is the peculiar business of Christ to establish the kingdom of heaven in the hearts of men, yet it is observable, he begins his preaching in the same words with John the Baptist…”

News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the…

“Through all Syria - The whole province, of which the Jewish country was only a small part. And demoniacs - Men possessed with devils: and lunatics, and paralytics - Men ill of the palsy, whose cases were of all others most deplorable and most helpless.”

and He began to teach them, saying:

“And he opened his mouth - A phrase which always denotes a set and solemn discourse; and taught them - To bless men; to make men happy, was the great business for which our Lord came into the world.”

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“No rhapsody, no incoherency, whether the things spoken be true or false, comes of the Spirit of Christ. For righteousness' sake - That is, because they have, or follow after, the righteousness here described.”

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again?

“Ye - Not the apostles, not ministers only; but all ye who are thus holy, are the salt of the earth - Are to season others.”

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

“So that this righteousness does not exceed theirs. But Christ teaches, that we ought not, for any cause, to be so angry as to call any man Raca, or fool.”

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

“But I say unto you, that ye resist not the evil man - Thus; the Greek word translated resist signifies standing in battle array, striving for victory.”

And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?

“Would to God this had been more attended to among the unhappy divisions and subdivisions, into which his Church has been crumbled!”

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

“Therefore ye shall be perfect; as your Father who is in heaven is perfect - So the original runs, referring to all that holiness which is described in the foregoing verses, which our Lord in the beginning of the chapter recommends as happiness, and in…”

“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“In the foregoing chapter our Lord particularly described the nature of inward holiness. In this he describes that purity of intention without which none of our outward actions are holy.”

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

“For thine is the kingdom - The sovereign right of all things that are or ever were created: The power - the executive power, whereby thou governest all things in thy everlasting kingdom: And the glory - The praise due from every creature, for thy…”

When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting.

“When ye fast? - Our Lord does not enjoin either fasting, alms- deeds, or prayer: all these being duties which were before fully established in the Church of God.”

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.

“The eye is the lamp of the body - And what the eye is to the body, the intention is to the soul.”

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

“The morrow shall take thought for itself - That is, be careful for the morrow when it comes. The evil thereof - Speaking after the manner of men. But all trouble is, upon the whole, a real good.”

For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you - Awful words! So we may, as it were, choose for ourselves, whether God shall be severe or merciful to us.”

Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine.

“Give not - to dogs - lest turning they rend you: Cast not - to swine - lest they trample them under foot.”

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask…

“To them that ask him - But on this condition, that ye follow the example of his goodness, by doing to all as ye would they should do to you.”

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

“The strait gate - The holiness described in the foregoing chapters. And this is the narrow way. Wide is the gate, and many there are that go in through it - They need not seek for this; they come to it of course.”

Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

“Beware of false prophets - Who in their preaching describe a broad way to heaven: it is their prophesying, their teaching the broad way, rather than their walking in it themselves, that is here chiefly spoken of.”

By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

“For a bad man preaching the good doctrine here delivered, is sometimes an instrument of converting sinners to God. Yet I do not aver, that all are true prophets who speak the truth, and thereby convert sinners.”

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

“We have prophesied - We have declared the mysteries of thy kingdom, wrote books; preached excellent sermons: In thy name done many wonderful works - So that even the working of miracles is no proof that a man has saving faith.”

Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’

“I never knew you - There never was a time that I approved of you: so that as many souls as they had saved, they were themselves never saved from their sins.”

Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

“A leper came - Leprosies in those countries were seldom curable by natural means, any more than palsies or lunacy. Probably this leper, though he might not mix with the people, had heard our Lord at a distance.”

Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”

“That he might not enrage the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, who were the most bitter against him, any more than was unavoidable, Matt. xvi, 20, 21.”

Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”

“And this he seems to have done, chiefly for one or more of these reasons: 1. To prevent the multitude from thronging him, in the manner related Mark i, 45. To fulfil the prophecy, Isaiah xlii, 1, that he would not be vain or ostentatious.”