Burunche’s Blog

“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.)

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”  For those folks on the hillside, Jesus’ next statement sounds like a virtual impossibility. What does this guy mean by “pure in heart?” In Jesus’ culture, observant religious people are careful to watch what they say and how they say it. There are all kinds of religious regulations. Jesus really doesn’t care about religious bean counting; he’s much more concerned about the state of the heart.

Most of the audience has grown up watching the religious elite observing every jot and tittle of the Mosaic Law. For the poor, being a legally observant Jew is well beyond their reach. And yet, Jesus is smiling as he makes this statement, encouraging them to believe that perhaps he has more in mind than how many times a week they fast or how rigorously they parcel out their offerings.

Centuries ago, God has spoken to His people through Moses. Deuteronomy 6:1-5 says, “These are the commandments and statutes and ordinances that the LORD your God has instructed me to teach you to follow in the land that you are about to enter and possess, so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

All the Jews in Jesus’ audience know these verses as well as Jesus does, for the last two sentences are the Shema, the affirmation repeated on a daily basis. To be pure in heart is to love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. God knows human hearts, and He knows when someone is dedicated. Those who are truly pure in heart will observe God’s commandments out of love and respect for Him, and they will also teach their family members to do the same. Throughout Jesus’ audience, there are those who truly love God and keep His commandments. Those people are quietly rejoicing at this encouragement.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Make no mistake about it, God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace. The more we study biology, chemistry, physics, or any of the other scientific disciplines, the more we marvel at how beautifully and perfectly God has created everything. Those people on the hillside only have to look at the wildflowers, the olive trees, and the people around them to realize how perfectly God has created things.

Throughout the Scriptures, God emphasizes that He is the Peace-maker and the Peace-giver. Isaiah 26:3 tells us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” In Jesus’ culture, sons are expected to copy their fathers, including their professions and their behavior. Villagers can easily recognize a man’s son by his appearance and his behavior. Now Jesus is stating that since God is a God of peace, those who truly make peace will be called sons of God.

What does it mean to be a peacemaker? Here in Ghana, we have friends who are called on anytime there is a dispute over land, fishing rights, etc. These people come to a community and interview all involved, then seek to achieve the fairest conclusion possible. But sometimes a peacemaker may be a party to the dispute; in which case, it’s a blessing if such people can help solve problems before they escalate.

We can create problems or solve them by our speech or our actions. When we are careful what we say or do, we may be preventing conflict and making peace proactively. Whenever we do any of these things, we are peacemakers and qualify as sons of God.

Peacemakers sometimes have a very difficult time. Police officers are fully aware that calls to domestic disturbances are among the most dangerous situations they may have to address. Sometimes police are called, only to find that previously fighting spouses may both turn to attack police, sometimes with fatal consequences. At times, international peace makers have found themselves attacked, imprisoned, or even evicted from the very country that originally invited them. Being a son of God may be a blessing, but it can be a very dangerous proposition!

May God help us so that we will love God with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our strength. May God help us to be peacemakers wherever we go.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to truly love You and help us to be peacemakers. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”  We are back on that hillside with folks from all the surrounding villages who have come out to listen to Jesus teach. And this next statement is getting a lot of approval from the crowd.

At this time, the Romans are ruling Israel and the Jews profoundly resent them. Roman soldiers stride down the narrow street knocking people out of their way, plucking small items from shop stalls while the intimidated shop owners can only watch, and generally making themselves as obnoxious as possible. There are a few good Romans, notably the centurion who builds a synagogue for Capernaum, but injustice abounds. The rich take advantage of the poor, and then there are tax collectors extorting exorbitant sums from their victims. Jesus’ listeners are anxious to know what he thinks about all this. What kind of person is Jesus describing?

Most of Jesus’ audience are well acquainted with hunger and thirst. In an economy dependent on farming, food shortages are frequent. If rainfall fails, water conservation becomes a real challenge. Now Jesus is teaching that God will bless those who are so passionate about righteousness that they want it as badly as those who are starving or dying of thirst. Mild irritation with unfortunate circumstances will not be sufficient; such people must desire righteousness and holiness so badly that life without it is completely intolerable.  

Mattew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” David Guzik explains, “When this beatitude addresses those who will show mercy, it speaks to those who have already received mercy. It is mercy to be emptied of your pride and brought to poverty of spirit. It is mercy to be brought to mourning over your spiritual condition. It is mercy to receive the grace of meekness and to become gentle. It is mercy to be made hungry and thirsty after righteousness. Therefore, this one who is expected to show mercy is one who has already received it.

· The merciful one will show it to those who are weaker and poorer.

· The merciful one will always look for those who weep and mourn.

· The merciful one will be forgiving to others, and always looking to restore broken relationships.

· The merciful one will be merciful to the character of other people, and choose to think the best of them whenever possible.

· The merciful one will not expect too much from others.

· The merciful one will be compassionate to those who are outwardly sinful.

· The merciful one will have a care for the souls of all men.

One of the fundamental laws of the Kingdom of God is that the measure you give out is the measure you will receive. What goes around comes around. The more we experience God’s grace and forgiveness, the more likely we should be to grant grace and forgiveness to others. But does this always happen? Jesus told a story about a man who owed an unbelievably enormous debt to a ruler and the ruler forgave him. Then this same man went out and dunned another man who owed him a relatively tiny amount of money. Enraged, the ruler threw the first man and his family into debtor’s prison. The moral of the story is simple: we are all debtors to God, and if God forgives us, then we must also freely forgive others.

Jesus is encouraging his hearers to be merciful both to themselves and to all those around them. In some respects, this idea is counter-intuitive; however, traditionally, the rabbis have taught that there is good speech and bad speech. (For a fascinating look at traditional Jewish teachings that Jesus incorporated into his messages, check out the book Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life by Lois Tverberg.) When we use bad speech against anyone, we are violating the code of mercy. Likewise, when we hurt anyone or take vengeance, we are also violating God’s code of mercy.

If some of these concepts seem revolutionary, it’s because they run against human nature. Our natural tendency is to “look out for number one,” namely, ourselves. Jesus is announcing that if we are true citizens in the kingdom of God, we must put others first.

It’s quite likely that Jesus originally said far more than either Matthew or Luke has recorded. There may well have been questions from the crowd with arguments ensuing. But both Matthew and Luke want to keep the main thing the main thing; they want to focus on the meat of Jesus’ teachings.

May God help us to realize how much mercy He has shown to us so that we will also be just as merciful to others!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, Your mercy is overwhelming, beyond our words or comprehension. Help us to be merciful to all those around us. Help us to really long for Your righteousness. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Today is a day to honor fathers, not to judge them!

Perhaps your father worked so hard he rarely had time for you-love him anyway! He was providing for you and the rest of the family.

Perhaps your father seemed to be emotionally distant-love him anyway! You don’t know how your father was raised; perhaps nobody ever modeled good fathering for him.

Perhaps you feel your father favored other children but not you-love him anyway! For all you know, those other children think you were your dad’s favorite!

Perhaps your family was torn apart by divorce-love your father anyway! There are always two sides to a story, and you might not know all the facts.

Perhaps your father has had to spend a great deal of time away from the family because he has been in the military or on assignment for some other reason-love him anyway!

Perhaps events have taken place causing you to doubt your father’s love-love him anyway!

Perhaps your dad has died or has disappeared, leaving your mom to pick up the pieces-wish her a Happy Father’s Day! Once she recovers from the shock, she’ll probably be thrilled. Nothing is much harder than being female and trying to be both mother and father for kids.

There is a saying in the American South that “Everybody is trying to swallow something he/she can’t get down.” In other words, those around us are always struggling with problems that we don’t know about. Even if you don’t feel like it, send your dad a Father’s Day message! Who knows? This might be the start of healing for you and your family. Give love and mercy, not judgment. And oh, by the way, Happy Father’s Day to you too, whoever you are!  

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.”

Jesus is up there on the top of a large hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee while thousands of villagers are seated on the hillside below him. The cup shape of the valley gives excellent acoustics, so everyone can hear clearly. But Jesus is declaring another shocking teaching: people who are mourning are blessed because they will be comforted. At this time, due to a high infant death rate, the average lifespan is approximately 33 years, although if you survive beyond the age of ten, you might live into your fifties or even longer. But disease, accidents, and catastrophes such as windstorms and earthquakes also take a toll. Grieving is such a normal part of daily life that there are professional mourners who will weep and wail when hired to do so. Widows who lose their only sons are particularly vulnerable because that son should be their protection and their guarantee that they will not be removed from a family dwelling or from an inherited piece of land.

Knowing all these things, Jesus’ audience must be scratching their heads in bemusement. Where is this comfort going to come from? Jesus has a radical answer: that comfort will come from God. For many of these listening, they believe in God but feel that He is too far away to impact their lives. True, these people observe the feasts and make sacrifices, but most of them feel they are simply going through the motions. Now Jesus is claiming that God really cares and that God will comfort them. But Jesus has more than comfort for earthly losses in mind.

Here the language in the ancient Greek implies deep sorrow that penetrates one’s soul. Such sorrow can only come when we confront our sinful natures and then regard God in His holiness and perfection. If we honestly examine ourselves, we realize we fall very short of God’s holiness. Jesus’ audience are realists; they know they are sinners. Most of these people are poor enough that observing all the religious rules and regulations is a total impossibility. These people know they are sinners, but what can they do about it? Contemplating sin produces grief because we know that sin makes an insurmountable barrier between us and God. But here Jesus is promising that God is going to do what we cannot, that God is going to destroy those barriers, forgive us our sins, and comfort us. God wants to come into our lives and transform us. Nobody has ever taught anything like this in the synagogue! 

If these people think this idea is radical, Jesus’ next statement is even more shocking. Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” At this point, land in Israel is supposed to be inherited by tribal traditions; however, it’s likely that the rich are buying up land while the poor are becoming poorer. Anybody foolish enough to behave meekly is likely to be ripped off and left with nothing. What does Jesus mean by the term “meek?”

 David Guzik in his Enduring Word Commentary offers the following information:

“It is impossible to translate this ancient Greek word praus (meek) with just one English word. It has the idea of the proper balance between anger and indifference, of a powerful personality properly controlled, and of humility.

i. In the vocabulary of the ancient Greek language, the meek person was not passive or easily pushed around. The main idea behind the word “meek” was strength under control, like a strong stallion that was trained to do the job instead of running wild.

ii. “In general the Greeks considered meekness a vice because they failed to distinguish it from servility. To be meek towards others implies freedom from malice and a vengeful spirit.” (Carson)

iii. “The meek, who can be angry, but restrain their wrath in obedience to the will of God, and will not be angry unless they can be angry and not sin, nor will be easily provoked by others.” (Poole)

iv. “The men who suffer wrong without bitterness or desire for revenge.” (Bruce)

To be meek means to show willingness to submit and work under proper authority. It also shows a willingness to disregard one’s own “rights” and privileges. It is one thing for me to admit my own spiritual bankruptcy, but what if someone else does it for me? Do I react meekly? This blessed one is meek:

· They are meek before God, in that they submit to His will and conform to His Word.

· They are meek before men, in that they are strong – yet also humble, gentle, patient, and longsuffering.”

The Sermon on the Mount is the first record of Jesus’ teachings; however, it’s possible that Jesus is announcing his teaching agenda and that the rest of his three-year ministry serves to reinforce the lessons he is teaching on this hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is introducing the principles of the Kingdom of God. From this hillside, Jesus is going down to the seaside where he will begin calling his disciples.

One of the many miracles of Jesus’ ministry is the way the disciples respond when he calls them. It’s quite possible that some of these future disciples are part of the crowd on that hillside, listening and wondering if Jesus can be right about the Kingdom of God.

Cultures may change but human nature doesn’t. Our needs are the same as those in that crowd on the hillside. We too have a sin problem and realize that we cannot do enough to save ourselves. What the crowd on that hillside doesn’t know is that their Savior is speaking to them, and that Jesus is the One who will shed his life for the sins of the world. Only the blood of a sinless man will wipe out our sins and only when we accept what Jesus has done for us and believe in him will we be able to claim that redemption.

We too struggle with the concept of meekness. To quote a line from the musical Camelot, “It’s not the earth the meek inherit, it’s the dirt!” Only when we realize that Jesus is not advising all of us to become doormats can we begin to accept his concept of meekness. Jesus himself will demonstrate holy meekness throughout his life. As a carpenter and stone mason, Jesus is no wimp; he is physically tough with wiry muscles. Even though Jesus is the Son of God, he refuses to throw his spiritual weight around. Jesus will emphatically demonstrate that he is humble, gentle, patient, and long-suffering. As long as we insist on our own way and try to be our own amateur providences, we block blessings, but when we follow Jesus’ example, we too will be blessed.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, teach us Your messages from these verses. Help us to trust You and to strive for Your meekness. Thank You for comforting us and for blessing us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

We’ve studied peace and how to get it or lose it in Genesis. Now we’re jumping several hundred years forward. For the last 30 years, Jesus has been growing up in the little village of Nazareth, working with his dad making things from wood and stone. (One term in Greek is technikon, and we learned during a trip to Israel that it’s likely both Joseph and Jesus worked in stone as much as they did in wood because Israel has unlimited amounts of stone but fewer trees.) Now John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, has baptized him in the Jordan River, anointing him for ministry, and Jesus is moving out of the carpenter shop and into the final ministry phase of his life.

As a small-town guy, Jesus knows all about his audience. At this point, most of Israel is rural, so the people coming to hear Jesus teach are small town merchants, farmers, housewives, tax collectors, Roman soldiers, and itinerant peddlers moving from town to town. Much of Jesus’ teaching takes place on or near the Sea of Galilee, so fishermen are a big part of his audience and eventually make up a large part of his disciples. There’s a reason for that. Like farmers, fishermen must be perpetually hopeful or they will never survive a bad night with few fish. Fishermen must be tough and strong, able to withstand hardship and willing to patiently continue to work toward a goal, even when things appear hopeless. And fishermen must be realists willing to face changes in the weather and their effect on fish and people.

For thirty years, Jesus has been growing up in Nazareth, playing with other boys, picking wildflowers on the hills for his mother, and attending synagogue with his father. While working with Joseph, Jesus has learned the secrets of creating furniture and other simple wooden items and shaping stone. The Romans are building a new town about 4 miles from Nazareth, and it’s possible that both Joseph and Jesus have helped work on that town. Jesus has watched the local farmers as they sow crops and tend them; perhaps he has even helped with the harvests. And Jesus has also spent time in the synagogue watching the teachers, listening to them, and absorbing everything that takes place there. Jesus knows the lifestyles of the poor and meek from the inside out.

In the beginning, Jesus is simply trying to teach his disciples; however, the word gets out, and people begin flocking to hear him. True, there are teachers in the synagogues, but those men always behave as if they think they’re better than everybody else. Sometimes those reading the scriptures do it in such a sing song fashion that it’s obvious they are only going through the motions. Centuries later, a young French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, will say that everyone has a God-sized hole in their hearts. These people, including the Roman soldiers, have God-sized holes in their hearts, and nobody has yet succeeded in filling those holes. Besides, there’s really nothing going on in town today, so why not come out and listen to Jesus? 

MATTHEW 5:1-12 The Sermon on the Mount Part 1- The Beatitudes (Psalm 1:1-6; Luke 6:20-23)

“When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

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.”

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Many of us may have heard of the Beatitudes; some of us may even have memorized them at some point. But we miss a lot if we fail to realize how revolutionary this teaching actually is. Generally speaking, most people likely believe that wealth is an indication of God’s favor while poverty means that God is rejecting you. And what does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” When Matthew and Luke are recording these teachings, they go for the main points without including the illustrations that Jesus is likely throwing in. Jesus is undoubtedly a gifted mimic and might be striding back and forth in front of his audience in an uncanny imitation of the wealthy local men parading into the synagogue.

Proverbs 3:7 tells us, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Later on, Proverbs 3:34 says, “Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.” Jesus’ audience certainly knows these verses quite well. Jesus may even quote these teachings in passing. But this is the first time that these folks have heard such teaching. Most of the teaching in the synagogue consists of reading scriptures, reciting formalized prayers, and watching the rich members of the congregation lord it over everybody else.

Face it, all of us are debtors before God. It is God who has given us life and the intellect and talents we possess. It is God who continues to sustain us. While we must feed and clothe ourselves, God is the One who maintains our health. If we are honest with ourselves, all of us should be poor in spirit rather than being proud. As long as we believe we are sufficient unto ourselves, we have our hands closed spiritually; however, we can only receive things from God if our spiritual hands are empty and open. This is part of the reason that Jesus later told his disciples that it was easier for a camel to pass through the narrow gate in Jerusalem referred to as the “needle’s eye” than to enter the kingdom of heaven. Wealth and social position can blind us to our true spiritual poverty. May God help us to remain humble and willing to receive everything God wants to give us!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remain humble and receptive, no matter what happens. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.