Burunche’s Blog

Matthew 6:16-18 Proper Fasting

“When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Well, this morning the citizens of Capernaum are being treated to the spectacle of Zachariah, the Pharisee, engaging in his biweekly ritual fasting. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Zachariah fasts for 36 hours and makes certain that everybody knows HE IS FASTING! Zachariah smears ashes on his face, dresses in his oldest clothes and spends the entire day looking as doleful as possible and speaking . Needless to say, Zachariah’s family and neighbors find this performance depressing; in fact, some of his children are so revolted that they are practically ready to avoid the temple entirely. Unfortunately, avoiding the temple will only anger Zachariah, so his children trudge along to services dragging their feet like those going to be hanged.

Jesus makes many revolutionary assertions about the Kingdom of God, and this is one of them. To the listeners on the hillside, the idea of secret fasting is incredible. All these people have ever known is the dolorous performances by Pharisees, who have turned keeping the Mosaic Law into an intolerable burden. The idea that the Heavenly Father might delight in His children and might even reward them is mind-blowing. And if that idea seems revolutionary, there’s more to come.

Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 13:44-46)

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Many of Jesus’ listeners are farmers or small shop owners or craftsmen and women. Most of these people have very few possessions; however, everyone has some small box or other container for keeping their most precious possessions. But moths seem to penetrate locked chests, and thieves are everywhere. Petty thievery is rife, particularly theft from market stalls. Everybody in town has ideas about the wealth of the local tax collectors and merchants trading in imported goods. And everyone hopes that their sons and daughters will marry into wealthy families and be set for life. Now Jesus is smiling as he advises his audience to change their focus from an earthly one to a heavenly one.

The Lamp of the Body (Luke 11:33-36)

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your vision is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your vision is poor, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters: 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 both God and money.”

Oh dear! As long as Jesus is talking about eyes being the lamps of the body, everybody is nodding in agreement. Of course, poor vision leads to being in darkness; however, Jesus is not simply speaking about physical vision but also about spiritual vision as well. That concept puzzles a few people. Then Jesus begins verbally stepping on toes as he warns that his audience must choose between serving God or serving money. You can imagine many poor people in the audience gasping and thinking, “But what’s wrong with being rich? I think I’d like to try having the problems of a rich person for awhile.”  

If we take these teachings singly without looking at their flow, we are missing the main point. Jesus is telling us that the Kingdom of God is a kingdom of truth and righteousness, not merely a kingdom of people going through religious rituals. Jesus wants us to know that his Heavenly Father sees our hearts and knows our intentions and that He knows our priorities. When Jesus says that “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” he is leading up to his statement that we can serve God or money but not both.

There’s a book entitled Money Talks; It Says Good-bye!  For retirees who have lost their life savings in Ponzi schemes or in the collapse of savings and loans, that fact is obvious. Banking systems can collapse, leaving depositors with no recourse. So many couples have spent long years working and saving in hopes of a comfortable retirement, only to find themselves working at fast food restaurants. The bottom line is that earthly treasures can evaporate without notice. The more we serve money, the more we focus inward. Serving God allows us to worship Him and to focus on others rather than on ourselves. May God help us to listen to Jesus and to serve Him!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to serve You and not money. Help us to trust You, that You can and will reward us in ways we cannot even imagine. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-14 “So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your 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 the evil one.’ For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.”

Many of us are quite familiar with this prayer, commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer.” But to properly understand how revolutionary this prayer really is, we must remember the experiences of Jesus’ audience. Many of those listening are used to hearing formula-style prayers chanted. What makes this prayer different from those prayers?

1. “Our Father in heaven” -Even though the Mosaic law has been teaching that God is a Father to the fatherless, few people likely regard God in this fashion. Jesus’ society is a patriarchal one in which fathers control everything about families, including food, clothing, shelter, etc. Fathers also are expected to protect their children because they love them, another novel concept. The idea of the God of heaven fulfilling all these roles is amazing.
2. “hallowed be Your name.” One lovely translation says, “May the glory of Your name be the center on which our lives turn.” We should honor God’s name, not using it casually as a meaningless exclamation. (“OMG!”)
3. “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” God has given us free will, so we can refuse to do God’s will or even openly rebel against it; however, if we want the very best for ourselves, we should passionately desire God’s will to be accomplished in our lives.
4. “Give us this day our daily bread.” No matter how independent we think we are, God is the ultimate Provider. When we ask God for daily bread, we are also demonstrating our trust that as God has provided today, He will also provide tomorrow.
5. “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” OUCH! This is where this prayer stops being lovely and sympathetic and becomes demanding. We want God to forgive us, no matter how badly we have messed up. But are we willing to offer others the same degree of mercy we desire for ourselves? Jesus has already explained that God sends rain and sunshine on all people, whether or not they are just. Why does Jesus insist on this verse as part of this prayer? If we refuse to forgive others, we are blocking God from forgiving us. When we harbor bitterness in our hearts, we are blocking God’s blessings.
6. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” God does not tempt anyone; we are the ones who seek out temptation. What we need is God’s protection from ourselves so that we will not fall prey to Satan.
7. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.” Once more, Jesus is emphasizing one of the major laws of the kingdom of God: the measure you give out is the measure you will receive. Give forgiveness and receive forgiveness. Refuse to forgive and you block God’s forgiveness to you.

Why is forgiveness such a deal-breaker? God is the only One who really knows the human heart. When we refuse to forgive, we are asserting that we know more about the individual who has wronged us than God does and that we are more qualified to judge that individual than God is. A well-known Bible teacher tells the story of one man who came to one of his conferences and sat in the front row. But this man kept falling asleep, irritating the teacher no end. When the conference was over, the man and his wife came up to the teacher, complimenting him extensively. The wife explained that this teacher was her husband’s favorite Bible teacher and that seeing him in person was her husband’s lifelong dream. She further explained that her husband was dying with cancer and that some of the medicines made him drowsy, causing him to nod off, even though he didn’t want to. The Bible teacher had to go repent before the Lord for misjudging this man.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to live the Lord’s Prayer and not just mouth it. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Matthew 6:5-8 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

We are back on the street in Capernaum, and look here! Our friend Zachariah has just come out of the synagogue after having made a generous donation. Now Zachariah wants to top that performance by standing on the street corner and praying as loudly as possible in front of the whole town. What a guy! Surely God must be blessing this performance….or is He? Passers by continue to ignore Zachariah, for they know that once Zach gets going, he may go on chanting prayers for a long time. And Zacharia’s neighbors know that once he goes home after this performance, his poor family is in for a rough time. Buoyed by adrenaline from the performances at the temple and on the street, Zachariah is likely to summon his children and his wife and fulfill his role as head of the household by “instructing” them on all their shortcomings. Is it any wonder thatZachariah’s son Isaac has moved out to live with an uncle in another town just to escape his father’s verbal abuse?

Jesus is a villager telling stories to other villagers, describing scenes familiar to everyone. The genius of Jesus’ teachings is that he begins by describing the familiar and then points out what these things mean in the kingdom of God. Nobody has to explain the concept of hypocrisy to villagers; they have living examples such as Zachariah. Now Jesus is saying what some people have suspected for a long time, namely, that these professional religious people are getting their rewards now. What is new to Jesus’ audience is the idea that God is NOT pleased with such performances.

“But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”  What’s new about Jesus’ teaching is the idea of a loving Heavenly Father who cares passionately for His children and who wants to hear from them personally. Many of the people in the audience have grown up chanting the ritual prayers in the synagogue; however, the idea of speaking to God as if He can respond is a startling new idea. Here Jesus is advising that prayer can be private and quiet. 

Most of the audience are familiar with practices in pagan temples where priests and worshipers might chant as loudly as possible for hours on end in hopes of propitiating their gods. Many of the audience may have also observed that such practices accomplish nothing. Now Jesus is advising that God the Heavenly Father already knows the needs of His children, so they don’t have to present long lists of requests. Far better to quietly and privately worship God than to emulate Zachariah and the other Pharisees.  

How much do we need to pray? Prayer does not have to be burdensome nor super-formal. I spend much of my days working; however, I am always conscious that I am in the presence of God. Several times a day, I ask God for guidance or for healing for my patients. I ask God to heal family situations I witness. My continual prayer for our hospital is that it will become a place of God’s praise, a place of His glory, a place of health, a place of help, a place of hope, a place of healing, and a place of Shalom.

Oswald Chambers stresses that intercessory prayer is one of the most important kinds of prayer we can offer. One of the best prayers we can possible pray for ourselves or for anybody else is to ask that God’s perfect will will be done and that His kingdom will fully come in a given situation. When we pray this way, we are not playing games with God but allowing Him to determine the very best.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, teach us to pray the prayers You want so that we will glorify You with our words and our actions. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 6:1-4 Giving to the Needy (Deuteronomy 15:7-11)

“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

The streets of Capernaum are thronging with people when suddenly, a trumpet blares out. Zachariah, one of the local Pharisees, is making his way to the temple and is about to give a donation. This trumpeter is to clear the way for Zachariah and also to announce to all and sundry that HERE is a man who REALLY KNOWS how to be generous and who REALLY serves God! Of course, some of Zachariah’s fellow citizens might have a different idea, given the fact that Zachariah all but steps on the fingers of the blind beggar sitting on the temple steps. The local vegetable sellers have horror stories about trying to sell their produce to Zachariah’s household, for Zachariah never wants to pay full price but haggles over every penny. There’s also the small fact that Zachariah is a canny businessman who loves to get the best deal he possibly can. If you’re purchasing something from Zachariah, the hated Romans have a saying that applies: Caveat emptor-let the buyer beware!

Jesus has been around Capernaum and other towns long enough to observe the behavior of the professional religious people. As Jesus is describing this scene to his audience, you can see people elbowing one another, “Yes, that’s Zachariah all right! And then there’s his brother Abraham, who’s just as bad if not worse!” Yes, people are used to such behavior, but now Jesus is adding a new thought: God is not impressed by show-offs and hypocrites.

Jesus is teaching something revolutionary: you can either be rewarded for your generosity here and now, or you do generous deeds in such secrecy that one of your hands doesn’t even know what the other hand is doing. Why not get as much praise as possible? We have choices: get approbation from our friends and neighbors now, or do generous deeds in secret and allow God to reward us. How long does praise from people last? A few minutes at most. But when we give generously without seeking praise or attention, God can bless us in ways we cannot even imagine.

Why else should we give generously? God has given us everything that has come to us. As long as we keep our hands open and keep passing things on to others, God will continue to give us more. As soon as we insist on being grabby and hanging on to God’s gifts, the flow will stop because God wants to use us as channels of blessing to others.

Anyone doubting that these principles work should study the life of George Mueller. After becoming a Christian in his late twenties, Mueller wound up in Bristol, England, at a time when many diseases were rife, resulting in large numbers of orphans roaming the streets. Mueller began taking in orphaned boys, but soon realized there were many orphaned girls needing shelter and education as well. Mueller depended totally on God to bring in donations and had wonderful stories of bakers and milkmen suddenly turning up with bread and milk just in time for a meal. Eventually Mueller’s orphanages served more than 10,000 children, in addition to which, Mueller also supported Hudson Taylor’s China Inland Mission and a number of other ministries. Mueller himself regularly made anonymous donations, listing himself only as “one who wants to see rewards in heaven.”

We have been on the mission field for most of the last 36 years, depending on contributions for most of that time. Currently, donations from supporters are helping our hospital as well as educating a large number of students and providing feeding and medicine for patients on admission. Our experiences bear witness to God’s faithfulness and His provision. Each month when we write reports, we are amazed at the number of people God has blessed through these donations. Recently, a young man came to thank us for the help we had given his pregnant wife. This man brought a guinea fowl and money as part -repayment for our help. We immediately turned the money over to our hospital chaplain to help others and advised the man to use the rest of the money for his farming activities this year. (The chaplain’s family enjoyed the guinea fowl.)

Are we worried about rewards? No. Are we passionate about helping people so that they will know the love of Jesus? Yes. God keeps far better books than we ever can and God knows the needs of those around us. You might feel that you have no money with which to help others; however, when you ask God, He can show you avenues of service that you have never imagined before. Praying with people and for people, encouraging others, sharing whatever you have-all these are ways of giving that God can and will bless. May God open your eyes to the opportunities around you!

Can this walk of faith become frightening? Yes. Sometimes we must beg God to remind us of all He has already done. But God has never failed us, and we have faith that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion. When Joshua was about to die, he told the Israelites, “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”  Trust God and give freely. God will amaze you!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to receive and to give with open hands, realizing that the more we give, the more You will make available. Help us to be channels of blessing to all around us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 5:38-48 Love Your Enemies (Leviticus 24:17-23; Luke 6:27-36)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

Originally, the concept of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was intended to LIMIT retribution, ensuring that a punishment would not arbitrarily exceed the extent of the original injury; however, religious teachers gradually twisted this concept to indicate that retribution was always necessary. Here Jesus is turning that teaching on its head. Is Jesus insisting that his hearers become wimps who will put up with any amount of abuse? Is Jesus teaching that evil can never be resisted?

Remember that Jesus is the one who goes into the temple and drives out the money changers who are cheating pilgrims coming to celebrate festivals. Jesus definitely resists evil. But a slap on the cheek is considered a cultural insult, not a physical attack. Some sources feel that only social equals may exchange such slaps, indicating a kind of grudging respect.

What about “if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well?” The tunic is the basic item of clothing while the cloak is used to wrap up at night to remain warm while sleeping. Now Jesus is teaching that if necessary, you might even have to give more than someone is demanding.

Jesus is teaching to overcome evil with good. We speak of “going the extra mile” without realizing that Roman soldiers are fond of ordering Jewish men and boys to carry their military equipment. Here Jesus is essentially teaching that even if an obnoxious Roman soldier demands you carry things one mile, be willing to do more than necessary and go that extra mile. 

“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”  What is more annoying than a neighbor who keeps borrowing things? Today, it’s some sugar, while tomorrow it’s salt. The frustrating thing is that the flow of favors only goes one way; if you ask your neighbor for something, they smile and shrug their shoulders, indicating that they can’t help. Jesus is encouraging his audience to act out of love rather than keeping score.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

During Jesus’ teaching, there have been many head-scratching moments, and this statement produces another one. Once more, Jesus is turning conventional wisdom on its head as he describes the difference between the love of God and normal human practice. Most of the audience is used to praying for things for themselves, their families, and their friends. But now Jesus is pointing out the difference between God and people: God sends sun and rain on righteous and unrighteous indiscriminately while people favor those who love them. But what is the point of mentioning tax collectors?

In Jesus’ society, tax collectors are both feared and despised. Although tax collectors are following government regulations, many tax collectors demand far more money than the regulations require. This meant that the only people who are friends with tax collectors are other tax collectors or very wealthy people who refuse to be intimidated. Here Jesus is pointing out that even tax collectors are kind to their friends and families, so nobody should feel morally superior when they are simply doing the same thing. And to reinforce the point, Jesus mentions Gentiles, non-Jews who are generally considered obnoxious boors with no manners. Even Gentiles greet their friends. But God’s love is so much greater than man’s that God loves even those who are deliberately sinning against Him.

There are many parts of the Sermon on the Mount that are difficult, and these few verses are among the most difficult. But throughout the world, there are testimonies of evil people turning to God when believers have demonstrated persistent love in the face of persecution. In one case related by Dr. Helen Roseveare, a missionary in Zaire, a national believer and his wife moved into a fetish village. Villagers did everything they could to destroy the man and his family, going so far as to burn their house. But when a crisis arose, it was the believer who saved his fellow villagers. Confronted with such incredible love, the villagers accepted Jesus.

Personally, these verses have saved me from bitterness on many occasions. It’s impossible to complain about someone when you are praying for them. I pray for revival for our hospital, but I also pray for the salvation of those who have stolen, spread false rumors, or who have otherwise behaved hurtfully. The worse people have behaved, the more emphatically I have prayed for them. I can highly recommend “praying for those who persecute you;” it really does work.

Are you frustrated or miserable because someone in your situation is mistreating you? Pray for them, and if you find that too difficult, ask God to give you His mind about those people. Once God has done that, you will find yourself praying. The more you pray for those people, the more peace you will have. And remember, God knows your shortcomings and your sins, and yet He loves you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are struggling to forgive those who have hurt us. Please give us Your Mind about these people and please bless them so that they will know You and Your Love. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen. 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Once more, Jesus is drawing a distinction between heart attitudes and actions. Traditionally, the rabbis have taught that adultery is wrong; now Jesus is saying that even considering adultery is also wrong. Describing temptations, Martin Luther once said that just because birds are flying around your head does not mean that you must allow them to make nests in your hair. You can face temptation and refuse to give into it. Using Luther’s expression, Jesus would advise driving the birds away and not paying them undue attention. By the same token, lust that leads to adultery can be considered to extend to anything else that might become an object of lust-power, possessions, popularity, etc.

“It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.” Whoof! About now anybody in the audience who is falling asleep in the sunshine is suddenly waking up. What does Jesus mean? Jesus is not advocating self-mutilation, although misguided individuals have maimed themselves in attempts to become more holy. Jesus is actually saying that you shouldn’t use anything as an excuse for sinning.
We are fond of watching programs depicting the Australian and New Zealand Border Patrol stations. Even though incoming air passengers are furnished with declaration cards in many different languages, many of these people refuse to list the food, cash, and other items for which customs officials routinely check. And then the excuses begin: “My mother/girlfriend/boyfriend/neighbor packed my bag, and I have no idea what’s in it.” Bottom line: stop whining and do the right thing!

What about divorce? Even though the Mosaic Law was relatively restrained, by Jesus’ day, husbands could divorce their wives for the flimsiest of excuses, including burning the dinner. Although written bills of divorce were required, many scribes found employment in writing bills of divorce. The Jews were evidently adapting looser customs already practiced by the Greeks and Romans. Jesus is emphasizing the sanctity of marriage and the fact that a wife divorced for burning the dinner is still married in the eyes of God.

These days, the idea of divorce is a hot button, one that attracts all kinds of controversy. Let’s leave Jesus on that hillside for a moment and consider divorce. While traditional marriage vows are taken before God, these days, some people are writing vows that include all kinds of escape clauses. Those swearing the traditional marriage vows promise to be faithful to each other, no matter what. But sometimes extenuating circumstances do arise. Spouses prove to be adulterous or even abusive, sometimes leaving the other spouse no choice apart from separation and divorce to survive. Some spouses prove to be financially irresponsible, endangering the remaining spouse and children, if any. In such cases, only divorce will release the responsible spouse from being sucked down a financial black hole. The most important thing to remember when considering divorce and reasons for it is that God continues to love us despite our failures. Personally, I was forced to leave my first marriage for a variety of reasons; however, my second husband and I have recently celebrated our 42nd anniversary. Our advice: make certain that God is the foundation of your marriage and not merely sexual attraction or some other lessor purpose.

What about oaths? David Guzik makes the point that by the time of Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees had twisted the Mosaic law to allow using virtually every other name as part of an oath. There are times when oaths are necessary, in court, for example. But simply swearing an oath does not guarantee honesty; only behavior proves a person’s honesty. Swearing oaths in God’s name and then breaking those promises is essentially taking the name of the Lord in vain, something prohibited in the Ten Commandments. Far better to establish a reputation for being a man or woman of your word, so that people know they can always rely on you. Many times, the more elaborate the oath, the more suspect the individual!

Purity, commitment, and honesty-these are the things Jesus is teaching here. Why are these three points so vitally important? As mores deteriorate, we scramble to find people whom we can trust. Those who are true citizens of the Kingdom of God must demonstrate these qualities because God is pure, committed and honest also.

May God help us, so that we will become true citizens of the Kingdom of God!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to seek Your purity, to fulfill commitments to spouses, friends, and family, and to remain simple and honest. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 5:21-26 “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ (Worthless) will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

Therefore 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. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

“You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’” Why does Jesus begin this next teaching with the phrase “You have heard..”? By this point, many of the Jews were relying solely on the rabbis and other religious leaders for interpreting the Torah. Many of Jesus’ hearers had little knowledge of the actual scriptures and were depending on “they say-they say.”

The scribes and Pharisees were teaching literal obedience to the law without understanding the spirit of it. Now Jesus is saying that there is more to the law than mere letters and that people must guard their hearts and not just their mouths. The professional religious leaders were teaching that you could think anything you wanted to about someone else just as long as you didn’t actually physically murder them. But Jesus is pointing out that despising someone in your heart is where murder begins, that it is equivalent to murder and must be avoided at all costs.

In the excellent book Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life, Lois Tverberg points out that traditionally, Jews taught that men were created in God’s image; to murder anyone was to destroy that image and so demonstrate extreme disrespect to God.  In the same way, when we call someone else an idiot or worthless, we are also insulting God’s image. Very few people wake up one morning and think, “I believe I’ll kill someone today!” Generally, murder begins when we cultivate disdain for someone; hence, calling anybody an idiot or a fool actually is the first small step on the road to homicide. People in the southern United States say that everyone is good for something; some people are good for serving as bad examples. It’s best to remember that and allow them to do so.

“Therefore 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. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

Uh oh! Jesus has quit preachin’ and gone to meddlin’! Here we were feeling all kinds of superior-after all, WE would never use a pejorative name on anybody. But now Jesus is throwing down a much more difficult challenge: true confession and repentance. OUCH!

Notice the scenario. A nice observant religious person has entered the temple and is even offering his/her gift at the altar. Suddenly God reminds this individual of something hurtful done to another person, something for which the worshiper has never sought forgiveness. What to do? What to do? If the worshiper leaves the gift at the altar and runs back to reconcile, everybody in town will know exactly what is going on. On the other hand, if the worshiper fails to make amends, that gift at the altar will be useless. Remember, God knows our hearts better than we do.

Notice what Jesus does NOT say: Jesus does NOT say “If you remember that someone has hurt YOU, first go accuse them to their face and force them to apologize.” Many years ago, I accidentally offended an elder in our home church. (Part of the down side of being a doctor is that some people expect me to be stuck up and proud and judge me on that basis; meanwhile, in my mind, I am still just a kid off a Midwestern farm. I’m not impressed with myself. The elder in question was a factory worker and may have felt disrespect where none was intended.) While I felt the incident was a minor one, this man was harboring a grudge against me, a grudge he felt impelled to dump on me just as communion was beginning, so that he could take communion with a clean conscience. In fact, had this man been following Jesus’ teaching, he should have gone to me as soon as the incident happened and discussed it, so that I could have apologized and he could have stopped being resentful.

Then Jesus carries the analogy even further. Two people are on their way to court, one is guilty and the other is suing the first person. Jesus is advising to reconcile quickly while there is still time before lawyers or judges get hold of the suit; otherwise, the plaintiff’s council is going to go for your jugular and you may be thrown in jail, not to mention losing everything you own, as well as your reputation. Evidently, even in Jesus’ day, once lawyers got hold of a case, their drive to win at all costs might blur truth and justice. And not all judges are honest, hence Jesus’ story about the unjust judge in Luke 18. When Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny,”  many people in the audience are nodding in agreement, having barely escaped a similar fate.

True reconciliation means that both parties must be willing to confess their faults to each other and truly seek forgiveness, not merely go through the motions. When someone in our community was too easily offended, my mother used to say that they had their feelings hanging out like an old cat’s tail waiting to be stepped on. May God help us to be willing to confess our faults and seek forgiveness
quickly, so that we may live in harmony with others.

PRAYER: Father God,  thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to confess swiftly and forgive swiftly as well, knowing that You are the only One who truly knows our hearts. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Jesus is a small-town boy speaking to friends and neighbors from small towns. When these folks go to the synagogue, the rabbis mutter and mumble and delight in esoteric teachings, but Jesus talks about stuff that everybody knows. Today, Jesus is discussing salt and light, and he begins by describing scenes with which everyone in the audience is familiar.

Last night, Jesus stayed with friends in Capernaum, and they were complaining to him how much it had been raining recently. Due to all the humidity, everything item of cloth had become damp and mildewed, including clothing, blankets, and towels. Even woven reed mats were becoming mildewed and stinky. This morning a new problem has arisen, leaving women of the village even more frustrated. Salt is a precious commodity that everybody needs, for food without salt is tasteless and unappealing. Entire caravans travel thousands of miles to bring salt to various places. In some cultures, salt is so prized that it takes the place of money.

This morning when the women of the village check their spices, the salt has absorbed moisture, becoming caked and tasteless. These women are bracing themselves for the complaints they know their families will make-after all, food without salt is bland and unappealing. Until these ladies can save enough money or produce something with which they can barter to buy more salt in the market, they must throw out the worthless salt and do without it. Husbands in the village are complaining about their wives wasting such a precious resource until one of the women challenges her husband to taste the spoiled salt. The man immediately spits out the salt, agreeing that the salt has indeed lost its flavor.

If salt is a precious commodity, so is olive oil, particularly oil pure enough to be burned in the small local clay lamps. Oil with impurities will smoke and spit sparks as it burns rather than burning with a steady clear flame. Many towns are built on hills for safety’s sake, and in the evening, weary travelers can see the lights of the households, showing them the way to a place of rest. In an otherwise dark world, the lights of those cities shine long distances, and everyone knows that hiding them would be impossible.

In many humble village homes, there are only a few lamps and housewives will place them on lampstands so that one lamp can light an entire room. Nobody in their right mind would ever consider lighting a lamp and then covering it with a basket! What would be the point?

There are no secrets in small towns, for part of the entertainment is always talking about the neighbors and everyone knows everybody else’s business. Small town people know the character of those around them because they work together, play together, trade in the marketplace together, etc. The ladies all know the market women who hide rotten tomatoes in the bottom of the pile in hopes of palming them off on an unsuspecting buyer. The men know the fellows who promise to help with harvest, only to disappear when the day comes. And everybody knows the families who are raising their children properly and those who are letting their children run wild, creating problems for everyone else.

So far, Jesus is talking about commonplace daily life. Now comes the actual teaching. “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Jesus is reminding his audience that their friends and relatives and neighbors are watching their behavior closely. When a woman always sells good fresh produce in the market, when a man performs his work as well as possible, when a family’s children are helpful and well-behaved-all these things are just as satisfying as flavorful salt or bright lights in a dark place.

Jesus’ audience is used to the religious elite parading in and out of the synagogues, making a big show of their ritualized good deeds. But here Jesus is advising people that when they behave virtuously in their daily lives, everyone around them will observe their behavior and give glory to God because of it. At this point, many of those listening may be thinking, “What? Who me?” These folks are accustomed to a series of religious duties but nobody has ever told them that they can glorify God simply by doing their daily work as well and as honestly as possible. This idea is revolutionary.

Eighty-six years ago, a missionary in northeastern Ghana was building the first mission house in that area on top of a high hill. Most nights, this man camped near the construction site, and local farmers who had gone to the bush could see the lights of his camp and navigate back to their homes by watching those lights. But one night, the missionary returned to a government rest house where his wife and children were staying. That night, one local farmer wandered in the bush all night for lack of a light by which to navigate. The next morning this man confronted the missionary, demanding to know why the missionary had not lit any lamps the night before. The missionary used this incident to lead this man to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, the light of the world.

In the early 90’s, our village had no electricity, so we all had to use charcoal irons to iron our clothes. These irons had side ports through which the air could pass to keep the charcoal burning; however, if the charcoal came from soft wood, it would smoke and spit sparks. One morning Peter, our physician assistant, reported to the clinic but then disappeared and did not return for two hours. When Peter finally returned, I asked what had happened. It seems that just after I saw Peter, a patient vomited all over his uniform and Peter had to go home to change. But when Peter was ironing a clean uniform, the charcoal iron kept spitting little pieces of charcoal all over it, leaving black marks on his fresh uniform. It took all that time for Peter to be able to iron the uniform and clean off the charcoal marks.

Whether or not we realize it, people around us are watching us closely to see the quality of our behavior. It is a well-known fact that the ethos of a corporation depends on the behavior of its leaders. If leadership behaves righteously, others will generally fall in line. But unrighteous leadership signals all those below that anything goes and that they can steal and cheat. After all, the top leaders have set that example. May we do our daily tasks to the glory of God, remembering that we never know who might be watching and who might be encouraged or discouraged by our example!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to always do our work to Your glory, no matter how mundane that work might be. Help us to remember that when You call us to do something, it is a holy calling and that the nature of the work is far less important than the nature of the call. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.”

By this point, people have been standing on this hillside in the sun for awhile as they have listened to Jesus. The morning breeze has died down, and sweat is forming on people’s faces and running down into their eyes. And now this group can scarcely believe their ears! Has Jesus just said what they think he’s said? “Jesus, what do you mean? The Romans are already mistreating us! Rich people are taking advantage of us! Hey, you village boy from Nazareth, don’t you think we are suffering enough? Do you really know what you are saying?”

Those listening to Jesus have heard the stories. Isaiah was sawn in two at the order of wicked King Manasseh. Jeremiah nearly drowned in a well full of muck.  Zechariah ben Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:20–22): said to be of Jerusalem, he was killed by Jehoash near the altar of the Temple. He was buried near his father Jehoiada. After his death, the priests of the Temple could no more, as before, see the apparitions of the angels of the Lord, nor could make divinations with the Ephod, nor give responses from the Debir. The prophet Amos is said to have been killed by the son of Amaziah, priest of Bethel. In all, at least six Old Testament prophets were said to have been murdered. (wikipedia.org

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Lives_of_the_Prophets

Jesus pauses while his audience adjusts to the shock of his statement, listening to the murmurs of disbelief from his audience. If anybody has fallen asleep, the reaction of their neighbors will certainly arouse them! First, nobody wants to suffer if at all possible. Second, what does Jesus mean when he says that they might be persecuted because of him? Isn’t Jesus simply the son of Joseph, the carpenter from Nazareth? Where does Jesus get off flaunting such authority? And yet….

And yet, when Jesus is speaking, people feel as if they are hearing directly from God. That Voice that has spoken at midnight, that Voice that has comforted in the midst of catastrophe, that Voice that has calmed fears when nothing else can-When Jesus is speaking, those who believe recognize that Voice as the Voice of God and they long to hear it again and again. Observant rabbis who have yearned for God’s presence are standing with tears streaming down their faces. Grizzled working men, haggard village women who have known nothing but hard work and struggle all their lives are also in tears. When Jesus is speaking, those who have passionately desired to experience God’s presence KNOW that Jesus is telling them the truth and that He is God’s messenger. And they also KNOW that God loves them and that He truly longs to bless them, just as they long for His presence.

Thousands of years later, a believer will write a hymn that expresses the feelings of those people on that hillside.

In fancy I stood by the shore, one day, of the beautiful murm’ring sea;
I saw the great crowds as they thronged the way of the Stranger of Galilee;
I saw how the man who was blind from birth, In a moment was made to see;
The lame was made whole by the matchless skill of the Stranger of Galilee.

I heard Him speak peace to the angry waves, of that turbulent, raging sea;
And lo! at His word are the waters stilled, this Stranger of Galilee;
A peaceful, a quiet, and holy calm, now and ever abides with me;
He holdeth my life in His mighty hands, this Stranger of Galilee.

And I felt I could love Him forever, so gracious and tender was He!
I claimed Him that day as my Savior, this Stranger of Galilee.”

That love you have missed all your life, that blessing you have longed for, that healing your soul needs-Jesus is still blessing and healing and giving his Heavenly Father’s love and blessings freely. Let’s pray.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we long for Your touch on our lives. We beg You to look on our struggles, to heal us and to bless us. We know that we are sinners and that no good we can do is enough to make up for our sins. But we also know that Jesus has already sacrificed His life on Calvary so that we might be forgiven. Please forgive us and help us to trust only in You for salvation. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

(For the full lyrics and a wonderful story about the writer of this hymn, go to https://hymnary.org/text/in_fancy_i_stood_by_the_shore The lady who wrote these lyrics went blind at age 52 and her family built her a 28-foot blackboard so that she could continue to write nearly 1000 hymn lyrics and tunes.)