Good News in the Law Part 3

Intro

How perfect do we have to be? Did not Jesus tell us to be as perfect as God? How is that even possible?

Goal

Let us understand the measure of love that is expected from Christians.

Sermon Plan

We will examine an eye for an eye, insults, generosity, enemies, borrowers and God’s love.

Lex talionis

In Matthew 5:38 Jesus addressed a law that many have applied in retaliation, an eye for an eye. Legally, this is sometimes called the lex talionis. A vindictive understanding of that law is to trade bomb for bomb and life for life. This kind of tit for tat only escalates hostilities and hinders peace. A more amicable course is monetary compensation equal to an eye. It is certainly a less inflammatory approach to social justice than revenge. However, Jesus indicated an even better application of the the eye for an eye principle. As with all of Jesus’ teachings, this too is very hard to do. Jesus suggested that if we have been responsible for injury to another, go above and beyond in compensation. Jesus wants us to go further than mere justice. He wants us to create good will.

Taking insults

A slap on the cheek is a serious affront. A slap on the right cheek as Jesus suggested in Matthew 5:39 could refer to a backhanded slap from a right-handed person, an even more serious indignity. Rather than retaliating for insults, Jesus strangely asked his disciples to humiliate themselves by allowing further slaps. Even the business world understands that if we have a customer with a complaint, the best thing to do is to allow them to vent without interruption, to get it off their chest. In so doing, they have time to calm down, and having gotten a hearing, often become a more satisfied customer. If even the carnal world understands how to win people, by respectfully giving them opportunity to fully complain, then how much more should we take insults in order to win peace for Christ.

Living generously

So you lost in court and now they’re going to take the shirt off your back. How can you possibly win? Paul’s commentary on this kind of thing was that perhaps we lost before we even got to court. Did we let things go too far (1 Corinthians 6:7)? Did we fail to create peace, or were we actually at fault? It does not really matter. Jesus told his disciples how to really win in heaven’s eyes — give more than was asked for — go way above the settlement price (Matthew 5:40). If someone sues us for the shirt off our backs, we are encouraged to gift wrap our coat as well and give it away to the plaintiff. Does Jesus want us to be suckers who are taken advantage of, or does living generously really work?

Helping an enemy

In some countries if a uniformed soldier is hitch-hiking on the side of the road, it is illegal to just keep going. A driver must stop and give him a ride. What if that soldier was from enemy occupation forces? Would we take offense at the imposition? Probably! In Roman occupied Palestine of Jesus’ day, there was a similar law. If a Roman soldier asked any Jew for help, they were required to come to their aid. Jesus alluded to just such a scenario in Matthew 5:41 where it was common for an enemy soldier to ask a Jew to carry arms for a distance. Jesus suggested helping out to double the amount asked. Jesus challenges us by teaching what is the exact opposite of our natural inclination. God is impartial and treats all people equally. Do we?

Lending to a borrower

We have all lent something which has not been returned, whether it be a book, lawnmower or money. It makes us reluctant to lend again. Jesus encouraged his disciples to lend to the borrower (Matthew 5:42) and not turn him away. Does this mean that we are to lend until we have no money? That is a natural conclusion, which leads some to criticize Jesus. He spoke of starting with one borrower, not an unlimited number. Our natural inclination is the opposite extreme, not to lend at all or with very few exceptions for family or close friends. It is that extreme that Jesus challenged his disciples to reconsider. He challenges us also to consider lending without discrimination. Naturally, there are boundaries and limitations, but perhaps we could think about starting with at least one, like Jesus spoke about.

Boundless love

One of the central tenets of the Bible is love your neighbor. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus expanded the traditional understanding of neighbor to include everyone. We normally love our friends but discriminate against our foes. Jesus wants us to love even our enemies. How is that possible? How can that make any sense in a world where every generation has gone to war against one form of enemy or another? We all have personal, criminal, political and foreign enemies. Are we to love them all? We tend to follow the example of those decent folks around us who treat their friends with respect and dignity, but Jesus challenged us to live above the standard of our neighbors. We are to live by heavenly standards. Those standards are not defined by address, flag or national border, but by God alone.

Nitpicky Christianity

Some Christians are nitpickers. In Matthew 5:48 Jesus taught the disciples to become perfect and many understand that to be even fussier than the tradition-burdened Pharisees. Yet being overly concerned with non-essential details is not what Jesus meant at all. The word often rendered as perfect is better understood to mean mature or complete. It has nothing to do with nit-picky Christianity at all. Being obsessed with non-essentials is a mark of spiritual immaturity. Mature Christians are salty. They taste good. Mature Christians are a bright shining light. They are liberated from picky legalism. Mature Christians reconcile rather than harbor grudges. They preserve the sanctity of marriage. They are not pretentious, create good will and take insults without retribution. They are a very generous people rather than quibbling and would treat an enemy the same as a friend.

Honoring bad parents

Must we honor even bad parents? No parent is perfect, but some are really bad. Some verbally or physically abuse their children to such an extent that deep scars remain. What does Jesus require? In John 15:9-17 he taught the general idea that we are to love each other. And for enemies he taught that we should love them too (Matthew 5:44). Some of our worst enemies can be family members. Jesus reminded us to pray that God will forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and that if we forgive others their trespasses, our heavenly Father will also forgive us (Matthew 6:9-15). As hard as that may be, one way of honoring our parents is to forgive them. Forgiveness also releases us from an emotional prison. Honoring even bad parents is for our good.

Does Jesus call for sinless perfection

Matthew 5:48 is a puzzle for many of us because when we think of the word perfect in English, we think of sinless perfection. However, that is impossible. On the one hand, the Greek word actually means mature or complete. In context Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, so that we may be the children of our Father in heaven. On the other hand, the context is complete love like our Father’s, in loving our enemies. Luke 6:35-36 explains the same teaching in different words, that we are to love our enemies and be merciful, just as our Father is merciful. Perfect love is what Jesus demands. A Christian cannot be contented with love only towards a friend, but strive towards a higher, more perfect love like that of God.

Outro

It is impossible for us to live morally perfect lives, but we can grow in God’s love. Let’s start with our closest enemy.

Good News in the Law Part 2

Intro

If we could read a commentary on the Old Testament from Jesus Christ would not that be wonderful? Well we actually have that opportunity in the Sermon on the Mount.

Goal

To help us see the law as Jesus its author intended for both Jews and Christians.

Sermon Plan

We will examine the laws on murder, adultery and lying and their real intent.

Opposite direction of murder

Paul described the law as wonderful but weakened by human failures (Romans 8:2-4). Jesus gave several examples of that (Matthew 5:21-37). His first illustration was of the law against murder. Jesus showed that although most of us may have never actually committed murder in the letter, we are all guilty of breaking a deeper meaning of that law. The law could not change our human hearts from unjust anger and character assassination. A negative approach of more rigid laws against murder does not solve the real problem. A neutral position of avoiding anger or name-calling is not the answer. He taught a positive approach by actually going in the opposite direction of murder. A couple of examples that Jesus gave were: seeking reconciliation between estranged parties and where reconciliation is not possible a speedy settlement of disagreements.

Hey Nobody!

Calling someone a nobody is an insult from a world that does not value all human beings alike. It excuses treating people differently based upon prejudice, like paying inferior wages to those who may be hard working but nobodies, and giving preferential treatment to those deemed to be somebodies whether or not they have worked hard. Jesus condemned this way of dealing with fellow human beings (Matthew 5:21-22). He considered it to be such a serious offense that it should be charged in court. Verbally abusive intellectual insults are similar whereby some are called stupid morons or the like. In fact Jesus was so serious about this that he said that those who use such terms are in danger of hell. Jesus calls Christians to live the opposite of this kind of verbal abuse, to value all human life.

Jesus on murder

In Matthew 5:21-26 Jesus discussed the law “thou shalt not murder.” The letter of the law gives us license to miss its purpose, love. We can look down on murderers on death row and justify ourselves simply because we have never acted on the anger in our own hearts. We can call others empty-headed fools or worthless fools and believe that we are not criminals. Yet, Jesus pointed out that such thoughts move us in the same direction as murder. So, he encouraged us to move in the opposite direction. Our first duty in worshiping God is to reconcile with those with whom we have conflicts. With those who hate us and refuse to reconcile, we ought to hasten at least to come to some kind of agreement, lest the whole matter go to court and we lose everything.

Jesus on adultery

In Matthew 5:27-30 Jesus discussed the law “thou shalt not commit adultery.” The problem with the letter of any law is that it gives excuse to use loopholes as long as the specific forbidden act is not done. Jesus addressed that problem in principle by the example of looking on a woman lustfully. As with anger possibly leading to the act of murder, so too can lust lead to the act of adultery. Both begin as a wrong thought in our hearts. In fact, Jesus challenged us to see the premeditated thought as essentially the same as the act. As with murder there is a positive alternative. However, this time Jesus shocked everyone by suggesting self-mutilation. He was not encouraging the wrongful practice of self-harm but exaggerating to make the point of taking drastic steps to avoid tempting situations.

Stumbling into lust

Why did Jesus often speak in exaggerations? Hyperbolic language is a melodramatic way of teaching that emphasizes the lesson. Just as sensationalism sells news stories, so too does embellishment make illustrating principles more memorable. In Matthew 5:27-30 Jesus dramatized the efforts one ought to take to avoid adultery. Cutting off a body part to avoid stumbling into lust emphasized the amount of effort needed. The opposite would be a careless approach. Such foolhardiness might include spending too much time with or being alone with a member of the opposite sex who is married to someone else. Because we are all weak, we cannot be so naive as to think that we are immune to lust. Stay as far away from temptation as possible by taking diligent steps to avoid being in a situation where we cannot control our lusts.

Gender revolution failure

The industrial revolution took fathers away from their families. The educational revolution took children away from parents. Then the gender revolution took mothers from their husbands and children. We have the highest divorce rates in history. We now spend more time with other people than our own families. The temptation for adultery and thus family ruin has dramatically increased. We allow ourselves to be treated like slaves for the sake of industrial efficiency at great personal and marital costs. In Matthew 5:27-30 Jesus dramatized the efforts needed to avoid adultery, by illustrating that we need to begin by striving to cut off temptation. With men and women from different marriages spending more time with each other than their own spouses, have we sown the seeds for the destruction of the most basic building block of our society, the family?

Is remarriage adultery

In Matthew 5:31-32 Jesus spoke of conditions where divorce and remarriage are not sin. He called porneia the exception. The Louw-Nida Lexicon defines that as sexual immorality of any kind. The Friberg Lexicon defines it as every kind of extramarital, unlawful, or unnatural sexual intercourse. Jesus’ position is stricter than the world’s, but it does provide freedom for the sexually-wronged marriage partner. His description was broad enough that the sin could be something either during or even before a marriage took place. Paul expanded upon this concept in 1 Corinthians 7:14-15, explaining that even if an unbelieving spouse walks out on the other, the believing spouse is free from the marriage. There are unanswered questions in Jesus’ brief comment such as: what about spousal abuse? However, the general principle is clear: easy divorce is not the godly ideal.

The delusion of oaths

In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus referred to a series of laws in the Old Testament relating to the theme of not swearing falsely. Making an oath and not fulfilling it is wrong. Jesus encouraged his disciples not to swear oaths invoking things in heaven or earth, but to just say yes or no. Swearing by external things does not guarantee fulfillment of an obligation. Such oaths are a form of leverage supposedly making that person more believable. In actuality, they underline the fact that we humans are too often unreliable and untruthful. By invoking heaven or earth, we are in effect deluded that a veneer of honesty can change liars into truth-tellers and covenant breakers into contract keepers. We Christians do not need to engage in such useless swearing. We simply need to be truthful as best as we can.

The purpose of oaths

In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus taught not to swear any oaths. Did that include pledges, or covenants, wedding vows or oaths in court? God swore an oath (Hebrews 6:16-18), Jesus answered under oath (Matthew 26:63-64), and Paul wrote oaths in his letters (2 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 1:20). What did Jesus not say? He did not say “swear not at all” period, but immediately included a list of qualifiers under which swearing an oath had led to vows being taken too lightly. Oaths were allowed in the Old Testament, but when anything less than God was sworn by, people were no longer taking their vows seriously. Jesus did not condemn the swearing of sincere oaths, but frivolous and deceptive ones. Christians ought not make oaths that cover up perjury or insincerity but simply answer yes or no.

Why legalism does not work

Some Christians think of themselves as superior to others because of a legalistic attempt to keep certain rules or laws. In Matthew 5:21-37 Jesus showed how all such efforts fail, because the letter of the law ignores the more important dimension of the heart. If we claim not to have murdered but were angry or insulted anyone, we have failed. If we claim to be faithful spouses, but have lusted at any time, we have failed. If we claim to tell the truth, but have ever broken a promise, we have failed. The Sermon on the Mount should teach us one valuable lesson: we have all failed. So, should we give up because we cannot measure up? The closer we come to perfect obedience, the happier we are, but only Jesus was faultless. That’s why we need a Savior.

Outro

Many of the Ten Commandments were written in the negative, thou shalt not. In today’s lesson we saw how Jesus teaches the positive side, thou shalt. Instead of just not committing murder we are encouraged to reconcile where possible. Instead of just avoiding adultery, we are encouraged to preserve our marriages by cutting off all avenues to potential temptation. Instead of trying to prevent lies by making elaborate and sometimes even blasphemous oaths we are encouraged to tell the simple truth, yes or no. In the end though, we will never measure up to being faultless and we don’t have to. That’s why we have a Savior.

Good News in the Law Part 1

Intro


In the sermon on the mount Jesus called us salt and light, then condemned whoever sets aside the least of God’s commands. Does that mean that Christians should put to death idolaters, Sabbath breakers, adulterers and those who dishonor their parents, sacrifices animals, be circumcised, rest farmland every seventh year, observe the new moons, build leafy huts for the feast of tabernacles, pay wages daily and use no leaven at Easter?


Goal


To let us know that we already are salt and light, and introduce our relationship to the law.


Plan


We will examine salt, light and the law.


Salty Bible Study


In Matthew 5:13 is a description of salt losing its saltiness. In our world that doesn’t happen without a chemical reaction of some kind. Our science of chemistry defines a salt as a compound that results when an acid reacts with a base. The most common salt is table salt or sodium chloride. Another common salt is a road salt, calcium chloride. However, what Jesus meant by salt cannot be defined by modern language. It was probably a mixture of calcium sulfate and our table salt. Calcium sulfate is gypsum and used to make plaster of Paris. This mixture could lose the salt component and thus its saltiness. All this proves a very important step in studying the Bible: get our definitions right. Careful research rather than jumping to hasty conclusions helps us understand the Bible so much better.


Jesus' Salt was not our Salt


Bible critics often claim that the Holy Scriptures say something they do not. Any of us can be guilty of inserting our culture into the Bible. For instance, when Jesus said "if the salt has lost its flavor..." (Matthew 5:13), it is wrong to mistake that as sodium chloride. That's our language. What Jesus meant by salt was not sodium chloride, but a substance that usually came from the Dead Sea that contained some of what we call salt but also contained white gypsum. That "salt" could lose its saltiness, because the gypsum content became too high as the other leached out. Our "salt" does not normally lose its saltiness. Salt has a different meaning today. We cannot retrofit today’s meaning as some have done trying to claim that Jesus didn't know what he was talking about.


Be ourselves


In Matthew 5:14 Jesus told his disciples that they are the salt of the earth and are the light of the world. This was no encouragement to become something that they were not yet, but to be what they already were. The same applies to us today. We are the salt that gives the world a good taste and the light that brightens this dark planet. When we are not ourselves, what we have been called to be, our communities suffer. Salt preserves. When we fail to live up to our calling, our nations rotten from the inside out and are not preserved. Light helps us see. When we fail to rise up and be the light of the world, others cannot see God in us. Let’s wake up and be who God says we are. Let’s be ourselves.


The secret Christian


Have you ever heard of secret Christians? Few people know that they are Christians and if asked they may hide their faith. Membership in some Christian societies is also exclusive and people must be invited. Even some churches are like that and it contradicts what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:15. He told his disciples that they were a city on a hill that cannot be hid. The followers of Jesus Christ are a light that is meant to be seen, not hidden away in secret. What exactly about the church is to be seen? Is it our fancy buildings, our church music, our TV shows, our political commentaries or something else? Jesus specifically mentioned that we are to let our good deeds be seen, not to show off, as he later explained, but so that others may glorify God.


Do good things


In the beatitudes Jesus taught his disciples some of the most important fundamentals of Christianity: recognizing their spiritual poverty, mourning world ills and their own sins, humility, craving to do the right thing, showing leniency to the undeserving, filling their hearts with clean things, willingness to take a loss for the sake peace and being harassed or criticized for doing what's right. Then, in Matthew 5:16 he said that they were the salt of the earth and light of the world. How does that work in real life? Jesus encouraged those disciples to go and do something about the wonderfully deep blessings associated with being a follower of Christ, good deeds. Christianity is not just about sitting in a church building, worshiping, singing, and being taught the saving words of Jesus. It is also about doing good things.


Evangelism by good works


Inactive Christianity is an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms. Inactive Christianity is incomplete, weak Christianity. Thinking that we can “just believe” is not enough. Wanting to “just worship him” is only a start. Jesus encouraged his disciples to also do. In Matthew 5:16, he gave his disciples exactly that encouragement, to do good works. But what are good works? Is that obedience to the law or is that helping our neighbor? In this passage, that description is not limited to either of these conditions. It simply says that we ought to do good works, unspecified. That can mean being honest in our business dealings, using appropriate and inoffensive language, being commendable in our charity, honorable in the way we speak of others and praiseworthy in our community life. Sometimes the most effective form of evangelism is doing good works.


Jesus & the law


The Old Testament law is variously understood by Christians. Jesus gave his interpretation in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:17 he began to touch on that topic. Jesus did not say that obedience to the law is no longer required because of faith. He did later explain how some of those laws should be applied. Yet, almost no Christian sacrifices animals or mandates circumcision. Should we? Did Jesus divide his commentary into defunct ceremonial versus still binding moral laws? No. He spoke of the law as a unit, and that he did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Until heaven and earth disappear, the law applies. How can our righteousness be greater than that of devout Jews? In the Church, we obey the law on a higher plane in a temple not made with human hands.


Liberal or literal


How liberal or literal was Jesus’ approach to the Old Testament law? We might think that he was rather persnickety in Matthew 5:18, insisting that not one smallest pen-stroke of the law would disappear as long as heaven and earth exist. Is the Old Testament law now even more binding? He said that our righteousness must surpass that of Jewish religious leaders. How? Did he break the law against collecting food on the Sabbath or was he obedient to a higher principle (Matthew 12:1-13)? He often showed how the spirit surpasses the letter of the law. The rest of the New Testament carries that discussion further and perhaps the most poignant example is the law of circumcision, whereby a literal interpretation is no longer relevant for the Christian, but a more liberal interpretation, a circumcision of the heart.


Law liberated from literalism


Christians hold varying opinions about which Old Testament laws to obey. Laws like making a burnt offering twice a day, sounding silver trumpets at feasts, making an offering after childbirth, leaving field corners unharvested for the poor, resting farmland every seventh year, observing the new moons, building booths for the feast of tabernacles, building guardrails on flat-roofed homes, paying wages daily, circumcising all males, using no leaven at Easter, using a second tithe for feasts and no tale-bearing are usually ignored. In Matthew 5:18 Jesus said that even the least laws would remain as long as heaven and earth do. How do we obey them? Jesus taught the law in a transformed manner, in the spirit and not the letter. Rather than a simplistic, literal understanding of the law, an era of a deeper, liberal application had begun.


Do Christians obey the Ten Commandments


Does Jesus demand we obey the Ten Commandments (Matthew 5:19)? The word commandments does not mean the Ten Commandments. That makes the Bible say what it does not say. The phrase law and the prophets means the entire Old Testament with over 600 commandments. Deuteronomy expands the ten via many more commandments. No Christian keeps the Ten Commandments as the law teaches, not even those who practice the original Sabbath day. If they did, they would put to death idolaters, Sabbath breakers, adulterers and those who dishonor their parents. That’s what the law demands to keep the Ten Commandments in the letter. Jesus explained how Christians keep the spirit of the law in the Sermon on the Mount. Christians fulfill the law in spirit not the letter. The letter kills, but the spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6).


What Jesus did not say


It is as important to notice what Jesus did not say as much as what he did say. Many people assume that he came to do away with the Old Testament, but the phrase the law or the prophets refers to the entire Old Testament, and Jesus did not come to abolish them but to fill them to the full (Matthew 5:19). What did he not say? He did not address the Ten Commandments as some assume but commandments. In the law and the prophets, the Old Testament, there are 613 commandments. He commended those who practice and teach them in a manner surpassing the righteousness of the Pharisees, explaining that anger and verbal abuse are murder, lustful looks and divorce are adultery, not to seek an eye for an eye justice and that we should love our enemies.


Deuteronomy and the Ten Commandments


Deuteronomy expounds the Ten Commandments (#1 6-11; #2 12; #3 13:1-14:21; #4 14:22-16:17; #5 16:18-18:22; #6 19-21; #7 22:1-23:14; #8 23:15-24:7; #9 24:8-16; #10 24:17-26:15).1 No Christian keeps the letter of the law, not as Deuteronomy demands. How do Christians keep the law if not in the letter? Some claim to keep it in the letter and the spirit, but the letter kills (2 Corinthians 3:6). The only option left is keeping the law in spirit. Three commandments teach us how. Circumcision is no longer required in the flesh in the New Testament, but in the heart (Romans 2:29); there remains a Sabbath rest in Jesus for eternity (Matthew 11:28; Hebrews 4) and love fulfills the whole law (Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14).


1Hill, Andrew E. & Walton, John H. A Survey of the Old Testament. Zondervan Publishing House. 1991. 58.


The purpose of stop signs


What is the purpose of a stop sign? Let’s imagine a stop sign at an intersection in the middle of nowhere. For half a minute before approaching the stop sign someone could easily see whether or not there was traffic coming from the left or the right. Imagine a police officer on the side of the road watching the intersection. Will you stop completely or slowly roll on through the stop sign? If the officer operates on the letter of the law, he may ticket you. If he operates on the spirit of the law, he may realize that you drove in a completely safe manner and let you go. In Matthew 5:20 Jesus began such a discussion on the law. Which is better, a burdensome, legalistic interpretation, or a liberal approach which understands the purpose of the law?


Outro

We Christians fulfill the law via Jesus’ law of love. We don’t need to put to death idolaters, Sabbath breakers, adulterers and those who dishonor their parents, sacrifice animals, be circumcised, observe the new moons, build leafy huts for the feast of tabernacles, pay wages daily or use no leaven at Easter. The law can teach us, but it is only the shadow of things to come. The cross is the reality. Love fulfills the law, all of it.

Good News of True Happiness

Intro
It is sometimes a puzzle to understand God's mind. His thinking is so far above ours. The secret is: there is no secret. People pay gurus millions to learn what is often half-baked wisdom and ignore the wonderful truth found in the beatitudes which is free to all (Matthew 5:1-12). These can be like puzzles to us because they are contrary to popular thinking, but they are secrets of heavenly thinking.
Goal
Let us understand the puzzle of true happiness.
Sermon Plan
We will look at the secret behind the beatitudes, 8 principles of true happiness.
More than happy
Is saying, “I’d be more than happy" just exaggerating? No, it turns out the popular saying contains a great deal of truth. We can be more than happy. What is more than happy? Being blessed is more than happy. After Jesus gave the beatitudes during his sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:1-12), it was written down in Greek using a word that is usually translated as blessed in English. However, it has also been translated as happy at times. A discussion among translators has been whether happy or blessed is a more accurate translation. Most translators seem to have come to the same conclusion, that happiness can be fleeting, but blessedness remains. The beatitudes are not keys to a fleeting emotion, but a core inner condition. So, the word blessed was chosen, because yes, we can be more than happy.
The mystery of being poor in spirit
What does “poor in spirit” really mean in Matthew 5:3? Poor can mean dispossessed and abandoned. A poor person has a deep sense that the world has failed them. Can a wealthy person be poor in spirit? That depends. Wealth is a deceiver. It makes us think that we are a big person, as opposed the the less fortunate who are viewed as "little people." It can deceive us into thinking that the world has provided for us. In reality, the world has failed all of us. So, Jesus did not say “poor in possessions” but “poor in spirit.” The description is independent of this material world. The people of God rely on God not this world’s solutions. They boldly face the truth of our abject spiritual poverty. They are blessed people, because heaven rules them not this world.
The secret behind being poor in spirit
In modern English, when someone is discouraged, we sometimes say they are in poor spirits. That is not what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:3 when he said blessed are the poor in spirit. The word poor here means someone so destitute that they don’t even have food. How can that be blessed? To understand, let’s take the opposite extreme, someone who believes they are spiritually filled and in need of no more. This is the attitude that some folks have. They are obnoxious, self-satisfied, shallow and unpleasant to be around. They may constantly judge us as inferior and compare us with their so-called higher level of spirituality. They are in fact deluded by spiritual fools gold. Being poor in spirit is simply facing up to the facts. We are all desperately poor and in need of God’s merciful provision.
The secret behind whose IS the kingdom
Why does the beatitude regarding being poor in spirit include a promise of heaven here and now (Matthew 5:3)? The kingdom of heaven is certainly future, but it is also now. True Christianity is not among the spiritually arrogant who judge and condemn others as not being spiritually filled. Let us wake up from the delusion of consuming that which is not spiritual food, and realize that we are not filled, not satisfied and spiritually destitute. When we realize the deception and know our spiritual poverty, we become the Church, those whose only hope is heaven. Only then can we experience a taste of heaven on earth. We seek the real thing instead of a counterfeit spirituality. Our imitation diet of spiritual junk food which feeds a counterfeit kingdom is swept away leaving room for the kingdom of heaven.
The mystery of mourning
What does it really mean in Matthew 5:4 to mourn? How does sorrow produce blessedness and bring comfort? Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is a time to mourn. Mourning is part of the process of repentance. It prepares for a change of heart about going the wrong way. Fasting is associated with mourning, a short period of abstinence from foods in order to pray. James 4:7-10 shows the need to mourn and humble ourselves before God, cleansing our hands of dirty deeds and purifying our hearts of wrongful thoughts so that he can lift us up. If we find no cause for joy in our past mistakes, or in the evils of this world, then there is hope for a change of heart. If we then turn to God to save us, he will bless and comfort us.
The secret behind mourning
Nobody wants to mourn. We want pleasures, see things and make an impression. How can mourning be a blessing (Matthew 5:4)? Let’s contemplate the opposite. What if we never learn from our mistakes? What if nobody ever cared about world problems? When would we ever change for the better? When would we ever want to help others improve? When would we ever want to make a better world? A careless attitude that never mourns for the evils of our world, never mourns for personal mistakes is a dangerous attitude. Mourning helps us change. Mourning means we are processing things, learning a lesson. Mourning means there is hope for better decisions next time and a better future. If we don’t mourn our mistakes, we will never be comforted. So yes, blessed are those that mourn, for THEY will be comforted.
The mystery of meekness
Why does Jesus in Matthew 5:5 promote meekness? The opposite of meekness is self-importance. Pride fights and creates strife whereas humility makes peace. Arrogance seeks vengeance while meekness forgives. Ego boasts great things, but purity is unpretentious. Impatience makes enemies, while forbearing creates friends. Antagonism creates hard feelings while mutual submission creates trust. Hardheadedness makes life difficult, whereas a pliant spirit smooths the way. Combative personalities are bad company, while affable hearts are welcome. Inheriting the land can be a metaphor for God’s provision to Israel. Who is more likely to be given a job or considered for a promotion, the arrogant misfit or the humble team player? Humility is a great secret of the universe that is ignored by the proud to their own hurt. Surely, the meek are blessed and inherit all the good things of life.
The secret behind meekness
The secret is that the meek are very strong people. That is why in Matthew 5:5 Jesus said blessed are the meek. Meekness is not weakness. It is just the opposite. Weak people try to cover their weakness by boasting, shameless acts, violence, pretentiousness, pride and conceit. Meek people don’t need to pretend. They are strong enough face the truth. They know they are but dust, soon to return to the dust of the earth, and that human life is a mere vapor. Humble people are a pleasure to be around. The opposite is true of arrogant people. They have few true friends because they are so repulsive to be around. History shows that crude, overbearing buffoons do not last long. Gentle and considerate people are loved by all and inherit the land after spineless bullies are long forgotten.
The mystery of craving what is right
Why does Jesus promise in Matthew 5:6 that those with an appetite for righteousness will be filled? A natural result of mourning the evils of this world is to desire justice. However, if we do not also mourn for our own sins we are in danger of becoming arrogant and self-righteous in spirit, instead of humble. Hungering and thirsting to do the right thing means that we sincerely pray that part of the Our Father which requests, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Some argue that it is impossible for human thoughts to attain this high standard completely and they are probably correct. Yet, the Holy Spirit patiently works with our carnal minds and pricks our consciences towards this end. Jesus’ promise is that if we crave justice and righteousness, we will be filled.
The secret behind craving what is right
There is a disease in the land, a craving to do wrong. Even chocolate seems more desirous if we call it wicked or sin. In Matthew 5:6 Jesus said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. It seems so strangely out of fashion to desire what is right. It is a secret well-known to those who do, that there awaits an incredible experience, a sense of happiness beyond words. That is what is meant by the word blessed. It is a transcendent happiness that is beyond the fleeting thrills and hilarity of this world, but is otherworldly, eternal. Why? What is right about right? Wrong produces pleasure for a night, a headache tomorrow and grinding burdens for life. The secret is that right may be difficult, but it leaves unspoiled happiness for this life and the next.
The mystery of mercy
Why did Jesus in Matthew 5:7 promote mercy? Examples of Jesus’ mercy in the New Testament were healing the sick and befriending sinners. Our world is filled with cruelty, intolerance, indifference, tyranny, disdain, accusation and punishment. All of these things exhibit a lack of mercy. In a merciless world few people care about the sick or sinners, unless the system can make money off them with high medical costs or isolate the worst sinners in prisons without hope of reform. Yet in the midst of a merciless world are a few who show compassion without a dollar sign attached. There are some tender-hearted souls who work with sinners to guide them towards a better life. Jesus promised that if we show mercy towards the poor and the guilty, we too will be shown mercy. Surely we all need it.
The secret behind mercy
We want justice. We criticize politicians, police, businesses, employees, parents, teachers, neighbors and children. When it comes to criticism of us, we again criticize others for their lack of mercy. Why is this, when we show so little? Why do we want justice served on others, but cry for mercy for ourselves? Why do we show so little mercy? A merciless atmosphere makes us walk on eggshells. Mercy creates an atmosphere of trust. Lack of mercy creates a police-state-like atmosphere of secrecy and distrust. Mercy creates a warm, affirming atmosphere. Without mercy, we tend to cover up problems and leave them unresolved. In an atmosphere of mercy, we are not afraid to admit mistakes and they can be worked on. As Jesus taught in Matthew 5:7 be merciful and when we need it, it will be there for us.
The mystery of pure-heartedness
Are not the pure in heart that Jesus blessed naive and foolish? How can a pure hearted person survive in the real world? The Greek for pure in Matthew 5:8 is used elsewhere to mean clean after having taken a bath (John 13:10). The Pharisees thought that they were righteous if they were clean on the outside. Jesus corrected them by saying that being clean or pure in the eyes of God begins on the inside. It has nothing to do with naivety and yet everything to do with innocence. There is a world of difference. The pure in heart can be wise as serpents and yet remain harmless as doves. Their intent is for good and without pretense. They carry no malice or dishonesty in their hearts. How can the real world survive without such blessed people!
The secret behind pure-heartedness
What would it be like to have a clean heart, free from evil motives? What are the results of a contaminated heart with wrong intentions? Why is the one better than the other? The Pharisees thought they were clean, but their hearts were not pure. With right motives, we want to obey when only God is looking. How do we get a pure heart? It only comes from God (Ezekiel 36:25-27). It comes with the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 5:8 Jesus suggested that those who have a pure heart will see God. They look beyond mere human conditions to see God. Those with pure motives look for God in everything and thus see him. Old Testament laws regarding being ritually clean or unclean point to this purity of heart. Are our hearts contaminated or pure?
The mystery of making peace
Some people love to fight. They think it’s exciting. Is not making peace a foolish waste of time and money? It has not worked in the Middle East where agitators on all sides ceaselessly instigate mayhem. Yet in Matthew 5:9 Jesus calls the peacemakers blessed. Why? On our planet there is no peace, but imagine a world where nobody tried to referee between sides. It would descend into complete anarchy. Humanity exists in a constant state of hostility. Animosity between people and God, between nations, between governments and their people, within churches and families are an ongoing fact of life. Peacemakers bring a measure of calm to a potentially escalating situation often at great personal sacrifice. While some men love a good fight and look to create strife, only peacemakers are blessed to be called the children of God.
The secret behind making peace
In Matthew 5:9 Jesus said blessed are the peace-MAKERS. He did not say blessed are the peace-attempters, or peace-wish-makers, or peace-hopers. Making peace requires sacrifice, compromise. For two warring factions to make peace, each must be willing to give up something. Negotiations must be a win-win for both sides. That is the hard part. Reconciliation can take a long time, and it is easy to be tempted to give up. If peacemakers are blessed, are peace-breakers cursed? Surely those who stir up trouble, make war and sow discord are loathsome and contemptible people. Nobody likes a troublemaker. History blackens their name and they are despised by all. Pride may prevent us making peace, but necessity demands it. Living in freedom must also include freedom from strife and warfare. Peace does not just happen. It has to be made.
The mystery of being abused for doing right
Did not Jesus say that if they persecute you in one town, flee to the next (Matthew 20:23)? Persecuted means to pursue or chase away. How is that blessed? Why did Jesus call the persecuted blessed in Matthew 5:10-12? How can the harassed be blessed? Some estimate that 60% of Christians today live in countries with heavy restrictions on religious freedom and a quarter of us suffer severe mistreatment. How are we blessed? If that abuse is because of righteousness, then we identify with Jesus. If we cherish what is right, if we love God, if we love his Church, then we will be hated. Just as there is no half-pregnancy, this is also true: we are either on Jesus’ side or not. Persecution for righteousness is a sign that we are blessed to be on God’s side.
The secret behind being abused for doing right
Why are we harassed if we do the right thing, like keeping the speed limit, supporting the boss or avoiding slander? In Matthew 5:10-12 Jesus said blessed are those who are persecuted for doing right. How does that work? It is a fact of life, that if we do the right thing, we will be insulted and vilified. It is a badge of honor to be abused for doing right. It confirms that we are on God’s side. In that sense it is a blessing. The opposite is also true. If everyone loves us and we are never mistreated, maybe we are doing something wrong. Unwanted attention like ridicule and torment is not always because we have done the right thing. Sometime we are at fault. However, when it does come because we were righteous, it is a blessing.
Outro/Take Home
These are secrets of heavenly thinking. Spiritually self-satisfied people are shallow and empty, but those who recognize their spiritual poverty are pleasant. Those who mourn for society’s ills are more ready to change than those who ignore them. Humble people have more friends than the arrogant. Desiring to do right is better than wanting to do wrong. Everyone wants mercy; giving it is golden. Purehearted people are true friends. Everyone wants peace, but few work for it. Doing the right thing is still right, even when others abuse us for it.
The secret is, there is no secret. The beatitudes are not a secret, just ignored. Let us be among those who treasure them and meditate on them often.