SHOWERS

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Matthew 8:1-2 – When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.  And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

In the New Testament scriptures, leprosy is a somewhat generic term that can refer to any skin disease. However, in the Old Testament, it meant something more specific.

In ancient times, leprosy was a deadly, incurable skin disease which was characterized by smooth, shining, depressed white patches of skin.  The hair within the skin also turned white.  The disease causes the flesh to be anesthetized to pain, and thus a person could injure themselves severely and not even notice it.  The disease also caused wasting of muscle tissue, loss of hair and destruction of the bones and joints especially of the hands and feet.

• The person was considered unclean and was no longer allowed in the temple area.  This meant the person was cut off from God. 
• The person had to call out "unclean, unclean" anytime they were walking around and approached another person.  Since there is no cure, the leper was essentially dead while he still lived, and the crying out was a kind of mourning.
• [You can read the specifics of leprosy in Leviticus 13].

Of all the miracles that Jesus performed on earth, why do you suppose Matthew recorded this one?  Is it beneficial for us today?  Don't we have modern medicine to cure leprosy now?

It is easy to see why Matthew included this miracle when we consider that leprosy is symbolic of sin.

Sin is an incurable disease that we cannot heal.  It anesthetizes our conscience and deforms our lives.  It shuts us out of fellowship with our fellow man and it cuts us off from the presence of God.  When we are under the curse of sin, we are dead even while we live!

The leper in this narrative acknowledges that Jesus has the power to heal him, if he will.  What is Jesus response?

Matthew 8:3 – And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean."  And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

When you read the New Testament you can't help but notice that Jesus heals in many different ways.  Sometimes he spits and makes mud, sometimes he touches or speaks or has you stretch out your hand.

If I were going to heal this leper, I would probably have yelled "be healed" from about 100 yards away!  But Jesus doesn't do that, does he?  He chooses to do something very interesting – he touches the man with the incurable, contagious disease. 

The same is true for us.  We know that Jesus died and rose again; he is certainly capable of forgiving our sins.  Yet many people doubt that Jesus will forgive them.  If that is you, pay special attention to this passage of scripture.  There is no sin too horrible or black or disgusting for Jesus.  He wants to stretch out his hand of love and forgive you right now!  Just take a lesson from the leper – approach him humbly and simply ask.  He will not turn you away!

Matthew 8:4 – And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them."  

Jesus came not to overturn the law, but to fulfill it.  Thus, it was proper that the leper should go to the priest to be declared clean, according to the law.  This set in motion a couple of different things.

First, it gave the former leper a chance to witness about the healing he had received.  His testimony was confirmed by an impartial third party - the priest- therefore it was a fact that could not be disputed by those who tried to discredit Jesus.  It also afforded the cleansed man an opportunity to bring an offering of thanksgiving to God.

Second, it allowed the former leper to legally return to his people and the temple.  No longer was he cut off from God and man.  No longer was he dead while still living.

Third, it provided an opportunity for the cleansed leper to be obedient to the commands of Jesus.  God places a high value on obedience; he considers it much more valuable than sacrifice.

The spiritual implications for us are obvious.  When Jesus forgives our sin, we should be willing to bear witness to that fact.  We should be forever singing his praise and worshipping him for what he has done.  Because our sin has been forgiven by the blood of Christ, we are no longer cut off from man or God.  In fact, we can enter into God's throne room any time we wish!  No longer are we dead in our trespasses and sin.  Even though we have trials and tribulations in this life, we are safe in the hands of Jesus.

Matthew 8:5-7 – When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."

Matthew immediately records another healing by Jesus, though this one is far different from the leper.  In this instance, the request is being made by a centurion, a military man with authority over 100 soldiers.  This man was a Gentile, stationed in Capernum for the express purpose of keeping the Jews in line with Roman policy.

Given this, we might have expected him to ignore the plight of his servant altogether, to seek help from ordinary physicians or even turn to witchcraft.  Instead, we are surprised to learn that he seeks relief from the true God of Israel.  He may not have fully understood that Jesus was the incarnate Son of God, but he did understand and believe that the power of God flowed through Jesus.

His belief prompts him to seek Jesus for the healing of his servant, who is suffering badly.  Even the heathen come to Jesus to unburden their souls!  And as in the case of the leper, Jesus has compassion on the sinner and readily agrees to come and touch him.

Matthew 8:8-9 – But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.  And I say to one, 'Go' and he goes, and to another, 'Come' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this' and he does it.

Not only did the centurion believe that the power of God flowed through Jesus, he understood that authority in the spiritual realm is parallel to authority in the natural realm.  In the Roman army, the centurion had men over him in authority.  At the same time, we know he had 100 men under his authority.  Likewise, Jesus was submitting to his Father's authority while sickness, disease and every other form of evil had no choice but to submit to the Son of God.

Matthew 8:10 – When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.

What is the definition of faith?  Faith is belief in the truth of what is declared by another resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity.  It is confidence or trust in a person (or thing) resting solely on that person's authority, rather than proof.

In other words, it means believing what Jesus said simply because he was the one who said it!

Instead, they were constantly asking Jesus for a sign to verify or prove that he was the Son of God.

What about you?  Is your faith more like the Pharisees or the centurion?  Do you believe the promises you find in the Bible and live your life accordingly?  If not, why?

Matthew 8:11-12 – I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Here Jesus represents salvation/entrance to the kingdom of Heaven as a feast or banquet.  The 'sons' are the Jewish people, who felt that their status as descendants of Abraham was enough to get them into the kingdom.  Those who come from the 'east and west' are clearly Gentiles.

Jesus reveals two important truths here:

One, entrance to the kingdom of Heaven is not based on physical family lineage.  Contrary to popular belief, Jews were not guaranteed entrance to heaven just because they were descendants of Abraham; something else would be required.

Two, Jesus begins to reveal that God's ultimate plan is to include the Gentiles in the plan of salvation.  Those who were not physical descendants of Abraham could still be admitted into the kingdom of heaven.

To us, this seems normal.  We grew up with the understanding that God accepts anyone into his kingdom as long as they turn to the blood of Jesus for forgiveness of sin.  But this was a radical concept for the Jews back in the days of Jesus.  The separation between the Jews and Gentiles was so great, only the Spirit of God was wise enough and strong enough to unite the two groups together into a single church/body of Christ.

Matthew 8:13 – And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed."  And the servant was healed at that very moment.

The servant received his healing; the centurion received an answer to his prayer and a confirmation of his faith.

Matthew 8:14-15 – And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.  He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.

Peter invited Jesus to his house.  Jesus willingly came.  When Jesus entered this situation, the first thing he did was to bring peace and healing to all that were in the house.  Peter's mother-in-law was immediately healed of her fever.  She responded to that healing by ministering to Jesus and his disciples.

Do you have situations in your life that need the touch of Jesus?  Why not invite him in right now?  He will bring peace and healing when he comes.  You can then glorify his name through praise and worship.  You can also testify to his goodness by assisting others who may be enduring the same fiery trial.

Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Sickness and difficulties can happen to anyone, even to people of faith who are diligently serving God.  We can't stop the trials from coming, but we can always turn to Jesus in our times of need.  He is a very present help in the time of trouble.

Matthew 8:16-17 – That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.  This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases."

Why do you suppose they waited until evening to seek out Jesus?  The answer lies in the way the Jews counted their days.  We hold that a day begins and ends at midnight.  For the Jews, the day begins and ends at sunset.  Since no work could be performed on the Sabbath day, the Jews waited until sunset or the end of the Sabbath, to bring the sick to Jesus.

Those who took the time to come to him were not disappointed.  He healed every sick person who came. Now is a good time to mention that these healings were not limited to just physical ailments.  Jesus also healed (and continues to heal) emotional scars as well as mental ailments including, but not limited to: fear, anxiety and depression. All of our healing, as well as the forgiveness of our sin, was foretold in Isaiah 53.

We should note that Jesus most often combined teaching with ministry (healing).  People were more than willing to listen to the teaching, knowing they would also have their physical needs met.  In this way, Jesus ministered to them both spiritually and physically.

This is a good model for us as well.  If we want to share the gospel with people in our community, we should look at combining that message with hot meals, clothes, groceries or after school programs.  When we meet a person's physical needs, they are more receptive to the gospel message.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

When Peter invited Jesus to his house, it was not for the purpose of healing his mother-in-law.  Her sickness was not life threatening.  In fact, we might say it was just a normal part of life.

But as soon as Jesus was given access to the household, he brought peace and healing to all that it contained, even this woman's minor ailment.  You may have some things in your life that you don't feel are worthy to trouble Jesus about, but remember – he is interested in everything that has to do with you.  He can and will bring peace and healing to even your littlest troubles.  I encourage you to invite him to abide with you and see what happens!

Let me offer you some relief:

You may have some ugly 'leprous' things in your life and you may feel that you need to clean some of those things up before seeking Jesus.  But let me offer you some relief – Jesus is willing to accept you right now, leprous spots and all.  There are some things that you will never be able to heal in your life.  You need Jesus to do that, so call upon him today, just as you are.  He is waiting for you to call upon him, and he is not afraid to touch lepers!

Let me offer you some strength:

Who did Jesus heal?  All who came to him, of course!  You may be timid about coming to Jesus for forgiveness and healing.  You may be afraid that he will reject you.  You may be uncertain if he will hear and answer you.  You may be concerned about his ability to do the impossible, but let me give you the strength and confidence you need to move ahead – Jesus healed ALL who came to him.  He did not turn anyone away!  And his power never decreases.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever, so be strong in the Lord.  Let your faith grow and expand.  Show him that you believe by asking him for what you want and praising him for what he has done!

 

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Matthew 7:15-16–Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits.  Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

Sometimes we assume the word 'prophet' to mean a person who foretells future events, but that is not the only definition.  People who were accepted as public religious instructors were also considered prophets. 

• Assuming the role of religious leader/teacher without a call from God
• Putting forward his/her own thoughts and ideas as being from God
• Teaching any false doctrine

What effect did false prophets/teachers have on the church?  Through false teaching, Christians were fooled into turning aside from the true faith and believing something false.  These false doctrines caused believers to become spiritually confused or bound by lies, and consequently rendered them ineffective in the Kingdom of God.  Worse yet, some of these doctrines could cause Christians to fall away from their faith in Christ.

Second, the teachings and leadership of the false prophets often brought them undue honor and prestige. They acted like they were the only ones who could hear from God and know what to do.  At best, they were limiting the true relationship between the believer and God.  At worst, they were a wedge that cut believers off from God and caused them to lose their faith.

Let's look at an example.  In the old covenant, all men who were part of God's chosen people had to be circumcised.  However, when Jesus came to fulfill the law, he declared that circumcision was no longer something to be done in the flesh.  Instead, circumcision was a spiritual act; all the people in His kingdom would be circumcised in their hearts by cutting sin out of their lives.

Romans 2:28-29 – For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.  But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.

But we find that many false prophets and false teachers were still insisting that any man who became a Christian had to be circumcised in the flesh.

This false doctrine caused a rift between the Jews and the Gentiles, which threatened to split the church in half.  It created an atmosphere of distrust among the believers. It was a rejection of the new covenant that Jesus paid for with his blood. 

False teachers were also big into self denial and mortification of the flesh.  They tended to be very rule oriented; they felt that every single law must be stringently observed through their own willpower. How tiresome!  Have you ever determined not to do something "ever again" only to find yourself doing it a day later?  That's what happens when you try to rule your flesh by willpower alone.

Sadly, they missed the blessing that Jesus gave us through the new covenant – the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who changes our hearts.  Once our hearts and minds have been renewed, our outward actions naturally change too.  We don't have to focus all of our energy on obeying every law through sheer willpower because our new nature will prompt us to do the right thing on its own.

Jesus says that false teachers are like wolves disguised as sheep.  That is, they appear to be innocent, helpful, loving and knowledgeable about spiritual things, but in reality, they are full of deadly evil.  They are hypocrites who mislead and destroy sincere believers.

So, how can a Christian keep from being fooled by these false prophets and teachers?

Matthew 7:17-18 – So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

Comparing spiritual leaders/teachers to fruit trees may seem a bit strange, but it makes more sense if you have some background information:  In scripture and in Jewish phraseology, fruits are symbolic of works.  Jesus is telling us that the way to determine which teachers are false and which are true is by examining their fruits, or works.

So if a person comes along claiming to have spiritual authority, take a look at their life.  Do they have joy, peace, holiness, patience, gentleness and love for mankind?  Do they give God the glory for what they are accomplishing? Do they care for the poor and the lost?  

Matthew 7:19-20 – Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Hmmm... some of these words seem familiar - where did we heard them before?  That's right – they were already spoken to the Pharisees and other religious leaders by John the Baptist:

Matthew 3:10 - And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

People who bring forth diseased fruit (anger, envy, pride, etc) will someday be cast into the fires of hell, because they are not true children of God.  That is why John the Baptist warned the Scribes and Pharisees to repent and seek the kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 7:21-23 - Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

You see, it is not enough to just claim God as your father or Jesus as your savior.  It is not enough to just have knowledge of God in your head.  You could study the scriptures for years on end (like the Pharisees did), but if it is just a series of facts floating around in your brain, it is of no value.  [Even Satan acknowledged that Jesus was the Son of God, but he is still going to be cast into the fires of hell].  Why?  Because it takes more than just factual knowledge to save your soul.

In the same way, anyone who has the ability to speak can verbally profess Jesus as Lord, and even teach (prophesy) his word, but that does not mean they are true children of God.  The true child of God doesn't just teach or profess his name, they sincerely strive to do the will of God.  True Christians have actions that align with their words.

At the end of time, Jesus will assume his rightful role as judge of mankind.  At that time, there will be people who will claim to be servants of Christ because they taught his word (prophesying), cast out demons and performed miracles.  However, Jesus will refute their claims, saying that these people were never his true children.  Jesus then reinforces his point by giving the parable of the wise and foolish builders (see below).

Jesus has given the analogy of the tree and fruit to identify false teachers and show what their judgment will be.  He now gives us the parable of the wise and foolish builders to show that the 'doers' of the word are different from just 'hearers' of the word, and all of us will be held accountable for our own spiritual condition.

Matthew 7:24-25 –Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Matthew 7:26-27 – And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

Jesus has packed a lot of teaching into this short parable.  Here are some lessons we can take away from his teaching:

Each one of us is responsible for building our own house.  We cannot rely on others to do it for us.  You cannot rely on the faith and salvation of your parents, grandparents or anyone else.  You must be a disciple of Christ yourself.

Jesus is the rock.  He is the only one who can pardon sin through his shed blood and thus he is the only true foundation that you can build your spiritual house upon.

1 Corinthians 3:11 – For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Hearing the word is NOT building upon it.  Building is acting in faith based upon the words you heard.

When you hear that Jesus forgives sin, you must act in faith to receive that forgiveness for yourself.  Subsequent to your salvation, the Holy Spirit will enlighten you to the way God wants you to live.  He will then assist you as you bring your mind, will, emotions and actions into conformity with God's principles for your life.  This is how you build upon the foundation of Christ.  Building a house in the natural world does not happen overnight, especially if there is only a single builder.  So it is with your spiritual house – you build it day by day; it is established slowly over time as you constantly work at it.

As you consider these teachings of Jesus, examine yourself and make sure that you are indeed building by faith upon that sure foundation!

Matthew 7:28-29 – And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

The Scribes and Pharisees were the teachers of the Jewish nation.  However, they spent their time teaching mostly the traditions of their forefathers, not the word of God.  They also allowed useless and trivial disputes to occupy much of their time and attention.  As such, they were of little use to the spiritual growth of their fellow Jews.

Jesus, however, came speaking the true words of God.  He came in authority, confirming his doctrine with miracles.  Jesus showed that he had the authority to explain, enforce and change the ceremonial laws of the Jews.  He cut right through the foolishness of the Pharisees, revealing the truth like a breath of fresh air.  This authority was astounding to the Jews.

So let me offer you some encouragement:

It is true that there are many false teachers in the world, but you don't have to be fooled by them!  Jesus has given you the tools to pick out the bad 'apples'.

First, take a look at their fruits.  If they are good, that is a positive sign.  Next, listen to what they are teaching.  Does it line up with the rest of scripture?  That is another good indicator.  Finally, remember that Jesus says his sheep know his voice and they will not listen to the voice of another (see John 10).  So pray about it and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about a particular teacher.  If God approves him, that is the best recommendation of all!

Let me offer you some relief: 

Even a very fruitful grape vine will produce some sour grapes once in a while.  In the same way, you and I are not perfect.  Once in a while we are going to 'blow it', or act according to our flesh instead of our spirit.  When that happens, ask God to forgive you and move on.  Don't let Satan stop you in your tracks because you made a mistake.  If your life is showing a definite progression towards fruitfulness and good works, you are on the right track.

Let me offer you some strength: 

We are going to experience storms in this life.  They come in many different forms, including sickness, tough financial breaks, relationship problems, and many other things.  When those storms come, the person who has built their life on the solid rock of Christ Jesus WILL prevail!  We will go through those trials comforted, supported and protected by our Heavenly Father.  Hallelujah - His strength is made perfect in our weakness!

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Matthew 7:1-2 – Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

As we noted in a prior post, the Sermon on the Mount is recorded in chapters 5-7 of Matthew.  We now come to the final parts of that sermon.  This section begins with a lesson on how to conduct ourselves in reference to the faults of others.  This lesson was certainly applicable to the Scribes and Pharisees because they were full of pride and conceit.  They believed that they were more righteous and therefore better than 'regular people'.  As a result, they were quick to harshly judge others.  They didn't allow the facts or the true motivations behind a person's actions to stand in the way!  In fact, they would pass judgment without even taking those factors into consideration!

There is judicial judgment which happens in a court of law.  Jesus is not forbidding that kind of judgment.  In fact, several places in scripture God instructs judges to judge correctly/justly [for example, John 7:24].

There is judgment that occurs between those in authority and those under authority.  For example, if an employer finds that one of her employees is stealing, she may certainly bring judgment on that individual by firing them.  This is not the kind of judgment Jesus is forbidding.

A Christian may also judge the acts of another in the sense that they are obligated to discern good from evil and correct one another in love.  Jesus is not forbidding this kind of judgment either [Galatians 6:1].

And by the way, let's not forget self-judgment.  The person who can examine his own life and make righteous judgments is to be commended, not condemned.  This type of judgment is actually good.

The type of judgment that Jesus is forbidding here is rash, instantaneous judgment of one person toward another which frequently stems from our own jealousy.  It is done without love and is often peevish, harsh and unjustified.  This type of judgment is eager to find fault with people and then condemn them.  It is suspicious of the motives of people and looks for controversy and heresy.

For instance, in Mark chapter 2 we find the Scribes, Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders condemning Jesus for eating at the house of a known 'sinner', Matthew the tax collector.  They immediately passed judgment on Jesus, labeling him as a base, vile sinner himself!  They wondered why Jesus would even eat dinner with these people.

Clearly, the religious leaders did not stop to investigate this situation.  They did not meet with Jesus privately to ask him why he was having fellowship with sinners.  They did not give Jesus any benefit of the doubt.  They did not stop to consider the good that he was doing. Instead, they were eager to find fault with Jesus.  They were eager to find controversy in the situation and accuse him of wrong doing.  In a spirit of jealousy and pride, they publicly condemned his actions.  We know their judgment was harsh and unjustified, for Jesus was NOT a sinner like the tax collectors. 

Unfortunately, every person (including you and I) is born with an inherent tendency to judge this way, so we must guard ourselves against it. 

Why is it so wrong to judge in this capacity? Judgment is an act of sovereignty; it is a level of authority that only God has the right to exercise.

To make matters even more intense, if you do step in to judge someone, God will forgo mercy and judge you with the same level of harshness and severity that you used towards your brother.  I don't know about you, but I want to stay far, far away from this kind of judgment!

So if you see a situation that looks like it might be wrong, stop and investigate before you do anything else.  You may find out that you were wrong about the situation.

Matthew 7:3-4 – Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye', when there is the log in your own eye?

In this verse, the word 'speck' could also be translated 'splinter'.  The comparison between a splinter and a log is obvious – the log is billions and billions of times bigger.  Jesus is using this illustration to demonstrate the size of the sins we are so quick to judge in others as compared to our own shortcomings.  Just for the sake of clarity, your sins are the size of the log, whereas the other person's sins are the size of the splinter!

This illustration reveals several truths to us:

Truth #1:  Make sure that you are not indulging in the same areas of weakness as the sister/brother you are so quick to judge.  Before you publicly condemn someone for gossip, you better check yourself and make sure that you are not guilty of the same offence!

Truth #2:  Remember the incident of the woman caught in adultery?  We find the narrative in John chapter 8.  The Scribes and Pharisees caught a woman in the act of adultery.  They brought her before Jesus and demanded that she be stoned, because that was the sentence pronounced by the law [wow�no mercy there!].  Clearly, they were judging her.

What did Jesus do? He stooped down and wrote something in the dirt.  The scriptures do not tell us exactly what was written, but what if Jesus was writing out the sins of her accusers?  That would certainly give them pause, wouldn't it?  Jesus further calls attention to their sin with this statement:

John 8:7, 9 - And as they [Scribes and Pharisees] continued to ask him, he [Jesus] stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."  But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was let alone with the woman standing before him.

So we see that finding fault in others for their transgressions is a sign of hypocrisy when we ignore the transgressions in our own lives.  Don't be that person!  If you feel you are qualified to pass judgment on someone else, stop and "write in the dirt", take an honest look at yourself and make sure you are not ignoring or minimizing your own short comings before you confront someone else about theirs.  If the Scribes and Pharisees had done that, they would not have been publicly embarrassed by Jesus.

My guess is that if we take time to examine ourselves, most of us will be so busy cleaning up our own lives that we will not have time to judge others!

Matthew 7:5 – You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Truth #3:  If you are able to take a realistic look at your own faults, it will create compassion within you for the mistakes of others.  While sin should be dealt with and removed from our lives, compassion will keep us from crossing the line between restoring our brother and reckless judgment.

Truth #4:  One of the great benefits of acknowledging and dealing with our own sins is that it gives us the experience to be a comfort to others.  If you have been delivered and restored from a spirit of greed, you are in a good position to help restore someone else.  Admit your mistakes, deal with your sin, and allow your experience to be of good use in the Kingdom.

Matthew 7:6 – Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Imagine this scenario with me, keeping in mind the stereotype of a pig:  You are walking outside on a day filled with warmth and sunshine.  [This being winter time in Ohio, you will need your full imagination!!]  You are wearing a set of extremely beautiful and valuable pearls.  These pearls were a gift from the one you love the most and they are extremely precious to you. In fact, they are your most prized possession and you wear them everywhere.

As you wander the countryside, you suddenly smell a most horrible odor.  As you hold your nose and walk in another direction, you soon come to a wooden fence.  On the other side of the fence you find the source of the odor – a pigpen!  There are the greedy pigs, wallowing around in the mud and actually enjoying the filth.  They eat anything and everything that comes their way, without discernment or self control.  All they want is more!

Certainly we are to share the gospel message with ALL unbelievers.  However, there are some who will violently reject the message, and we need to use discretion and discernment in dealing with them.

If we continue to present them with godly wisdom, council and instruction it will not help; it will only enrage them.  There are people who hate the gospel so much that any sign or hint of it will not only repel them, but stir them up to abuse the message and the one who shares it.  These people should only be approached after prayer and with the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.  So, as a general rule, we are to preach the gospel to all men and see whether or not they are worthy of more.

The purpose of this proverb is to instill within us a measure of reverence and discretion as to the preaching of the gospel and statements of spiritual experience.

Matthew 7:7-8 – Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Let us now consider the act of prayer.  Prayer is the privilege of every Christian.  It is a form of communion with God.  It's like meeting at His house to discuss matters of concern in this life.  While we recently discussed this issue when looking at the Lord's Prayer, we will review certain aspects of it here.  If Jesus wants to emphasize an issue, then we will too!

Asking, Seeking and Knocking are three different forms of petitioning God for what we want or need.  These phrases are not passive but active.  They imply earnestness, diligence and perseverance on our part.  However, they come with the promise that our efforts will be rewarded – God will answer!

1 John 5:14-15 - And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us: And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we desired of him.

However, this is to be interpreted as a general statement.  There are things which will nullify the promise of receiving what you ask for.

Matthew 7:9-10 – Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

Are you a parent?  If your 17-year-old asked to borrow your car, the answer may very well be 'yes', because for them, it would be a good thing.  Likewise, God desires to give you what you ask, as long as it is beneficial for you.

Now if your 7-year-old asked to borrow your car, I am guessing you told them 'no', because you care for them and you deny requests that are harmful.

God is the same way.  He sees all things and when we ask something that is detrimental or damaging for us in some way, he will deny the request, the same as any loving parent.

If Father God says 'no', then we should be mature enough to realize that the thing we thought was 'bread or fish' was actually a 'stone or scorpion'.   Rather than acting like spoiled children and accusing Father God of being mean to us, we need to accept his decision and rejoice in his care for us.

Matthew 7:11 – If you then, who are 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!

Human parents are imperfect and sinful.  They can be churlish, hateful, unjust and evil.  Yet, God has placed a compassionate inclination in the hearts of parents to provide and care for their children.  They will readily give good gifts to their children when asked.

How much more will Father God, who is perfectly good and perfectly loving, bestow blessings on us, his children?  We should never doubt him as we come to him in prayer.  He desires to give us good things!

Matthew 7:12 – So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

This verse is probably familiar to many people, even non-Christians.  It is universally known as 'The Golden Rule'.  It is not complicated or difficult to understand, but actually living this way can be very difficult!

It seems to be natural for us to favor ourselves while at the same time taking unfair advantage of others.  As discussed above, we have a tendency to be quick to judge others without compassion.

However, we must retrain ourselves to think and act a different way; a way that pleases God and fulfills the spirit of the Law and the Prophets.  We do this by loving our neighbor as our self.  We do this by putting ourselves in their place, and directing our conduct and decisions according to what we would want.   This will take practice and work, but it will please our Heavenly Father, which we all desire to do!

So, let me offer your some encouragement:

Don't ever allow your enemy to tell you that God does not hear your prayers or that He is incapable of answering your request.  That is a lie!  Likewise, don't fall for the lie that says God does not want to give you good things.  He delights in blessing you, so meet him in earnest prayer!

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the LORD; and he shall give you the desires of your heart.                                                                                                      

Let me offer you some relief: 

God loves you, more than any earthly father ever could.  He is not going to trick you. He is not going to give you evil things when you ask him for good.  So put aside any fears you may have regarding spiritual gifts, especially those found in 1 Corinthians 14.  If you are unsure about these gifts, go to God in prayer and ask him to reveal the truth to you.  Ask him to give you one of gifts. You can rest assured He will give you something amazing!

Let me offer you some strength: 

Judging others is a tendency that we are all born with.  Right now, it may seem like an automatic response that you cannot control, but that is not true.  It is possible to renew your mind with the word of God, and once your mind has been changed, you will respond differently. Keep that mouth under lock and key until you have control of it.  Whatever you do, get off that throne of judgment, because you have no right to be there!

 

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Matthew 6:25 – Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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?

Overall, Jesus is commanding his followers to trust in their loving heavenly Father for their daily needs.  What does that really mean?  We can best explain it by first examining what he is NOT saying.

The Holy Scriptures fully support both the idea of work and the principle of providing for our families.

Genesis 2:15 - And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to work it and to keep it.

I Timothy 5:8 - But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.

So, let's be clear on this.  Jesus never forbids us to work for our daily needs like food and clothing.  He never forbids us to prudently plan for the future.  If you need training or schooling to make a good living, by all means invest in that.  Once you have a job, by all means start a retirement fund or a college fund, pay off your house, give generously to God and make other sound financial decisions.

Likewise, Jesus never forbids us to use common sense.  So make a reasonable family budget and stick to it.  Use some self control in your spending. Live within your means.  Plan so that you can not only take care of your own daily needs, but help others.

Now that we know what Jesus is NOT saying in this verse, what is its true meaning?

What Jesus is forbidding in Matthew 6:25 is anxiety over daily needs. What exactly is anxiety?  Webster gives this definition:  Concern respecting some event or thing, future or uncertain, which disturbs the mind, and keeps it in a state of painful uneasiness.

If you are working and doing your absolute best to live prudently but you are still so worried about food, shelter and clothing that you can't think of anything else or you can't sleep at night, you have the anxiety that Jesus is speaking of.

If you are so worried about a dip or drop in stock market that you can't enjoy the company of your family and friends, then you have the anxiety that Jesus is speaking of.

If you are glued to the news 24/7 because you are frightened or obsessed about the next economic disaster, then you have clear signs of anxiety!

Why does Jesus forbid anxiety over daily needs?  First of all, if your mind is constantly disturbed and troubled you won't be able to focus on anything other than your problem.  This renders you incapable of prayer, praise or faith, which make up the lifeblood of all Christians!  You need to recognize that this kind of anxiety is actually a hidden fear that God is not good father and that he is either unwilling or incapable of taking care of you.

Stop and think with me for a moment.  Only one of the following two statements can be true in your life.  Which one is it?

1. God loves me.  He gives me the power, strength, ability and opportunity to meet my needs and the needs of my family.  He will provide for me when I cannot.
2. God claims he loves me, but deep down, I doubt it.  I don't trust him enough to believe that he will make up for any lack that I might experience.  Therefore, I must provide for myself strictly through my own strength.

That is a very heavy, debilitating burden that you were never meant to carry; it will fill you with anxiety. It will choke your spiritual man and leave you with nothing except the cares of this world.  If you submit to that yoke of bondage, it will destroy you very quickly.  Wouldn't Satan just love that?

However, as a Christian, statement number one should be true in your life.  When you are wise and diligent with what God has given you, then be still and trust in him.  He will make a way.  You can live in peace knowing that God is carrying the burden of your daily needs, and he has resources for you to tap into that are beyond your comprehension!

Romans 8:32 - He [God] who did not spare his own son [Jesus] but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Do you understand what this verse is saying?  God sacrificed Jesus so that we could be set free from sin and made joint heirs with Christ.  Because of this sacrifice, we share in all that Jesus possesses! If God was willing to give us something as precious as the life of his Son, why would he withhold something as trivial as your daily provision?  That wouldn't make any sense, would it?

We looked at the fact that Jesus does not want us worried about daily necessities because that is a burden we were not meant to carry.  So what are we meant to do?

God has created you and I for a much higher purpose than just worrying about food and clothing.  We have been created to be in fellowship with God at all times.  He has designed us to be kings and priests in his kingdom.  We were created to rule over the earth.  We are to join Jesus in destroying the works of the devil – and so much more!

Jesus is cautioning his followers not to get caught up in the needs of daily life, because it is easy to get stuck there.  If we constantly worry about those things, we will never reach our true calling and destiny in Christ.

So take Jesus advice - don't sweat the small stuff!  Do you part and live in faith; God will take care of the rest.

Matthew 6:26 – Look at the birds of the air:  they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?

Now Jesus is going to reinforce his point with several practical examples.  He calls their attention to the life around them.  God's love and care for the birds is easy to observe.  They are well fed and housed, despite the fact that they do not work or store up provisions for the future.  They do not experience anxiety regarding their daily needs, even in the cold winter months.  Instead, they live lives that fulfill the purposes God has created them for.  And they sing joyfully and beautifully while they do it!

Does God love the birds?  Of course, but at the same time, God places a higher value on mankind than on fowl.

Luke 12:7 - Fear not therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.                                                                                                                                    

Since that is the case, it would be foolish to think that God would provide for the lesser of his creation (birds), while ignoring the needs of his own children (men).  Therefore, do not have anxiety over your daily needs!

Matthew 6:27 – And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?                                                                                                    .

Picture this:  You get up and go to work.  At work, they made you dig a hole five feet deep, five feet wide and five feet long.  So you spend all day doing your best job on this hole in the ground.  You went home tired and muddy, but with a good feeling, because you did a good job.

The next day, your boss told you to fill the hole back in with the earth you just dug up.

Here is the lesson to be noted: Anxiety is not only needless, it is also useless, just like digging the same hole over and over!

If you can't add to your lifespan by worry, then why do it?  There is no benefit; it will only result in frustration.  Instead, why not place your trust in God and spend your energy joyfully praising his good name and enjoying what he has given you?  Why not move on to doing useful things like fulfilling the destiny God has already laid out for you?  That is where you will find peace and fulfillment.

Matthew 6:28-29 – And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Once again, Jesus points his followers to the life around them.  Flowers are even lower in the created order than birds, yet God still has his eyes upon them.  They do not work or toil, yet they are beautiful in appearance because God has ordained it.  How much more will God clothe his own children?

Matthew 6:30 – But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

The historical context of the verse is this:  Back in the day, poor folks used to have clay ovens.  They would heat these ovens by burning grass and twigs either inside them or below them.  Once the oven was sufficiently hot, thin pieces of dough were spread on the inside of the oven and quickly baked.

Did God know that his beautiful plants were going to be burnt up in the ovens?  Of course he did, yet he still chose to 'clothe them magnificently' or make them beautiful.

So here is the point:  If God gives beauty and glory to disposable things which have very little value, how much more will he take care of his children, who are precious in his eyes, and designed for important services in the world?  Are you getting the point yet?

Matthew 6:31-32 – Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'what shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

The heathen nations were anxiously concerned with the basic necessities in life (food, water and clothing).  This is not surprising, since they are without a heavenly Father that they can trust to supply their needs.

The Jews, however, were well acquainted with the providence of God.  So in these verses, Jesus is giving a slight rebuke to the people of God.  The Jews looked down upon the heathen as being ignorant of God and his ways, yet they too were anxious for the very same necessities!  How then, were they different than the heathen?

What about you?  Are you different than the 'heathen' or are you still anxious about your needs?

I Peter 5:6-7 - Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.

God's people were carrying a burden of anxiety and worry, when they should have been casting their cares on God and trusting in him to meet their needs.

Let's not make the same mistake.  If you have done all you can do to meet your needs, then trust God to make up any lack that you have.  You will be surprised at what he will do!

Matthew 6:33 – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

As Christians, we have more important things to be seeking after than food and clothing.  We need to seek the lost and introduce them to Jesus.  We need to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit so we have the power to minister to those who are in bondage to Satan.  We need to seek God's will for our lives.

Here is a guarantee that will set you free to seek God:  Jesus promises that if we seek him first, the daily necessities will come.

Matthew Henry puts it this way in his commentary:  "O what a blessed change would it make in our hearts and lives, did we but firmly believe this truth, that the best way to be comfortably provided for in this world, is to be most intent upon another world!" 

Matthew 6:34 – Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Part of the definition of anxiety is concern/fear of something that is future or uncertain. 'Tomorrow' clearly fits that category.  Satan wants to bait you into spending all your time and energy worrying about things that God already has under control, or worrying about things you cannot change.

Don't take the bait!  Be prudent in your affairs, then trust God.  Spend your life seeking God, and he will take care of you!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

God loves you more than you know or realize.  Never doubt that!  Use the words of Jesus in Matthew 6 to reassure you of his love.  Based on the knowledge of that love, start to make some changes.  Recognize when you are trusting in yourself, then stop and turn it over to God.  Even if the change occurs little by little over time, that is okay.  Begin to trust God at whatever level you can, then build on that trust until it is complete.

Let me offer you some relief: 

Are you overwhelmed and plagued with anxiety about life?  You don't have to be.  Make some prudent plans for the future, then when trouble or problems come, seek God.  Let Him make up the difference in what you lack.  YOU were NEVER designed to carry around those heavy burdens, so LET THEM GO.  Cast those cares upon God, and let him worry about your provision.  His supplies are unlimited!

Let me offer you some strength: 

Perhaps you are guilty of being anxious (my guess is we are all guilty to some degree), but you don't have to stay in that mindset.  God is bringing it to you attention right now, because the time is right for you to deal with it.

It seems like a scary thing to do, but the rewards are rich and eternal.  God would not ask you to do something that you weren't capable of doing.  So start today.  Give him your concerns regarding provision, then willfully set your mind on spiritual things.  Praise Him.  Worship Him.  Pray for others.  Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Mind the things of God, and He will take care of you!

You have the strength to make the change – and Jesus will walk with you every step of the way!

 

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We continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount.  In our last post we noted an important truth that Jesus was teaching the people:

The true Christian is not to perform acts of righteousness in such a way as to bring glory to themselves.  If they do, they have no reward from God.

Jesus then gave three specific examples to his listeners.  Last week we studied gifts to the poor and prayer.  This week we will look at fasting.

Matthew 6:16 – And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Our first question should be 'what is fasting'?  Generally, it means to voluntarily abstain from something (usually food) for a time, as a token of penitence or grief for religious reasons. 

What is the historical context of fasting?  Abstinence from food is the natural result of deep sorrow.  The sorrow could be caused by any number of things such as death, disease or some other kind of loss.  The length of time a person did not eat became known as a fast.

In a religious context, the deep sorrow is caused by sin.  A person extremely troubled and grieved by sin would experience a loss of appetite, which resulted in a fast.  Because of the grief they were experiencing, people who fasted had a sad countenance.  Often, they did not wash or put on clean clothes.  As a result, it was fairly easy to spot people who were fasting.

In the old covenant (Old Testament Law) God had appointed one day each year for the Israelites to fast.  It was the Day of Atonement, the day that the priest shed blood and put it on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of the people.

Now fast-forward to the time of Jesus.  The religious leaders had taken the concept of fasting and made it an art form!  They made it a tradition to fast at least two times a week (Luke 18:12), sometimes more.  During their fasts, they put on sackcloth instead of regular clothes and they put ashes on their heads instead of the usual ointments.  Thus, you could easily spot them anywhere they went.

The Scribes and Pharisees had lost the true meaning of fasting.  No longer was it grief for sin, or a time set apart for reflection upon God.  Instead it became an empty ritual of self discipline, as well as a source of pride.  This kind of fasting made them hypocrites, because they were only seeking the praise or admiration of other men. 

Jesus warns his listeners that when you fast this way, you have received the only reward possible – the empty admiration of men.  

Matthew 6:17-18 – But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who s in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Now Jesus speaks of true fasting.  When one of his followers fasted, they were to dress, wash and otherwise appear normal.  He or she was to hide their inward contrition or mourning from the world.  They were to open their hearts and express their grief and sorrow only to God.

Jesus promises that even though men are unaware of your sacrifice, God sees and honors it.

This might be a good time to reaffirm that God always sees what is in our hearts – ALWAYS.  So keep a careful watch on what you allow your mind to dwell upon, because those are the things that will determine the thoughts and motivations of your heart.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

By way of summary, we see that the religious leaders had taken spiritual or true religious acts (giving to the poor, prayer, fasting) and corrupted them!  They continued to perform the outward acts, but their hearts were centered on their own glory, not the glory of God.

Jesus is calling his followers back to true religion – to make sure that our hearts and motivations are pure before God as we perform these actions.  In this way, our service will bring glory to God.

Matthew 6:19 – Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,                                     

What is the historical context of this statement?  Back in the times of Jesus, wealthy people accumulated and kept their treasures at home.  Treasure could include (but is not limited to) gold, silver or brass in the form of dishes, goblets/glasses, utensils or coins.  Richly ornamented articles of clothing and jewelry were especially desirable.  Hence, moths, rust and thieves were the principal dangers in losing your fortune.

We've all heard the phrase 'you can't take it with you', and this sums the idea up pretty well.  Earthly treasure is just that – earthly.  Since your life is short (average American lifespan of 75-80 years), you only have that long to enjoy it.  After you die, all your earthly treasure will go to someone else, or even worse, the government.

Matthew 6:20-21 – but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus implies in these verses that every man will have his treasure.  You can certainly have earthly treasure, and you will need at least some of it in this life for obvious reasons.

But Jesus commands us to lay up eternal or heavenly treasures.  Treasures in heaven are durable and lasting; they are eternal.  They do not wear out or disintegrate and are not subject to being stolen.  They never lose their value.

Here's the catch:  both earthly treasures and heavenly treasures are earned during your time on planet earth.  So you get to decide how much of each you will pursue.  And whatever you pursue the most, your heart will pine after.

How do we earn heavenly treasures?

I Corinthians 3:11-15 - For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Now don't misunderstand the scriptures.  You CANNOT earn your way into heaven by good works.  There is only one way to be reconciled with God, and that is through the blood of Jesus.  But once you are reconciled to God, you can store up treasure in heaven by obedience in performing good works with a sincere heart.

Most of us seek out opportunities for earthly gain then dedicate ourselves them, whether that be a job or a business, etc.  Why not keep your eyes and heart open for opportunities to do good works – they are all around you!  Train yourself to look for them; ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them to you and soon you will have all you can handle.

Matthew 6:22-23  – The eye is the lamp of the body.  So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

In the physical realm, the eyes direct the rest of the body as it walks.  Imagine that you are on a busy city street and in the distance you see an art museum (or an ice cream parlor if you prefer!) and you decide to walk there.  As you walk, your legs, feet and arms move where the eye directs.

Something similar happens in the spiritual realm.  Your 'spiritual eyes' or your heart, lead your spiritual man around as he walks through life.  Your heart can be set on one of two things:  either light or darkness.  These are mutually exclusive; your heart can only be set on one.

Darkness represents misery, adversity, death and alienation from God.  In short, darkness is being in a state of sin.

Light represents joy, peace, life and citizenship in the kingdom of Heaven. In short, light is being in right relationship with God, through the blood of Jesus.

In this teaching, Jesus once again emphasizes an important truth:  God is looking at the heart of individuals, and whatever is in your heart will manifest in your life.

Case in point:  the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day.  They performed good works (fasting, prayer, giving to the poor) and had religious training, yet their hearts were far from God.  Their hearts (eyes) were set on darkness.  Eventually, they fell into anger, jealousy and bitterness.  They wound up lying and plotting in order to crucify Jesus and they honestly thought they were doing the right thing!  That is what happens when your heart is focused on darkness.

However, if your heart is set on God, it will manifest in good works that bring glory to God.

Case in point:  the apostle Paul.  Early on, he too was walking in darkness as he performed empty works.  However, he eventually came to be in a right relationship with God.  As a result, the focus of his heart was changed.  From that moment on, his heart was set on the light.  Even harsh circumstances, persecution and imprisonment did not shake his faith.  He went on to write the majority of the New Testament and his witness for God reached to the highest echelons of his day! What a magnificent witness for God!

What is your heart focused on?

Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.

 The concept that "no man can serve two masters" was not a new idea.  It was a proverb that was not only very common back in the times of Jesus, but it was also universally accepted as being true.  Jesus takes this common truth/proverb and applies it to the topic of riches.

The best thing you can do is to remember that you don't 'own' anything.  Rather, you are a steward of all the people, time, money and goods that are under your authority.  So put God on the throne of your heart, and steward your blessings according to his laws!

Let me give you some encouragement and some relief:

Do you have a difficult time fasting?  Or are you one of the multitude of people who cannot fast for medical reasons? If so, I want you to know that fasting is still possible for you!  While fasting is traditionally food, nothing in the Bible says that you can't make a substitution.

I am a dedicated coffee drinker.  I once felt that I needed to fast before God for a spiritual breakthrough.  I fasted all coffee for 30 days, and God answered my prayers.  I have also fasted other things that I greatly enjoyed and God has honored those fasts too.

When choosing a non-food fast, make sure the item or activity is something that will truly be a sacrifice for you.  Here are some suggestions:  Stop watching TV for a time.  Stay off your phone for 24 hours.  Commit to read only your Bible for a specific time period.  Stop shopping for a time.  Whatever you decide, make sure you spend your extra time in prayer and seeking God.  He will see into your heart and reward you!

Let me give you some strength:

We have seen over and over in the last couple of posts that God is very interested in the state of your heart.  Sometimes, we do things out of a desire to do good, but they are misunderstood by others.  Sometimes, we do things out of a desire to do good, but they blow up in our faces or people reject them.

When that happens, you may be tempted to quit reaching out to others.  But rather than quitting, stand strong!  Even though you may feel embarrassment, remember that man is looking on the outward appearance, but God is looking at your heart and its motivations.  Just because man rejects your goodness, that doesn't mean that God does.  Continue to stand strong and bring glory to his name!

 

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Matthew 6:1-  Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Again, this is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus was on the mountainside teaching his followers the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. His teachings were radically different from the legalistic rules laid down by the Scribes and Pharisees.  The minds and hearts of the Jews were stirred up by these remarkable teachings.

Chapter six offers some very practical advice on how to live a life that is pleasing to God.

Jesus begins his instruction with a summary statement in verse one: 

The true Christian is not to perform acts of righteousness in such a way as to bring glory to themselves.  If they do, they have no reward from God.

Jesus then uses the rest of the chapter to give specific applications of this principle. 

Matthew 6:2 – Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Here is the historical context of this verse:  In the time of Christ, there were Jews that went to the intersections of busy roads, where large assemblies were usually held.  I know that sounds strange to us, but remember, there was no social media or live streaming back then.  People had to actually meet in groups to exchange ideas and information!

There is some dispute over the phrase 'sound a trumpet'.  Scholars disagree over whether this was a literal event or whether it is a metaphorical phrase.  In either case, the meaning is the same – Jesus was condemning the act of making a show or spectacle of giving to the poor with the intent of obtaining glory for one's self.

The Bible makes it clear that it is our Christian duty to perform good works and assist the poor.  It also tells us that there will be rewards for doing so.  Jesus confirms that in this scripture.  Now here comes the interesting part: Jesus points out that there are rewards that come from men and there are rewards that come from God.

Which rewards do we want?  Which rewards are best?

I guess the answer depends on what you are looking for.  The Scribes and Pharisees were definitely looking for the appreciation and praise of men and possibly a reputation for being charitable. Since they got what they wanted, I suppose they were happy with the results.  As a bonus, their reward came in the form of instant gratification, which we all love.  But, I can't help but wonder... did they cheat themselves? Is the shallow, fleeting praise of men really that satisfying and fulfilling?

If we take a moment to look at the rewards of God, I think we may prefer that option!

Matthew 6:3-4 – But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

If you want to be rewarded by God, you should give generously, quietly and humbly out of obedience and love for your King.  When you do, God takes notice.  And he doesn't just see the action you performed, but also the motivation and love behind it.

Contrary to what some people think, God is anxious to bless you. Unlike the rewards of men, God's rewards endure not just for this life, but for eternity.

Psalms 41:1-2  – Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.

Revelation 22:12 - And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

I don't know about you, but I feel this is a much better blessing than the empty admiration of men!

Matthew 6:5 – And when you pray you must not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

The hypocrites manifested the same spirit about prayer as gift giving: it was done in public places solely for public approval. They were not communing with God; they just wanted other men to see how pious and religious they were.

Here is the historical context:  The Jews of old observed specific, regular hours of prayer. You can find evidence of this in the scriptures. 

So basically, the hypocrites took great pains to be in a public meeting place such as a market or the city gates or at busy intersections at the specified times of prayer.  This gave them the opportunity to stop and "perform" the act of prayer.  "Perform" is the right word; they were putting on a show for their fellow man.

Obviously, Jesus is not condemning the practice of prayer.   It is the clear duty of every Christian to pray.  Prayer is communication with Almighty God, our creator, savior and protector.  It is a like a free will offering, dedicated only to him, and given with the utmost desire to know, love and serve Him alone.  Prayer is an admission that we are dependent upon God for all things.  It is not a thing to be trifled with.  When we sincerely come before God and offer heart-felt prayers, we are assured that God hears and answers.

Proverbs 15:29 - The LORD is far from the wicked: but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

To pray is to enter into the very presence of God.  What an astonishing gift! Before the sacrifice of Jesus, the throne room of God was shut; no man or woman could enter in.  Millions of people who desired intimate fellowship with God died without ever having the slightest chance of gaining access to Him.  But when Jesus died, the temple veil was torn in two; the way was open for us to freely enter God's presence.

Do you enter into intimate fellowship with him through prayer?  If not, why?  You might want to ponder this question before you get to heaven and meet up with one of those Old Testament saints who was denied access. Your shame for spurning this gift would be monumental.

Matthew 6:7-8 – And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Empty phrases (your translation may say vain repetition), refers to idle babbling or using the same words over and over with no purpose, almost like a chant.  This was a tactic often employed by the worshippers of Baal (see 1 Kings 18:26-29).

This is different from repeating yourself in true prayer; Jesus prayed multiple times in the garden of Gethsemane that the cup would pass from him but his prayers were not vain.  Often times when we are moved by our circumstances we too may pray for a situation multiple times as we fervently seek the Lord.

Jesus also warns against using 'many words'.  This does not mean that long prayers are forbidden.  Jesus himself prayed all night on some occasions (Luke 6:12).

We cannot let that kind of wrong thinking enter into our prayers. Prayer is not designed to inform God of our circumstances. Nor do we need to beg him for assistance. Jesus reassures us that God the Father is already intimately acquainted with our circumstances.  He knows our needs, wants and desires.  He can see the motivation of our hearts and our love for him.  He already knows our weaknesses and strengths.  He already has the answer to every question and the solution for every problem we will ever face. We should seek him in prayer at all times and in all seasons.

Prayer causes us to humble our hearts as we acknowledge our dependence on God.  Prayer increases our faith, because in prayer we focus on the power of our God, not the difficulty of our problem.  We should come to God as his children – in simple faith and words, trusting that he will answer and take care of us.

Matthew 6:9 – Pray then like this:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

The portion of scripture in verses 9-13 is often called the Lord's Prayer.  Sometimes we pray using these exact words, although there is no record in the scriptures of Jesus or his disciples praying this verbatim.  Rather than being a prayer itself, it is a pattern or a framework for the way Jesus wants us to pray.

Our first thought is that God is our Father.  Just like a good earthly father, he is there to teach, guide, protect, provide and love us. He wants us to be victorious in life.  He wants to have an intimate relationship with each one of us.  His goodness towards us knows no limits.

Secondly, God is in heaven, which speaks of his boundless power.  Heaven in his throne and the earth is his footstool.  Everything in heaven and earth are subject to his authority.

So, as our prayers commence, we are quickly reminded that we can place confidence in both the goodness and power of God.

We are to 'hallow' his name.  To hallow means to make holy, or to revere.  Therefore, our prayers should start with the praise and worship of God.  In fact, praise is what ushers us into his presence.

Psalm 100:4 - Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.                                                 

As we praise his name, we are again reminded of his great power and faithfulness towards us.  As he is exalted, our faith rises while our problems shrink!  We have the confidence to approach him with our concerns, knowing that he loves us and he will work all things together for our good.

You don't need to wait until prayer time to praise his name – you can do it all throughout the day.  Try it.  You will be surprised how you will feel his constant presence with you.

Matthew 6:10 – Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

The kingdom of heaven began with the death and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit.  The preaching of the gospel expanded the kingdom outside the borders of Judea.  The inclusion of the Gentiles in the plan of salvation caused the gospel to spread over the known world.  This kingdom is still growing and will continue to expand until it encompasses the uttermost parts of the earth.  So, when we pray 'your kingdom come' we are praying for the gospel message to be advanced and spread throughout the world. 

As a side note, we can and should do more than just pray.  We can personally share the gospel with others.  We can be involved in ministries that spread the gospel through radio, TV and social media.  There are almost limitless opportunities to share the gospel.  Are you involved?

To pray for God's will to be done 'on earth as it is in heaven' is to pray for the whole world to be in perfect conformity to the will of God.  What is God's will?

The revealed will of God is that men should love, obey and desire his law.  His law should become the basis for all our actions as well as our inward thoughts and motivations.  God's law is perfectly obeyed in heaven, and his true children most ardently desire and pray that it may also be done on the earth.

Obviously, this is easier said than done, so praying for our own lives to conform to his law should be a continual exercise.  Here's another thought:  You can't obey his laws if you don't know them, so take time to read the Word!

The object of the first three petitions (hallowed be they name, thy kingdom come and thy will be done) is that God's name should be glorified, and his kingdom established.  These are more important than our personal wants, and they should be first in our requests before the throne of grace. However, God graciously allows us to make requests on our personal behalf as well.

Matthew 6:11 – Give us this day our daily bread,

Daily bread refers to all that we need to sustain life, including food, shelter, clothing, etc.  We are instructed to ask daily, so that we remember to depend on God and not on ourselves.  We ask God to 'give' it, because it is not something that we can earn, but a blessing that God freely bestows upon us.

Matthew 6:12 - and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

In this verse, debt refers to sin.  We must ask God to forgive our sins because we could never pay the price for them.  As Christ has freely forgiven us, so we must forgive those who sin against us.

I recently posted a three part series on forgiveness. Please refer to those posts for a more detailed discussion and explanation of forgiveness.

Matthew 6:13 – And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

What is meant by the phrase 'lead us not into temptation'?  We know that God does not tempt man to sin.

James 1:13-14 – Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

However, God will allow us to be tempted by Satan or by our own lusts.  These temptations are a form of testing for our faith and obedience.  They produce many good and valuable results in our lives including humbleness, trust and dependence on God, conforming us to the image of Christ and displaying the glory of God to the world.

Temptation may also be defined as trial, affliction or anything that tests our virtue.  Trials and afflictions have a fringe benefit – they draw us closer to God.  In times of testing where do you automatically turn?  To your heavenly Father, right?  So trials actually bring us closer to God, which in turn strengthens and sharpens our faith and obedience making us even more mature in Christ.

Therefore in this part of the prayer model, the Christian is to pray for special protection and strength during heavy trials or strong temptations to sin, which are definitely going to come as a matter of everyday life.

Part of this prayer of protection should be that we are delivered from evil.  Based on what we just concluded, we would not expect God to completely remove temptations and trials from our lives, because that would deprive us of needful growth.  However, God can deliver us from evil by removing the temptation when it becomes too difficult for us to bear, by providing increased strength to fight against it, or by lessening its impact.

We can also take comfort in the fact that someday Jesus will remove all evil and sin from his kingdom.  In that day, we will truly be delivered from all evil.

Matthew 6:14-15 – For if you forgive others their trespasses, our heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Here is a truth presented in both its positive and negative aspects.  God has stated his desires twice; if he asks us to do something once we should listen, how much more attention should we pay to a command that is given twice?

In fact, this requirement to forgive others is constantly presented throughout the scriptures.  At some point, it must have irritated the disciples, because Peter asked how many times he was required to forgive someone.  He felt that 7 times was ample.  To this, Jesus responded:

Matthew 18:22 – Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times."                                                                                                 

God's free and unconditional forgiveness of our sin through Jesus is the basis of our relationship with him.  How then, can we not forgive our fellow man?

When we need forgiveness, we want to be pardoned, and treated as if the offence had never happened.  We do not want others to gossip about us or treat us badly.  We should be willing to do the same for our neighbors.

For a more complete study of forgiveness, please consult my three prior blog posts on forgiveness.

Let me give you some encouragement:

The trials and temptations you now face are not a punishment but a gift in disguise.  They draw you closer to Christ and strengthen your faith.  Keep your eyes on Christ during these trials.  Pray to him for deliverance and strength to stand. Remember that God will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able to withstand. You can come through this trial better off than when it began!

Let me give you some relief:

I sincerely hope that you are not comparing yourself to other Christians.  Sometimes we look at others and think that they are spiritual giants who are either perfect or never have struggles with family, life or faith.  We sometimes put them on a pedestal and think we can never be as 'spiritual' as they are.  This is wrong thinking! Give yourself a break! All Christians have struggles and failures, including the one that you think is perfect!  You can be encouraged by their show of faith, and you can take comfort when you face the same kind of trial as they did, but you cannot feel inferior or condemned by their victory.  Those feelings are a burden that Satan wants you to pick up and carry, because it will eventually burn you out.  Don't take the bait!

Let me give you some strength:

Sometimes, the Christian life can be hard.  Sometimes you pray, but things don't change immediately.  During those times, don't give up hope!  Galatians tells us not to be weary in doing well, because in due season we will reap a harvest, if we do not faint and give up.  So if you are in the midst of a protracted situation, DON'T GIVE UP!  Stay the course!  Praise be to God, victory is on the way.

 

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Matthew 5:27-28– You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Jesus continues with his teachings to the people. He again points out that the current spiritual leaders of the people (mainly the Scribes and Pharisees) were setting a wrong/bad example for the people they were leading. 

But remember that Jesus came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.  His definition of adultery was not only having sexual relations with a woman who was not your wife, but also looking at any woman with lust!  Jesus shows us that God is not just interested in our actions, but the thoughts and motivations of our inner most being.

While this seems simple enough to us, it was shocking revelation to those in Jesus day.

Matthew 5:29-30  – If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.  For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.  For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Wow!  Speaking of shocking revelations...

This seemingly strange statement is really clear and simple, once you take a good look at it.  Let's begin by looking at the phrase 'causes you to sin', or your translation may say 'offends you'.  The original meaning of this word in the Greek signifies something that is a stumbling block.  A stumbling block is anything in your path that causes you to fall.  In this case, it would mean anything that causes you to fall into sin.

So, what is causing us to fall into sin?  Jesus describes it as either our right eye or our right hand.  Clearly, this is NOT to be taken literally. Cutting off your hand or removing your eye will not free you from sin.

We often use parts of the body as metaphors.  For instance, we use the word 'heart' to mean affection or feeling.  We use the word 'bowels' to mean compassion.  We use the word 'guts' to mean bravery.

Here, the word 'eye' means inward intent or desire to sin, while 'hand' refers to the physical act of sinning.  This fits in with the case that Jesus is making about adultery; it entails not only the outward, physical act (hand) but also the inward lust of the mind (eye).

The truth is that the mind and the body work together to sin.  First, the mind conceives the sin.  Then, it considers and thinks about the sin, until it has been firmly rooted and established in the heart.  Once that is done, the evil grows to fruition and the body commits the actual act of sin.  This is why it is vitally important to bring your thoughts into captivity for Christ.

Now the overall meaning of the passage becomes clear.  Anything that causes us to sin (either mentally or physically), needs to be 'cut off' or removed from us completely.  It's that simple, but keep in mind  the warning of Jesus - if you don't, you could wind up in hell.

Here is a more subtle point – if Jesus is telling us to get rid of things in our life that cause us into sin, then it must be possible for us to do exactly that.  How do we cut off the thing that is causing us to sin?  What does that look like from a practical standpoint?  

First, you need to have genuine repentance for the sin.  If you are just giving 'lip service' to repentance, you will continue to be ensnared by the sin.  For example, let's consider the sin of gossip.  If a person recognizes that they gossip, they must first be truly repentant about that sin, before they can remove it from their life.

Second, the person should begin to pray that God will give them the strength to overcome that evil in their life.  They have been trapped in the snare of gossip and they should pray to be delivered from it.

Matthew 6:13 - And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Third, the person should remove themselves from any occasion that makes that sin easy.  If they always gossip with the next door neighbor, they need to find a way to stop doing that; one possibility is to confess to the neighbor that they are not going to talk about people anymore.

Fourthly, the person can overcome gossip by using their mouth in accordance with God's laws.  They can begin to offer encouragement to those in trouble, rather than gossiping about them.  They can begin to pray and assist people rather than spreading rumors about their situation.

Fifthly, they need to keep a watch and a guard over their hearts so that the sin cannot gain a new foothold into their life once it is overcome.  If their mind starts thinking about gossip, they need to take control of those thoughts and replace them with the Word of God.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to cast sin out of our lives.  

Matthew 5:31-32 – It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

This teaching involves an Old Testament law from Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 24:1 - When a man has taken a wife, and married her, and it comes to pass that she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and put it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

The Jews had two interpretations of this law.  One group (the school of Hillel) believed that the true meaning of the law was found in the word 'uncleanness' and it referred only to adultery.  Therefore, adultery was the only true basis for divorce.

The second group (the school of Sammai) believed that the true meaning of the law was found in the phrase 'she finds no favor in his eyes' and interpreted that to mean that if a woman displeased her husband in any way, no matter how trivial, he could give her a certificate of divorce and send her away.  We have historical evidence of just how ridiculous this became – a man could divorce his wife if he did not like her cooking!

Not surprisingly, the second view became very prevalent amongst the Jews. And once again we find the Jews making the same serious mistake - adhering to the letter of the law, and believing themselves righteous for it, while at the same time completely ignoring their duty to God.

We will delve further into the divorce issue in chapter 19.  For now, let us understand that Jesus is calling his people do what is right before God; He is not just looking for adherence to rules and regulations.

Matthew 5:33-35 – Again you have heart that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.'  But I say to you, do not take an oath at all, either by heaven for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king.

An oath is a solemn affirmation or declaration, made with a reverent appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed.  Our society still uses oaths today, for example, in a court of law.  In the Mosaic law, oaths were not only allowed, but required in some instances (see Exodus 22:11, Leviticus 5:1, etc).

However, the Jews were using oaths in a far different way.  They were using oaths, or swearing, in their everyday common conversations.  To make matters worse, they had silly traditions that made most of these oaths null and void.  Thus, they were using the sacred name of God in an irreverent and profane manner. 

They were making a mockery of oaths, which in reality, was a very serious thing because they called God as a witness to the actions of man.  When the Jews trifled with oaths, and did not consider them binding, they were also trifling with the power, authority and majesty of both God and his creation.  This was a form of profanity and Jesus told them to knock it off.

Perhaps this is a good time to take a quick inventory of our own words.  Are we constantly 'swearing to God' or otherwise using his name in vain?  If so, we need to knock it off too!

Matthew 5:36-37 – And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.

A man or woman who is of a good character and who is a faithful follower of God does not need to swear or take oaths in daily conversation.  Because they are honest, sincere and upright in heart, their simple declaration of 'yes' or 'no' will be believed and accepted.

What about your own personal life?  Are you a man or woman of your word?  If you give a 'yes' or 'no' answer to someone can they believe you without an oath?

Matthew 5:38-39 – You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil.  But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' is indeed part of the Old Testament law.  It is also known as the Law of Retaliation and it can be found in several Bible passages including Exodus:

Exodus 21:24 - Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot...

Here is an important fact: this law was given as a rule to regulate the decisions of judges.  As a judicial rule it is both fair and just.

The Jews, however, took this law, extended it to private conduct and then used it as a means to exact revenge on their fellow man.  They believed they had every right to injure someone else, as long as they were not the one to attack first.  Revenge was often carried out to the utmost extremity and more evil was returned that had been received.

Jesus challenged the Scribes and Pharisees on their personal conduct.  He made it clear that the law of retaliation did not apply to the behavior of individuals.  As children of God, the Jews were not to give evil for evil, or hold a grudge or avenge themselves.  Instead, they were to forgive and overlook the petty injustices done to them.

Matthew 5:40-42  – And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Jesus then takes this teaching one step further.  Rather than just bearing the injustice, we are to respond with goodness.  This teaching is reinforced in the book of Romans:

Romans 12:19-21 -  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head.  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

The key part of this passage is in verse 21 – Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.  Jesus gives us three examples.

The meaning of this example has to do with petty litigations.  Again, Jesus is telling his followers to settle with their adversary before going to court.  If the matter is truly petty, let your adversary have his way and even more, for this gives you an opportunity to display the rich and undeserved love of Christ.

The person pressed into service was not to be hateful or annoyed; Jesus instructs that they should not only go to the next station without complaining, they should willingly travel two stations.

As we consider all three of these examples, we have to admit a couple of things.  One, it would be difficult to do these things out of love.  We might do them with clenched teeth, but that is no good. Remember, God is looking at our hearts, not just our actions.  Don't fall into the same trap as the Pharisees, who thought that only actions mattered.

Two, if we can train ourselves to act righteously in these situations, what a testimony it will be for the King of Kings! I guarantee that unsaved people are not reacting this way. 

Perhaps there are even some Christians that are not reacting this way.  So for those of us who can train ourselves in righteousness, our actions will stand out like a light in a very dark place.  We will be lifting up Jesus and showing his love to the world.  Isn't that worth bearing a little grief in life?

One final word of caution – this section concerns petty or insignificant injustices.  Jesus is not telling us to surrender all our character, property and time to those who will abuse us.

Matthew 5:43-46 – You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is 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.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

The Old Testament law did command the Jews to love their neighbors as themselves:

Leviticus 19:18 - You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

However, the law did NOT command anyone to hate their enemy.  That bit of instruction was handed down from earlier generations and enforced by the Scribes and Pharisees.  The Jews frequently considered other Jews to be their neighbors, and Gentiles to be their enemies.

Jesus corrects this teaching by telling his followers to love their enemies.  Does that sound unreasonable or even absurd to you?  It certainly did to the Jews.  Why is that? Because fallen man is governed by the flesh, and the natural reaction of the flesh is to hate our enemies.

But if we receive a new nature by being born again, we can choose to be governed by the Spirit, who gives us the ability to love.

Love can be divided into two pathways:  Love for a person and love or approval of their conduct.  Accordingly, it is possible to love a person, but hate their behavior and actions.  In fact, many of you may have a friend or family member that you love and perhaps even pity, while at the same time you cannot love or approve of their life choices.  So we are directed by God to love the person, while we can still hate their sin.

We are to pray for those who persecute us.  This helps us as well as our tormentor.  If the Holy Spirit moves upon the heart of the wicked and he becomes saved, he will then stop persecuting us.  Praying for our adversaries identifies us as genuine sons of God.

Matthew 5:47-48 – and if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?  Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Even sinners will commonly render good for good.  The followers of Christ must be willing to do something different – render good for evil.

It is the duty of Christians to desire and to press towards perfection/completeness in grace and holiness, working to conform ourselves to the example of Jesus.

Let me give you some encouragement and some relief:

When someone treats you unjustly, it is normal for your first reactions to be anger and revenge, rather than love.  That doesn't mean you are not a Christian.  It just means that you have some maturing to do.  Remember, we can train ourselves in rightenousness.  With the help of Holy Spirit we can love people as Jesus does, and we can learn to overcome evil with good.

Let me give you some strength:

Taking control of your thoughts and guarding your mind are essential keys to defeating sin in your life.  They are keys that YOU control.  Begin to be aware of what you are feeding your mind and what you allow to dwell there.  If you find some things that need to go, cast them out immediately and replace them with thoughts of righteousness.  You have the spiritual power and toughness to take control of your mind, so do it!

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Matthew 5:13 – You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

We are still looking at teaching from what is known as the Sermon on the Mount.  Our last post pointed out that Jesus taught while sitting on a mountain slope.  This setting allowed him to be both seen and heard by all those who came to hear him.  It was obviously not a truly remote place, because the crowds were able to get there, but it was far enough away from the hustle and bustle of daily life to allow the hearers to concentrate on what Jesus was saying.

Now, I admit, that sounds strange, but if you think about it, you will find that it is true.  We don't go out into our gardens and salt the green bean plants; we add the salt after the beans are picked and we are cooking them.  Since the beans have been separated from the plant, they are technically dead and eventually they will rot.

We wait until the animal has been butchered, then add a sprinkle or two of salt on a steak as we are grilling it.

What does salt do for dead things?  It preserves, it enhances flavor and texture and it is also a binding agent in foods like sausage.

In the same way as salt preserves, enhances and acts as a binder for food, the Christian acts as a preservative, enhancer and binder for the human world.

It is the faith, works and prayers of Christians which bring the blessings and favor of God down upon our society.  Without Christian influence, the world would soon become totally corrupt and rotten, much like a steak left in the hot sun for a few days.  We already have evidence of this; the bible tells us that during the time of Noah, there were only a handful of righteous people left.  The rest of the world was entirely unrestrained and corrupt.

Genesis 6:11-12 – Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.  And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

This was not a 'one time' exception; any generation left without a witness to the truth and power of God Almighty will end up in the same state of death.

Psalms 14:2-3 – The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt, there is none who does good, not even one.

Therefore, it is essential that each disciple of Jesus act as salt in his/her community. In order for the salt to do its work, it must be separate/distinct/different from the food it is preserving.  Otherwise, it can do no good.

In the same way, we must stand out and be different from the culture around us.  If there is no discernable difference between you and the world, how can you function as salt?

One way to measure your influence as salt is to see how you are different from those around you.  For instance, do you have the same goals as those without Christ?  I certainly hope not!  They are looking to gain the whole world, while you should be looking for a heavenly home.

The world seeks to spend their days in idleness and pleasure.  You should be working in the fields of righteousness, because there is a great harvest of souls to be gathered, but the workers are few.

The world is fearful of the future, but you are a person of peace – peace that passes understanding.

The world seeks to find meaning and satisfaction through money, power, sex, alcohol, drugs and other things.  However, the Christian knows that true satisfaction and fulfillment are found in a relationship with the God of the universe.

The bottom line is this – If you are going to be the salt of the earth, you must be different from the world. Your holiness and good works will stand in contrast to the carnality of your generation, giving unbelievers an example of the love, peace and fulfillment available to those who follow Jesus Christ.

If we are no different than the unbelievers around us, then we have lost the ability to act as salt; we can no longer preserve or enhance or hold together the society in which we live.  If that is the case what good are we to the world around us or to our King?

Matthew 5:14-15 – You are the light of the world.  A cit set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

The 'light' metaphors in these verses are much the same as the 'salt' metaphor above.  Just as God designed the sun to illuminate the earth, so he designed the Christian to illuminate the hearts and minds of those around us to the gospel of Christ.

If a city is built on a hill, it will not be a secret, especially at night when the lights are on.  Anyone will be able to see it, even from a distance.  The city will be a place of refuge and respite for the weary traveler.

In the same way, the church of Jesus Christ is like a city.  It is not hidden, but it is out in plain view shining with the light of Christ.  Anyone who looks for it can see it.  The church should be a place of shelter and comfort to those who are weary from life.

Matthew 5:16 -In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Live your own life by the light of the gospel.  Let the world see your holiness and your good works to others.  Let them notice and marvel at your love for all mankind.  Let the world see the true peace and joy that you posses, which is not affected by either good or bad circumstances.  Let them see you glorify and praise your King.  Let them eat of the fruit of the Spirit that you bear in your life.

In so doing, you will point them back to your heavenly Father.  He is to receive the glory and honor and praise for all the good things exhibited in our lives.

This is the opposite of what the Pharisees of Jesus' day were doing.  They performed good works and prayed public prayers so that they themselves would receive the glory of men.  This is not true Christianity, which acts in order to glorify God alone.

Matthew 5:17 – Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

The ancient scriptures (what we know as the Old Testament) had three divisions:  The Torah, the Prophets and the Writings (Ketuvim).

The Torah is the law of God as revealed to Moses, which is recorded in the first five books of the Old Testament. It is also called the Pentateuch.

The Prophets are just what you imagine – the Old Testament books written by the prophets.  These include (but are not limited to) Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Samuel, Joel, Jonah, Micah, and others.

The Writings were everything else, including the Psalms and Proverbs.

Essentially, when Jesus speaks of the Law and the Prophets, he is referring to the whole Old Testament or the current covenant between God and the Jews.

Let's consider these words from the Jewish point of view.  If you were a devout, God fearing Jew back then, you would probably be alarmed at Jesus' teaching.  You might naturally assume that if the kingdom of heaven was at hand and a new era was beginning, that the law you so loved and cherished would be destroyed.  This would almost be considered blasphemous by the devout Jews, because the law was clearly the word of God.

On the other hand, if you were a Jew who despised the law, you might be very glad to hear that a new covenant was at hand – perhaps it would be more to your liking that the strict rules of the law!

However, Jesus makes it clear from the beginning that he has no intention of destroying the Law.  Rather, he has come to fulfill it.  Jesus will be the literal fulfillment of the ceremonial law; he will be the true, perfect sacrificial lamb who would atone for the sins of all mankind.  He would also be the fulfillment of the moral law.  This means that by his life and doctrine, Jesus would establish, illustrate and live out the highest meaning of moral law.

It makes sense that Jesus was come to fulfill the law rather than to destroy it.  After all, the Old and New Testament scriptures form a single unified whole.  The law and the gospels are not opposing teachings; they are a single perfect unified whole.  God's revelation would never contradict itself.

This brings us to another point.  The moral law as taught and lived by Jesus was going to look a whole lot different than the moral law as practiced by the Pharisees and other religious leaders.  This accounts for a lot of the tension between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day.

Matthew 5:18 – For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Clearly, Jesus is teaching that the law was to remain in full force until it was fulfilled.  He is also telling us that the smallest or least element of holiness in the law has more reality and durability than the whole visible universe.  The heavens and the earth will one day pass away, but not the word of God!

Matthew 24:35 – Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.                                                                                                                       

Matthew 5:19 – Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The religious leaders of Jesus day had a bad habit of dividing up the commandments of God into 'lesser' and 'greater' commands.  If you broke one of the lesser commands, it meant you were guilty of only a trivial offence.  If you broke one of the greater commands, that was a serious offence.  Then, there were the commands that did not suit the purposes of the religious leaders, so they maintained that their traditions made those commands null and void! 

While that may seem laughable to us, don't mock them just yet, because we do essentially the same thing!

For example, which sin is greater:  a little white lie or murder?  How about cheating a little on your taxes or robbing a bank?

You see, even our generation considers some sins to be little (the white lie or cheating the IRS) and some sins to be big and serious (murder and robbery).

God doesn't see it that way at all.  Each and every breach of the law is sin.  Jesus was saying that he was going to raise, not lower, the standard of righteousness which had previously been accepted by the Jews.  We will find him teaching on this subject in greater detail very soon.

Matthew 5:20 – For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

The righteousness of the religious leaders was based on the outward observance of ceremonial law.  They offered sacrifices, fasted regularly, never missed ceremonial washings and paid tithes down to the exact amount of spices in their gardens!

But Jesus wasn't speaking of outward righteousness.  He is concerned about the righteousness that springs from the heart of a person.  It consists of things like justice, truth and purity of heart and mind.  If we have righteousness in our hearts, our actions will follow suit.

Matthew 5:21-22  – You have heard it said to those of old, "You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says 'you fool' will be liable to the hell of fire.

Jesus now goes on to give an example of his previous statement.  The teachers of the law told the people that if you murder, you are liable to judgment.  There can be no doubt that this was a correct interpretation of the law.  However, their conclusions and teachings are solely based on outward actions.  No concern is given to the motivations of the heart.  This was the fundamental mistake of the Pharisees and other religious leaders, which they continued to make again and again. 

Jesus, however, is teaching that the law entails more than just your actions – it also includes your inward thoughts and motivations.  Thus, anyone who has malice, hatred, ill-will or scornful anger against a brother is also guilty of murder, just like the man who literally kills his neighbor!

Matthew 5:23-24 – So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

The religious leaders believed that as long as a person performed an external act of worship, they were in right standing with God, regardless of what was in their heart.  For instance, they believed that a person could pay his tithes and it would be an acceptable sacrifice to God, even if he had hatred or jealously or pride in his heart against a fellow man.

But Jesus teaches something far different.  He exemplifies the fulfillment of the law when he says that we cannot offer acceptable worship to God while holding hostile feelings toward another person.  Neither can we offer acceptable worship to God if we have failed to make restitution to someone for an injury we have done to him.  So Jesus explains that we must defer our worship until we make peace with our brother.  Only then will our sacrifice be acceptable to God.

Matthew 5:25-26 – Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.  Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Here Jesus gives a real world example of his teaching.  The gist is this:  if you have a quarrel with someone, you need to make things right as soon as possible, before your adversary sets the law into motion.  Once that happens, you will suffer the unrelenting wheels of justice where you will be held responsible to pay every last cent.  Instead of doing that, cast off your pride and anger; make peace with your adversary so you are not caught in judgment.

Likewise, we need to make things right with our fellow man during the time that mercy is still possible.  If we are stubborn and refuse to lay down our pride and anger, we will soon enter a time when judgment without mercy is the only possible outcome.

Let me give you some encouragement:  

As a Christian, you shine the light of Jesus to a lost and dying world!  What an honor it is to reflect the love and grace of our Savior and King.  I encourage you to shine your light just a little brighter this week.  Try being just a little more bold in expressing your belief in Jesus!

Let me offer you some relief:  

If you have a long list of rules for being a Christian, ease up on yourself a bit.  Rather than focusing on 'do's and don'ts' keep a close watch on the intents and motivations of your heart.  If your heart is right, your actions will follow.

Let me offer you some strength:  

It is our job to lift up Jesus; it is the Holy Spirit's job to call people to repentance.  That means that you may do a fine job being salt or light, but others may still reject your witness.  Don't be worried if this happens; you may be watering or planting a seed that will sprout up at another time.  Continue to shine your light and let the Holy Spirit worry about the results.

 

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Matthew 5:1-2 – Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.  And he opened his mouth and taught them saying,

Chapters 5-7 of Matthew's gospel are collectively known as the 'Sermon on the Mount'.  Jesus did not call it that; it is a title that was given much later by those who studied the scriptures. 

Clearly, the place Jesus chose was not extremely remote, because we see that crowds were able to get there.  On the other hand, it was certainly removed from the busyness of their daily lives.  This is a good principle for all of us.  Take time to shut yourself away from the busyness and distractions of everyday life.  When you do, you will find it is much, much easier to hear what God is saying to you.

Jesus sat as he taught; that was the normal method employed by all Jewish teachers.

Jesus also delivers the principles of the kingdom of the New Covenant on a mountain with God's people present, but this time he is plainly visible and there is an atmosphere of blessing and peace.

While the Holy Spirit prompted Matthew to write down the teachings of Jesus orderly and concisely in chapters 5-7, there is no indication that all of this teaching was delivered at one time.  There is so much teaching in these chapters, no one could have comprehended it all in a single sitting.  If it was delivered all at once, that would have been one long church service!

Matthew 5:3 - "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."                                                                                                                      

This is the first of the 9 'beatitudes' listed in verses 3-12 of chapter 5.  The beatitudes are a section of teaching within the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7).  Beatitude refers to a state of bliss or happiness.  Therefore, these 9 things will tell the Jewish people what will make them truly happy.  Each principle builds upon the one before it.

Keep in mind that the Jews still had a lingering expectation that the Messiah was going to immediately set up an earthly kingdom and expel the Romans from their land.  Therefore, these teachings were a bit like a splash of cold water on the face. It wasn't at all what the Jews were expecting. Jesus' teachings showed that his kingdom was a spiritual one; the kingdom of heaven is really the rule of God through Christ.

While these teachings applied to the Jews back in Jesus' day, they also have lessons to teach the modern day Christian.

Let's get started!  The beginning of all happiness is to be poor in spirit.  In this case, the word 'poor' has nothing to do with earthly wealth.  A person can be rich but still be poor in spirit.

Poor in spirit deals with three main issues:  humility, submission and gratitude.  To be poor in spirit means to be humble or to have a humble opinion of ourselves.  Those who are poor in spirit understand and acknowledge that they are sinners and have no righteousness of their own. They cannot save themselves (gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven); they must rely on God to do it for them.

Romans 3:23-24 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Not only are the poor in spirit are willing to depend on God for forgiveness of sin, they are willing to submit to him, doing what he commands, giving as he instructs, going where he leads and bearing the light burdens he places upon us.

Those who are poor in spirit will exemplify gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon them by Christ.  One who is truly poor in spirit will be actively involved in praise and worship of God.

What is the result or reward of being poor in spirit?  Those who are poor in spirit are ready to accept forgiveness by the blood of Jesus and consequently, will be admitted into the kingdom of heaven.

At the close of this age, they will find themselves in heaven, in the presence of Jesus, Father God and the Holy Spirit where there is no more sin or death or sorrow.  Scripture tells us that we cannot even comprehend what God has in store for us in the next age.

Isaiah 64:4 - For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen, O God, besides you, what he has prepared for him that waits for him.

So, the beginning of blessing starts with an acknowledgement of our sinful nature and our dependence on God.  

Matthew 5:4 – "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."                                                                                                                                         

The bible speaks of two different kinds of mourning or sorrow.  One is worldly sorrow and the other is godly sorrow.

2 Corinthians 7:10 – For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be regretted: but the sorrow of the world works death.                                        

How do we know the difference?

Godly sorrow involves sorrow for our own sin, the sins of others or the sin of a nation.  Sorrow is caused when we understand and view sin as God views it – something that is putrid or rotting and, if left unchecked, produces death.  Strange as it may sound, godly sorrow has a good outcome.  Though unpleasant for a time, it produces true repentance and a return to the ways of God.  This leads to spiritual life.

In Matthew, Jesus tells us that those who mourn or express godly sorrow, are blessed for they shall be comforted.  God comforts the sinner by removing the sin as far 'as the east is from the west'.  Once that burden is removed, the sinner is no longer sorrowful.  Through Christ they can win victory over the sin, which no longer holds any power over them.  They now have full assurance that regardless of what earthly life holds, they will be blessed for eternity.

Worldly sorrow is different.  Worldly sorrow is mourning for failure, not sin.  It includes things like life's disappointments (if only I had sold that stock), loss of property or people (my house burned down, my spouse died), or guilt and disgrace (I was publicly chastised for theft in office, I was arrested for vice, etc).

Worldly sorrow leads only to the hopelessness of guilt and despair, which in turn leads to a broken heart and eventually death – death of the body and death of the spirit.

I encourage you to turn to Christ immediately – he is the only one who can turn your mourning into joy!

Matthew 5:5 – "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."                                                                                                                                              

How do you define meekness?  Does it conjure up images of people who are like 'wet noodles' – powerless and unable to stand up for themselves?  Do you imagine people who are weak and afraid of confrontation or people who are over run by anyone who challenges them? 

If so, you may be in for a surprise.  Meekness is not weakness.  The best definition for meekness is 'power under control'.   What you may be mistaking for weakness is actually forbearance and self control.

Let me give you an example.  Do you think that Jesus was meek?  We would say yes, wouldn't we?  So when the Romans and the Jews conspired together to crucify him on the cross, was he weak and powerless and unable to stand up for himself?

No!  The scriptures tell us that Jesus was in total control of that situation.

Matthew 26:53-54 -  [Jesus asked Peter] Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?

When the Romans came to arrest Jesus, Peter pulled out a sword and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers.  Jesus healed the man's ear, and plainly told Peter that he had the power and the authority to call down thousands of angels at any moment.  Before Peter even blinked, Jesus could have been rescued from the crucifixion.

But Jesus chose not to do that.  He chose to overlook the offence of these men so that he could accomplish his plan of redemption.  Jesus had his power and his authority under control; he could decide what kind of action to take against these men.

The scripture says that you and I can find happiness by exemplifying meekness.  We too, can control our passions and emotions.  Rather than reacting to an attack, we have the ability to take a moment and decide the best way to act.  It is possible to treat others as we would like to be treated.  All it takes is meekness and self control.

Why don't you watch yourself this week and determine your level of meekness?  Find out if this is an area where you need to grow.  If so, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to assist you in gaining control over your passions so you can glorify Jesus.

Matthew 5:6 – "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."                                                                                  

What is righteousness? First of all, it can be defined as freedom from sin/guilt.

The Bible says that we have righteousness (freedom from sin) through the sacrifice of Jesus.  We do nothing to earn or deserve it; it is a free gift from God.  This righteousness is instantaneous; we are righteous in God's sight the second we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

2 Corinthians 5:21 – For He [God] has made him who knew no sin [Jesus], to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

There is also a second definition of righteousness, which is conformity to God's will or acting in accordance with divine law.  This includes personal purity/holiness and it takes the form of doing what is right.  It is closely associated with justice which is integrity in our dealings with other people.

This kind of righteousness is formed in us little by little as the Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Jesus.

II Corinthians 3:18 - And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The work of the Holy Spirit produces righteousness that is a state of mind and heart; it is the soil out of which all virtues grow.

So, righteousness is both instantaneous freedom from sin as well as the continual sanctification of ourselves which leads to personal holiness, acting justly towards others and being aligned with God's will.

Notice that Jesus compares our desire for righteousness to hunger and thirst. 

Here is some good news – Jesus promises us that if we intensely desire righteousness like we would food and water, we are blessed because we will be filled!

Conversely, if we hunger and thirst or intensely desire the things of the world like money and pleasure, we will be disappointed because these things cannot truly satisfy or make us happy.

What sort of things are you longing for?  I encourage you to choose the things that are eternal, not the things of this world.

Matthew 5:7 – "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy."                                                                                                                                            

To be merciful means to pity, to help, to support or to give relief to people who are in difficulty, want or distress.  It means to assist and deliver from suffering.

That being the case, we don't have to look very far to find instances in which we can show mercy.  All around us there are hurting people who need food, shelter and clothing.  All around us are people who are slaves to addictions and diseases.  All around us are people who need love, hope and words of affirmation.  And everywhere you look there are people who need to know Jesus as savior.

In fact, each day brings new opportunities for us to help alleviate some of the suffering that we see in the world.  Do you need some motivation to get involved?  How about this - Jesus promises that if we will reach out and help others, we too shall obtain mercy in our hour of need.  Are you actively involved in showing mercy?

Matthew 5:8 – "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."                                                                                                                                             

To have a pure heart means that your motives and thoughts are pure.  This is in contrast to a person who is externally pure by obeying laws and rules. The Pharisees and Sadducees are good examples of those who were outwardly pure, but who had hearts full of corruption and sin.   Remember, these were the people that John called to repent for the kingdom of Heaven was coming!

Those who are pure in heart receive an incredible blessing – they shall see God.  To see God implies being in his presence; the pure in heart will be God's friend and experience his favor and blessing.  The pure in heart will dwell with him forever in his kingdom.

Matthew 5:9 – "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."                                                                                                                    

Peacemakers are those who not only seek to eliminate conflict in their own lives, but also labor to settle differences among others.  Instead of fanning the flames of strife, the peacemakers use their influence and wisdom to reconcile the separated parties and restore them to a state of unity and peace.

Since all men are in a state of conflict or hostility with God (and each other), the gospel is called the gospel of peace because it reconciles men to God and to each other.  Since God is the Father of peace, the peacemakers would naturally be referred to as his children.

Matthew 5:10-12 – "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

To persecute means to pursue someone with the intent to grieve, afflict, vex, torment, oppress or put them to death.  Religious beliefs of all different kinds are often the basis for persecution.

Let us take a moment and consider a Christian who has been closely attending to the beatitudes found here in Matthew. 

Such a person is a peacemaker.  He is one who sows mercy in a hurting world.  He is meek, holding his power in check and acting according to God's wishes; he loves his neighbor as himself.  He mourns over sin and evil.  He is poor in spirit, meaning humble, submissive and grateful for what he has.  So why would those in the world persecute such a person?  If all people exemplified these virtues, wouldn't the world be a better place?

The bible tells us that Christians will be persecuted because those in the world love darkness/evil and hate light/righteousness.

John 3:19-20 - And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

So, it should not come as a surprise when Christians are persecuted.

In these last verses Jesus is warning and urging us to walk worthy of our calling.  Those who are persecuted are considered as one of the prophets of old.  We share their calling as people who illuminate darkness by shining our lights brightly before a lost and dying world.  It is our duty to bear witness to the truth of God, even though the world does not want to hear about it.  It is our pleasure to remain pure in our faith, not being stained or defiled by the world.  The purpose in all of this is to lift up the name of Jesus so the world may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven.

Our motivation for enduring suffering is our love for God.  We love him because he first loved us, forgave us and blessed us with eternal life in his presence.  While this would be reward enough for eternity, God graciously grants us even more.

In fact, Jesus says the persecuted will have great reward in heaven.  This tells us that the reward is positively assured.  At the present time it is out of sight (as are all of our heavenly rewards), but it is real nonetheless.  The persecuted will have an everlasting, abundant recompense for all that has temporarily happened on earth.  The persecuted Christian is laying up treasure in heaven where moths and rust and thieves cannot touch their reward.

So let me give you some encouragement: 

Don't give up on yourself or others!  Every single day the Holy Spirit is working in your life to transform you into the image of Christ.  This process takes time and there will surely be some failures along the way, but eventually, you can become the Christian described in the beatitudes.

Let me give you some relief:  

When you stand for the truth, the world will notice and they will most likely hate you for it.  Don't worry - this is normal, so continue to stand firm.  There will be those who come to accept Christ through your witness.

Let me give you some strength:  

We don't know exactly what the future holds, but we do know that God is right here with us, even to the end of this age.  We also know that he will not place any burden upon us that we cannot carry.  So take heart – no matter what we may face, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

 

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Matthew 4:12 – Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.

There is a gap of time between verses 11 and 12 of about a year.  What happened during that time?  The book of John gives us some of the details.  Jesus was very busy ministering to people. He preached in the synagogues, attended Passover in Jerusalem (John 2), had a discussion with Nicodemus (John 3), spoke to the woman at the well (John 4), performed a miracle at the wedding at Cana and much more.

So we see that for a time, the ministries of Jesus and John overlapped.  

Both of them were both calling people to repent in light of the coming Kingdom of Heaven.   God was allowing time for John to fully complete his ministry of preparing the way for Christ.  Once that was done, John's ministry needed to decrease while Jesus' ministry increased.  Otherwise, people would be divided with some following John and some following Jesus.

Matthew 4:13-16 – And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 'The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.'

'By the sea' refers to the sea of Tiberias also called the lake of Gennesaret.  This place was in the ancient territory of the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun.  Isaiah prophesied about this land back in chapter 9 of his book.  He declared that a great light would dawn on this region, which had been dwelling in the shadow of death.

Back in the era of 2 Kings 15 this was literally the case because that region was the first to be attacked by the Assyrians.  There can be no doubt that those people were indeed living in the shadow of death.

However, there was more than one kind of death going on.  There was physical death from the Assyrians, but there was also spiritual death for those Jews who had rejected the covenant with God.  In other words, dwelling in the shadow of death was the same as living in sin, because the final outcome of sin is always death.

To those who are living in sin (spiritual death), the preaching of Jesus were a great light, which led them to salvation and eternal life.

 So it is for us.  We were in the darkness of sin and under the influence of spiritual death.  We could not rid ourselves of the stain and bondage of sin.  What we can do is embrace the light of the gospel when it is shined on our lives.  In so doing, Christ cleanses us and sets us free from death, through his blood sacrifice.

What a blessing it is to read that Christ's message reached far and wide, extending even to Galilee of the Gentiles.  Thus, we see yet another hint of God's great plan to offer salvation to the Gentiles.

Matthew 4:17 – From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

After John's imprisonment, Jesus continued to preach the message of repentance.  Repentance is always the starting point of spiritual life.  We must first repent before we can obtain salvation.  We must obtain salvation before we can reach great heights of faith and spiritual maturity.

Matthew 4:18 – While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

The time had come for Jesus to gather his disciples to himself.  These men would be witnesses – witnesses of miracles, witnesses of healing, witnesses of the power of God over the enemy and witnesses of the gospel message.  In fact, after the death and resurrection of Jesus they would be preaching of the gospel after being baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.  God would then work similar miracles through these men, just as he had through Jesus.

Matthew 4:19-20 – And he said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."  And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

We can't help but notice that Jesus did not go to Jerusalem to find his disciples.  He did not choose anyone from among the chief priests, the elders, the Pharisees, Saducees or Essenes.  He did not choose men who were refined or noble.  Rather, he choose the humble of this world.  Galilee was a remote part of the nation and its inhabitants were not cultivated or refined as those of Jerusalem.  In fact, they were considered 'coarse'.  Yet, these were the people God chose.

1 Corinthians 1:27 - But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty...

This shows that you can be used by God no matter what your station in life.  You can be rich or poor, smart or simple, educated or uneducated; God can (and will) work through any person who yields themselves to his will.  Get into alignment with what God is doing, and watch him work through you!

Matthew 4:21-22 – And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.  Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

The men that Jesus chose were uniquely qualified to fulfill their purpose.  They were laborers.  They were used to hard work and long hours.  They were content without luxurious clothing and food.  They were used to being wet, cold and uncomfortable.  They were no strangers to peril.

Similarly, we remember that David and Moses were both shepherds before rising to positions of prominence in God's kingdom.  Their early training helped prepare them for future ministry.

Just like David, Moses and the disciples, you are uniquely qualified to serve God.  Your talents and experiences make you different from everyone around you.  So let me ask you this - are you actively seeking the good works that God has prepared for you to do?  Are you advancing the kingdom here on earth?

If not, look around you and find a place to begin ministering.  Once you have begun, other doors of opportunity will open for you.  Just like the disciples, you may be surprised where God takes you!

Matthew 4:23 – And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

Here we have a great example of how to spread the gospel.  People came to Jesus with physical needs; he met those needs then introduced spiritual healing as well.  People know when they have physical needs, but they don't always understand that they are spiritually sick as well.  Therefore, the physical need opens the door to preaching of the gospel, which heals the soul.

This example still works today.  The church should not be a closed community of righteous people.  Rather, sinners should feel welcome there.  This does not mean that we embrace and love their sin; it means we love them as they repent.

This also means that all of us need to support our local churches financially so that the church can reach out to the needs of the community around them, bringing both physical and spiritual hope and healing.

Jesus also gives us hope for the future.  By atoning for sin, he has broken the curse of sickness and death.  One day, these will be totally destroyed!

Matthew 4:24-25 – So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Wherever Jesus went he confirmed his divine mission with miracles performed by the influence and power of the Holy Spirit.  No sickness, disease or torment was powerful enough to stand against him.  He healed them all.  But he also brought an even greater miracle – healing of the soul by becoming a sacrifice for our sin.

Let me give you some encouragement, relief and strength: 

There is no one on planet earth like you! Don't try to imitate others; be yourself. You can do things for God that no one else can - step out in faith and begin to minister for Jesus. There's no telling where you might end up!