Matthew 7:1-6 Judging Others

¹ “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

My, doesn’t Jesus identify our Achilles Heel!

“Hypocrite” is the reputation we all try to avoid. It’s no worse than many other flaws, but there is just something so embarrassing about being caught violating a tenet that we have used as a guiding principle in our lives. It makes us feel…childish.

After enough pain we suspect, intuitively, what Jesus asserts…social judgment comes as a result of our judging others… ”what goes around comes around”. Eventually we learn to keep our mouths shut…the worst possible reaction.

 But judgment is the nature of fallen man…it’s difficult to avoid. It’s why Jesus says “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces”. He knows there are folks out there whose greatest priority is to denigrate the Gospel and demean the Gospel-teller.

Is Jesus suggesting we refrain from evangelizing certain lost people…when His very words in Matthew 28 say “go and make disciples”? I think the message is one of a different kind of judgment…called discernment. Zeal without discernment can be destructive. Its bad judgment and we invariably end up as hypocrites.

On the other hand, we can use good judgment and simply live faithfully. St Francis of Assisi said "Preach the gospel at all times -- If necessary, use words." Our lives, not our lips, should be preaching every day. How do we do this? 1 Peter 3:15 says “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”. When Christ is set apart in our hearts we will have the discernment to know who is receptive and who isn’t. We will act with gentleness and respect, and that is the standard that will be used to judge us in return.

So this is what I think. I think we should live our faith indiscriminately while we proclaim our faith with great discernment.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 6:25-34 Do Not Worry

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?

   ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

It’s easy to say life is more than food and clothing…until we have no food or clothing. Apparently Jesus has not seen my cupboard..

Oh, right…Jesus did his time in the desert.

And, He does have some good advice. First, all the worry in the world will not add a morsel of food or a stitch of clothing. You see, worry is not work…it’s just energy. Energy is expended all the time with little measurable result. It’s slothful and wasteful. Why would we choose to be like that?

Second, God has already demonstrated He is a dedicated follower of fashion. Look at nature around is. It is clothed in beauty and nourished appropriately. It’s what God does. It’s in His nature. Why on earth would we not be included in the grand array of beautifully outfitted creations?

Unless we’re worried that our outfit doesn’t look quite as nice as our neighbors’

We only get into trouble when we start making comparisons. So, Jesus offers some sound advice: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 6:1-8 Rewards

Giving…

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven”.  

Prayer…

“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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full”.

Fasting…

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full”.

This seems like a natural sequence to chapter 5. There we are told to find a proper balance between our actions and our attitudes.

Here we are told living a life of faith is about how God evaluates us, not how others evaluate us. It’s all about rewards, but the real question is this: From whom do we want to be rewarded? God…or man?

I know God’s opinion…“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.

It’s our choice, but we can’t have it both ways. Why? Jesus tells us “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. If we strive for earthly recognition our striving will be at the expense of God’s blessings.

This seems simple, but it’s human nature to want to take credit for our good deeds. Usually we try to do it in some subtle manner that makes us sound humble. Look up Uriah Heep (not the band)…

So, why would God care? This only seems to complicate life if we have to constantly evaluate our motives. I actually believe it’s just the opposite. God wants us to quit worrying about who gets credit for what. God’s advice would be simple…don’t think about it.

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

I’d say serving God with maturity ought to be spontaneous. We ought to do it because our heart compels us…and we can’t help it. We don’t have to worry if credit accrues to us because we don’t need any credits on our account. God has already deposited all the credits we need.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

¹ Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

 ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

So...we begin the Sermon on the Mount...a lot to think about.

The first thing that leaps out at me is the comparison of the beatitudes with Psalm 1.

Blessed is the one  who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take  or sit in the company of mockers,  but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,  and who meditates on his law day and night.

And...how does one become "blessed" under the Old Covenant? By doing the right things.

Now,  look at the beatitudes (states of "blissfulness")...

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 children 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.

What a remarkable contrast. Blessing under the New Covenant are offered to the person whose heart is properly set...who has the right attitude. All the distinctions between old and New Testament can be distilled down to these to passages. In the one its actions...in the other its attitude.

We’d like to think this gets us off the hook when it comes to being so picky about our actions. As long as we have a good heart, we should be OK. Right?  Well, Jesus makes it clear this isn’t multiple choice (one or the other) but it’s “both and”. In fact…the words of Jesus are pretty demanding.

Salt of the earth: If the salt loses its saltiness, it is no longer good for anything.

Light of the world: Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven

The Fulfillment of the Law:  Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Murders: Anyone who is angry with a brother or sister^] will be subject to judgment.

Adultery: Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Divorce: Anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths: All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Eye For an Eye: Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek

Love your enemies: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

I once heard somebody say “action without attitude is legalism and attitude without action is immaturity”. It’s probably a pretty good way to boil down the words of Jesus. It means I have to look at the demand of the Old Covenant and ask myself what those actions look like in the context of a transformed mind.

One think I know for sure…doing the right things with the right attitude isn’t as easy as it looks. I doubt it looks like legalism and I doubt it appears immature either.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 4:1-11 The temptation of Jesus

Matthew 4 - The Temptation of Jesus 

¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. ² For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.  ³ During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”   ⁴ But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, people do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 ⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, ⁶ and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, "He will order his angels to protect you.And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”  ⁷ Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”


 ⁸ Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”  ¹⁰ “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”  ¹¹ Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Temptation is a desire or craving for something…

It’s natural (not good or bad) until one of two things happens: Either the object of the craving is not in accord with God’s desire or the process constructed to achieve that object is not Godly.  Scripture tells us this is most likely to happen when our temptation (craving) is intended to satisfy our selfish physical lusts or our own vulnerable egos (1 John 2:16). In other words, is the craving intended to satisfy God or us?

Patrick McCormick, in his book Sin as Addiction, helps us understand the pernicious nature of temptation by pointing out how it consumes our attention, our energy and our ideology. If we don’t respond to it properly, we become addicted to the quest and lose control of our lives.

The thing that makes temptation so destructive is when we actually have the ability to satisfy the craving. If we couldn’t do it we wouldn’t be in such peril. What is so phenomenal about Jesus, in human terms, is that he was able to overcome temptation…when achieving it was well within His power. How?

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Jesus could have done everything Satan commanded, but…why?

Instead, Each of His responses point back to God’s Word. He wasn’t focused on His own physical hunger but on His spiritual hunger. He wasn’t focused on His need to be recognized as God but on His desire to “be Godly”. He wasn’t focused on accruing authority to Himself but on deferring authority to God.

And the devil gave up…

I wish I had a craving to hear God speak. I wish I had a craving to be more Godly. I wish I was tempted to disappear into the glorious consuming presence of God so all that was evident in my life was Him. By God’s Spirit, all of this is within my ability. I wonder if these desires can become as addictive as worldly wickedness.

I’m interested in all that. Am I tempted?

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 3:7-12 the Axe of God's judgement

Matthew 3 - John the Baptist Prepares the Way

 ¹ In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, ² “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.^[c]” ³ The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
   “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
   ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
      Clear the road for him!’”
 ⁴ John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁵ People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. ⁶ And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

 ⁷ But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? ⁸ Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. ⁹ Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. ¹⁰ Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
 ¹¹ “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹² He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

 ¹³ Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”
 ¹⁵ But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.
 ¹⁶ After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

Trees, in scripture, evoke powerful symbolism. In some cases, like the Tree of Life or the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they are used as metaphors that are foundational to our faith. 

The first tree mentioned by name in the Bible is the fig (Gen 3:7).  It is ripe with symbolism.  After they have sinned, Adam and Eve used fig leaves to try to hide their sinfulness from the eyes of a searching God (Gen 3:6-13). Jesus came to a fig tree, desiring fruit, but found only leaves.  He cursed the tree, and it fried up from the roots (Mark 11:12-14, 20).  http://relijournal.com/christianity/symbolisms-of-significant-trees-in-the-bible/

Zacchaeus climbed into a sycamore tree (a type of fig tree) to see Jesus as he passed that way (Luke 19:1-10). It is not unusual for a sycamore tree to reach a height of fifty feet.

The cedar tree was chosen for the temple of God in Jerusalem (I Kings 6:9-20) because of its magnificent qualities. “The wood is not attacked by insect pests; it is free from knots.  It has remarkable lasting qualities.” The cedar forests in Lebanon were famous, and the people traveled great distances just to see them.  These trees grew to heights of 120 feet and girths of 40 feet.  Their life span was often over two thousand years.  The cedars of Lebanon are now very rare; their glory has passed. The cedar tree was used to build not only the temple of the Lord but also Solomon’s house and other public edifices in Jerusalem. 
Another tree of importance, especially in the land of Israel, was the olive.  The tree became the Biblical symbol for the nation of Israel (Rom. 11:15-25).  Its berries continue to be leading articles of Israeli commerce.  This tree has been called an emblem of peace, prosperity, and wealth (Ps. 128).  When the olive crop fails, it is considered to be a sign of divine wrath (Jer. 11:16-23). Olive oil was also used in the tabernacle for light and ceremonial anointing by the priests of God (Exod. 30: 24- 25; Lev. 24:2-4).  It even plays a role in the book of Genesis.  When the dove returned with an olive leaf in its mouth, Noah knew the waters had receded from the earth.

So, when John the Baptist makes mentions of trees we ought to pay attention. The 3rd chapter of Matthew introduces John...and his prophetic ministry of preparing Israel for the coming Messiah. I seems, based on John's message, that the preparation needed was to help people understand the Messiah was not interested in human righteousness...a popular notion among the elite...but was more interested in a contrite and repentant heart. “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God."

But the religious leaders didn't get it. They were smug in their self-sufficiency. They believed they had done everything possible to be in relationship with God. Some were able to claim they hadn't sinned since their Bar-mitzvah. Plus...they claimed a lineage all the way back to Abraham. They were sure that had to mean something. John had a caution for them.  Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. ¹⁰ Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

It's very possible these trees represent the edifice people erect to lay claim to righteousness. The rituals, the rites, the habits...all constructed to demonstrate worth before God. So we select the timbers and...one by one...erect a monument God couldn't ignore: (Exodus 20)
1 Do not have any other gods before me.
2 You shall not make for yourself an idol.
3 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God.
4 Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
5 Honor your father and your mother.
6 You shall not kill/murder.
7 You shall not commit adultery.
8 You shall not steal.
9 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10 You shall not covet.

And...with careful attention to detail...we stand proudly before God and say "Look what I've done for you!" How could God ignore such righteousness?

But, what do we do when we find ourselves in a lie? The axe of God just felled the ninth tree of our magnificent structure. Then we find ourselves cursing at our neighbor and God's axe just felled the third tree. And on it goes. How many trees must fall before the monument crumbles? Just one.

Then what do we have to show the Lord? We find ourselves facing God's righteous judgment with no protection. Or, we could humble our hearts...repent of our sin and trust Christ's righteousness rather than our own. Christ is the "sure foundation." His righteousness will never crumble. Stand in him.

Live boldly out there today...

Matthew 2:1-12 Visitors from the East

Visitors from the East

   Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ² “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
 ³ King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. ⁴ He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
 ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
 ⁶ ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
      are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
   for a ruler will come from you
      who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”
 ⁷ Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. ⁸ Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
 ⁹ After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! ¹¹ They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
 ¹² When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Herod asked "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?"

He claimed that he wanted to "go and worship him" but...we know the truth. Questions...on the surface...usually seem to be sincere quests for information. It reminds me that questions and answers are not always what they seem.

Especially for Herod..."Herodic" questions are questions intended to mask our true intentions.

We all do it. I look in the pot on the oven and ask Mali "is that pasta?" (no...it's meatloaf!) So, my question actually is a statement. And, what the statement may be is the real point. I just had pasta for lunch and am disappointed.

I was having a discussion with my son Erik awhile back. After I said something brillliant he said "really? You didn't just say that, did you?" Well, of course I had...and he knew it. So his question was really a statement of disbelief that his dad could be so...whatever.

The wise men...with the help of the Holy Spirit...saw through Herod and left him to find his own answer. How many times have we inquired of God...and not gotten an answer? Rather than be disappointed with God, maybe we should take a look at our question. Is it sincere? authentic? Or is it simply a sly way of telling God something? There is nothing wrong with genuine doubt. There is something very unseemly about believers asking "Herodic" questions of God. They are disengenuous and rarely lead to answers.

Live boldly out there today...