THREE MIRACLES
MATTHEW 8

All three kinds of miracles are portrayed in Matthew 8: healing, casting out demons, and nature miracles. Jesus healed a leper, a centurion's servant, and Peter's mother-in-law, cast out perhaps a legion of demons, and stilled the storm. By so doing He gave evidence He was the prophesied Messiah, who was expected to be recognized by his miracles.

First, He healed the leper, possibly a man with Hansen's or another skin disease. Leprosy deadened the nerves in the legs, so one did not feel wounds to the feet. Thus if someone stepped on a stone and cut their foot, it could easily get infected and not be tended to, since the foot felt no pain. This is the same neuropathy that some diabetics have today. The disease does not actually eat the flesh. It only hides the wound so it can become infected and turn into gangrene. The leper demonstrated faith by stating he knew Jesus could heal him if He chose. The Lord replied, “I do choose. Be clean.” And immediately the man was clean. Jesus told him to show himself to the priest to get a certificate of health so he could rejoin his family. (He had been banned from associating with others, so they wouldn't catch the leprosy.) Jesus also told the man not to tell others how he was healed. Apparently at that stage of the ministry, Jesus was not ready for knowledge that He was the Messiah to become widespread, perhaps because He knew when He did His time on earth would be limited.

The second healing was for the centurion's servant. A centurion commanded about 100 men, close to one of our Captains, who is a company commander. The Bible always speaks of these men with respect. Several in the gospels and Acts seem to become Christians. They were elite troops who had proven themselves. This man had compassion for a servant, who was quite ill. He may have been a civilian slave or one of his troops. When he presented the need to Jesus, the Lord offered to go with the man to heal his friend. But the centurion pointed out that was not necessary. He recognized Jesus had authority, and he understood authority. He got most things done by ordering someone else to do it. With the discipline of the Roman army, his commands were carried out immediately and without question. He pointed out that Jesus could do the same from where He stood. Jesus was surprised at how strong his faith was and commented on it. Remember this gospel was written with the Jews in mind but also for Gentiles (remember the wise men?). Jesus said this man had more faith than He had seen from the Jews. He then said the Kingdom would be open to all who came from anyplace, and those Jews who did not accept it would not enter.

Next, Jesus went to Simon Peter's house and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed sick. Notice in passing that this means Peter was married, even though we know nothing about his wife. Probably most of the disciples were married, as this was normal in that day. Boys and girls were married at puberty to mates selected by their parents. At about the same time the boys became apprentices to some trade or another. This healing was very simple. Scripture says Jesus merely touched her hand, and she felt well and proved it by going about her household duties. (Heard a rumor  that was why Peter denied he knew Jesus – he was still miffed that He healed his mother-in-law!)

JUDGE NOT

Here we go again! Another paradox!

Don't judge people...but by their fruits you will know them. Huh?

American society rebels today against the prophetic function of the church. How many times have you seen bumper stickers, t-shirts, even tattoos saying, “Only God can judge me.” A subtle irony here is that the one wearing that is judging the ones who judge him (or her). We do, in fact, as Christians need to make sure our focus is on the good news of the love of God poured out on the world through Jesus Christ. And that's what Jesus was talking about in verse 1.

Don't judge unless you want to be judged!

We've all known people who seem to live in hostile mode, picking out the faults of everyone. They very often say “I'm frank.” What they mean is they are rude. There is certainly a place for correcting people and calling sin what it is. But this should be done from the standpoint of one sinner to another, coming from a broken heart. The judgmental types call out people with anger and glee that they are superior. These are the people who plotted to have Jesus killed. How dare He offer forgiveness!

I once heard a preacher say that God has everything – except one thing. God doesn't have a cup! He uses YOUR cup. With the  cup you measure your judgment and mercy, so does He measure the same back to you. I like that.

Remember? God forgives us as we forgive others.
          God judges us as we judge others.
          What we sow, we reap!

ASK, SEEK, KNOCK – Three images, all pointing to persistence in prayer with the promise God will answer that prayer. One can imagine the commands as successively stronger or merely a different approach to the same thing. I have often walked up to a screen door and called for someone inside. If there's no answer, I will try rapping as hard as I can on that door or a surface near it. Finally, I have had to go around to the back yard to discover where people are. Jesus said prayer is like that. Keep at it and God WILL answer you!

He then compares God to an earthly father. We give our children good things. How much more then, will our heavenly Father give us good things. (In Luke it says He will give us the Holy Spirit – Himself!)

7:12 is the Golden Rule. It is a command to love! We often miss that He begins by saying “in everything.” The Rule is to be a constant way of life. It's close to a definition of Christian love. Treat people as you want to be treated. Resist the cute sayings of do to others before they do to you, and don't get over it, get even. You know what a default mode is? It's what  your computer is set to do automatically until you reset it. For example, the default on this word processor is to capitalize the first word of every sentence and any form of the word “I.” It will automatically do that, unless I change it for some reason. Christians should have their lives set to default on the Golden Rule all the time,  unless there is overwhelming reason to change it temporarily! Jesus says this sums  up to Bible! (The law and the prophets were the two sections of the Bible in His day.)

About those gates – Life can be tough, and Jesus doesn't make it easy. The narrow gate is not always the gate that is the most fun, nor the path of least resistance. But it leads to life! And only a FEW find it. We dodge that. We measure our churches by how many attend. Is it possible that a genuine revival would result is LESS people coming to church?  Jesus frankly says most people are on the road to destruction. That's a dose of reality we need. Remember when a secular paper some years ago got hold of figures from the Alabama Baptist Convention stating there were so many million lost people in their state? They went hysterical. We were judging. Not in this case. We were applying Jesus's statement that very few people seek genuine life, real life, by following His teachings.

Verse 21 can be scary: Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. Genuine Christianity is seen in the behavior of the person. While good behavior won't get you in the gate, a disciple will follow his Lord and will act like it. An amazing thing I have come to see is that people who encounter Jesus have a transformation you can see. Whatever their denomination, however they met Him, you can still tell they have been with the Master.

He concludes the sermon with a story that reminds me of the three pigs! In fact, I have told it as a children's story and explained how they compared. Surely no one would build on sand! No? Almost every year they have heavy rains in California and the tv shows houses sliding off muddy cliffs. And then they go right back and built on the same places again! And people who mess  up their lives do it over and over again. In fact, each of us has a few favorite habits or “besetting sins” that we fall victim to repeatedly. Do you overspend? Overeat? Are you habitually late? Do you snap at your family and maybe your co-workers? We catch ourselves doing it again and apologize to others and to God. But next time...

How solid is your foundation?

BUT I SAY TO YOU...

I plan to deal with this week's material in blocks, rather than verse by verse.

First: JESUS AND THE LAW

Jesus said, “Don't expect me to let you off keeping the law of Moses. That law expressed God's will. Instead I will challenge you to dive into the heart of the law and do a far better job keeping the will of God. The scribes and Pharisees, the religious legalists, the thought police, are always on your case. But they are not as good as they think they are, and if you want real life, you must live better than they do!” Matthew is no exception to the whole thrust of NT ethics, which are built on love. Martin Luther famously said, “Love, and do what you will.” His idea was that if you cared for people, you would always act in their best interest. The opposite of love is selfishness, acting first in my own interest. But Jesus kicked off this sermon with “blessed are the poor in spirit,” remember?

Jesus then said he came to fulfill the law. That could mean by His teaching or by His life. In the deepest sense, the Law was fulfilled, completed, at the cross and through the resurrection. His life fulfilled the law by living by it, in spite of the legalists trying to trap him when he failed to keep that law their way. He demonstrated what a life under God's law would look like.

He taught that law in its deepest meaning: the law of love. Note that the six examples following are just that – examples. They are not new laws for us to keep. Apparently humans have a legalistic streak in us, for historically dozens of commenters on these verses have wrestled with them as laws and tried to find ways to make them easier to keep. Relax. They are not new and tighter laws. They are illustrations of the law of love in action.

There are six “antitheses” (opposites, sort of): you have heard...but I say...” Each illustrates how the law of love looks in action. Studying the examples should start you on applying love in situations YOU face.

You have heard not to murder, but I say “cool it.” If you love someone, your anger will not hurt them, nor last more than a few seconds. Love will not insult another. One commenter said we could look on this passage as a parody of the Pharisaic approach to breaking apart laws. I like that, and it fits, but I'm not sure that was Jesus's intention. In this political season, the Christian conscience has got to be hurt as we hear people insulting one another. Do I want leaders who build support by tearing down others?

Loving your neighbor is so important it comes before worship! You can't worship God fully while holding a grudge against your neighbor – or knowing you have somehow hurt him. Before you worship, mend your fences.

A reminder – these are illustrations. Jesus did not mean for a man sacrificing in the temple who remembered he owed something to someone in Nazareth must leave Jerusalem, go to Nazareth and come back. But make sure it's taken care of before his next trip to Jerusalem. Likewise if someone in court demands your shirt, giving him your coat literally would leave you naked. He's giving dramatic examples. We should neither interpret them legalistically, but neither dilute them. Jesus's teaching was radical, and living it out must be radical as well.

Skipping down to stay with the anger issue, let's look at the radical idea of loving your enemies. If you think he's not serious, look at his examples. If someone slaps you on the right cheek (probably a backhanded insult), you absorb it and offer your opponent the other cheek. You don't do this to shame him, nor to take the high road, you turn the cheek because you are to care for him genuinely. “Don't get over it, get even” is NOT in any sense Christian.

A major issue in Christian ethics is personal versus social ethics. Jesus is teaching personal ethics here. Christians have debated how far his teachings go in social ethics – in the laws of the land and the behavior of nations. Thus some will translate the love your enemies and resisting not evil into pacifism. More common is the “just war” theory, which says to protect yourself if attacked, but one country should not attack another. In today's America there is tension between equally sincere Christians who feel the state should do more for the poor, and those who say we should only provide opportunity for everyone.

Lust – Israel of Jesus's day was closer to the Sharia law of today than America's attitude toward sex. But it was a male dominated society, and only women could commit adultery. (Remember they only brought the woman to Jesus in John 8?)

But Jesus said if you look at another man's wife and let your mind wander lasciviously, you have already committee adultery in your heart. This was more radical than we know. He is saying MEN can commit adultery and can do it with their minds. Most men, and many women have done that, a practice that increases the chance of acting on those thoughts the more they are entertained. But Jesus's point here is not legalistic. His point is that we are not to look at others as possible sources of gratifying our desires. If we are lusting, we are not thinking of the others' welfare, but of our own pleasure. A valid way of expressing it today is that we should not treat women (nor men!) as objects!

Jesus goes further. Someone may say I can't help myself. I see a gorgeous woman and the thoughts just come. So Jesus says if your eye offends you, gouge it out so you don't fall into sin and its consequences. Some mentally ill people wracked by conscience have literally put their eyes out. But people, neither your eyes nor your hands (he also mentions) cause you to sin. It's what your mind and your will do with what your eyes see and your hand can reach. Control your mind – or better yet – let God control your mind, and you will avoid sin. The larger point is don't make excuses. Do what you have to do, but avoid sin. “Flee temptation.”

Divorce – probably more than any other part of Jesus teaching, divorce has been seized on and interpreted by the church in legalistic extremes. Marriage in Jesus's day was much like today. I remember one young married lady, daughter of a deacon, who said to me, “I thought if this marriage ran into trouble, I'd just get divorced. You've made me reconsider.” My thought was if this woman had been raised in a Christian home and church and thought so lightly of marriage, was there any hope for the country? Remember marriage in his day -as it still is in most of the world – was arranged by parents. The kids' wishes might or might not be taken into account. A man could divorce his wife simply by writing her a statement of divorce and have it witnessed. Jesus was radically blaming men for their role in divorce. His teaching was devastating to a man who might have lusted after another and divorced his wife to marry the other woman.

Again, do not interpret this as a legalistic forbidding of all divorce. Nor does it mean that a remarried man or woman is “living in sin.” It does mean to live life, not focused on selfish living for oneself, but seeking the best for the other. It does mean that marriage should be “held in honor by all and entered into with reverence.”

BUT I SAY TO YOU...

I plan to deal with this week's material in blocks, rather than verse by verse.

First: JESUS AND THE LAW

Jesus said, “Don't expect me to let you off keeping the law of Moses. That law expressed God's will. Instead I will challenge you to dive into the heart of the law and do a far better job keeping the will of God. The scribes and Pharisees, the religious legalists, the thought police, are always on your case. But they are not as good as they think they are, and if you want real life, you must live better than they do!” Matthew is no exception to the whole thrust of NT ethics, which are built on love. Martin Luther famously said, “Love, and do what you will.” His idea was that if you cared for people, you would always act in their best interest. The opposite of love is selfishness, acting first in my own interest. But Jesus kicked off this sermon with “blessed are the poor in spirit,” remember?

Jesus then said he came to fulfill the law. That could mean by His teaching or by His life. In the deepest sense, the Law was fulfilled, completed, at the cross and through the resurrection. His life fulfilled the law by living by it, in spite of the legalists trying to trap him when he failed to keep that law their way. He demonstrated what a life under God's law would look like.

He taught that law in its deepest meaning: the law of love. Note that the six examples following are just that – examples. They are not new laws for us to keep. Apparently humans have a legalistic streak in us, for historically dozens of commenters on these verses have wrestled with them as laws and tried to find ways to make them easier to keep. Relax. They are not new and tighter laws. They are illustrations of the law of love in action.

There are six “antitheses” (opposites, sort of): you have heard...but I say...” Each illustrates how the law of love looks in action. Studying the examples should start you on applying love in situations YOU face.

You have heard not to murder, but I say “cool it.” If you love someone, your anger will not hurt them, nor last more than a few seconds. Love will not insult another. One commenter said we could look on this passage as a parody of the Pharisaic approach to breaking apart laws. I like that, and it fits, but I'm not sure that was Jesus's intention. In this political season, the Christian conscience has got to be hurt as we hear people insulting one another. Do I want leaders who build support by tearing down others?

Loving your neighbor is so important it comes before worship! You can't worship God fully while holding a grudge against your neighbor – or knowing you have somehow hurt him. Before you worship, mend your fences.

A reminder – these are illustrations. Jesus did not mean for a man sacrificing in the temple who remembered he owed something to someone in Nazareth must leave Jerusalem, go to Nazareth and come back. But make sure it's taken care of before his next trip to Jerusalem. Likewise if someone in court demands your shirt, giving him your coat literally would leave you naked. He's giving dramatic examples. We should neither interpret them legalistically, but neither dilute them. Jesus's teaching was radical, and living it out must be radical as well.

Skipping down to stay with the anger issue, let's look at the radical idea of loving your enemies. If you think he's not serious, look at his examples. If someone slaps you on the right cheek (probably a backhanded insult), you absorb it and offer your opponent the other cheek. You don't do this to shame him, nor to take the high road, you turn the cheek because you are to care for him genuinely. “Don't get over it, get even” is NOT in any sense Christian.

A major issue in Christian ethics is personal versus social ethics. Jesus is teaching personal ethics here. Christians have debated how far his teachings go in social ethics – in the laws of the land and the behavior of nations. Thus some will translate the love your enemies and resisting not evil into pacifism. More common is the “just war” theory, which says to protect yourself if attacked, but one country should not attack another. In today's America there is tension between equally sincere Christians who feel the state should do more for the poor, and those who say we should only provide opportunity for everyone.

Lust – Israel of Jesus's day was closer to the Sharia law of today than America's attitude toward sex. But it was a male dominated society, and only women could commit adultery. (Remember they only brought the woman to Jesus in John 8?)

But Jesus said if you look at another man's wife and let your mind wander lasciviously, you have already committee adultery in your heart. This was more radical than we know. He is saying MEN can commit adultery and can do it with their minds. Most men, and many women have done that, a practice that increases the chance of acting on those thoughts the more they are entertained. But Jesus's point here is not legalistic. His point is that we are not to look at others as possible sources of gratifying our desires. If we are lusting, we are not thinking of the others' welfare, but of our own pleasure. A valid way of expressing it today is that we should not treat women (nor men!) as objects!

Jesus goes further. Someone may say I can't help myself. I see a gorgeous woman and the thoughts just come. So Jesus says if your eye offends you, gouge it out so you don't fall into sin and its consequences. Some mentally ill people wracked by conscience have literally put their eyes out. But people, neither your eyes nor your hands (he also mentions) cause you to sin. It's what your mind and your will do with what your eyes see and your hand can reach. Control your mind – or better yet – let God control your mind, and you will avoid sin. The larger point is don't make excuses. Do what you have to do, but avoid sin. “Flee temptation.”

Divorce – probably more than any other part of Jesus teaching, divorce has been seized on and interpreted by the church in legalistic extremes. Marriage in Jesus's day was much like today. I remember one young married lady, daughter of a deacon, who said to me, “I thought if this marriage ran into trouble, I'd just get divorced. You've made me reconsider.” My thought was if this woman had been raised in a Christian home and church and thought so lightly of marriage, was there any hope for the country? Remember marriage in his day -as it still is in most of the world – was arranged by parents. The kids' wishes might or might not be taken into account. A man could divorce his wife simply by writing her a statement of divorce and have it witnessed. Jesus was radically blaming men for their role in divorce. His teaching was devastating to a man who might have lusted after another and divorced his wife to marry the other woman.

Again, do not interpret this as a legalistic forbidding of all divorce. Nor does it mean that a remarried man or woman is “living in sin.” It does mean to live life, not focused on selfish living for oneself, but seeking the best for the other. It does mean that marriage should be “held in honor by all and entered into with reverence.”

BUT I SAY TO YOU...

I plan to deal with this week's material in blocks, rather than verse by verse.

First: JESUS AND THE LAW

Jesus said, “Don't expect me to let you off keeping the law of Moses. That law expressed God's will. Instead I will challenge you to dive into the heart of the law and do a far better job keeping the will of God. The scribes and Pharisees, the religious legalists, the thought police, are always on your case. But they are not as good as they think they are, and if you want real life, you must live better than they do!” Matthew is no exception to the whole thrust of NT ethics, which are built on love. Martin Luther famously said, “Love, and do what you will.” His idea was that if you cared for people, you would always act in their best interest. The opposite of love is selfishness, acting first in my own interest. But Jesus kicked off this sermon with “blessed are the poor in spirit,” remember?

Jesus then said he came to fulfill the law. That could mean by His teaching or by His life. In the deepest sense, the Law was fulfilled, completed, at the cross and through the resurrection. His life fulfilled the law by living by it, in spite of the legalists trying to trap him when he failed to keep that law their way. He demonstrated what a life under God's law would look like.

He taught that law in its deepest meaning: the law of love. Note that the six examples following are just that – examples. They are not new laws for us to keep. Apparently humans have a legalistic streak in us, for historically dozens of commenters on these verses have wrestled with them as laws and tried to find ways to make them easier to keep. Relax. They are not new and tighter laws. They are illustrations of the law of love in action.

There are six “antitheses” (opposites, sort of): you have heard...but I say...” Each illustrates how the law of love looks in action. Studying the examples should start you on applying love in situations YOU face.

You have heard not to murder, but I say “cool it.” If you love someone, your anger will not hurt them, nor last more than a few seconds. Love will not insult another. One commenter said we could look on this passage as a parody of the Pharisaic approach to breaking apart laws. I like that, and it fits, but I'm not sure that was Jesus's intention. In this political season, the Christian conscience has got to be hurt as we hear people insulting one another. Do I want leaders who build support by tearing down others?

Loving your neighbor is so important it comes before worship! You can't worship God fully while holding a grudge against your neighbor – or knowing you have somehow hurt him. Before you worship, mend your fences.

A reminder – these are illustrations. Jesus did not mean for a man sacrificing in the temple who remembered he owed something to someone in Nazareth must leave Jerusalem, go to Nazareth and come back. But make sure it's taken care of before his next trip to Jerusalem. Likewise if someone in court demands your shirt, giving him your coat literally would leave you naked. He's giving dramatic examples. We should neither interpret them legalistically, but neither dilute them. Jesus's teaching was radical, and living it out must be radical as well.

Skipping down to stay with the anger issue, let's look at the radical idea of loving your enemies. If you think he's not serious, look at his examples. If someone slaps you on the right cheek (probably a backhanded insult), you absorb it and offer your opponent the other cheek. You don't do this to shame him, nor to take the high road, you turn the cheek because you are to care for him genuinely. “Don't get over it, get even” is NOT in any sense Christian.

A major issue in Christian ethics is personal versus social ethics. Jesus is teaching personal ethics here. Christians have debated how far his teachings go in social ethics – in the laws of the land and the behavior of nations. Thus some will translate the love your enemies and resisting not evil into pacifism. More common is the “just war” theory, which says to protect yourself if attacked, but one country should not attack another. In today's America there is tension between equally sincere Christians who feel the state should do more for the poor, and those who say we should only provide opportunity for everyone.

Lust – Israel of Jesus's day was closer to the Sharia law of today than America's attitude toward sex. But it was a male dominated society, and only women could commit adultery. (Remember they only brought the woman to Jesus in John 8?)

But Jesus said if you look at another man's wife and let your mind wander lasciviously, you have already committee adultery in your heart. This was more radical than we know. He is saying MEN can commit adultery and can do it with their minds. Most men, and many women have done that, a practice that increases the chance of acting on those thoughts the more they are entertained. But Jesus's point here is not legalistic. His point is that we are not to look at others as possible sources of gratifying our desires. If we are lusting, we are not thinking of the others' welfare, but of our own pleasure. A valid way of expressing it today is that we should not treat women (nor men!) as objects!

Jesus goes further. Someone may say I can't help myself. I see a gorgeous woman and the thoughts just come. So Jesus says if your eye offends you, gouge it out so you don't fall into sin and its consequences. Some mentally ill people wracked by conscience have literally put their eyes out. But people, neither your eyes nor your hands (he also mentions) cause you to sin. It's what your mind and your will do with what your eyes see and your hand can reach. Control your mind – or better yet – let God control your mind, and you will avoid sin. The larger point is don't make excuses. Do what you have to do, but avoid sin. “Flee temptation.”

Divorce – probably more than any other part of Jesus teaching, divorce has been seized on and interpreted by the church in legalistic extremes. Marriage in Jesus's day was much like today. I remember one young married lady, daughter of a deacon, who said to me, “I thought if this marriage ran into trouble, I'd just get divorced. You've made me reconsider.” My thought was if this woman had been raised in a Christian home and church and thought so lightly of marriage, was there any hope for the country? Remember marriage in his day -as it still is in most of the world – was arranged by parents. The kids' wishes might or might not be taken into account. A man could divorce his wife simply by writing her a statement of divorce and have it witnessed. Jesus was radically blaming men for their role in divorce. His teaching was devastating to a man who might have lusted after another and divorced his wife to marry the other woman.

Again, do not interpret this as a legalistic forbidding of all divorce. Nor does it mean that a remarried man or woman is “living in sin.” It does mean to live life, not focused on selfish living for oneself, but seeking the best for the other. It does mean that marriage should be “held in honor by all and entered into with reverence.”

BUT I SAY TO YOU...

I plan to deal with this week's material in blocks, rather than verse by verse.

First: JESUS AND THE LAW

Jesus said, “Don't expect me to let you off keeping the law of Moses. That law expressed God's will. Instead I will challenge you to dive into the heart of the law and do a far better job keeping the will of God. The scribes and Pharisees, the religious legalists, the thought police, are always on your case. But they are not as good as they think they are, and if you want real life, you must live better than they do!” Matthew is no exception to the whole thrust of NT ethics, which are built on love. Martin Luther famously said, “Love, and do what you will.” His idea was that if you cared for people, you would always act in their best interest. The opposite of love is selfishness, acting first in my own interest. But Jesus kicked off this sermon with “blessed are the poor in spirit,” remember?

Jesus then said he came to fulfill the law. That could mean by His teaching or by His life. In the deepest sense, the Law was fulfilled, completed, at the cross and through the resurrection. His life fulfilled the law by living by it, in spite of the legalists trying to trap him when he failed to keep that law their way. He demonstrated what a life under God's law would look like.

He taught that law in its deepest meaning: the law of love. Note that the six examples following are just that – examples. They are not new laws for us to keep. Apparently humans have a legalistic streak in us, for historically dozens of commenters on these verses have wrestled with them as laws and tried to find ways to make them easier to keep. Relax. They are not new and tighter laws. They are illustrations of the law of love in action.

There are six “antitheses” (opposites, sort of): you have heard...but I say...” Each illustrates how the law of love looks in action. Studying the examples should start you on applying love in situations YOU face.

You have heard not to murder, but I say “cool it.” If you love someone, your anger will not hurt them, nor last more than a few seconds. Love will not insult another. One commenter said we could look on this passage as a parody of the Pharisaic approach to breaking apart laws. I like that, and it fits, but I'm not sure that was Jesus's intention. In this political season, the Christian conscience has got to be hurt as we hear people insulting one another. Do I want leaders who build support by tearing down others?

Loving your neighbor is so important it comes before worship! You can't worship God fully while holding a grudge against your neighbor – or knowing you have somehow hurt him. Before you worship, mend your fences.

A reminder – these are illustrations. Jesus did not mean for a man sacrificing in the temple who remembered he owed something to someone in Nazareth must leave Jerusalem, go to Nazareth and come back. But make sure it's taken care of before his next trip to Jerusalem. Likewise if someone in court demands your shirt, giving him your coat literally would leave you naked. He's giving dramatic examples. We should neither interpret them legalistically, but neither dilute them. Jesus's teaching was radical, and living it out must be radical as well.

Skipping down to stay with the anger issue, let's look at the radical idea of loving your enemies. If you think he's not serious, look at his examples. If someone slaps you on the right cheek (probably a backhanded insult), you absorb it and offer your opponent the other cheek. You don't do this to shame him, nor to take the high road, you turn the cheek because you are to care for him genuinely. “Don't get over it, get even” is NOT in any sense Christian.

A major issue in Christian ethics is personal versus social ethics. Jesus is teaching personal ethics here. Christians have debated how far his teachings go in social ethics – in the laws of the land and the behavior of nations. Thus some will translate the love your enemies and resisting not evil into pacifism. More common is the “just war” theory, which says to protect yourself if attacked, but one country should not attack another. In today's America there is tension between equally sincere Christians who feel the state should do more for the poor, and those who say we should only provide opportunity for everyone.

Lust – Israel of Jesus's day was closer to the Sharia law of today than America's attitude toward sex. But it was a male dominated society, and only women could commit adultery. (Remember they only brought the woman to Jesus in John 8?)

But Jesus said if you look at another man's wife and let your mind wander lasciviously, you have already committee adultery in your heart. This was more radical than we know. He is saying MEN can commit adultery and can do it with their minds. Most men, and many women have done that, a practice that increases the chance of acting on those thoughts the more they are entertained. But Jesus's point here is not legalistic. His point is that we are not to look at others as possible sources of gratifying our desires. If we are lusting, we are not thinking of the others' welfare, but of our own pleasure. A valid way of expressing it today is that we should not treat women (nor men!) as objects!

Jesus goes further. Someone may say I can't help myself. I see a gorgeous woman and the thoughts just come. So Jesus says if your eye offends you, gouge it out so you don't fall into sin and its consequences. Some mentally ill people wracked by conscience have literally put their eyes out. But people, neither your eyes nor your hands (he also mentions) cause you to sin. It's what your mind and your will do with what your eyes see and your hand can reach. Control your mind – or better yet – let God control your mind, and you will avoid sin. The larger point is don't make excuses. Do what you have to do, but avoid sin. “Flee temptation.”

Divorce – probably more than any other part of Jesus teaching, divorce has been seized on and interpreted by the church in legalistic extremes. Marriage in Jesus's day was much like today. I remember one young married lady, daughter of a deacon, who said to me, “I thought if this marriage ran into trouble, I'd just get divorced. You've made me reconsider.” My thought was if this woman had been raised in a Christian home and church and thought so lightly of marriage, was there any hope for the country? Remember marriage in his day -as it still is in most of the world – was arranged by parents. The kids' wishes might or might not be taken into account. A man could divorce his wife simply by writing her a statement of divorce and have it witnessed. Jesus was radically blaming men for their role in divorce. His teaching was devastating to a man who might have lusted after another and divorced his wife to marry the other woman.

Again, do not interpret this as a legalistic forbidding of all divorce. Nor does it mean that a remarried man or woman is “living in sin.” It does mean to live life, not focused on selfish living for oneself, but seeking the best for the other. It does mean that marriage should be “held in honor by all and entered into with reverence.”

THE LORD'S PRAYER

let's begin with a puzzle, a paradox, if you will. (A paradox is a seeming contradiction.) Chapter 6 begins with a warning not to act out your religion publicly in a way that might make others think how wonderfully religious you are. And yet, right after the beatitudes Jesus challenged us to let our light shine before men so they could see our good works! Huh? Is he contradicting himself?

The answer lies in the motives. The one who parades his religion is doing so in order that others will indeed see him and be impressed. In the earlier commandment, Jesus called us to live in such a way as to glorify God, NOT ourselves. And that can be hard. We have to learn to serve others so people will sense our motives and want that kind of relationship with God.

The Lord's prayer is almost in the exact center of the Sermon on the Mount. Hard to believe Matthew put it there by accident. Let's look at almost every word.

Our father - Our, not my. I must pray in ways that take you in consideration as well as me. In modern business parlance I must ask for win-win situations, not my benefit at your expense. I fear that means I cannot seek a victory for my Baptist football team over them heathens they are playing. More seriously, I cannot wish before God that he would raise me up by hurting another. Our – our – our Father.

Father – most scholars believe Jesus spoke this in Aramaic, akin to Hebrew. In that case, the word would have been “Abba,” a household term like “Daddy.” The prayer assumes we take our position as God's children, part of His family. This includes the authority of the patriarch in that society, but also the special standing, love, and pride.

Who is in heaven – God is an awesome God. He is infinite. We are finite. Our ways are not His ways. As the heavens are high above the earth so are His ways above our ways. We must always bow in honor before Him. We treat His words and commands with respect.

Hallowed be thy name: The third commandment, “thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh, thy God in vain” lies behind this. Then and today most observant Jews will not pronounce the name of God aloud. I have been to a Jewish service and followed their reading aloud. Where the Hebrew word “Yahweh” was written, they together said “adonai,” or Lord. That's why Matthew more often says Kingdom of Heaven rather than Kingdom of God. Today Jews may often say “The Name” or some other circumlocution in order to make sure they do not abuse the hallowed name of God. But to hallow His name means more than how we say it. If we call ourselves Christians – and we should – we should represent Him in a way they can see Christ in us!

Thy kingdom come: Books have been written about the Kingdom of God, books that contradict and even fight one another. For our purposes, let's say the Kingdom is past, present and future. In the past, the KoG came in Jesus Christ. Presently the Kingdom exists wherever Christ rules – as in the hearts of Christians. In the future we look for the return of Christ and the merging of the Kingdom and Heaven.

The Kingdom – any kingdom, really – requires two things: a king and his subjects. Christ is the king, and His disciples are the subjects. To pray for his kingdom to come is to ask for the faith dynamic to show itself powerfully in the world around us. It looks to the future and prays for the return of Christ, but we also implore the Lord to break again into our world in a strong and helpful way.

Thy will be done – almost the same as thy kingdom come. Remember Jesus returned to that prayer in Gethsemane: not my will, but thine be done. To pray this prayer means we open our heart that His will may be done in us. It's easy to mean for God to do His will in the lives of others, but this prayer begins with us. Never pray for anything unless you are willing to be part of the answer.

On earth, as it is in heaven – presumably God rules supreme in heaven. We are asking for complete submission while yet we live. Are we willing to live now as we expect to live eternally?

Give us today – one day at a time. I like the gospel song by that name. AA has several mottoes emphasizing to abstain from drinking or drugs for just one day. “Maybe tomorrow I'll throw a rousing drunk, but not today.” Don't we all want to know God's plans for our lives years ahead? Yet often we feel as if we are walking in the dark, not in the daylight. God always gives us enough light for the next step. Take the step you can, and the next will be waiting.

Our daily bread, or our bread for tomorrow – The linguists tell us that the Greek really means “give us enough bread today to carry us through tomorrow.” It can be a plea for work to earn enough today to buy bread tomorrow. Nevertheless the principle is the same. One step at a time. Remember the manna, fresh every morning, but only for a day. A short shelf life, but never an empty shelf.

Lead us not into temptation. Or trial. - Again compare Jesus's prayer “let this cup pass from me...” We ask God to protect us. The word can mean either temptation or trial, for temptation is a specific kind of trial. It's a pro-active prayer for protection. But again I ask whether we are willing to be part of the answer. If the Lord says “Don't eat from that tree,” do you stay away from it or find yourself wandering by it repeatedly. Do we borrow trouble?

Instead, deliver us from evil – once again I would remind you all these requests are for US, not ME. Before God I want for me only what I want for you. This request is to keep us from doing evil. Some translations will say to keep us from the “evil one,” or Satan, but this is not the likely meaning. Rather protect us from either having evil fall on us or our perpetrating evil. Evil is bad to the nth degree. The kind of stuff that ISIS does or that a tornado or Katrina can do. And we need have no doubt that the carnal part of our personalities can lapse also into wickedness, not merely mildly naughty.

Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. This is the only item given reflexive, although as I have indicated a willingness to respond is assumed all the way through. The word forgive in places is also translated “leave.” Forgiveness means our sins are left behind. We do not carry them forever. We are not shackled to our past actions, but freed from the guilt.

(Note: somewhere, sometime, someone substituted “trespasses” for “debts.” Congregations often divide over the words. When I lead a group in this prayer, I suggest we borrow the word “sins” from Luke's account of the prayer. Trespasses is too minor, as it could picture a straying across into the neighbor's yard, and debts sort of limit to what we owe. So I favor “sins,” our disobedience to God and failure to follow his leadership.

You will have noted I swapped the order, which is on purpose to connect with Jesus comment at the end. “If you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly father forgive yours.” Jesus is making clear what that little word “as” means in the prayer: “AS we forgive others.” It does not mean at the same time; it means in the same way. At the beginning of Chapter 7 He will tell us we will receive judgment with the same manner we judge.

A frequent question comes from the idea that if we have been saved, does this mean we can lose our salvation if we don't forgivee another. Jesus is not dealing with that question. There are other ways of punishing that sending someone to hell. Rather interpret this statement against the background of the parable of the unforgiving servant. Remember his master forgave him a million bucks, and on his way out he wanted to throw a man in jail who owed him a hundred. Doesn't that explain it? Carrying a grudge hurts you. You will not grow as a Christian until you learn to release what others have done to you.

The prayer concludes in the KJV with the marvelous doxology - “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever!” In the famous solo by Malotte, the doxology is the dramatic and powerful climax – as it should be.

Some become disturbed when they see modern translations relegate these last phrases to a footnote: “some ancient manuscripts add...” I have heard some claim this was a liberal attempt to take away from Scripture. Not so. It is an effort to discover what exactly Matthew wrote in his original document that we no longer have. The oldest copies we have of Matthew end the prayer after “deliver us from evil.” On the other hand, we know that Jewish prayers, even when written and read, normally added some doxology praising God. So some such praise was likely from the first time a congregation recited it. Perhaps we should more often add some doxology at the end of our prayers.

THE BEATITUDES

We come now to the Sermon on the Mount and its famous beginning in the Beatitudes. Remember Matthew was writing first to the Jews, so to make Jesus attractive to them, perhaps he compared Jesus to Moses. As Moses led Israel from Egypt, so Jesus fled to and returned from Egypt to escape Herod. As Moses went up Mt Sinai to receive the law, so Jesus went up a Mount to teach. Some have compared the Beatitudes to the Ten Commandments, but that's harder to sustain, because they are not commands, but character traits. The beatitudes are character traits for citizens in the Kingdom of Heaven. They are characteristics of Christians. They are the traits, or fruits that the Spirit is developing in our lives.

Check several translations and you will find beatitudes, congratulations, blessings, and some others. Blessing may be the closest, and it means God blesses those who have these traits and/or act in this fashion. Note the the reward matches the characteristic.

God blesses those who are poor in spirit, humble, or teachable. A man in one of my classes was a shift supervisor at a paper mill. I asked him what happened when he got a trainee who already thought he knew it all. “He doesn't last,” was his curt answer. Many consider pride as the worst sin, because it usurps the place of God. Humility is the position from which you can worship God and receive blessings from Him. Indeed the reward is the Kingdom of Heaven! (The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God are the same. Jews to this day are reluctant to pronounce the name God, and they often substitute the word Lord in its place.) The one who is humble is open to receive the King, and wherever He rules, there is the Kingdom!

The second recipients are those that mourn. This can refer to two groups of people. First, to the obvious group of those who are grieving personal loss. I wonder if Paul perhaps had this verse in mind when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God and the Father of all mercies, who comforts us in every affliction, so that we in turn may comfort others who are afflicted. (Paul wrote before Matthew, but he may have had access to some of Jesus's sayings.) The Lord gives us gifts to share with others! We are comforted to comfort others. What else have you received you can share?

A second group of mourners may include the deeply repentant. The OT frequently refers to sackcloth and ashes. The comfort that comes to the repentant is forgiveness, freedom from guilt. We no longer have to live in the past, shackled to what we have done, but are free to live in the present and qualifie to serve.

Blessed are the meek. Who are the meek? One translation has “gentle,” another “kind.” I prefer “power under control” or “self-control.” The same Greek word, praus” is used elsewhere in Greek writings to refer to circus animals, such as lions and elephants that have been tamed. It's also referred to wild horses, broken to ride. Thus I prefer to think of the meek as the self-controlled, or better Spirit-controlled, broken to the yoke of the Carpenter of Nazareth.

Hunger and thirst after righteousness? I doubt many readers have ever been hungry. I've griped at having to hold my coffee for a fasting blood test, or until some relatively minor surgery. I've fasted a day or two. But hungry? Not like the people of Jesus's day when droughts and famines were common, and most of the people were poor. Hunger and thirst, the ones Jesus was speaking of, are severe.

And even then – do you realize this means a disciple intensely wants to be a GOOD person, you know, the one we call “goody two-shoes,” or maybe “teacher's pet.” Couple this with 6:33 and emphasize “seek ye FIRST the Kingdom...” Most of us really need to re-arrange our priorities here.

Ever since I read an article a few years ago by a South American Bible translator, I pause everytime I find the English word righteousness. You see, this guy pointed out that Spanish translations read both the Hebrew and Greek words as “justice” way more than English. So I wonder which Jesus had in mind here. Are we to hunger after behaving ourselves or after justice for others? In our political turmoil today, we often see conflict over where lies justice. Pope Frances unhesitatingly sides with the poor and the victims of injustice. So perhaps the term cuts both ways. What do you think? The promise is you will get what you seek...

The merciful. I already mentioned the opening of 2 Corinthians. And coming after my last paragraph, I should think one seeking justice should indeed be merciful. Mercy is related to love and grace. It includes compassion, but more than mere feeling. The two guys passing the man in the ditch may have felt pity for him, but they passed by. The Samaritan stopped and did something, and so defined mercy.

The reward is mercy for himself, presumably from God. Also if we act mercifully, we create an environment of mercy, which will expand and endure, so that one day we too may benefit therefrom.

Pure in heart – a Danish theologian wrote a book whose title defines this beatitude: Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing. The Greek word behind “pure” is the root of our word “catharsis,” most frequently used to mean the emptying of emotion by “spilling one's guts after a horrible experience or situation.” The purity of heart Jesus means here is the heart that is empty of anything that would crowd out these virtues mentioned here. As with thirst for righteousness, this one's heart seeks the Kingdom with full passion. Such seeking leads to a vision of God. A wise man once pointed out that only to the pure of heart would seeing God be a reward!

Peacemakers: Jimmy Carter, a former president much praised as the most successful ex-president and much excoriated as one of the worst presidents takes pride himself in that the US fought NO wars during his four years. And in addition his non-profit foundation, in addition to his well known Habitat projects, has put considerable emphasis on quelling disturbances/wars around the world. Most of us can't operate at that level, but how often could we quiet lesser disputes around us. And by-the-way, “peace” in Hebrew is “shalom” and means much more than absence of strife. Peace is health and well-being, even spiritual health. Thus a soul-winner is a form of peacemaker! Their reward is to be called children of God, reflecting His image, for our Savior is the Prince of Peace!

Persecuted because of righteousness (justice?): Lots of folks feel persecuted. Lots of folks ARE persecuted. But the key here is for righteousness or justice's sake. I've heard many speak of “their cross to bear,” but they speak only of a common life's burden. A true cross is one you would not carry were you not following Christ. And, btw, you who read this are not at all likely to be persecuted. There are in fact more Christians persecuted today than ever before in history. These are in totalitarian countries, Islamic, totalitarian, communist, and the like. We are NOT being persecuted in America, despite local squabbles over what's appropriate in schools. And again, read the law. Student-initiated worship, prayer, Bible study,etc is usually ok. The point is that the government (school system) should not appear to favor one religion over another. For example, I was upset forty years ago when I heard Catholic nuns were teaching in South Louisiana public schools while wearing full black and white regalia. More to the point, do you change your behavior in the presence of non-Christians to get their acceptance. Does your language change? Your stories? What you drink? And the amount?

Pausing here so you can get something. May or may not have time to add about salt and light today or tomorrow.

THE BEATITUDES

We come now to the Sermon on the Mount and its famous beginning in the Beatitudes. Remember Matthew was writing first to the Jews, so to make Jesus attractive to them, perhaps he compared Jesus to Moses. As Moses led Israel from Egypt, so Jesus fled to and returned from Egypt to escape Herod. As Moses went up Mt Sinai to receive the law, so Jesus went up a Mount to teach. Some have compared the Beatitudes to the Ten Commandments, but that's harder to sustain, because they are not commands, but character traits. The beatitudes are character traits for citizens in the Kingdom of Heaven. They are characteristics of Christians. They are the traits, or fruits that the Spirit is developing in our lives.

Check several translations and you will find beatitudes, congratulations, blessings, and some others. Blessing may be the closest, and it means God blesses those who have these traits and/or act in this fashion. Note the the reward matches the characteristic.

God blesses those who are poor in spirit, humble, or teachable. A man in one of my classes was a shift supervisor at a paper mill. I asked him what happened when he got a trainee who already thought he knew it all. “He doesn't last,” was his curt answer. Many consider pride as the worst sin, because it usurps the place of God. Humility is the position from which you can worship God and receive blessings from Him. Indeed the reward is the Kingdom of Heaven! (The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God are the same. Jews to this day are reluctant to pronounce the name God, and they often substitute the word Lord in its place.) The one who is humble is open to receive the King, and wherever He rules, there is the Kingdom!

The second recipients are those that mourn. This can refer to two groups of people. First, to the obvious group of those who are grieving personal loss. I wonder if Paul perhaps had this verse in mind when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God and the Father of all mercies, who comforts us in every affliction, so that we in turn may comfort others who are afflicted. (Paul wrote before Matthew, but he may have had access to some of Jesus's sayings.) The Lord gives us gifts to share with others! We are comforted to comfort others. What else have you received you can share?

A second group of mourners may include the deeply repentant. The OT frequently refers to sackcloth and ashes. The comfort that comes to the repentant is forgiveness, freedom from guilt. We no longer have to live in the past, shackled to what we have done, but are free to live in the present and qualifie to serve.

Blessed are the meek. Who are the meek? One translation has “gentle,” another “kind.” I prefer “power under control” or “self-control.” The same Greek word, praus” is used elsewhere in Greek writings to refer to circus animals, such as lions and elephants that have been tamed. It's also referred to wild horses, broken to ride. Thus I prefer to think of the meek as the self-controlled, or better Spirit-controlled, broken to the yoke of the Carpenter of Nazareth.

Hunger and thirst after righteousness? I doubt many readers have ever been hungry. I've griped at having to hold my coffee for a fasting blood test, or until some relatively minor surgery. I've fasted a day or two. But hungry? Not like the people of Jesus's day when droughts and famines were common, and most of the people were poor. Hunger and thirst, the ones Jesus was speaking of, are severe.

And even then – do you realize this means a disciple intensely wants to be a GOOD person, you know, the one we call “goody two-shoes,” or maybe “teacher's pet.” Couple this with 6:33 and emphasize “seek ye FIRST the Kingdom...” Most of us really need to re-arrange our priorities here.

Ever since I read an article a few years ago by a South American Bible translator, I pause everytime I find the English word righteousness. You see, this guy pointed out that Spanish translations read both the Hebrew and Greek words as “justice” way more than English. So I wonder which Jesus had in mind here. Are we to hunger after behaving ourselves or after justice for others? In our political turmoil today, we often see conflict over where lies justice. Pope Frances unhesitatingly sides with the poor and the victims of injustice. So perhaps the term cuts both ways. What do you think? The promise is you will get what you seek...

The merciful. I already mentioned the opening of 2 Corinthians. And coming after my last paragraph, I should think one seeking justice should indeed be merciful. Mercy is related to love and grace. It includes compassion, but more than mere feeling. The two guys passing the man in the ditch may have felt pity for him, but they passed by. The Samaritan stopped and did something, and so defined mercy.

The reward is mercy for himself, presumably from God. Also if we act mercifully, we create an environment of mercy, which will expand and endure, so that one day we too may benefit therefrom.

Pure in heart – a Danish theologian wrote a book whose title defines this beatitude: Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing. The Greek word behind “pure” is the root of our word “catharsis,” most frequently used to mean the emptying of emotion by “spilling one's guts after a horrible experience or situation.” The purity of heart Jesus means here is the heart that is empty of anything that would crowd out these virtues mentioned here. As with thirst for righteousness, this one's heart seeks the Kingdom with full passion. Such seeking leads to a vision of God. A wise man once pointed out that only to the pure of heart would seeing God be a reward!

Peacemakers: Jimmy Carter, a former president much praised as the most successful ex-president and much excoriated as one of the worst presidents takes pride himself in that the US fought NO wars during his four years. And in addition his non-profit foundation, in addition to his well known Habitat projects, has put considerable emphasis on quelling disturbances/wars around the world. Most of us can't operate at that level, but how often could we quiet lesser disputes around us. And by-the-way, “peace” in Hebrew is “shalom” and means much more than absence of strife. Peace is health and well-being, even spiritual health. Thus a soul-winner is a form of peacemaker! Their reward is to be called children of God, reflecting His image, for our Savior is the Prince of Peace!

Persecuted because of righteousness (justice?): Lots of folks feel persecuted. Lots of folks ARE persecuted. But the key here is for righteousness or justice's sake. I've heard many speak of “their cross to bear,” but they speak only of a common life's burden. A true cross is one you would not carry were you not following Christ. And, btw, you who read this are not at all likely to be persecuted. There are in fact more Christians persecuted today than ever before in history. These are in totalitarian countries, Islamic, totalitarian, communist, and the like. We are NOT being persecuted in America, despite local squabbles over what's appropriate in schools. And again, read the law. Student-initiated worship, prayer, Bible study,etc is usually ok. The point is that the government (school system) should not appear to favor one religion over another. For example, I was upset forty years ago when I heard Catholic nuns were teaching in South Louisiana public schools while wearing full black and white regalia. More to the point, do you change your behavior in the presence of non-Christians to get their acceptance. Does your language change? Your stories? What you drink? And the amount?

Pausing here so you can get something. May or may not have time to add about salt and light today or tomorrow.