Notes on
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
For 21st Century Disciples
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he Sermon on the Mount comes at a climax of 2000 years of redemptive history. God has been mysteriously working through the Israelites ever since the days of Abraham. But now he has entered the human race as the Incarnate Word.
Jesus is not yet known as the Messiah, not yet discerned as the
Incarnate Word. He comes out of the backwoods of Galilee and speaks as a Jew to Jewish disciples --- who know the Torah, who know their history.
The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is universal. It applies to any disciple of Jesus from any culture.
But it is based on a transfiguration of the Torah given at Sinai
to Israel.
While Mt. Sinai, 1200 years before was covered with a cloud of mystery, this "mountain" in Galilee hears a word that is simple, clear and down-to-earth. But it's the same God speaking in both revelations.
This teaching is the most profound truth ever given on earth. But it will come alive for us only if we approach it with poverty of spirit. Any other approach to the Sermon on the Mount will reap only dead words, distortions, hypocrisy, despair.
It's the beginning of Jesus' ministry. He has been baptized, anointed with the Spirit, passed through a horrific temptation in the wilderness. He has begun gathering disciples, preaching the kingdom of heaven, healing the sick.
Multitudes are drawn to Jesus because of what he gives them free-of-charge: healing of body and mind.
"And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those
afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
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…" Matthew 4:23-5:2
Seven things to keep in mind as we approach this study:
1. Jesus is speaking to his disciples, even though there is a larger audience listening. This teaching is addressed to disciples.
2. Jesus is describing the life which sons and daughters of God's kingdom are empowered and commanded to live.
(The Sermon on the Mount is not a "blueprint for world peace" or
"how to run a government.")
3. Jesus speaks with the authority of heaven.
"You have heard that it was said to the men of old
….but I say to you."
"Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them…"
These authoritative words are either those of a madman or God's Messiah.
4. This teaching, like the healings which drew the crowds, flows from the
power of his approaching cross.
His healings: "Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our
pains."
His word of forgiveness: "And the Lord has laid on him the
iniquity of us all."
Likewise, The Sermon on the Mount, which lays out the kingdom life in detail, is based on his atoning blood which is soon to be shed. "When he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days."
(Jesus is now beginning to fulfill the prophetic description of the Atonement in Isaiah 53)
5. This teaching is addressed to people who have committed their lives to
him, and who, as his disciples, will share in his anointing --- will re-
ceive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which will enable them to turn these
teachings into flesh-and-blood living.
6. This teaching has been preserved to us by the sovereign activity of the
Father in heaven, who gave these words to the Son to give to us. ("My
teaching is not mine, but his who sent me." John 7:16)
7. The Sermon on the Mount describes the way life is lived in God's king-
dom --- the only way life is lived in God's kingdom.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men 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 men persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:2-12
The Beatitudes are more than magnificent words. They are precise, burning truth, straight from heaven. They are prophetic: what they promise, they deliver.
The kingdom of heaven:
--- God's redemptive order.
--- A world penetrating this world, where God's will is
done on earth as it is in heaven.
--- Where evil is overcome, sickness is overcome, death
is conquered, lies are burned away.
--- Where God is known and loved, trusted and obeyed.
The poor in spirit:
--- People who have abandoned their arrogance and vanity.
--- People who have lost their appetite for self-glory.
--- People who are empty of themselves.
--- People who are aware of their great need for God.
Poverty of spirit is the doorway to discipleship under Jesus.
Nobody becomes a disciple until they are aware of their spiritual poverty.
Hence the listening disciples, who have already entered this doorway, are blessed.
The multitudes across the earth who are poor in spirit are also blessed, because they too will one day (through the "drawing power" of the cross) find the door to discipleship.
The one essential to grasping the meaning and power of the Sermon on the Mount: poverty of spirit.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Those who mourn:
--- Their hearts are broken through loss. Loss of a loved-one,
a child, a friend.
--- Their hearts are broken when they get a glimpse of the
power of evil which surrounds them, and even the evil they discover
in their own souls.
--- Their hearts are broken by the sins of their "Jerusalem."
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!" Matthew 23:37
--- Their hearts are broken enough to weep before God.
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?
Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?
O that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! Jeremiah 8:22-9:1
This kind of mourning is the doorway to discipleship under Jesus.
--- A brokenness that needs divine comfort.
The disciples who are first hearing these words have known inward brokenness.
The multitudes out across the earth who are inwardly broken (mourning) will one day (through the drawing power of the cross) find their comfort in the Messiah.
--- Comforted by God.
Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will
gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:9-11
As Jesus speaks to the disciples ... and to you as you read these words … this comfort has begun. He feeds his flock like a shepherd. He comforts the mourners. He imparts the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) to his disciples.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
The meek.
They are not wimps.
They are not cowards.
They are not spineless.
The meek are those who are open to direction from above.
"Learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart."
i.e. "I yield to the Father's will, as he directs my steps."
The meek are teachable, as opposed to people with closed minds.
(Many people who think of themselves as "forward-thinking" and "open-minded" are, in fact, closed to everything that contradicts their "open-minded" point-of-view.)
The meek are those whose minds are open to light from God, no matter where it leads or what it costs.
This kind of meekness is the doorway to discipleship.
No one truly submits to Jesus until they have abandoned their hard mindset and become teachable, open to divine guidance, wherever it leads, whatever it costs.
The listening disciples have already entered this path.
The meek of the world will eventually (through the drawing power of the cross) find it.
"For they shall inherit the earth."
The earth belongs, not to the powerful, not to the rich, not to the high-tech geniuses, but to God.
The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice!
And God gives the earth, at his pleasure, within his timeframe, to the meek, who are teachable enough to become sons and daughters of the kingdom.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
Those who hunger and thirst to be right with God.
Right with God --- not right with the religious authorities, not right in the opinion of their peers, but right with God.
They hunger and thirst for righteousness, as opposed to the complacent, the apathetic, the self-righteous.
They are so hungry to be right with God that they go out of their way to seek his help.
They are so troubled about the condition of their own soul, that they cry out for mercy. "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"
Their eyes are fixed, not on themselves, not on other people, but on God. "Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight!"
This hunger and thirst is the doorway to discipleship under Jesus.
Every one of Jesus' disciples is driven to him and held close to him by this hunger, which ultimately opens their eyes to the meaning of the cross.
This same hunger in the multitudes of earth leads them (through the drawing power of the cross) to the source of all righteousness: Jesus.
For they shall be satisfied.
Filled with a righteousness which is imparted from above.
A "rightness with God" paid for and sustained by the power of the cross.
A "rightness with God" worked out in daily living by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
What follows in the Sermon on the Mount is a description in detail of God-imparted righteousness. Jesus is telling us what we need to know and where we need to change, by the power of the Spirit.
Jesus presents the righteousness of the kingdom with great hope:
"You are the salt of the earth!
You are the light of the world!"
Jesus presents the righteousness of the kingdom with a serious warning:
"Every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand."
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
The Merciful.
A perfect example is the Samaritan in Jesus' parable in Luke 10.
The acts of kindness of the merciful person are done without fanfare.
The merciful person treats all people with honor --- and without fanfare.
The merciful person is never too busy to take time to listen.
The merciful person is especially aware of his/her own need of God's mercy.
When I know how desperately I need God's mercy, how can I fail to show mercy?
A merciful heart is the doorway to discipleship under Jesus.
Yet even disciples always have more to learn, when it comes to mercy.
"Lord, send her away, she's crying after us!"
"Lord, shall we call down fire from heaven upon them?"
And they do learn. The epistles of Peter and John reveal hearts that have been tenderized by the Lord.
People out in the world who are merciful --- and there are many --- will also, sooner or later, find their way to Incarnate Mercy and follow him.
For they shall obtain mercy.
Divine mercy is offered to all at the cross. In God's mysterious way this mercy will knock on the door of every human heart (John 12:32).
It is offered as a gift, without strings.
It is received by faith.
But to keep God's mercy and be held by it forever, we are required to show mercy….to live mercy. Otherwise we lose it. (Matthew 18:23-35).
"For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; yet mercy triumphs over judgment." (James 2:13)
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
The pure in heart.
Those who are focused on God and his will.
Those who refuse to be distracted from the call of heaven.
Purity of heart is the doorway to discipleship under Jesus.
"Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind." (James 4:8)
i.e. Fix your heart on God. Stay focused on seeking and doing his will.
The disciples who were sitting there listening had already begun to purify their hearts. They had forsaken their fishing business to become apprentices of the Master.
Likewise, people out there in the world who have a single-minded thirst for God --- and there are such people --- will sooner or later behold God in the face of the Messiah.
Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father…." (John 14:8-9)
When we begin to see Jesus for who he is, we are looking at God. Jesus is the clearest and safest vision of God for eyes of flesh and blood.
"But won't we eventually actually see the Father?"
Yes, if we follow the only one who can get us there.
("No one comes to the Father but by me.")
If we receive God's light and walk in it, we will ultimately see what these eyes of flesh cannot see.
For now we see through a mirror, dimly, but then face-to-face. (I Corinthians 13)
If we stay on the path, we will see God in his glory, as no human eye could presently see him and live.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Peacemakers.
They are more than negotiators, arbitrators, referees.
They make peace.
They bring the peace of heaven to bear on human strife.
They bring God's peace ... holy peace.
Before such peace, we fall on our face and remove our shoes!
The only peacemakers on earth are those whose hearts are ruled by the peace of God.
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one Body." (Colossians 3:14)
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27)
Notice Jesus' first words to his disciples after the resurrection: "Peace be with you."
The only ones who bring this kind of peace into a room, or into a scene of strife, or into a church ... are those who are ruled by it themselves.
Every disciple of Jesus is growing into his likeness as a peacemaker.
While our witness may arouse anger in many hearts, as our Lord's words awakened hatred in many, those who respond to our witness are visited by holy peace, the atmosphere of heaven.
For they shall be called sons/daughters of God.
They are called sons of God because they bear his nature.
His peace rules their lives.
They reflect his glory, and impart his life-giving peace to the world around them.
When you encounter such a person, you know that you are in the presence of peace.
When you walk into a fellowship alive with this peace, you recognize it instantly.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
The persecuted.
The kingdom of heaven, promised first to the poor in spirit, is now promised to those who are persecuted for their faithfulness to God.
They speak God's truth.
They live what they profess.
They manifest God's mercy.
And for this the powers of this world despise and oppose them.
Sooner or later all those who seek to be right with God will experience persecution.
But they will also be guided right into God's kingdom as disciples of Jesus.
"Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater that his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also." (John 15:20)
But with persecution comes life and power from God --- always…
…For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Now, in this life, they receive a foretaste of God's world, where
God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven…evil is overcome…sickness is overpowered ... death is conquered ... where
God is known and loved, trusted and obeyed.
Along with persecution there always comes the immediate presence of the coming glory --- a taste of heaven --- to sustain and encourage them to rejoice and press on.
"Blessed are you when men 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 men persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Persecution, false accusations on my account.
Here, at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus promises blessings on his persecuted disciples. Because they will be persecuted, slandered and reviled on his account.
Jesus repeatedly taught that if we are faithful to him, we will arouse resentment on his account.
This is true even (perhaps especially) in a "Christian environment."
Of course we need to make sure that the resentment we cause is the result of our faithfulness to Jesus, and not because we are self-righteous, obnoxious, preoccupied with our own piety.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
This promise is not from a professional priest trying to exploit us, but from the Incarnate Word, who himself was about to suffer rejection on a scale we will never fathom.
Rejection and persecution for the name of Jesus is the highest privilege a human can experience. It puts us in the company of the prophets and martyrs of the kingdom of all time.
Jesus promises that, if we suffer rejection and persecution for his name, we will not only experience glory now, but God will "make it up to us" later. We will be rewarded when we arrive at the destination of this journey of faith.
To follow Jesus is to follow him to a cross of some kind
--- which itself will be followed by a "great reward."
As we proceed in this study we need to remember that the new life which Jesus is about to describe is based on his approaching act of atonement.
"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
He died for all….atoned for all.
But this act of atonement becomes effective in our lives only if we receive it by faith and walk in it.
As Jesus makes clear in the teachings which follow, not all will accept this blood-bought gift. Only certain people will open their hearts to God's mercy. And who are they?
The poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.
"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be
thrown out and trodden under foot by men." Matthew 5:13
Jesus speaking to disciples then and now: "You are the salt of the earth."
This is a statement of fact. "You are salt, because you are my disciples."
Salt gives flavor, adds life to flat food.
Salt preserves and cleanses.
"If you function in this world as my disciples you add
flavor, preserve, cleanse."
It is possible for salt to break down, to be compromised, by being preoccupied by the cares, riches, and pleasures of life….or by being distracted by "success."
The most useless thing on earth is a disciple who has lost saltness. Or a church which has become tasteless.
It happens when believers become preoccupied with themselves, when churches settle into the "church rut."
It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.
This is exactly what has happened repeatedly over the last 20
centuries.
It is happening now in much of western "Christendom."
Compromised churches, saltless believers, are being abandoned to their useless ways, as the true Body of Christ presses on.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world because you are my disciples. My light is in you. People will see light when they observe how you live."
Light which draws them toward God, makes them aware of God.
Jesus is not talking about putting on a "Christian Show"
--- presenting an image to the world.
The disciple of Jesus is never an icon or image, but simply light.
Jesus is calling us to be what we are --- light --- in ordinary ways:
The fact that you are a disciple is transparent.
You are not trying to hide it.
You are not ashamed of being a follower of Jesus.
It comes through in the way you live.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
When they see your good works as light, they become conscious of God.
God gets the glory --- all of it.
When they see your "good works" as "you," when you become the focus of attention, they are distracted from God.
You become God's competitor --- an idol. You are producing darkness.
"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-20
This passage in the Sermon on the Mount is the most overlooked and downplayed.
"Jesus was talking to a Jewish audience. It doesn't apply to us!"
"Jesus fulfilled the law, making the law obsolete."
What we call the Old Testament was Jesus' Bible when he was here in flesh and blood. He was steeped in these scriptures from childhood.
These scriptures were "inbreathed" by the Eternal Logos (the Son) --- both in the events they describe and in the prophetic words.
The tendency of many professing Christians to relegate the Old Testament scriptures to "optional reading" is a big mistake.
The Old Testament comes alive when approached under the guidance of the Spirit of Christ.
And in turn these scriptures add depth and power to the
New Testament, when approached in the Spirit of the Lord.
Jesus did not come to abolish, but to fulfill these scriptures.
Get to know them. Steep yourself in them.
1. To fulfill the prophecies. For example:
Isaiah 53 Psalm 22 Jeremiah 31:31-34
2. To fulfill by giving new life and deeper dimension to the
ancient Torah.
"You have heard that it was said…..but I say to you."
3. To fulfill the Passover by being the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
4. To fulfill the Sabbath by being the Incarnate Sabbath, and Lord of the Sabbath.
"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."
5. To fulfill the meaning of the Tabernacle-Temple by being the
final and life-giving Temple.
"Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up."
Nothing Jesus says or does diminishes the law (rightly understood) in the slightest.
"…Till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished."
We are saved by grace, not to abandon the law, but to fulfill it by the Spirit's power.
Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Righteousness
Jesus defines righteousness, not as a "spiritual state," not as a "correct set of beliefs," but as a life lived.
"Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
….Keeping in mind that the scribes and Pharisees were no spiritual wimps. They were highly disciplined, moral people.
But they were legalists. And nobody enters the kingdom based on "legalistic righteousness."
Nobody enters the kingdom without rebirth and
the actual righteousness which rebirth produces…
as Jesus will now describe it.
"You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill, and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. 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. Make friends 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 till you have paid the last penny." Matthew 5:21-26
Jesus ratchets up, "Thou shalt not kill."
"Whoever is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment."
Judgment by God.
"Whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council."
--- by the "assembly of the firstborn?" Hebrews 12:23
"Whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be liable to the hell of fire."
"liable"….in danger of……
These words are not those of a religious professional; they come from the mouth of the Incarnate Son.
"So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you…."
Stop. This barrier between you and your brother has blocked your access to God.
You can sing praises and pray lovely prayers, but your worship is an illusion.
"Leave your gift there before the altar and go."
Don't waste time trying to worship when there is unfinished business with this brother or sister.
"First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
When you leave your gift at the altar to get reconciled, you are not walking away from God, you are now moving in his will. You are beginning to offer true worship, which begins with obedience.
"Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court."
Quickly! Not, "I'll deal with it when I get around to it," but now!
If you are serious with Jesus, pay attention to the urgency in
his voice. Jesus is urgent about this for our sake, to save us
inevitable anguish.
"Lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny."
Get the issue settled before you are forced to stand before the Final Judge.
God is merciful, but he never compromises justice.
The redemption of the cross avails for us only if we walk in the mercy of the cross.
Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Incarnate Love speaks to us from holy ground.
Holy Love offers us power, joy, new life.
But he also warns us of the price we will pay by doing things our way, instead of his.
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; 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; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell" Matthew 5: 27-30
Jesus ratchets up "thou shalt not commit adultery" to "Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
"What's the big deal? What's wrong with a little lust to make the world go round?"
If we're serious about the kingdom of God, if we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, our whole understanding of the sexual has to be elevated to holy ground.
The sexual union between a man and woman committed to each other for life is the holiest aspect of their life together.
Anything that distorts or degrades this holy gift falls under the judgment of God.
Out of this sexual union children are born.
Through this sexual union their commitment to each other is renewed.
The sexual union is the "holy communion" of marriage.
Once a person becomes a disciple of Jesus, sex is no longer what the outside world says it is. (i.e. "Let me see how much satisfaction I can get out of this --- for me." ... always leads to a dead end.)
Our past, no matter how sordid or confused, is forgiven and healed.
But now the Spirit of God empowers us to live by a high standard … and holds us accountable to that high standard. From now on the sexual area is holy ground.
"If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell."
Hence, the eye of lust is to be removed.
The hand of lust is to be cut away.
So that we can live a chaste life with our spouse…or if we are so gifted, we can live a chaste life as a celibate,
... otherwise the sexual becomes the Big Distraction or the Big Disappointment.
But what about divorce?
Jesus isn't as squeamish as the religious nitpickers.
One of the most profound conversations he ever had was with a woman who had been through the divorce routine multiple times.
He gives this woman a new start. He will give anyone who comes to him a new start.
But Jesus calls divorce what it is……..
"It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." Matthew 5:31-32
If a man divorces his wife, he forces her into adultery. Because, in that culture, she has no choice but to find another husband.
And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery,
because he joins himself to a broken union.
But suppose such a man (who married a divorced woman) came to Jesus and wanted to be a disciple…..
Would Jesus forbid him?
If you were that man or that woman, would he reject you?
--- But from here on, he calls you to a high standard,
beginning where you are now.
Are there exceptions? Keep in mind that the standard is set, not by a book of rules, but by a living Lord. If you think your situation is unique, trust the Lord Jesus to show you the way.
It's important to remember that here as in every other area of life, Jesus is not a legalist. When it's not clear, we go to him, not to a rule book.
"Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, 'Do not swear 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.' And do not swear 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 the evil one." Matthew 5:33-37
We often get sidetracked from the real point of this passage by debating whether we are allowed to take an oath on the Bible in a court trial.
But this is not what Jesus is talking about. Jesus himself was put on the spot in a trial (Matthew 26:63-64) and he did not hesitate to respond, though the high priest put him under an oath.
The real issue here is our tendency to reinforce what we say by calling heaven (or earth or Jerusalem etc.) as our witness.
Jesus' point: If you speak the simple truth, you don't have to "back up" or embellish what you say with oaths or assurances.
The minute we "back up" our speech with extra words, we are entering the domain of Satan.
Hence the key statement in this passage is: "let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one."
Satan's single powerful weapon, by which he still exercises power in this world, is the Lie.
The lie in advertising, the lie in news reporting, the lie in government, church, business, labor.
Exaggeration…something left out….half-truth --- in order to mislead, cover our tracks, or hide our real agenda.
Jesus is exacting with us, his disciples, over the way we use our tongues.
"I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:36-37
The problem:
How, in a world awash in lies, do we convince people that we are telling the truth?
In traditional Judaism, and in most cultures, by means of an oath.
Jesus: Speak the truth and don’t back it up with anything.
The apostolic church took Jesus' warnings about the tongue seriously…so did the Puritans….so did the Quakers.
No doubt they all had their gossipers and slanderers too, but they made their people aware of how important this issue is:
"Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor. For we are members one of another." Ephesians 4:25
When the Holy Spirit invades our lives, one of the first places it becomes evident is in our use of the tongue.
We find the Spirit convicting us when our tongue goes off on a tangent.
We are unable to be as glib or loose or negative as we once were. (James 3:1-12)
The Spirit helps us. But we have to begin to retrain this unruly member --- a retraining which continues through the rest of life.
"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 one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you to take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you." Matthew 5:38-42
This is not a lesson in how to be a wimp. This is a command to disciples who are to conquer evil by the power of God.
When evil is directed against you personally, you conquer it by absorbing it in the name and power of God.
In order to defy you, belittle you, to beat you down, they strike you on the right cheek. So you turn your other cheek for a smack. When they hit you, they are not only hitting you, they are striking something holy.
They may not know it, but they are beginning to sink in divine quicksand.
When they sue you to take your coat (shirt?) you give them your cloak (jacket) also. As you do this, the power of the kingdom is invading their space through your gracious action.
When that Roman soldier forces you to go one mile, and you carry his load for two miles, you are cutting into his heart with God's surgical knife. He is being touched by the power of the cross of Christ.
When you give to him who begs from you, you are giving more than bread or money. You are touching that person with the power of the kingdom.
When you lend to someone who wishes to borrow from you, you are doing it in the name of the Lord. You are touching that life
redemptively.
Are there exceptions? Are there times when we should say, "No?"
We are not going by dead rules, we are walking with a living Lord. If there is an instance when we should say, "No," he will make it clear.
"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 have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, 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." Matthew 5: 43-48
"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
--- A revolutionary command, then and now.
Notice that the focus is not on our enemies and our persecutors, but on God.
"That you may be sons/daughters of your Father who is in heaven."
This is God's nature, not ours.
But Jesus, by his death and resurrection, by the gift of his Spirit, by his indwelling presence, is raising us out of our old nature into God's nature.
He puts God's nature into us….we work it out in living.
When we love our enemies (by the Lord's indwelling presence) and pray for our persecutors (by the power of the Spirit),
…we drive back the darkness, we overcome evil, we manifest God's redemptive presence in the world.
Is this how church folks actually live?
Perhaps not, but it's the way disciples of Jesus live.
Church folks, like tax collectors and Gentiles, tend to love those who love them, to salute those who belong to their "group."
But disciples of Jesus are called and empowered to manifest the nature of their Father.
"You, therefore, must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Perfect what? Perfect love, which now indwells you in the person of the Lord Jesus: "Christ in you the hope of glory!"
"Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 6:1
Your piety is your underwear. You never wear it on the outside.
The major portion of our relationship with God is to remain hidden --- exclusively between the Father and ourselves.
Whenever we use our connection with God to impress human eyes, we lose our reward from God --- i.e. our connection with God, his response to our act of devotion.
The reward for our attempts to please God through almsgiving, prayer, fasting, is that God answers our focus on him with a response of his choice:
Peace…and awareness of his presence…an answer to our heart-cry….sometimes the only thing we get is strength to keep going.
But all this is blunted when we try to use our "piety" to win human recognition.
"Thus when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:2-4
Keep a low profile when you give, when you perform acts of service.
Don't make a production out of it. Keep it, as much as possible, a secret between you and God.
And don't make a production out of keeping it secret. Just give and serve as simply and matter-of-factly as possible.
Jesus is teaching us to form the habit of letting him live his life in us --- doing it his way.
Jesus never made a production out of his signs of healing. He kept it simple.
"Go, wash in the pool of Siloam."
"Stretch out your hand."
"Rise, take up your pallet and walk."
When he raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, he put everybody out of the room except her parents and Peter, James and John.
Jesus did all these things in the power and will of his Father, and never exploited these signs to gain recognition.
The minute we use our giving, our acts of mercy, to promote ourselves, we have our reward, and the life of heaven dries up.
On the other hand, when we give, help out, do acts of mercy, the Lord's way --- secretly, before the eyes of God --- then his reward enters into what we do. His presence enters this act of giving, mercy, kindness; life from heaven flows through our quiet gift.
"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 men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:5-6
Praying on street corners won't get us much mileage in our culture. But the principle still holds.
It's fine to pray in a group --- prayer meetings, Sunday worship, Bible Study.
But our prayers lose their power when aimed at the human audience instead of the Father. Then we "have our reward."
Our group prayers are more likely to be true prayer when we begin where Jesus tells us to begin:
--- in our room with the door shut.
--- in secret before the Father, who sees in secret.
--- away from any human audience.
--- where our ego is not tempted to rise up on flowery wings.
--- where we don’t have to be afraid of "sounding silly." The heavenly Father won't laugh at us as we stumble along.
"And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
--- with his presence, his listening ear, his redemptive power, his unpredictable and amazing answers.
Alone with the Father we "get our reward," have our peace restored, come back into focus.
Often in silence before God. Sometimes with words that rise out of our hearts which we did not know were there.
If we're having trouble with our private prayers to God, it's always helpful to turn to the Psalms. i.e. Psalm 63, 23, 27, 46….or to a New Testament passage like Philippians 4:4-7.
But, best of all, we turn to the Lord's prayer…..
"And in praying 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. Pray then like this:
'Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.'"
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:7-15
"Heaping up empty phrases"…the minute we try to score points with God by the number of times we repeat ourselves, we are "heaping up empty phrases." Our "prayers" have slid into the sphere of the manipulative.
"Pray then like this…."
Once you are a disciple of Jesus, yielded to the power of the Spirit, the focus of your prayers is no longer your program but God and his program. Hence….
"Our Father who art in heaven."
"Our"….not "my."
"Father"…don't dilute the word by eliminating "sexism" i.e. "Our Creator." Jesus gave us the word, "Father."
God is neither male nor female, but he is your Father.
Once you are born of the Spirit, he is especially and truly your
Father.
"Who art in heaven"…"You are on the throne of power, you
alone are in control."
"Hallowed be thy name."
"We take off our shoes before your holy presence. We bow with trembling before your shining glory. We hallow your very name."
Awe before God is the doorway to all prayer.
"Thy kingdom come."
1. "Lord, speed the arrival of your kingdom in its fullness."
2. "Lord, send your kingdom into our hearts by flooding us with your Spirit."
"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
God's permissive will: He allows Satan to continue to do his thing—up to a point.
He allows the human race to choose the way of the Lie --- up to a point.
God's redemptive will: Perfect holy love. Perfect truth. Life that reflects the Father's heart. Where God's perfect will is done in heaven, the center of authority in the universe.
God's perfect will is not being done on earth as it is in heaven.
But our prayers somehow are joined to his perfect will, and causing a breakthrough of mercy and truth from heaven into this realm of hardness and deceit.
Our daily bread: needs met by our Father one day at a time --- all needs: Food, clothing, shelter, finances, transportation.
Of course we work, use our brains, take initiative --- but always under God.
"And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors."
The essential link between God's forgiveness, flowing to us ... and our forgiveness flowing to those around us.
Our plea for God's forgiveness hinges on our forgiveness of those who have wronged us.
Our connection with God can only remain alive by the constant maintenance of our connection with our sisters, brothers, neighbors.
This is not an "option list" for super-saints, this is the dead-earnest requirement of the living God for every follower of Jesus.
If we are having problems putting it into practice, we confess our need and cry out to God for help.
"And lead us not into temptation."
"Do not lead us into hard testing."
"Spare us from flames of trial that are beyond our strength."
Why would Jesus teach us to pray such a prayer?
Because the heavenly Father answers such a prayer.
The path each of us travels will always lead through regions of trial.
No disciple of Jesus is spared trials and temptations.
But we are asking the Father to order our steps and guard our path, that we don't become overwhelmed by temptation --- of success … of failure … of compromise … of despair … of secret addiction ... of overwhelming evil … of overwhelming suffering.
Jesus never portrays evil as a vacuum, the absence of good.
Jesus presents evil as a spiritual power which attacks and seeks to conquer human minds through deception.
Evil already has a grip on us. ("If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children…..") A grip from which we need to be delivered.
"Deliver us from evil" are not idle words. They are an essential prayer Jesus teaches us to pray.
Our Father knows what we need before we ask him.
But our asking is an essential part of God's redemptive program for us.
When we acknowledge our need, and cry out in our need, things begin to happen. i.e. "God be merciful to me, a sinner!"
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
This is a warning which Jesus repeats again and again.
Jesus died on the cross for the whole human race.
"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
But the instant we refuse to forgive, we block the flow of grace.
"But what if I just can't forgive someone for what he did to me…or to my child?"
Take it to God and lay it all before him.
"Father, I find that I cannot come up to what you call for! Help me!"
- And he will.
"And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:16-18
--- from food
--- from any legitimate pleasure or comfort,
--- not to "put God over a barrel,"
--- not to gain "brownie points" to collect later,
but to concentrate on God,
to focus,
to impress on your own body, mind and spirit that God's kingdom comes first.
Fasting to manipulate God never works.
Fasting to manipulate God is always double-minded: our mind is not on God, but on our own concerns.
Fasting…without repentance, without focus on God…is still doing our own thing.
Fasting to focus on God and his program brings us into fellowship with him.
Fasting is concentration on God via the removal of legitimate comforts:
--- food, music, a comforting habit, etc. Shutting the door on distractions.
"And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men…."
They are not concentrating on God and his will. They are performing before a human audience --- from which "they have their reward."
So that your fast remains a secret between you and God.
"And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
How?
Leave it up to the Father. (Your praying and fasting for your child is not wasted --- ever. But God decides how, when and where he will respond.)
i.e. Esther leaves the results up to God.
Esther and her supporters are going to concentrate on God through fasting, praying for Esther's safety as she goes before the king. But Esther does not try to dictate the outcome.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…."
Treasures on earth are never secure.
Treasures on earth are a distraction from the kingdom,
--- money, a "status castle," a reputation, a position of power.
--- which are secure, free from moth, rust, thieves.
But what are "treasures in heaven?"
Salvation is a gift. We don't earn it. We don't lay it up. We simply receive it and live it. But everything we do, as we live out the salvation we have received, registers in heaven.
Read II Timothy 4:6-8
Read Matthew 25:31-36
We don't earn our way to heaven. Heaven comes to us as a gift through Jesus' atoning death, as the Holy Spirit begins to rule us from within.
But now everything we do as servants of God has a heavenly connection.
Hence, God is our treasure…heaven is our treasure --- not money, or "success" etc.
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
An axiom
"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23
"The eye is the lamp of the body."
What we look at…what we "drink in" ... what we see with our mind's eye --- floods our body, our being, with either Truth or
Illusion.
"If your eye is sound….."
…if it sees Truth,
--- it beholds a person loved by God, rather than an object
of lust.
--- it sees money and things for what they are, rather than
objects of greed.
Then the whole body, the whole "being" is filled with light from God.
"If your eye is not sound…."
…if it sees Illusion,
--- it beholds an object of lust.
--- it looks upon an object of greed.
--- it is tempted to believe that what it sees could be
his/hers for the taking.
Then the whole body (being) is filled with darkness: darkness of the Lie from the kingdom of darkness.
The Lie: "This thing (money, cars, mansions, sex, etc.) will fulfill you."
The eye selects what it chooses to see…to focus on…to dwell on.
We cannot control what comes dancing into our field of vision.
But we can control what we choose to focus on.
Are we looking with a sound eye or an unsound eye?
Are we opening ourselves to light or to darkness?
"If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"
If you look at the object of lust or greed long enough, you will soon do more than look.
You will begin to reach out and take.
You will enter into your illusion.
You will be sucked into the darkness.
Whether the eye is sound or unsound is not a matter of our DNA. It's our focus.
Once we begin to follow Jesus, we are given power to reject the unsound eye and walk through the world with a sound eye,
--- to see people as people, not as things to exploit.
--- to see mammon for what it is: practice material put
into our hands by God , to be used faithfully for him.
"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 mammon." Matthew 6:24
For people who have not yet come into the kingdom this statement is meaningless.
They will serve money, power, status, "things," --- without conflict.
It's simple. You get money so you can live the good life. You get power so people can't push you around. This is what makes the world go round.
Since the beginning of history, money and sex have been the drivers.
But once you become a disciple --- that's where the conflict begins.
Now you can't make up your mind whether your security is in God or in money.
With your mouth you say that your security is in God.
But the way you deal with the issues of daily life proves that when push comes to shove, it's money.
"Wait a minute!" you say. "I tithe. I give to charity. I live modestly."
We can do all these things and still be hooked on money, when it comes to the practical decisions of daily life.
Understand, this is an issue which is strictly between each of us and God. We have no way of knowing what's going on in another person's heart.
But we each have to ask, knowing that our hearts are open to God, "Where is my trust? Where is my security?" --- (Whether our income is sufficient, or more than sufficient, or insufficient, this question applies.)
If my security is in God, then he calls the shots, and I handle money --- all of it --- before his eye.
I am faithful to God in the way I use the unrighteous mammon.
If, in spite of my sound doctrinal position and my vocal profession of faith in Jesus, money is still my basic security, then, whether I have much or little, the way I handle money will be warped and twisted by my anxieties.
I'm serving mammon.
But suppose I'm not sure which I'm serving, and I cry out, "Lord, show me, make it clear to me. Show me what you see. Am I serving you? Or am I serving mammon?"
Then, in his mercy, the Father will begin to open my eyes. And I may be in for a few surprises.
This is an issue which is never once-and-done. We have to keep dealing with it all our lives.
Jesus gives us this teaching: "You cannot serve God and mammon," not to make us feel guilty, not to put us on the defensive, but to guide us into true freedom --- into the true riches of his kingdom, here in this life.
So now he enlarges on the theme, dealing with the anxiety in us which makes us mammon-slaves…
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life….."
There is not one of us who can say, "No problem for me. I've learned to live by faith. I never worry about the future. I never get caught up in money anxiety!"
The truth is, we worry more than we admit to ourselves. And it shows in our lack of generosity, our obsession with security…our worry about the future.
Jesus is speaking here about the basics. Hence his words are never out-dated. This teaching applies to us and to all disciples of all time, until his return.
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" Matthew 6:25
"Life more than food."
As far as Jesus is concerned, true life is a relationship with the
Father.
The birds are ahead of us in this. They live their bird lives without scheming and greed. They fly around and sing praise to God, and he takes care of them, knows them, watches over them…..
"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? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?" Matthew 6:26-27
Jesus is talking to us as his disciples, who have heard the call to live by faith in God. Are we living by faith?
Do we believe --- and live our belief --- that the Father is watching over us, providing for us, protecting us as we go about his business?
"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."
Matthew 6:28-29
Mere poetry? Jesus never gets mushy. This is burning truth. Jesus sees, and is helping us to see, our basic needs in life are being provided --- not by us --- but by the Father.
We work, but God provides.
We receive our income as God's provision.
When we shop for groceries, clothing, shoes, cars, we still think of it as God's provision.
"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 men of little faith?" Matthew 6:30
See it all as God's provision, and give thanks!
"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." Matthew 6:31-33
This is Jesus foundational teaching about the life of faith.
The life of faith begins and is sustained by seeking God's
kingdom first.
This is essential for our individual and family lives.
This is essential for the life of our churches.
Jesus final teaching on anxiety:
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day." Matthew 6:34
Anxiety: The fear that tomorrow will not be safe.
Faith: Trusting God to help me through the problems of this day,
leaving tomorrow in his hands.
Does this mean we should never make plans?
No.
Go ahead and make plans, budget your money, mark the calendar.
But always under God.
Always open to changes and interruptions sent by God.
Always with the focus on what God would have me do today.
Practical help:
1. Begin the day by presenting your body to God as a living
sacrifice.
2. Begin the day by taking a "shower" in the Word --- even if briefly.
3. Decide upon or jot down the few major things you believe you should try to accomplish this day.
4. Decide upon or jot down the names of one or two people you believe God would have you connect with this day.
5. Go forth into the day, rejoicing in God, taking this scripture as your theme: Philippians 4:4-7
6. Keep practicing God's presence throughout the day.
Remember that you are walking under the yoke with the
Master.
7. Never stop giving thanks.
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 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? 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;
Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." Matthew 7:1-6
Judge not, but don't be a gullible fool.
Judgment belongs to God alone.
Through the death and resurrection of Jesus we are brought back into the Garden of Eden. There are two trees: The Tree of Life and the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is the Tree of Judgment.
It belongs to God alone.
We no longer eat from that tree.
We don't evaluate people --- that belongs to God.
We don't pronounce judgment --- that belongs to God.
We condemn no one --- in this age even God holds back on condemnation.
The Tree of Life is now our sustenance: Jesus himself.
We feed on him and leave all judgment to God.
We feed on him by turning his words into living.
When we judge, it always backfires.
"For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get."
This is as firm a spiritual law as the physical law of gravity:
The measure you give will be the measure you get.
Sooner or later all our harsh judgments of people will flood back on us.
When we judge, it is proof that we are blinded by a log in our own eye.
This log distorts our vision.
We don't know what we're doing.
Our job is to repent of the log --- of self-righteousness, of resentment, of self-pity, self-deceit, etc.
Once the log is out, we will be less eager to remove other people's specks.
And when they ask our help removing their speck, we will be gentle.
But don't be a gullible fool.
"Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you."
Without judging or condemning, we are to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. We are to beware of false prophets, whose fruit gives them away.
Don't excuse your lazy mind by saying you refuse to be judgmental.
When someone is playing games with your attempts to be helpful, you are responsible before God to withdraw.
When someone makes claims about their "spirituality" which are belied by their actions, you are responsible before God to face reality and deal with them accordingly.
Many professing Christians have lazy minds.
Jesus made his disciples think.
He expects us to think.
"Do not give dogs what is holy"
i.e. "Do not be naïve." Figure it out. Use the brains you were given.
Don't excuse yourself by saying, "I'm not very good at knowing who's who."
Open your eyes. You'll know them by their fruits.
Otherwise you will reach a point where you've been so exploited, wasted so much time with spiritual leeches, you will burn out and turn bitter, with no strength or desire to help anybody.
"Ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 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? So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:7-12
No conditions:
Not "Ask, and if you're worthy, you will receive."
Not "Seek, and if you are deserving, you will find."
Not "Knock, and if you have a decent record, it will be opened."
Every one who asks receives.
Every one who seeks finds.
Every one who knocks will encounter an open door.
Because your claim on God is not your worthiness, but Christ's atonement…his blood…his living word.
Jesus presents God to us, not as a Supernatural Nitpicker, but as our Father, who, for all our evil, loves us and wants only good for us.
"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?"
The issue is not: "Does this really work? Is it that easy? Will I always get what I ask for?"
The issue is: "Do I really understand who God is? What God is like? Do I understand that I have a heavenly Father who knows me, takes personal interest in me, hears me when I cry out?"
If you pray to a machine, you get a machine answer.
"Press One…Press Two…"
If you pray to an idol of your own creation, you may find yourself talking to a demon.
If you take Jesus at his word and pray to your heavenly Father, he will answer you on his terms and when he chooses.
A machine can be programmed to obey your commands.
An idol can be manipulated to suit you.
But your heavenly Father cannot be manipulated, commanded, or bribed.
Only when you approach him as a true child of his can you "connect."
But, as the Lord Jesus stresses repeatedly, your prayer relationship with your heavenly Father is contingent on your daily relationship with your neighbor.
"So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets."
To be able to pray with childlike faith we need to be right with our fellow human beings.
It is impossible to draw near in faith to the heavenly Father, when we have a heart of stone toward our neighbor.
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Matthew 7:13-14
How does this teaching mesh with "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world"?
If Jesus' death on the cross opens the way for the salvation of the whole race, how can Jesus warn us that few enter life and many enter destruction?
"Enter by the narrow gate."
What is the narrow gate? Jesus himself. Jesus alone, who
offers us fulfillment by knowing God and living to his glory.
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by me."
Is this gate exclusive?
No. It is open to all. Available to all.
What about, "Those who find it are few?" Are they luckier? More righteous? Smarter?
No, they "find it" because they choose not to walk by.
They "find it" because they hear the call of Jesus and
answer it.
"For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many."
The wide gate: The world system, which offers fulfillment via money, power, sex, human recognition.
Jesus is speaking to disciples who have already heard the call of the narrow gate and answered it.
Had they rejected the call, they would have entered the wide gate.
The wide gate is the receptacle for all who choose to reject the narrow gate with their eyes wide open.
Jesus makes clear that people are accountable for what they do with the light they have. No one is judged for
ignorance.
God alone is the judge, and his desire is for all to enter the narrow gate. However, he forces no one to do so.
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits." Matthew 7:15-20
There will be false prophets.
They will approach us as "genuine believers," "saints of God."
But beneath the sheepskin, they have a wolf's agenda. They're out to exploit.
We are responsible to figure out what they are (wolves) and what they're up to.
We will never be able to excuse ourselves for being taken in by a false prophet.
"You will know them by their fruits."
A sound tree bears good fruit. A bad tree bears evil fruit.
Fruits;
--- as words.
Words of truth.
Words of pretense. Matthew 12:33-37
--- as actions
Not merely prophesying and casting out demons, etc.
Is this person doing the Father's will in ordinary life?
Watch out for the money pitch.
Are you looking at celebrity power or the power of the Holy Spirit? (which is always clothed in lowliness).
--- as followers
Observe the people who cling to this "prophet." Their speech, their actions.
False prophets come in all shapes and sizes.
They are not all on TV.
They can be part of the "church system."
They can come into your congregation and offer to help.
But if you observe their fruit it soon becomes obvious that they have their own agenda.
When Jesus says, "Beware," he expects us to use our brains and eyes.
Judge not…..but do not be gullible.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he 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 evildoers.'" Matthew 7:21-23
Once we receive God's grace through Jesus' atonement on the cross we live that grace. Salvation is a free gift, paid for by God himself at the cross.
But it only becomes ours and remains ours if we receive it to the point of
doing it.
The kingdom of heaven is for the one "who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
This is spoken to disciples, people who have committed their lives to Jesus. Now that they are clothed in his salvation, the emphasis is on doing.
Not talking the talk…not feeling the feeling…but doing the will of the Father.
"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?'"
"Surely such people must be doing the will of God! They're prophesying, they're working miracles!"
But no. Somehow these "mighty works" are not recognized by Jesus, in whose name they were done.
Why? Because these miracle-workers were not walking the walk in daily life.
They were not abiding in the Vine.
They were full of themselves.
It often happens that a person starts out on the road of discipleship, following Jesus with a child-like heart. But gradually, in subtle ways, they make a "career" out of their "ministry."
This can happen, whether you are a clergy person or a "layman." You have begun fitting God's gifts into your agenda, instead of fitting into his agenda. This happens in several ways:
The vanity of "success."
You have become so successful, you now begin using your gifts to build your own kingdom.
The vanity of "inertia."
You've figured out "how to do it." So you keep doing it your way, without listening for fresh direction from God.
The vanity of "a lazy mind."
God worked a miracle or two through you in the past. Now you're in the "kingdom civil service." All you have to do is keep saying, "Lord, Lord," and wallow in idleness.
Note the surprise on the part of the "Lord, Lord" people.
"Did we not prophesy in your name? Look at all the good stuff we did in your name!"
"I never knew you."
Because, beneath a "Christian" veneer they failed to do the will of the Father in daily life. They were lacking in love, faithfulness, purity, integrity, generosity, meekness --- things which are learned under the Master's yoke.
"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon 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." Matthew 7:24-27
"These words of mine"
Jesus' claim that his words will make us or break us, depending on whether or not we do them --- is either the claim of a madman or of the Incarnate Word. There can be nothing in between these two possibilities.
Once we hear them and understand them, the words of the Sermon on the Mount become our Judge.
"Every one who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a man who built his house upon the rock…….Every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a man who built his house upon the sand."
As long as the sun shines, these two houses are identical. You cannot tell them apart.
Both houses are "Christian." Both are "discipleship houses." They both know the doctrines. Both claim to be "saved by grace." Both are "Biblical" ... they have heard the word and subscribe to it.
Then comes the storm.
One house stands firm, the other is washed away.
The difference:
One person heard the Sermon on the Mount ---Jesus' basic teaching to his disciples of all time ---and acted on it, entered into everything these words called for, did what he commanded.
The other person heard the same teaching --- thought about it, talked about it, studied it, mastered the concepts --- but never did it.
Consider:
--- What place does Jesus' Sermon on the Mount hold in our
churches today?
--- What place does Jesus' Sermon on the Mount hold in our
personal lives today?
--- Do we understand that these words are addressed to us?
--- Do we understand that Jesus actually expects us to do what
he's telling us to do in the Sermon on the Mount?
--- Do we understand that Jesus' death at Calvary delivers us from
our bondage to the past, our bondage to sin, our bondage to
self, so that we can do these things?
--- Do we understand that the gift of the Holy Spirit is offered to
us to empower us to do these things?
--- Do we understand that, if we are crucified with Christ, he lives
in us and will do these things in us?
"And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." Matthew 7:28-29
The crowds were astonished!
Not bored. Not agitated. Not hostile ... astonished!
Because they recognized one thing about Jesus' teaching that many of us miss:
Jesus gives us these teachings with the authority of heaven, not as a religious professional.
Scribes and Pharisees are still a dime a dozen.
Jesus, the humblest of men, spoke with authority.
Jesus passed this authority to his disciples:
"As the Father sent me, so I send you…."
This still applies. We are all called to speak, as his disciples, with the authority of heaven.
We can speak with the authority of heaven only if we are under that authority ourselves.
I can only speak with the authority of Christ if I'm under the yoke with Christ, learning obedience, meekness, diligence, faith, love.
"He who abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
Suggestions on how to make the Sermon on the Mount a part of your daily life.
1. Every so often, refresh your spirit by soaking in the Sermon on the Mount — by reading Matthew 5, 6, and 7 daily for a week.
2. Memorize the Beatitudes, and put yourself to sleep at night, picturing the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, across the earth --- and the Father's love for them.
3. Consider the parts of the Sermon on the Mount that need work in your daily life. Such as….
Speaking the simple truth.
Plucking out the eye of lust.
Loving and praying for people who despise you.
Trusting that God will provide for you as you seek his kingdom first.
And ask the Father for forgiveness and help.
4. Understand that as you keep taking these words of Jesus into
your heart and turning them into living, he lives in you and you
in him.
"He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." John 14:21
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