In 5:48 the Lord concludes this section by saying, “You, therefore, shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” For the kingdom people to be perfect as their Father is, is to be perfect in His love. They are the Father’s children, having the Father’s divine life and nature. Hence, they can be perfect like the Father. The demands of the new law of the kingdom can be met only by the divine life, not by the natural life. The kingdom of the heavens is the highest demand, and the divine life of the Father is the highest supply to meet this demand. The demand of the new law of the kingdom in Matthew 5 through 7 is actually the regenerated kingdom people’s expression from within their new life-the divine life. This demand, by opening up the inner being of the regenerated people, is to show them that they are able to attain to such a high degree.
The fourth section of the constitution of the kingdom (6:1-18) concerns the righteous deeds of the kingdom people. Verse 1 says, “Take heed not to do your righteousness before men to be gazed at by them; otherwise, you surely have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens.” Man’s flesh, seeking to glorify itself, always wants to do good deeds before men to be praised by them. But the kingdom people, who live in an emptied and humble spirit and walk in a pure and single heart under the heavenly ruling of the kingdom, are not allowed to do anything in the flesh for the praise of men, but must do all things in the spirit for the pleasing of their heavenly Father. The new law of the kingdom is given to them with the intention that they should keep it not by their fallen human life, but by the Father’s eternal divine life, not to gain man’s glory, but to receive the Father’s reward.
The living of the kingdom people is by the Father’s divine life according to their spirit. Thus, they are required to do good things in secret, not in public (vv. 3-4). Any public exhibition does not correspond to the mysterious hidden nature of the divine life.
In 6:19-34, the fifth section, we have the Lord’s word concerning the dealing of the kingdom people with riches. In verse 20 the Lord says, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” This is to give material things to the poor (Matt- 19:21) and to care for the needy saints (Acts 2:45; 4:34-35; 11:29; Rom. 15:26) and the Lord’s servants (Phil. 4:16-17). According to verse 21, the kingdom people must send their treasure to heaven so that their heart may also be in heaven.
In verse 24 the Lord goes on to say, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” “Mammon” is an Aramaic word signifying wealth, riches. Here mammon, standing in opposition to God, indicates that wealth or riches are the opponent of God, robbing God’s people of their service to Him.
As part of His word about anxiety, the Lord says, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (v. 33). The Father’s kingdom is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens today and its manifestation in the coming age; the Father’s righteousness is the righteousness by keeping the new law of the kingdom. Because the kingdom people seek first the kingdom and righteousness of their heavenly Father, not only His kingdom and His righteousness will be given to them, but also their necessities will be added.
In the next section, 7:1-12, we have Christ’s word concerning the principles of the kingdom people in dealing with others. He says, “Do not judge, lest you be judged; for with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you” (vv. 1-2). The kingdom people, living in a humble spirit under the heavenly ruling of the kingdom, always judge themselves, not others. Under the heavenly ruling of the kingdom, the kingdom people will be judged with what they judge. If they judge others with righteousness, they will be judged by the Lord with righteousness. If they judge others with mercy, they will be judged by the Lord with mercy.
Finally, in the last section (7:13-29) we have Christ’s teaching concerning the ground of the kingdom people’s living and work. Verses 13 and 14 say, “Enter in through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted which leads to life, and few are those who find it.” The gate is narrow and the way is constricted because the new law of the kingdom is stricter and the demand of the kingdom is higher than that of the old covenant. It deals not only with outward conduct but also with inward motive. The old man, the self, the flesh, the human concept, and the world with its glory are all excluded. Only that which corresponds to God’s will can enter in. First the kingdom people need to enter such a narrow gate and then walk in such a constricted way. To enter the gate is to begin walking the way, a way which is lifelong.
In verse 21 the Lord says, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens.” To enter into the kingdom of the heavens we need to call on the Lord and do the will of the heavenly Father. To call on the Lord suffices for us to be saved (Rom. 10:13), but to enter into the kingdom of the heavens we also need to do the will of the heavenly Father. Because entering into the kingdom of the heavens requires doing the will of the heavenly Father, it is clearly different from entering into the kingdom of God by being regenerated (John 3:3, 5). This latter is by the birth of the divine life; the former is by the living of that life.
In 7:24 the Lord goes on to say, “Everyone therefore who hears these words of Mine and does them shall be likened to a prudent man, who built his house on the rock.” The rock here refers to Christ’s wise word, the word that reveals the will of His Father. The kingdom people’s living and work must be founded on the word of Christ for the accomplishment of the will of the heavenly Father. This is to enter the narrow gate and walk the constricted way which leads to life.
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