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Matthew 5-6 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 5:1-6:34.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the  pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10).

Blessed are the poor in spirit; not blessed are the self-reliant.

Blessed are those who mourn; not blessed are the comfortable.

Blessed are the meek; not blessed are those who demand their rights.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; not blessed are those who hunger and thirst for fame, money, power, privilege, or even mercy and grace.

Blessed are those who are merciful; not blessed are those who demand justice.

Blessed are those who are pure in heart; not blessed are those who want enough Jesus to get to heaven but not enough to really be different from the world.

Blessed are the peacemakers; not blessed are the grudge holders.

Blessed are those who are persecuted; not blessed are those who are only loved or simply ignored.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is Galatians 1:1-2:21.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

I think I get it now. I’ve not allowed this verse to have its full impact in my life. I was baptized, crucified with Christ (cf Romans 6:1-6). Since then I’ve been telling Christ, “Watch this, see how I can live my life for You.” I was certainly sincere in this. I have wanted to serve Christ. I’ve been doing my best. But wasn’t that the problem that led me to Christ in the first place? My best only put me right back into sin (cf Romans 7:14-24). Why would it do any different now?

Paul doesn’t say to tell Jesus, “I’ll do my best to live for You.” Rather, Jesus is saying, “Quit trying to live. I’ll live my best for you.” I need to quit trying to live my life and simply start letting Jesus live through me. What does He want? Do that. Of course, that is going to take faith. Jesus won’t treat me like a puppet. It’s my choice to let Him live through me by my faith. But I have to make a conscious decision to quit trying to live my life, even if I’m trying to live it for Him. Instead, I need to let Him live my life through me. I need to surrender myself to Him, His will, His goals, His life.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 5:1-6:15.

“God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31).

I’ve always known Jesus is my Savior. I always recognize that point. If I’m going to be forgiven of my sin, I need a Savior. I need Jesus.

However, I often lose sight of the other side of this. I don’t just need a Savior. I need a leader. Even if I’m going to repent and be forgiven, I need a leader. I need someone to guide me, direct me, lead me. I need someone in whose hands I can place my life who will tell me what to do and how to live. I need someone who will show me the path to follow.

That someone is Jesus. He is not only my Savior; He is my leader. Today, I don’t want to simply rest in His ability to save and forgive. I want to follow His lead.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 27:1-28:31.

When Paul met with the Jews in Rome, they said, “We desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against” (Acts 28:22). 

I have a tendency to think if someone speaks against what I’m doing, that I must be doing something wrong. I start trying to look around and figure out how to conduct myself so that no one can possibly say anything against me. But Paul’s story reminds me that is impossible. If I’m following God’s way, someone won’t like me. That is amazing to me because when I’m following God’s way I’m humble, serving, merciful, helpful, loving, etc. However, I have to come to grips with the fact that not everyone is going to like Jesus’ way for one reason or another.

I’m amazed at how many websites are set up to blast away at Christians and churches. I’m equally amazed that the authors of those sites actually seem to believe they are making a difference in the world. My first thought is to jump in and try to defend or explain so folks will understand and still like me and my fellow Christians. However, I’ve learned that is practically pointless. Those who are open to Jesus Christ are not influenced heavily by the attacks. Those who are not open to Jesus Christ are not influenced by my defenses. The fact is, no matter what I do, someone won’t like me. No matter what we do, someone won’t like us. 

We’ll never get everyone to like us, we might as well just try to get closer to God anyway.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

I clearly recognize that following a different gospel leaves someone accursed (Galatians 1:9-10). I also recognize that not abiding in the doctrine of Christ means we will have neither the Father or the Son (II John 9). Thus, getting the gospel and doctrine of Christ right is important and necessary to our salvation. 

However, I can’t help but notice when Jesus very specifically talked about the sheep and the goats and who will be allowed into heaven and who will be cast into hell in Matthew 25:31-46, He didn’t talk about those who got the gospel and doctrine of Christ right. He talked about those who did good deeds for others. He talked about those who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked, visited those sick and in prison. Now, I recognize this is not talking about just general welfare. This is talking about love among brethren. 

We need to recognize however that it is not enough to know and teach the right gospel and doctrine. The gospel and doctrine of Christ must impact our lives such that we humbly submit to others around us and do good for them. If we close our benevolent hand to others around us, we are closing it to Jesus. In that case, we may be the soundest teachers in the whole world. We may debate with excellence and shut the mouths of all false teachers and yet we will still be cast into hell. 

If you want to go to heaven, take some time to get out of your study and off the debate podium and do some good works for those around you.

Interestingly, I hear all kinds of accusations about the Pharisees. Today, evangelicals and ecumenicalists are free with pointing the finger at all those awful, rotten Pharisees out there. Of course, the Pharisee accusation usually means LEGALIST. I find that interesting when we read Matthew 23. This is the most in depth rebuke of the Pharisees and yet not once does Jesus rebuke them for being legalists. Notice instead what he does actually rebuke them for.

1. Not practicing what they preach.

In Matthew 23:3-4, Jesus said the folks should do what the Pharisees taught. But not do what they did because they didn’t practice what they preached. Further, they would lay all kinds of burdens on the shoulders of other people but wouldn’t lift the finger to lift these burdens themselves. Now don’t read into this. Jesus didn’t rebuke them for laying heavy burdens on anyone. He rebuked them for not lifting the heavy burdens themselves.

2. They were self-seeking.

According to Matthew 23:5-15, Jesus says the Pharisees weren’t doing what they did out of humble service to God so that He might be glorified. They were doing things so others might see them and praise them for being so spiritual. Again, Jesus didn’t rebuke them for being legalistic about what they taught or practiced but for their motivation behind what they did and taught. This self-seeking led to some pretty awful results. First, their self-seeking caused them to lead a double life. On the one hand, they were taking advantage of widows. On the other, they were making long prayers for a pretense. The second negative consequence was their self-seeking caused them to make followers of themselves instead of followers of God. Thus, when they found a proselyte, the person did not get in a right relationship with God but became twice the child of hell as the Pharisees.

3. They were dishonest.

Perhaps Matthew 23:16-22 is where some folks find legalism. Certainly, they are drawing a bunch of lines on when to actually keep their word. But Jesus is not rebuking them for their lines. He is rebuking them for their dishonesty. He wants them to simply tell the truth, not make up rules about when they have to tell the truth. Further, notice that this issue of line drawing is not about adding burdens of greater weight about telling the truth but about trying to figure out how to get out of the real height of honesty God demands. I find it interesting that so many want to ridicule the Pharisees for making serving God harder, when here they were trying to get out of what God had commanded.

4. Disobeying the weightier matters of the law.

In Matthew 23:23-24, Jesus rebuked them for attending to minor details while they disregarded the more important parts of the law. I find this one intriguing too because many like to use the figures of speech used in these verses to claim Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for legalism. This is odd since they are actually trying to avoid keeping the law here. We should notice something pointed in these verses. Jesus did not rebuke them for keeping minor details. In fact, he says they should have done that. Rather, He rebuked them because they did not keep the weightier matters. He did not rebuke them for straining the gnats. He rebuked them for swallowing the camels. But what was Jesus’ overall complaint for them? It was not that they were getting too legalistic with God’s law. It was that they were not legalistic enough. They weren’t keeping the Law well enough.

5. Hypocrisy

In Matthew 23:25-32, Jesus got down to the major rebuke against the Pharisees. I know we expect it to finally be legalism. But, it’s not. It’s hypocrisy. In actuality, we already saw this building in the other rebukes, but now Jesus just spells it out, repeatedly calling them hypocrites. They simply worked on the outside and not on the inside. This doesn’t mean the outside doesn’t matter. Rather, Jesus explains if we get the heart right, then the outside will follow. The Pharisees, however, since they were self-seeking were only focused on whatever would make them look good, not would actually let them be good. Sadly, this hypocrisy led to one major consequence. When real men of God came in their midst, they persecuted and even killed them.

As Jesus ended this discussion, He pointed out the Pharisees would be judged. But He never mentioned legalism. In fact, I’m actually still waiting for a rebuke in the entire New Testament where the Pharisees were actually condemned or rebuked because they were legalists. Seems to me that is merely a modern statement because so many people today want to get away from being held accountable by a real system of law. They seemingly want to make Christianity a kind of free for all that says we are all allowed to do whatever we want in the name of Jesus and no one has the right to draw any lines. After all, look at how Jesus rebuked those pesky Pharisees for their legalism. Yet, I keep trying to find the passage where Jesus actually rebuked them for that. 

Can you find it? If you do, let me know. Until then…

Keep reading and keep the faith,

ELC

Well, this morning I’m being convicted. Perhaps it’s just because I’ve been reviewing my work this week that this passage slapped me down. Or maybe it did so simply because it applies. Paul wrote in II Thessalonians 3:11-12:

“For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living” (ESV).

Most of the time I consider myself a very busy person. I pride myself on working a lot. But reading this passage has struck me how much of my time is not really being busy at work but being a busybody. No, its not the normal busybody like the young widow of I Timothy 5:13, who is an idler and a talebearer going from house to house getting in everyone’s business. No, my busybodying often seems noble. Instead of going from house to house to butt my nose into everyone’s business, I scour website after website and blog after blog to snoop out any inkling of error to stick my nose in. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. I believe the man of God has to be able to defend the Word of God. I believe the man of God must be able to expose error where he finds it. This passage, however, has reminded me that when I spend several hours in a day arguing with people I don’t even know about some point of doctrinal disagreement but didn’t spend any time talking with the people I actually met face to face about Jesus or didn’t spend any time encouraging the brethren in the congregation with which I work, then I’m not really being a busyworker. I’m just being a busybody.

Gratefully, I have been doing better at this over the past few weeks. But, the passage still smacked me and reminded me of where my busyness needs to be.

What should your busyness be?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times you may abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”

II Corinthians 9:8-12 (ESV)

God has not blessed me so I can hoard what I have been given. Certainly, as Ecclesiastes taught, I am allowed to enjoy my blessings. But, I must remember that the main reason for which God has blessed me is so I may be a blessing to others. 

This is not the health and wealth gospel that performs good deeds selfishly only to receive more. No. This is the true gospel that points out God entrusts more to those with whom He can actually trust more. So often, we want and want and do not have because we only want for ourselves. We will be amazed how much God will bless us if we simply become channels for blessings to others. 

Of course, when I am not selfishly concerned about what I have and only about how I can help others, if God is not blessing me with something, I’m still content. The question is not how much I have, but how am I helping others.

I know this is tough to remember when every newspaper and television show is warning us that the sky is about to fall in financially. But this is God’s will for us no matter what our nation’s economy.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

According to II Peter 2:8, Lot “was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard” when he lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. I recognize a case can be made about Lot “pitching his tent toward Sodom.” I know he made some really bad decisions and we need to learn from those. But I can’t help but notice that at least the lawless deeds he witnessed tormented his soul.

Sometimes I fear for me and other Christians. So often I hear Christians laughing and reminiscing about movies they have seen that were filled with foul language, sexual immorality and even nudity. I certainly don’t know exactly when the line is crossed on movies and I’m not about to try to set up a list of those that are allowed and those that aren’t. 

This verse is simply a reminder to me that lawless deeds should torment my soul, not entertain me. I’m not exactly sure that I should spend much time berating Lot for pitching his tents toward Sodom if I’m pitching my $8 bucks to pay for entertainment that could have been filmed in Sodom.

I just have to remind myself of this again and again because I love movies. If I’m not careful, I catch myself getting more and more free with the ones I allow. I need to take a lesson from Lot on this one.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. At the risk of violating my own point above, I thought I would share this great little video from a preacher trying to comment on a similar point. I hope you enjoy it.