Matthew 5-7
Matthew 5
Matthew 5:3 Make
no mistake; Jesus began with this statement so that everyone who was listening
would come to the same realization as Isaiah; “Woe is me, I am ruined” (Isaiah 6:5). There are some Bible translations that use
the word “Happy” instead of the word “blessed”. But when you consider the desired effect (what
Jesus really wants us realize), there is really nothing “Happy” about it. A more accurate translation of verse three
is, “The Blessed are those who know they are poor in spirit.” According
to Jesus, we will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven unless we recognize that we
are poor in spirit; that there is nothing good about ourselves when compared to
the righteousness of Jesus. It is those
who know they are poor in spirit who will find heaven waiting for them. “They ask God to do for them what they can’t
do without Him”[1],
says Max Lucado. How true. Only when we understand our helplessness will
we turn to the Lord for help.
Mathew 5:4
Keep in mind that these are attitudes of our heart, not something we do. I am not blessed by observing a set of
mourning rituals. What Jesus was
basically saying is “The Blessed are those who have heard God speak about their
sin, who have listened to God, and who honestly feel sorry for what they have
been doing or the way they have been living.
It is those people who will be comforted by God” (My paraphrase). Since this is true, then for a Church to
really demonstrate love, it will be a church where the Holy Spirit is allowed
to speak to someone about their sin. I
believe there is something else in these words that are just important. Notice that Jesus says it is the attitude of
mourning which brings the comfort, not the absence of sin. He doesn’t say “The Blessed are those who
have nothing to mourn about.” It is not
those who stop sinning who will find comfort; it is those who continue to sin
even though they try so hard not to. The
person who wakes up each morning wanting to live a life that is pleasing to God
and who yet sometimes stumbles and falls; this is the person who will be
comforted. This is the person who comes
to Christ with godly sorrow once again, who is then embraced by our Lord; He
gently picks them up, and sets them back on their feet again.
Matthew 5:5 Many
of us confuse the character trait of humility, or “meekness” as some Bibles
call it, with the trait of “weakness”. But
according to one Bible dictionary, meekness (or humility) in reality is
strength and courage under control, coupled with kindness. “Bridled Passion”, as one commentary puts it,
because a bridle is what we put on a horse’s head to guide and restrain them. In effect, Jesus is saying, “The Blessed are
those who are willing to submit themselves to God and His Word, which, in turn,
affects the way they respond to others.
These are the ones who will inherit the earth”. The reality is that it takes more strength
for a person to restrain themselves than it does to follow their passion. King Solomon says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who rules his
spirit than he who captures a city”.
(Proverbs 16:32). The reality is
that there is more godly strength demonstrated in the person who rules his
spirit than in the person who flies off the handle and is always in conflict
with others. The “Meek” are the ones who
truly demonstrate that God is Lord of their lives. The “Meek” are the ones who truly demonstrate
to a watching world the reality of God’s ability to change lives. The “Meek” are the ones whose “Bridled
Passion” will point heavenward.
Matthew 5:6 The
original language in this scripture indicates that this is a deep longing; like
when a person realizes they are facing a famine and cannot possibly feed
themselves. In other words, “Blessed are
you when your all-consuming desire is to be accepted as holy and blameless by
your God, but to realize that there is nothing YOU can possible do to
make that happen.” Jesus speaks of a
person being blessed because their greatest desire was to find favor in the
eyes of God. But for far too long we’ve
been told that righteousness is ACTING in accord to God’s laws; that we are
righteous by what we do. But
righteousness is not an act or a show.
Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are those who act righteous”, but “Blessed
are those who HUNGER and THIRST for righteousness”. There’s a big difference here. It is the attitude of your heart that Jesus sees,
and when He sees that you long to be right with God and that you know this
righteousness depends upon Him, Christ will satisfy your longing.
Matthew 5:7 The
meaning of the word Christ used here that we have called mercy is more than
just pity or feeling sorry for what another person is going through. Christ used a word that literally means to
get inside the other person. The one who
is merciful is the one who is able to see things through the eyes of the other
person. And since it is through Christ
that we are able to have mercy, we become a person who is able to look at
someone through the eyes of Jesus. Now
most of us probably feel that we are quite merciful. We feel sorry when people suffer. We are sympathetic to those who are in pain,
but being merciful goes far deeper than that.
To demonstrate mercy, using Christ’s definition, is to understand why
someone acts the way they do. We are to
clothe ourselves with tenderhearted mercy toward one another (compare
Colossians 3:12-13). But Jesus doesn’t
simply say that a merciful person is a blessing to others. He also points out that a merciful person
will receive mercy. There is something
transformative that happens when we begin to see others with merciful
eyes. If we do this often enough, I believe
we even begin to see ourselves with merciful eyes. We begin to realize just how precious we are
to the Father. I know of a man who shows
no mercy toward others. And it is this
same man who continually dwells on his sin; “Chief among Sinners” he often
describes himself. He doesn’t know mercy
from God because he shows no mercy toward others.
Matthew 5:8 Why
do you think Jesus included “pure heart” among the attitudes that are to be
demonstrated to others? It’s because our
conduct either confirms our witness or condemns it. More than just talking the talk, we need
to walk the walk. Everyone is watching
what we do, where we go, or what we say.
Granted, it is not right living that saves our soul, but the way we live
does give testimony to what is within our heart. And our conduct may either lead someone to
Christ or away from Him for all eternity.
We say that we are saved. We say that
Christ has redeemed us. We tell others
to surrender their lives to Him. We talk
about obedient living. We shout
hallelujah when the name of Jesus is proclaimed. But unless we live a pure life for others to
see, our testimony is useless. If all we
do is talk about the transformational power of Christ to the people we know,
anything we say will be defeated when our actions tell them otherwise. As John the Apostle points out, “the one who says he abides in Him ought
himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6).
Matthew 5:9 According
to Jesus, the peacemakers are those
individuals who have a calming influence on others; who not only can teach the
things that make for peace, but also introduce others to the transforming power
of God and His Spirit. [2] James points out that if we indeed are to be
working for peace as Christ describes, we will be guided by God’s standard of
peace. “People who work for peace in a peaceful way plant a good crop of
right-living” (James 3:18). I like
that. “Working for Peace in a Peaceful
way”. That’s the difference between
being a peace maker and merely a person who promotes the absence of
conflict. The person who works for peace
is the one who comes between opposing parties and represents Christ; who calls
us to have a Christ-like attitude when dealing with people we don’t agree
with. A Peacemaker will speak words that heal and unite, rather than hurt
and divide. A Peacemaker will help you see others
through the eyes of Jesus. The
peacemaker is the one who holds on to Christ when others are divided.
Matthew 5:10 Has
this ever happened to you? Have you ever
been criticized for doing the right thing?
I know from firsthand experience that this happens out in the world, but
I have seen this happen even within the church.
Church leaders are often criticized for disciplining members. Church leaders are often criticized for
showing grace. Church leaders are
criticized for making decisions that will actually improve the health of the
church, but those decisions mean change.
I think most Christians expect this criticism and persecution to come
from the world, but few of us expect it to come from the Church. But it is the Christian who continues to
pursue what is right and godly that has the Kingdom of Heaven within their
heart. And often what is right and godly
is not pleasant and popular. Think of
what people say about the individual who calls the church to live by faith and
not by finances. Most would say that he
is not being realistic or a good steward.
Yet in spite of the ridicule, his heart continues to find trust and
faith in God.
Matthew 5:11-12
I doubt very few individuals feel blessed when people mock them and
persecute them and lie about them and say all sorts of evil things against them,
especially when it is from other Christians.
Yes, other Christians. Mocking
and lying and ridicule do not merely come from the world; this trait has found
its way into the Church as well. And
doesn’t it seem strange that Jesus says we are supposed to rejoice about
this? Actually, He is right. In biblical history it was those working for
God who were persecuted the most. The
people even mocked and lied about Jesus.
So when we are slandered, defamed, lied about, and when our ministry is
sabotaged, we are experiencing the same thing others who labored for God
experienced; indicating that what we are doing IS of God. Out of the mouth of the unrighteous come all
sorts of lies and slander; and their attacks are not directed at those who are
unrighteous, but toward those who are righteous.
Matthew 5:13-16
Christ’s followers could be compared to salt and light. Those who are like salt either create a
thirst for the Kingdom of Heaven because of their Christ-like attitude, or they
preserve the world from evil. Whichever
interpretation you like, the important part is that the salt maintains its
basic character. The Beatitudes become
the standard against which we measure the attitude of our heart.
Matthew 5:17-20
Righteousness has always been granted by God to a person who
demonstrated faith. It has never been
given to someone who obeyed a list of rules and regulations. But the Pharisees were teaching this. They were teaching that righteousness came
through obedience to the Law. Not so,
says Jesus. Turning to the crown, Jesus says that even the righteousness
demonstrated by the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees was not sufficient. Jesus wasn’t teaching a new way to
righteousness. He wasn’t trying to
change the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament). He came in fulfillment to what they
said. In the Old Testament a person was
counted righteous by their faith in God’s promises. He promised that guilt would be removed
through a prescribed sacrificial system.
But one day guilt would be removed through His Suffering Servant. In New Testament times, believers are counted
righteous again because of their faith in God’s promises. He promised that guilt would be removed
through belief in the Man God sent to save.
Salvation is given because of our faith.
It always has been and it always will be. And it will always happen because of our
faith in God’s promises.
Matthew 5:21-47
To demonstrate the futility in judging themselves righteous according to
their own standards, Jesus raises the bar on what righteousness really looks
like according to God. Jesus takes
several examples used by the Pharisees to extol their own adherence to the Law,
and demonstrates that in reality they fall far short of God’s glorious
standard. In God’s standard of
righteousness the attitude within a person’s heart is enough to condemn them. I may not pull the trigger, but if I did in my
heart, then I am guilty (Matthew 5:21-26).
I may not physically sleep with another woman, but if I give in to lust,
I am guilty of adultery (Matthew 5:27-30).
Jesus questions man’s interpretation of divorce, where it is treated as
something casual and acceptable. But
Jesus says that divorce is a sin (Matthew 5:31-32), regardless of what some man
(even Moses) may have permitted (see Matthew 19:8). Jesus corrects their understanding about vows
(Matthew 5:33-37), about revenge (Matthew 5:38-42), and about the true measure
of Love (Matthew 5:43-47). So if a
person (especially a Pharisee) wants to think that they have earned God’s favor
by being such a wonderful, righteous person, they better be measuring
themselves against God’s standard, not their own.
Matthew 5:48
Jesus concludes by saying we are to be perfect, which is something
humanly impossible. No one is
perfect. No one is sinless, especially
when Jesus raises the bar so high. No
one could ever be sinless according to that standard. Which is exactly the point Jesus was trying
to make. Jesus wasn’t trying to convince
us to strive for this level of sinlessness, but to point out our
hopelessness. Jesus isn’t trying to
teach us to never lust (although we should not) or never get angry (again,
something we should try to avoid), but to point out the obvious impossibility
of any human ever obtaining this level of righteousness. Thankfully our righteousness does not rest
upon our sinlessness; it rests in the grace of God.
Matthew
6
Matthew 6:1-4
Continuing to emphasize a person’s heart, Jesus speaks of a person’s
motivation for doing good toward others.
Certain members of the Jewish Religious Community (some being Pharisees)
demonstrated their righteousness by drawing attention to their acts of kindness
and service (compare Matthew 23:5). But
Jesus warns them to draw attention to God, not themselves. I kind of struggle with this from time to
time. There are times I feel guilty for
telling others what my church has been doing for the kingdom. I don’t want to appear like the people Jesus
was talking about in this section. Yet I
am also aware that the world desperately needs to know that there are
Christians and congregations who are truly laboring for the Kingdom. Often the line between encouraging and boasting
is difficult to see. Why do I feel it
necessary to tell others about the great work being accomplished at my
church? Do I share it so that others
will be impressed with my leadership, or do I share it so others might be
encouraged? I guess my only advice is
that it’s probably safer to err on the side of quiet servitude rather than
crossing the line and not knowing it.
“Be careful”, Jesus warns. “Watch
out!” The praise of men can become quite
addicting.
Matthew 6:5-8
This passage really makes praying in public difficult. If you’ve ever stood before an assembly of
people and prayed, it’s really difficult not to be on some type of performance
basis. But I think as long as we pray in
public in the same way we pray in private, then things will be okay. That’s the difference I see. In private, do I really say things like “Oh
Father I humbly bow before You this day giving you all praise and honor and
glory forever and ever amen”. Or do I
simply say “Father, thank you for your love and care today. I can’t believe all that You done for me and
given me. Please know how much I love
You”. If you are asked to pray in
public, pray as you do in private. The
prayer is given to God, not to men. And
we are asking God to hear our prayers, not for men to applaud our prayers.
Matthew 6:9-13
What is commonly called The Lord’s
Prayer should more accurately be called The
Disciples Prayer. It is a model of
prayer the Lord gave to the disciples.
Please note that Jesus didn’t say to pray these words, but to pray this
way. A disciple of Jesus should pray 1)
acknowledging God as Father, 2) displaying reverence and respect toward God, 3)
recognizing that God’s Kingdom is not just in Heaven, but also here on earth,
4) permitting God to accomplish His will (and that means either through us or
in spite of us), 5) asking God to provide our physical need for today, 6)
asking God to provide the Spiritual needs we have today (in this example,
forgiveness), and 7) to recognize our spiritual weakness (admit that the
Devil’s temptations are often times too difficult to resist). Again, this style of prayer needs to be
framed in the context of what Jesus was really teaching about. He was scolding those who prayed an empty,
casual prayer; merely repeating words to impress men. What Jesus taught His disciples is a heart
issue, not a word issue. Let’s face it,
we all know people who have repeated the Lord’s Prayer, and that’s all it ever
was – repeating a bunch of words. I’d
rather hear the honest heart-felt prayer of a child than stand and listen to
the church repeat these words with empty hearts completely disengaged from God.
Matthew 6:14-15
These verses explain what Jesus said in Matthew 6:12. In verse 12 it is assumed that the person
praying has already shown forgiveness to those who have sinned against
them. “Jesus, I’ve forgiven Sally and
Bob for what they’ve done to me.
Likewise, would You please forgive me for what I’ve done to You”. But, if we refuse to forgive others, does
that really mean God will refuse to forgive us?
I know that’s the way it appears, but we need to keep several things in
mind. First, when we think “forgiveness”
many of us think “Salvation”. But by now
I hope we all realize that Salvation is not something we earn by forgiving
everyone who has hurt us. That’s not
Salvation by grace, that’s Salvation by works.
Secondly is the Greek word paraptoma
(par·ap·to·mah). Commonly
translated as Trespass, it speaks of
a lapse or fall. In other words, we do
not lose our Salvation when we fail to forgive others, but we have lapsed or
fallen out of fellowship with God when we fall out of fellowship with
others. And thirdly, it’s difficult for
a person to feel forgiven by God when there is no forgiveness in their heart
(compare Ephesians 4:32). This issue is
not discussed about the person praying the sinner’s prayer. This issue is discussed about the person
praying the Lord’s Prayer. They are
already saved. But God is certainly not
pleased with their unforgiving heart.
Matthew 6:16-18
Some Pharisees also boasted about their righteousness by publically
proclaiming bodily self-denial (fasting).
And they wanted everyone to notice that they were fasting. Like the other two examples (giving and
praying), fasting for personal recognition demonstrated a heart filled with
pride, not humility. And we all know
that once pride fills a person’s heart, there is no room left for Jesus. In each of these teachings (giving, praying,
and fasting), Jesus is warning His listeners to be very, very careful that they
do not start serving God hoping to receive the praise of men, for righteousness
is not found in accolades and compliments, but in Christ, and Christ alone.
Matthew 6:19-24
Wow, this is good stuff. I could
spend a week on each section! Again
addressing the crowd but pointing to the Pharisees, Jesus says that if our
greatest treasures are the external, temporary things in life (and that
includes Man’s praise), then we have truly misunderstood the teachings of
God. When our treasures become our
masters, we are in conflict with God. He
is not preeminent in our lives. He is
not first. The word Money at the end of verse 24 does not simply mean the cash in my
savings account. Some translations
rightly use the word Wealth here, or Mammon, as in the King James. For some, their wealth is their health. For others, their wealth is their
family. For some, wealth is their job or
career. Regardless of where we put our
greatest hope and trust, Jesus says we cannot serve both God and wealth.
One will overrule the other. And
for most Christians, life has been a series of “letting go”; letting go of
those things that have stood between them and God. Just listen to someone talk for a couple of minutes. You’ll be able to tell what their greatest
treasure is; it will be the thing they talk about the most.
Matthew 6:25-34
The righteous live by faith, not by finances. What does that say about us when we spend more
time worrying about material things than we do about the Kingdom of
Heaven? What does it say about our faith
when the work of the Kingdom is neglected because of an absence of
finances? I suggest that most churches
have never lived by faith. Most of the
churches I know accomplish only what they feel is feasible or obtainable. And when a project or a ministry is beyond
their ability to fund, the church ends the ministry instead of believing that
God can supply their need. Sadly, that
church never gets the chance to see God do something miraculous.
Matthew 7
Matthew 7:1-2
Jesus is still speaking about the Pharisees here. Apparently they judged others according their
own standard of righteousness. They
didn’t smoke or chew or hang out with girls who do. So, in their own estimation, they were
righteous. But Jesus is about to teach
them something of God’s standard of righteousness. Just when they were about to pat themselves
on the back for how much more righteous they were than all those common people
around them, Jesus raises the bar. So if
they want to judge themselves righteous based upon something other than God’s
grace, then they had better be ready to be judged based upon something other
than God’s grace.
Matthew 7:3-6
Matthew adds a section here not mentioned in Luke 6:41-42. Remember how this section actually deals with
helping another person (once we’ve dealt with our own sin)? Well sometimes there are people who simply do
not want our help. We must offer advice
that would be appreciated and helpful, but some people just will not
listen. We come to them with advice and
counsel about the speck in their eye, yet they simply refuse. Isn’t this what Jesus did for the people of
Israel? Yet many rejected Him. Many despised Him. It didn’t keep Him from offering help, but He
certainly didn’t dwell on it. He even
counseled the Twelve to shake the dust off their feet and move on to those who
will listen (Matthew 10:14). Well, I
don’t know about you, but I keep dwelling on those who would not listen;
wondering if I said the right things or really showed them how much I care. I think this is one of the hardest things to
accept; that some people are so dead-set against God that no amount of pleading
or persuading is going to change them.
Or perhaps I’m looking to plant the seed, water the plant, AND reap the
harvest all in one sitting. Maybe I am
not the one to reap the harvest. Maybe I
was to be the one to plant the seed.
Matthew 7:7-11 This is not a formula or a call to
wear down God so He gives us what we want.
This is a demonstration of how loving God is toward His children. “Keep on asking”, says Jesus, and God will
give you what is good”. So, how does
this bit of information fit within the context of what Christ is teaching? Keep in mind that the Pharisees were teaching
a form of religion based upon denial; as if God denied His blessing or love or
grace unless we straighten up and act right.
In contrast, Jesus has been teaching that God loves, gives grace, and is
patient to those who simply love Him.
Even our earthly fathers demonstrate the basic characteristics of
God. Even when their children disobey,
the father still provides and loves.
Matthew 7:12
This section was discussed yesterday in Luke 6:27-35.
Matthew 7:13-14
Sooner or later you are going to learn that there is a difference
between knowing the path and walking the path (thank you Larry and Andy
Wachowski for such a great quote). I
have found that knowing truth is far easier than living according to that
truth. It’s a lot easier to know that I
am to love my enemies than it is to really love them from my heart.
Matthew 7:15-23
Still speaking about the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law, Jesus
compares them to False Prophets and Ravenous Wolves. What does a false prophet promote? They promote a different way to
righteousness, which is clearly what the Pharisees taught. They taught righteousness came through
obedience to the Law. But what about the
ravenous wolf? Perhaps these too were
the Pharisees, or maybe the Jewish Religious Leaders. Maybe even the Levitical Priests! A Ravenous
Wolf preys on the weak, and strengthens themselves at the expense of
others. They may appear to be righteous
and holy, and they may hold positions of power in religious circles, but they
do not present the true gospel of Jesus and they take from others for their own
personal gain. Truthfully, this text
should cause every disciple of Jesus to pause.
Why do I volunteer in the Church?
Why have I accepted this leadership position within the Church? What do I hope to gain by being a Sunday
School Teacher or a Deacon? And most importantly, who benefits from all that I
do in the name of Jesus?
Matthew 7:24-27
This section was discussed yesterday during the reading of Luke 6:46-49.
Matthew 7:28-29
The people were blown away by Jesus’ teachings. He didn’t merely mention the external
behaviors which the Law addresses, but He spoke of the internal meditations of
a person’s heart. Jesus spoke of a
changed heart that changes behavior, not simply following a Law. And don’t we still see this today? Passing laws in Washington does not change a
person’s heart. Passing a law will not
change a person. It merely forces the
people to comply with a law. Then we
have to make more laws that address what to do when a person doesn’t obey the
law, and we need special people to interpret whether a person really broke the
law intentionally or by accident. However,
change a person’s heart and you will find someone willing to obey the law
because it is the right thing to do. Likewise,
maybe the Christian Community needs to spend more time working to transform
hearts and less time trying to transform the law. Now, I know the last few sentences shocked
some readers. We’ve been told for a long
time that the right thing to do is fight for our religious freedoms in this
country and return us back to our Christian roots. In contrast, I pointed out that what we need
to do is stop playing government and instead fill this land with people
transformed by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
And if you felt what I said was radical thinking, then you have grasped
the emotions people felt when Jesus spoke from the mountain side.
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