Take Away - SOM Part 24

 SOM Part 24 can be found here.

Jesus has just finished saying that not everyone who says calls Him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, (Matthew 7:21) He is now going to illustrate this with His conclusion. He talks about 2 houses, It would seem that to look at the houses, there would be little difference. The difference is in what is not readily seen from the outside, that being the foundation. What are the houses dependent upon. 

The house on the sand appears to be dependent solely on its outward appearance. Perhaps much like the people who call Jesus Lord, but are not known by Him. They think what saves them is their action, but that seems not to be enough. The second house is anchored to the rock. It has the appearance of the first house in many ways, but beyond appearance it also has the rock, Jesus, as its foundation. So you can say all the right things, do the right things, but without the anchor of complete dependence on Jesus for salvation, it is not enough. 

Take Away: My righteousness comes from Christ, not anything I do. I can look good on the outside, but that is not the point. I go back to the very first words Jesus said in this sermon, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." My paraphrase would be, Satisfied are those who are gasping for breath, for them the kingdom has been prepared. Why? Because before we can understand our relationship to the kingdom and its ruler, we must see our brokenness, our need for a Savior. We must understand that what saves us is not our effort or obedience, but the blood f Christ, and that because of what Christ has done, this is what now drives our behavior. It is a subtle but critical difference. The life without a foundation is driven by a desire to be saved, and seeks to achieve that salvation by putting God in their debt, im a place where He is basically forced to grant them eternal life, the firm foundation recognizes that he is a sinner, and that there is nothing that he can do to obtain God's favor, in fact, he understands that even an attempt to do so is an insult to God. The firm foundation understands that salvation is a result of grace, and now lives a life that is a response to that understanding. Ephesians 2:8-10 states, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Do I see what is going on here? That it is not my works that save me, it is grace. Yet for those who are saved by grace, there are works that are prepared for us to do. Not as an obligation, but as a response to grace. I still have a challenge in completely living in this manner, but it something that I strive for.

Sermon on the Mount - Part 5

 Today I want to look at verses 6-9, focusing on who Jesus was speaking to, and on the context of the entire message.

Matthew 5:6-9

(6)“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
(7)“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
(8)“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
(9)“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

In verse 6 he talks about hungering and thirsting for righteousness, which I am sure the leaders thought they were doing. After all, the followed the law to a "T". But in verse 20, Jesus says, "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven," so what is he saying? The leaders took pride in their righteousness, which was really self-righteousness, and not the righteousness of God. To hunger and thirst for righteousness for Jesus meant going beyond just the action and included the motivation. Are you seeking to gain salvation (a good thing but a selfish motive?) or are you seeking to honor and praise God, the maker and creator of the universe? How can you be satisfied if your goal is to earn God's favor? Can you ever really do enough to satisfy God? If you are going to be honest, you have to answer no here. But if your response is just to love God and honor Him, relying on the righteousness given in the grace of Jesus, you can find satisfaction. It is a weird paradox, knowing that you can never do enough, yet what you do is sufficient because Jesus picks up the slack. 

Verse 7 speaks of being merciful. There is no other appropriate response to seeing the love and mercy of God than to be loving and merciful to others. (Matthew 18:32-33) We can see again and again in the gospels how this was not a quality of the leaders of the Jews, from their dealing with John the Baptist to the crucifixion, and so much in between.

Verse 8 tells about being pure in heart. I see this as speaking of not having ulterior motives. The leaders were full of ulterior motives, most of which revolved around themselves. They wanted power, they wanted to be worshipped by the people, they loved being in control. It is almost as if they had wandered so far in to religion as to forget why they were there. Their religion was not a response to God, but all about what it provided for them. The pure in heart remember why they are there. They seek to honor God first, foremost, and only. These are the ones who will see God. They are probably the only ones looking for God. To not be pure in heart then, is to be blind. (Matthew 15:12-14; John 9:32; John 9:39-41) God can grant sight, and will to those who seek Him.

Finally for today, Jesus speaks of the peacemakers. Or as I like to compare them to, peace keepers. Peace making requires negotiation at times, and sometimes force. Jesus said, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16) Wise and innocent, there are 2 characteristics of peace makers, I think also of the peacekeeping forces, such as those on the border between North and South Korea. Armed and ready to protect freedom even at cost of life. That is a peacemaker's role too. Someone who defends peace, not the bully who wants to take it away. I see the leaders that were in the audience as the bullies, using the law to control, putting cumbersome burdens on the people, robbing the people of their freedom. The peacemakers are the ones who are called sons of God. 

Jesus came to set things right. To restore what had been corrupted. Yet even as He did, that corruption continued to work its way into His work. I think of what I have read in Luke 4:13, "And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time." Even as Jesus is working to restore us, Satan is looking for opportunities to take us back. That is what we must be aware of and why we must be on guard. It is why, in addition to having the qualities of mercy and purity, in addition to hungering for righteousness, we must also be vigilant as peacemakers.

Edited 2/4/2022

Sermon on the Mount - Part 4

 Today I want to look at verse 5. But I want to look at it in the context of the entire message of Jesus, as well as what I believe is His overall intention in the sermon. Remember, He is speaking to Jewish leaders and common Jews, and is not seeking to bring in a new religion, but rather to restore things to what they should have been from the very beginning.

Matthew 5:5

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

It is a matter of disposition. He is saying that the blessed are the meek, the humble. Not only does this go along with so much of what He taught, it also goes against the prevailing religious culture.

Example 1: The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14) In this parable we have the leader and I note several issues. Both go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stands by himself. Why? Because he was too good to stand with sinners or even common people. Not only is he concerned with his desire to stay "clean,", but he thought of himself as better than those type of people, and he confirms this with his words. He prayer is to thank God for his status, and to thank God the he was not made like other men, even like this tax collector. He then lists his accomplishments, fasting and tithing. The tax collector also stands by himself, but not because of his ego or pride or status. It is because of his shame. He does not see himself as better than others, but rather as a sinner and it brings shame to him. It states that he would not even "lift up his eyes to heaven." Makes me believe that the Pharisee did just that, almost as if he could look God square in the eye, and not feel any remorse for himself or feel the true holiness of God. The tax collector, however, even beat his breast, and rather than site accomplishments, he pleads for mercy. Which prayer was answered? Not the Pharisee's, for he did not even ask for anything, he just lifted himself up in the presence of God. It was the tax collector who "went down to his house justified," according to Jesus. Not justified by what he had done, but justified by God because of his repentant attitude. 

Example 2: In the parable of the Wedding Feast (Luke 14:7-11), Jesus talks about the attendees, and how they would come and sit, choosing the seats that we reserved for the honored guests. Imagine the embarrassment of being asked to leave your seat because that seat was actually reserved for someone of greater importance. Jesus tells them to choose the lowest seat. Now imagine the joy when the master of the feast comes in, notices your choice, and brings you up in front of all to a place of honor. By choosing the lowest seat, you can only move up! This is a story about attitude, the mindset we have when approaching God and others. Are we willing to be a servant? Are we willing to put others first, so that when we stand before God, He might reward our attitude, not for the actions themselves, but for the humble heart that brought them about.

So many other examples that could be given. But wasn't Jesus whole life about exemplifying this principle? Philippians 2:5-8 "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Imagine intentionally leaving heaven to come to earth to be beaten, abused, and die on a cross for the sins of others. Mind blowing. This should be our mindset. Blessed are the meek.

I think this is a tough mindset. Sometimes, we can even get to a place where we become proud of our humility. We get to a place were we have surrendered so much that we think that now God owes us our reward. But the truly humble don't do it for the reward, they do it because like the tax collector, they recognize their sinful state and the true holiness of God. Equality with God is not something we can grasp, nor can we put God in a position where He owes us anything for any reason. Jesus knew this, and even though He Himself was perfect, He modeled it that we might believe it.

Edited 2/4/2022

Hosea 1:2,3

SCRIPTURE

When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

COMMENT

So basically, Hosea was TOLD to take a wife of unfaithfulness. Someone who maybe was a prostitute, or perhaps just a woman who Hosea know would not remain faithful. God immediately sets the reasoning, as this would be a parallel to what was going on in the rest of Israel. That is a tough thought, to wed to someone who was either already a prostitute, or even someone who was not but would not remain faithful, or both! 

God, however, is faithful. In spite of what Israel was doing, or what we do, God lives up to His promises. Not the promises we want to hear, but the ones that He actually makes. Israel was His chosen people. They did not deserve it. In fact, according to Scripture, God would have been justified in divorcing them, for they had been unfaithful. But God did not. He suffered through their unfaithfulness. I have a feeling that the picture we are about to see would make many an evangelical blush. How could God ask such a thing? But maybe what we need to really ask is, how could Israel do it? Or better yet, how could we?

Couldn't Have Said It Better! (Romans 3:21-31)

SCRIPTURE

Romans 3:21-31
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

COMMENTS

Job had it all, and in that life he worshiped God. Satan saw him, and challenged that he only worshiped God because of the fact that he had it all. In fact, Satan challenged that God had placed a hedge around Job, to protect him and perhaps in essence keep his praise and worship. God knew better, He knew Job's heart. So God allowed Satan to peal away Job's blessings, yet Job continued to praise God, although he also struggled with what was happening to him.

That is faith. And righteousness comes through faith. A child-like faith. I want to share something I ran across while reading some old blog posts from a while back.

My 9 year old son and I were driving to the county fair, listening to the radio. A man was on who had witnessed many atheists and those who had given up their faith. He said that in his experience, people who rejected God on a rational basis always had a painful past that led to this attitude. As he spoke, he mentioned one who had rejected God because his fiance had gotten ill, and even after much intense prayer, she died. I was not aware how intently my son was listening, but suddenly he burst out, "That's ridiculous! You shouldn't hate God just because your fiance dies! God can't do everything! Well, He can, but He does not have to. You shouldn't hate God just because you don't get what you want!"

 Faith like Job. Faith even when things don't go our way. Faith even when our prayers are not answered the way we wish. Our righteousness comes through faith, and we are justified by His grace as a gift. This displays God's righteousness. But do you see what works does in this example? It does not earn or lose salvation for the man who lost his fiance, it reveals that his faith didn't really exist. It was evidence, in this case of a lack of faith.

What if his fiance had been healed? He perhaps would have gone on worshiping not God, but the gifts of God. Maybe until some later time when another intense prayer was not answered. Maybe a parent or sibling dying of cancer? God is not righteous because He gives us everything we want. He is proved righteous because He offers salvation based not upon our works, but upon what Jesus did on our behalf. We are not justified by works, but by faith. Not a one time confession or even a one time ritual, but by a life-changing belief that God, through His Son, has given us what we could never have attained through any other means.

Gospel (Galatians 3:1-6)

SCRIPTURE

Galatians 3:1-6
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

LANGUAGE

Vs 1  Foolish - not understanding, unwise, foolish
Vs 1  bewitched - to charm, to bewitch

COMMENT

So it appears that at least some (many?) of the Galatians just did not understand the gospel. I think this is true in the church today as well. We think we know it all. We think we have to do certain good things (while totally ignoring other things) to be saved. But this is not the gospel that was preached to them by Paul! Not only Paul, but many had seen the gospel lived out in the crucifixion of Jesus. And then there is the gift of the Spirit. They received the Holy Spirit, not by following a set of laws, but they received Him through faith. Did they think that would change over time? Here is this wonderful gift of faith, which you get to keep if you obey? No! Here is this wonderful gift of faith, and as you grow in it, you will grow in your obedience. It's called sanctification, and it comes through growing in faith and not through obedience.They had witnessed miracles. Did they think those miracles came because of their obedience? That quote about Abraham, it comes from the Old Testament. (Gen 15:6) It was Abraham's faith that earned his righteousness.

Yet this is what we want to believe, that somehow me and my obedience play a part in the process. I sometimes wonder way we think this way. I think it is just part of our human nature to think that we have to be a part of the process. It is why prosperity preachers are so popular. They even couch their version of works based Christianity into a version that turns faith into a work. "If you are not getting what you want from God, it is because you do not have enough faith!" As if mustard seed faith was not enough. As if we could believe, but not believe good enough. As if a woman could be a little bit pregnant.

This goes to be thoughts on repentance. We are told to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus. No. The repenting is to turn to Jesus, the sins then go away because we love Him and want to please Him. If we are going to say it at all, it should be that we turn (repent) to Jesus, then turn away from our sins. We turn not out of effort, but because they no longer appeal to us.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

It's NOT About You, Really! (Matthew 25:1-13)

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 25:1-13
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

COMMENT

So very much like the last post from Matthew 23. Kind of like a part two, which I talked about at the end of the post. In chapter 23, Jesus is addressing the leadership. In this section, He is addressing the hearers with a definite message: DO NOT BE LIKE THEM!

We feel the need to worship, but sometimes the focus of that worship is misplaced, and we worship the messenger rather than the sender of the message. Some preachers exploit this, and have become multi-millionaires in the process. They sometimes preach prosperity, and other times they preach pain and suffering. But the thing they do not preach is the cross of Christ, and without that, their preaching is in vain. (1 Cor 1:17, 1 Cor 15:14)

Repentance. That is where the servant's heart comes from. It is not enough just to be a servant, there must also be the servant's heart. That is why the cross must be preached, for it is the basis for our actions. We offer our lives as living sacrifices in view of God's great mercy toward us. (Romans 12:1-2) DO NOT BE LIKE THEM, those who would ignore, or even worse, abuse the cross of Christ by making it about us and what we do or need. I think one of the teachings of Christ that we tend to not want to think about is the idea that the road to heaven is a narrow one. Many have chosen a path, but it is not the right or righteous path. My belief is that those on the wide path are not just those who don't want any part with God, but also those who seek to go to heaven, but are not taking the correct path to get there. Do we really believe that the path to God is about us and our own righteous deeds? Is it really a "try harder, do better" mentality that will get us to our goal? How did that work for the Jewish leaders? Read the book of Philippians, look at all that Paul was, and how he learned that is was meaningless, like dung, and the only thing that mattered was Christ, and Him crucified.

Philippians 3:12 "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." Why does Paul press on? It is to earn salvation, or is it because of what Christ has already done? SO then, the life and deeds of Paul, his service, are not a means of achieving salvation, but rather a response to the salvation he has been granted. Praise God!

Practice What You Preach! (Matthew 23:1-12)

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 23:1-12
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

COMMENT

Problems with the scribes and Pharisees as leaders:

• They preach, but do not practice
• Not willing to bear the burdens they place on others
• Do deeds to be seen by others
• Love the attention their roles provide for them

This is not, in my opinion, a cry against the Prosperity Gospel preachers of that day or today. It is actually much worse. It is a cry against those who would misuse the teachings of the Bible to give them something they are lacking, without understanding the direct relationship such teachings have to themselves.

Preach, but do not practice: This is done by some who believe that God has called them to a superior role over others, while denying God's sovereignty over themselves. Preachers who tell others from the pulpit how to live (don't smoke, drink, watch porn, curse, etc.), but fail to live perfect lives themselves. When we make the Gospel about how to live right instead of why we love God, we shift the focus and lose the correct focus in the process. You might say, "But the Bible tells us many things we should and should not do." You would be correct, but those do's and don'ts are not an end themselves, but rather a result of showing us what it means to love and honor God. When we become a living sacrifice, we do so "in view of God's mercy." (Romans 12:1-2) So we do it because we have seen God and His mercy for us, and it draws us onto a love relationship, not an obligation to do good for the sake of salvation.

Not willing to bear the burdens they place on others: When you see yourself as God's chosen messenger, it is going to affect you. Jesus did not do this. Paul did not do this. They saw themselves as God's servant as well as the servant of those God sent them to minister to. I have dealt with pastors who did not have time to talk to me, told lies, stole from the churches funds, and worse. I once had a pastor say at the end of a weekend retreat, "I just realized that we did not spend any time in prayer this weekend, but it is okay, because we are doing God's work." Really? Is that the same message he would preach to the congregation if he were speaking on prayer? Or do different burdens go to the people in the pews?

Do deeds to be seen by others, Love the attention their roles provide for them: Some give preachers a place of reverence, just because of the title. In some faiths, they go so far as to call them "Reverend," Pastor," or "Father." They sometimes wear clothes or other additions to their wardrobe to indicate their status. And for some, that is where it ends. They talk a good talk, they preach morality, but as far as knowing Jesus, I have to have a question mark. But they do love the praise. I think of a story I read in one of Mark Batterson's books. As I recall, his father had taken him to a Super Bowl game, and he wanted to take his son. So he got on Twitter and asked if there was someone who had tickets he could obtain. God heard. He not only got tickets, but all he had to do for them was preach at a church. Not sure of all the details and not interested in rereading the book, but it just stuck me then as it does now, that this is a misuse of his place and privilege as a minister. Your thoughts?

Bear in mind, this is not just a warning against those in leadership. Anyone who pursues the things God offers over God Himself needs to repent. I will just end with with verses 11 and 12: The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

What Do I Lack? (Matthew 19:16-22)

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 19:16-22
And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

LANGUAGE

Vs 16  good deed - ἀγαθός agathos; a primary word; “good” (in any sense, often as noun): — benefit, good(-s, things), well. Good, good thing, that which is good, the thing which is good, well, benefit, of good constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy; excellent, distinguished; upright, honourable

COMMENT

First, a comment about something I read in a commentary once. What if this unidentified young man in the story was someday to become the apostle Paul?  It does make for an interesting thought while trying to understand this story.

So many interesting details are embedded in this story, but I want to focus on what I see as the main idea. I see the main idea as Jesus teaching true repentance. I see that idea in a lot of what Jesus teaches, starting with the Sermon on the Mount. What we seem to have here is a young man who is "perfect" in his observance of the law, and yet perhaps sees that that still might not be enough to secure his place in heaven for eternity. He is correct, but Jesus, knowing his understanding of religion, needs to guide him to a different way of thinking. The question the man asks is, "What good thing must I do to have eternal life?" I presume his thinking is that their is some tangible act that he can perform that will tip the scales of balance assuredly in his favor. Wouldn't we all want that? But rather than give him a direct answer, Jesus focuses on the phrase, "good deed." Another way to think about this, and perhaps with better understanding of what the man was truly asking is, "What distinguished act can I perform that will set me apart in the eyes of God (and therefore others as well) that will assure my salvation?" Jesus needs to address this idea of "good." Since even our righteous acts are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), Jesus makes it clear that only God is good in this sense. Then He goes on to say, "If you would enter life, keep the commandments."

What? Jesus advice here is to follow the law, to do the very thing this young man already believes? Understand, that Jesus is still trying to convince this man that this path is still a vain one. The man responds, asking Jesus, "Which ones?" Seems as though the young man understands the difficulty, if not the impossibility of keeping them all, so in effect he seems to be saying, "Which ones do I really have to keep, because no one could keep them all." So Jesus plays along, and gives him so to follow. Great, the man must be thinking, I am good here and have kept all these. But surely there is still something missing, so he asks his final question, "What do I still lack?" The answer Jesus gives is mind-blowing, not just for this man, but for about everyone who has heard it since. "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." What? Everything? That's too much, I can't... and he walks away in sorrow, because he had a lot of possessions.

Where was Jesus leading this man? I believe that He was leading him to an understanding that the law was not enough. That no matter what this man did, he would not appear perfect before God. But since this is also recorded in Scripture, what is He saying to us? Must I sell the house and car, take out the retirement plans and distribute them to the poor? I have heard some say, "Well, you just have to be willing to do that." Really? And I suppose I just have to be willing to pick up my cross and carry it? I think that line of reasoning just seeks to do the very thing the young man in the story is trying to do, justify our behavior, justify a lack of true perfection and obedience.

The truth of the matter is that no one can meet this level of perfection. I believe this is the truth that Jesus is trying to convey here. Notice Jesus does not just say give it all away, He also says "come, follow me." That is where the needs get met. That is where perfection is given. That is what I believe is the true main idea of this story, repentance. Not just the turning away from sin, but the turning to Jesus. You can't give away everything and live. For is you follow that logic to the extreme, you could not ever eat or even drink again. For if someone gave you some food or drink, you would be obligated to give that to someone else before meeting your own needs. But in repentance, we turn from what we have and depend on Jesus to provide. Maybe then we sell that house, or at least downsize so that others may be taken care of too. Or we trade for a cheaper car, or eat Ramen noodles instead of caviar and lobster. We take on a mind that is transformed, and it is no longer about us, it is about Jesus. In other words, we repent.

Giving - Matthew 6:1-3

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 6:1-3

LANGUAGE

Vs 1 practicing - among other thoughts, lay in wait, do.
Vs 1 righteousness - equity of character
Vs 1 reward - pay for services, wages
Vs 2 give - same word as practicing (Vs 1)
Vs 2 hypocrites - actor under an assumed character

COMMENT

It is not the action, but the intent that drives the reward. When we see someone as being generous, we tend to think of them as a good person. However, that may be their intent, and if so, are they really good? Or are they using someone's unfortunate circumstance and their own fortunate circumstance to elevate people's opinions of them? Marching down the street, throwing money to the crowd. Everyone applauds and praises the individual. But that is where the reward ends. A blind man sits on the street. A man conspicuously pulls out his wallet and drops in several bills of various denominations. The crowd smiles and nods to the man. But that is where the reward ends.

Christians are to give with a cheerful heart. If your giving is not recognized and applauded, and you are disappointed, my guess is your reward ends there.

I find the phrase in verse 1 interesting, "practicing you righteousness." If your righteousness has to be practiced, perhaps it is not righteousness at all. If you see someone in need, and your response is to think of how your reaction will reflect on you rather than on how it will help the one in need, perhaps it is too late. I again turn to the idea of living a repentant life rather than seeing repentance as a action we do at a point in time to achieve salvation. When we see a need, do we feel compassion? Do we feel the compassion that Jesus had for us when He gave us salvation? If that is not what drives our response, then I question the motive.

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) tells us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices in view of God's mercy. In other words, seeing how merciful God is in what He has done through Christ, our only acceptable reaction would be to serve and worship Him.

I find it interesting that the word practicing and the word give are the same words. I like the idea of laying in wait. One lays in wait to glorify self, while the other lays in wait, or looks for opportunities to glorify God. The one who glories self is the actor, playing the part of the righteous or religious person. The other is the real deal.

Other related stories: Pharisee and Publican, Good Samaritan

How Do I Respond? - Matthew 1:19

The Gospel

Today I start a series going through the gospel of Matthew. Not a verse by verse study, but rather just sharing some insights as I go along...

Scripture

I want to start with Matthew 1:19.

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. (Matthew 1:19 ESV)

The Background

This is in the story to the events leading to Jesus' birth. Mary had become with child via the Holy Spirit. Mary was also engaged to Joseph. According to Jewish law, a woman who became pregnant with another man's child should be stoned. Joseph did not want this to happen. So rather than have her stoned or put to shame, rather than follow the law, Joseph decided to divorce her quietly. That's right, even though they were not even married yet, Joseph would need to divorce her to break the engagement. And for breaking the law, Joseph is called a "just" man.

Definition

Just. I looked up that word in my handy Bible App, which goes into the Greek meanings for that word, handy for those of use who do not speak Greek, and it says, "Equitable; by implication innocent, holy.

My Thoughts

Joseph was found to be innocent for breaking the law. He could have taken another route. Many, in their self righteous zeal to protect God would have done similar. Consider the anger expressed when someone divorces, drink alcohol, swears, {insert sin here}. The Christian community must arise and shame them into belief! Isn't that what Jesus would do?

Jesus stopped a mob from stoning a woman caught in adultery. Jesus let the Rich Young Ruler walk away. Jesus forgave Peter after he openly rejected him 3 times. Was Jesus wrong in doing this? Of course not. Jesus was without sin. Maybe it is time we try doing likewise. Not condoning sin. Jesus did not condone sin with his actions. He did not look the other way. And there were times he did take another course. He turned over the tables of those profiting in the temple.

Difficult. How do I react to a given situation? I think the first answer is who we are. I believe Joseph did what he did because he was a righteous man. It was not his action that justified him. Jesus did what He did because He was righteous. Not self righteous, but the righteousness that is based on loving and knowing God. God does not need our protection, but desires our love and compassion.