Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun
Come Lord and join us here today
As alliances collapse
And friends and enemies switch places
And repairs are attempted
And new alliances formed
Please Lord, remember the children of Ukraine.
Every child that has lost their life
Every child wounded
Every child displaced
And particularly the tens of thousands of children that have been abducted and relocated.
We ask you keep their families strong
Give them hope that they will be reunited
And their families restored.
We ask you end the shelling of schools
Of hospitals
Of homes
And give the children rest,
peace
We ask that the powerful also become wise
That the powerful also become compassionate
That the powerful also become good.
We ask that leaders bind together with courage
Dedicated to the restoration of the lives of these children
That the criminals of war be held to account
That you establish a just peace
We ask you to care for our friends,
Steve and Oddny,
And for their friends as well
Who care for the children of Ukraine
Give them faith, courage, wisdom and grit
Give them every resource they will need
Money, ideas, new friends, and opportunity
So in the mess of this world
These children are loved and not forgotten.
Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
Intro: We’re still in the Sermon On the Mount,
But I’m going to begin by reading a of couple verses from Psalm 139
– this is one of the very popular Psalms
• its beautiful and haunting poetry are easy for us to follow
◦ and at the same time, carries us from heights of the heavens
◦ and depths of the ocean, to the abyss of our own souls
• it begins:
“ O LORD, you have searched me and known me!”
◦ but then it ends:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Ps. 139:1 and 23-24)
– although David begins confessing God has searched him and known him,
• he ends the poem with a request that God will search him
◦ I think that’s because he realizes God knows his heart,
◦ and he does not know it as well as God
• the truth is, we can fool our own hearts about how righteous we are
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
‘I the LORD search the heart and test the mind . . . .’” (Jer. 17:9-10)
I began with this probe into the human heart for my own sake
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
I have always been captivated by what Jesus says in these verses
– there is no other instance in which he makes it so clear that whatever we treasure, owns our hearts
• Jesus’ Sermon is an invitation to the kingdom of heaven
• my immediate response is, “Yes! That’s where my treasure is”
◦ but when I think about concerns that fill my mind most often,
◦ I have to question myself, “Where is my heart?”
– I don’t want to pretend that I practice this perfectly
• so as we go through these verses this morning,
◦ it’s with the prayer, “Search us, O Lord, and know our hearts”
Jesus threads a theme through the Sermon: There are two ways
What we’ve been tracking since chapter 5, verse 20,
– is an inferior righteousness and a superior righteousness
• the inferior righteousness wins inferior rewards:
◦ they are located in this world, short-lived, and come from other people (Mt. 6:1)
• the superior righteousness wins superior rewards
◦ they are heavenly, eternal, and from our Father who is in heaven
– so today we look at three other instances in which the two ways contrast:
• what we treasure – the contrast is between what is earthly and what is heavenly
• where our attention is focused – the contrast is between light and darkness
• who is our master – the contrast is between God and Mammon
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth”
In the 1979 movie, “The Jerk,” Steve Martin plays Navin and Bernadette Peters plays Marie
– Navin happened into making millions of dollars, so he and Marie purchased a mansion, cars, and lots of luxury items
• then after millions of law suits, the lost everything lamenting their descent into poverty,
◦ lamenting their descent into poverty, Marie moans,
“I don’t care about losing all the money. It’s losing all the stuff.”
• besides “the stuff,” the temptation of money is the promise of:
◦ security, opportunities (for travel and entertainment), and status
– in our world, we must have an income to survive
• but like bread, we cannot live on money and stuff alone
Amy-Jill Levine, “Stuff cannot save us. Instead, it draws us in. . . . and we generally find it easier to take in than to give away. Those of us who have known poverty and hunger want more stuff because we know what it is like to be without, and we never want to experience that feeling again. The problem then becomes that we can never have enough.”
• the promises of money are actually a chimera
◦ wealth does not guarantee security, but only the illusion of security
◦ the pleasures it affords are no greater than what a poor family enjoys at the beach
◦ and worst of all, you are forever driven by greed for more
“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is emptiness” (Ecc. 5:10)
If we’re not rich, if we live paycheck to paycheck,
– we can imagine we’re already living Jesus’ teaching
• that our treasures are in heaven, because they’re not here
◦ that may simply be our reality and not an advantage
◦ nor does being poor mean it is easy to accept poverty
• we can have nothing, but still be thinking about it constantly
◦ or long to have more or better stuff
◦ so then our hearts are stuck on here earth as much as any wealthy person
– Jesus undermines the security of wealth by describing the ways it can be lost
• moths, rust (anything corrosive), and thieves are typical
◦ the phenomenal proliferation of scams today puts anyone at risk.
◦ there are other risks too
My meditation, “Besides moth, rust, and thieves, there is also flood, fire, and economic downturns that can erase wealth and possessions. The things we own and the possibility of losing all can be a source of intense and ongoing anxiety. In fact, we can lose our possessions–in the sense of our enjoyment of them, while we still have them through worry. So Jesus could have added anxiety to the list of the ways our treasures could be lost or ruined. Jesus wants to protect us that distraction, and he continues this emphasis to the end of the chapter.
What if worldly treasure comes to you? I hear Jesus saying, “Don’t store more than what you will need in your lifetime. Live simply and give away as much as you can without impoverishing yourself. Understand that whatever money comes to you, it is a resource for doing good in the world, that in fact its only value is in this world, and whatever is excess, you can use to bless and save the lives of others.”
• our “heart,” in this context, represents our attachments
◦ what we value, what matters most to us,
◦ stirs our deepest feelings, and drives strongest commitments
– superior righteousness is a matter of the heart,
• and a righteous heart belongs in heaven and to heaven
So how do we lay up treasures in heaven? How do we add to our heavenly account so that we are looking forward to drawing on that, or relying on that account to deal with the present challenges of life?
“The eye is the lamp of the body”
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23
Some commentators shift the metaphor from “lamp” to a window
– meaning, we can see what is in a person through their eyes
• there is another verse that may help shed light on this
The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,
searching all his innermost parts (Pr. 20:27)
◦ in this verse, the lamp is illuminating what is inside a person
My meditation: The eye being like a lamp means that whatever you look at is what you let in. The eye is frequently the organ that focuses our attention on a particular object or person. Of course, there is more than the organ of sight. There is also intention, concentration, motivation, and so on. All of these actions ca be related to what do we choose to look at and from what we choose to look away. What I choose to set before my eyes—to desire, possess, or become—will either admit light into my inner self—whether a small dim ray or a flood—or it will block any light from entering at all. Ponder the metaphor of the eye. Let it speak to you and enlighten you.
• let’s jump back to the Beatitudes – specifically,
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God
◦ there, a person’s inner state affects their vision — a pure heart sees clearly
◦ and their vision affects their inner state
– the eye represents where we focus our attention
• what catches our eye? what interests us the most?
◦ what do we focus on when look outside?
• so like the previous contrast, this one also has to do with our hearts
Lots of things call for our attention
– some of us have become addicted to most recent news stories
• especially anything political
◦ how much of that is light and how much of it is darkness?
• what grabs my attention?
◦ is it enlightening? or is it blinding?
– Paul had several prayers for the Ephesians in his letter to them
• the first one is in chapter 1, where he prayed,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you . . . (Ep. 1:16-18)
“No one can serve two masters”
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” Matthew 6:24
In this instance, Jesus suggests the two masters are enemies
– in the Bible version I’m using, it has Jesus saying,
You cannot serve God and money
• misses the point that an Aramaic word is used in Greek text
• it may be that Jesus is using Mammon as a proper name
◦ either referring to an ancient deity or personifying wealth
◦ the point is, materialism can become a god to some people
– it feels like Jesus is moving again into the area of the heart
• he uses words full of emotion: love/hate, devoted/despise
• so what, or who owns my heart?
◦ each day, what gets most of my thought and attention?
◦ what are my most intense concerns and desires?
My meditation: The attempt to serve two masters (the requirements of each of whom are contrary and opposed to the requirements of the other) would result in an impossible division. This is exactly the instability of the “double-minded” person James describes. This verse, like the previous verses, has to do with wholeness. We are wholly God’s or wholly Mammon’s. One or the other, but not both.
Conclusion: Jesus has given us a lot to chew on
I will not pretend that any of this is easy
We live in the tension between our immediate needs
(and those “needs” can easily become obsessions)
and the call of Jesus to the kingdom of heaven
It is not difficult to want heaven more than the world,
it’s just difficult to keep that in focus all day every day
For myself, the first challenge is to examine my average day
What is my first concern in the morning?
What are my thoughts in the afternoon?
How am I unwinding in the evening?
What is on my mind as I fall asleep?
I am looking for my heart to see whether it is in heaven
And that is my next challenge,
because if not, then I need to make an immediate adjustments
We won’t meet this challenge overnight,
but between here and there,
grace will carry us forward
Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun
Come Lord join us here today.
Tender Lord, make us tender.
Dropping our defenses
Open to you
Your voice
Your moving toward us
Around us
Among
and through us.
Make us tender,
Willing
Receptive
Even broken a little
Even craving you a little
Even just openly acknowledging
our great need for you.
And make us tender to those you bring in our lives this week
Welcoming
Accepting
Feeling their hurts
Their pain and their fears
Let us share them
With them.
Be present with them
And Lord,
Help us to be tender with ourselves
To forego our inclination to judge ourselves
To condemn ourselves
To dishonor ourselves
Help us to hold on
To trust
To rely upon Your affection for us
As we make our way
Through our day
Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:16-18
Intro: This week I met with Harry Robinson – a few of you may know him
He is a man of God and a visionary, and for awhile we worked together
– he is also someone I love and respect
• during our long, rambling conversation, Harry said something that woke me up
• he said, “I’ve been finding beauty lately–everywhere”
– it seems I need to be awakened to beauty
• friends do this for me – though they don’t always know it
◦ maybe, I’ve been trudging through too much muck, concerned with
◦ the condition of our nation and disappointed with obnoxious Christians
• but since our meeting on Tuesday, I’ve been seeing more beauty
I’ll tell you why we begin with beauty today
Because Jesus has been warning us away from behavior
– we could describe as “ugly religion,”
• and it has been spreading through our culture in recent years
◦ it’s always been here: people who enjoy heated arguments
◦ who assume it’s their job to pronounce judgments,
◦ who will always act like they’re more righteous than others
• it’s possible you’ve seen your share of ugly religion
Through Isaiah, God addressed religious people like this:
“I spread out my hands all the day
to a rebellious people
who walk in a way that is not good,
following their own devices . . .
who say, ‘Keep to your self,
do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.
These are a smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that burns all the day” (Isa. 65:2-5)
– in this passage Jesus describes people,
• who make themselves ugly to appear righteous
“for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others”
My granddaughter, Addy, is now taking classes at Saddleback College
One morning she was telling me about an essay she was writing
– the first step was to create an outline, and give it to her professor
• I explained that I wrote outlines for every talk I give
◦ that surprised her, and she was duly impressed
• if we had an outline of the Sermon On the Mount,
◦ we would see that we’ve come to the end of a subheading
◦ this block of the Sermon began in v. 1,
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven”
– this is Jesus’ third example of displaying piety to impress others
• first charity, then prayer, and now Jesus moves on to fasting
• he could have made a longer list of ways people show off their piety
◦ for example: how many Bible verses they’ve memorized, how many missions trips they’ve been on
◦ all the Christian celebrities they’ve met, and all the Bible studies they’ve attended
◦ but three examples are enough to make his point
Jonathan Pennington, “The desire to have others reward one with praise for piety is a powerful drug.”
◦ the implication is that it can also become addictive
Jesus says, “When you fast”
Jesus assumes that there may be a time when his disciples fast
– he is not telling them that they have to do this,
• nor is he giving instructions for when to fast or how to fast
• but if they decide to fast, they must not advertise it
◦ like other spiritual disciplines, fasting is between them and God
– believers fast for a number of different reasons
• to clear their minds to listen to God, to clear a space to meet with God
◦ to increase their concentration on prayer – they both prayed and fasted in Acts 13
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:2-3)
◦ fasting can be an act of humility, an expression of repentance, or simply setting one’s own needs aside
• fasting does not add power to our prayers, or twist God’s arm
◦ like a child who refuses to eat because they can’t get their way
More than once in the Old Testament, God criticized Israel’s fasting
“Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call that a fast,
and a day acceptable to the LORD?
“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free?
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house . . . ?” (Isa. 58:3-12; this looks a lot like “woke” fasting)
– and then in God’s word to the prophet Zechariah:
“When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh month, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?” (Zech. 7:4)
– a question about fasting comes up later on in Matthew and it’s worth looking at
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Mt. 9:14-15)
• John’s disciples and the Pharisees fasted “religiously”
◦ perhaps they saw it as a necessary discipline, that it kept them on the right path
• there’s value in developing righteous habits
◦ but there’s also the danger those will become only habits, repeated mindlessly
– Jesus indicates that fasting is connected to loss and sadness
• it’s true, in the deepest experiences of grief, our bodies shut down
◦ we don’t want to eat – we, literally, cannot eat
• in those situations, fasting isn’t specifically spiritual (though we may feel God near)
◦ yet there are moments when we feel God near
◦ but the point is, fasting was not appropriate while Jesus was with them
Fasting can take different forms
Certain health conditions do not allow some people to not eat
– they might be able to abstain from one particular food (avoid a favorite treat, perhaps)
• or they may choose to take a break from television, the news, or contemporary music
• whatever the form, there must be some element of self-denial
– a strict fast from eating would include food and water–but it’s not wise to do this for too long
• or to fast food only, but still drink water
• Israel sometimes fasted specific foods–or ingredients
◦ no yeast could be used in baking breads the week before Passover
◦ a vow might require a person to avoid grapes, or wine, or any produce of the vine
– fasting for us may be one meal at a time
• perhaps most of us are used to skipping meals
◦ when it is a sacrifice we make for someone else’s benefit, consider making that loss an offering of love
Jesus stresses a point that is hinted at in the Psalms and hammered on in the Prophets
The effectiveness of Israel’s ritual sacrifices was conditional
– when I was young and first read Psalm 51, what David wrote shocked me
“For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering” (v. 16)
◦ I thought, “But God required those sacrifices!” I read on,
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (v. 17)
◦ David discerned the critical role that the heart plays in worship
• God’s word to Isaiah is much harsher regarding sacrificial rituals
“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?” says the LORD . . . .
When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you this trampling of my courts?” (Isa. 1:10-13)
◦ the answer, of course, is “You did!” But Israel’s faith and practice had gone off the rails
◦ God goes on to tell his people the service he wants
“cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless
plead the widow’s cause” (Isa. 1:16-17)
– the poets and prophets realized, if the heart doesn’t belong to God, the ritual doesn’t work
• worship wasn’t magical, it was covenantal
• Jesus says hypocrites have lost sight of true fasting
Jonathan Pennington, “They are hypocrites because they are not unified in heart and action; they actually do the right things, but they are not the right kind of people because their hearts are wrong.”
Conclusion: In his three examples, Jesus has emphasized the fact that we have a secret life
We share it only with God, our Father who is in heaven,
and is also encountered in secret
If we try to cash-out our religion in this life, we will have nothing in the next
“One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD” (Ps. 27:4)
When we leave that sacred space of encounter,
we discover that beauty is everywhere,
Our souls inhale the experience beauty and are refreshed
Beauty gives us a rest from the dark effects of human behavior
It flushes the gunk our of our brains, and expands our souls
We become larger than our thoughts and feelings
And our awareness of God is renewed – again and again
Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun
Come Lord and join us today
Bind us together
Make us one in you
Thank you Lord for friends who
Love us without judging
Who listen without correcting
Who engage without controlling
Thank you for friends who
Help us up when we are knocked down
Who steady us when we are wobbly
Who are like rocks when we need to lean
Thank you for friends who
Will tell us the hard truth
Who hold our feet to the fire
Who expect the best from us.
Help us Lord to be these sorts of friends
And help us be the sort of community
that helps each other become better friends
Ready to love
Willing to love
Strong and gentle
Forgiving and long suffering
Kind
Patient
Steady
Full of joy
Full of goodness
Ready to trust
So our friends can know that they are loved
by us
In the way
we have been loved
by you
Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
Father of us, the One in the heavens,
Let be revered the name of You,
Let come the kingdom of You,
Let be done the will of You,
As in heaven also on earth.
The bread of us daily give to us today.
And forgive us the debts of us,
As also we have forgiven the debtors of us.
And do not bring us into temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
[Some later manuscripts add, For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen] Matthew 6:9-15
Intro: Jesus has given the world this incredible prayer
Recited every day and prayed in almost every language,
– it contains the essence of what everyone needs to say to God and ask of him
• and yet, when Jesus taught this prayer to his disciples,
◦ it was in a side comment he felt needed to be included
• up to this point, Jesus theme beginning in verse 1 was, “Don’t advertise your spiritual devotion and service to God”
◦ he follows this statement with three examples: charity, prayer, and fasting
• there are four parts to each example:
First, “Don’t be like the hypocrites, to be seen by others”
Second, “The hypocrites are rewarded when others notice them”
Third, “Serve God in secret, keep it between you and the Father”
Fourth, “Your reward will come from the Father”
◦ this was how he began this second example, “Don’t pray like the hypocrites”
◦ but then the Lord swerved onto a side-track
Don’t pray like the Gentiles
• and he was still off-topic when he taught them the “Lord’s Prayer” (AKA: the “Our Father”)
◦ the impression I get reading this is that Jesus felt this point required elaboration
◦ in a sermon that defines our spiritual life, prayer is key!
Jesus did not mean for “Lord’s Prayer” to be our only prayer
What he has given us is more of an outline or template for prayer
– perhaps if we think of bullet-points – abbreviated topics
• we personalize each point with our immediate concerns
◦ our joy or sadness, problems or opportunities, and so on
• following the template, the substance of our prayers comes from our own hearts
– there are other types of prayers–some of them cover extraordinary circumstances
• this prayer covers most the important and universal themes
• so let’s learn from Jesus a basic form of prayer
Sadly, lots of people have trouble with the first words
The more common issue, is the idea of God as a “father”
– man I worked with, explained his father abandoned him and his mother
• he was a Christian, loved God and prayed,
◦ but he found more resonance with Jesus as his brother than God as a father
• others sexually, physically, verbally abused by their father have trouble accepting God in that role
◦ so some of us need to rehabilitate the word father
◦ this is one reason why I appreciate the distinction Jesus makes: “our Father in heaven“
– another person I knew of wrestled with the first word, “our”
• their relationship with God is very personal and healing
◦ he is a refuge from an abusive relationship
◦ or from others – some who are dangerous
• they had trouble sharing God with them, and so stumbled over “our,”
◦ and idea they’re related to each other by a heavenly Father
– these are very real and serious psychological blocks
• we can’t expect people to bully their way through them
◦ that is not a sincere response, and it does not heal
• the Holy Spirit has been the source of my best therapy
◦ through the Scriptures mostly, but also through wise counselors too
Every prayer is an encounter with God
We’re not just floating balloons up into the air
– we’re entering a conversation with God, the Creator of heaven and earth
• it seems appropriate to begin with who he is and what he wants
– the first three requests are intertwined in one great project
• think of it as a threefold prayer, not three separate themes
◦ the big idea is the total completion of God’s will
◦ it is the culmination of all time and space
First, there is “hallowing” the name of God
– as I read through the Old Testament, I have to keep reminding myself:
• the Hebrew concept of a name means far more than it does to us
◦ a name is not just a word, it stands for a person,
◦ and everything that person is and represents
• one of God’s great concerns in the Old Testament,
◦ was that his name would not be “profaned” by the sins of his people
◦ that means that God himself would be degraded in the eyes of the world
• to be “hallowed” means to be treated as holy–
◦ that unique quality of God, so present and dangerous when he is near
◦ to show reverence for God’s name–is to show reverence to God himself
– this first request is that the entire world will one day revere God
(that would change everything!)
Second, Jesus teaches us to pray for God’s kingdom to come
– we have already seen his emphasis on the kingdom
• his central message being, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 4:17)
– it is present in a way that we can experience it now,
• but it has not yet come in its overpowering fullness
◦ that is what this part of the threefold request is about
◦ that his realm will break into our 4-dimensional universe
Third, we pray that God’s will would be done
– the way I imagine this,
• that God’s will would permeate the laws of nature
◦ like a universal principle that governs the behavior of all things
◦ from fundamental particles and forces of physics to the largest galaxies
and that it includes all living things
Finally, what ties these three requests together is the line, “on earth as it is in heaven”
– the perfect reality already exists in the (now hidden)realm of God
• the first request of the Lord’s Prayer is that the dimension of God’s realm would break into ours
• when that happens, I don’t think we’ll need to pray for anything else
◦ all that will be left for us to add is worship and praise
The remainder of the prayer covers practical needs of life
Give us this day our daily bread
The Greek construction of our request for bread is confusing
– some read it, “Give us tomorrow our daily bread”
• as if to say, “We’re good for today, please bless us with food again tomorrow”
• either way, we are looking to God for our provisions
◦ Jesus’s Sermon will soon take us further in regard to God’s provisions
– bread has already been an issue in Matthew’s gospel
• and I feel that we’re meant to see a connection
• it was the first temptation Satan tried on Jesus
“People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4 NLT)
◦ so even when we pray for our daily food we aren’t to forget that something more important sustains us
Our prayers cover every physical need, but we also have spiritual needs and issues
“And forgive us our debts
as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
This is an interesting way of interpreting the wrong things we do
– if it’s true that we owe our lives and allegiance to God,
• then our sins create a deficit, a lost opportunity, an imbalance
• if a fine must be paid to correct the deficit, we cannot afford it
◦ we can only ask that our debt it will be forgiven
“And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one”
Amy-Jill Levine, “In Greek, the verb peiradzo and the noun peirasmos can be translated as both ‘temptation’ and ‘test’ or ‘trial.’ Both translations make sense because a test can become a temptation ….”
I don’t believe God leads us into temptation, but he allows temptations to test us
– it is not that God discovers what the test reveals about us
• that discovery is important for us, so we can see what needs work in our lives
– perhaps the best commentary on this is in James
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (Jas. 1:12-14)
• “Lead us, O Lord, but not into an encounter with the evil one” (or, perhaps, evil in general)
Jesus adds a note of explanation
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespass Verses 14-15
Jesus explains the part of the prayer that spoke of forgiving debts
– I think it would have been wonderful if he gave a word of explanation regarding every verse in the prayer
• the issue of forgiveness must have been important to Jesus for him to go into this much detail
• it’s important to him that we accept our role in this part
◦ our cooperation is needed to answer the request for forgive
◦ some Christians become extremely agitated and upset over these verses
(if you’re one of them, Jesus said it so get over it)
– I know that sometimes forgiveness seems impossible
• and for us it is impossible; just as Jesus said that for us salvation is impossible (Mk. 10:26-27)
◦ God is always willing to work with us on forgiveness
• and I believe he gives us the time we need to heal, so that it becomes possible for us to forgive
Conclusion: Consider this, that you could be someone’s answer to prayer
Today there are millions of people around the world, praying that God will take up the slack resulting from shut down of food and medical supplies
They are begging God to provide their daily bread
and the medications that have been keeping them alive
God can use even our small donations to get help to them through one of the Christian an humanitarian organizations that are still able to operate
In the meantime, we can encourage ourselves with this encouragement from Hebrews 4:16
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”
Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun
Come Lord, Join us here today
Eagerly we thank you.
For all the good you give us
Every grace
Every mercy
Every reassurance
Every redirection
Every happy surprise
Every warm smile
Every hope
And for those things that confuse us
Upset us
Disappoint us
And those things that generate fear
And resistance
And resentment
And for those things that sap our joy
Undermine our confidence
Overwhelm us
Discourage us
Knock us down
Throw us back
We thank you just the same
Knowing all along of Your great love for us
Your abiding care
Your steadfast presence
How you catch us when we fall
How you make things new
How you repair what has been broken
How you walk beside us through everything
Thank you, Lord
Thank you, for all of it
Thank you, for every little thing
For this moment
For each breath
For life
Thank you, Lord
Thank you
Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, they have received their reward.”
Matthew 6:5
Intro: The next point of Jesus’ sermon has to do with prayer
I don’t think you need me to teach you anything about prayer
– one year in Russia, an orphan tried to teach me the alphabet
• but she gave up on me – there was just one letter, I could not pronounce well enough to please her
◦ I couldn’t even hear the sound she was making when she said the letter
• prayer isn’t like that– prayer is the native language of every child of our heavenly Father
◦ we may feel we’re not doing it right,
◦ but God hears what we feel and need even if we can’t put those things into words
– there’s no Christian life or experience without prayer
• if you want lessons on prayer, read the Psalms
◦ there you’ll find every prayer imaginable, and nothing is out of bounds
• otherwise, there is also Paul’s explanation of how God’s Spirit helps us and prays within us
◦ and in those instances, words are optional
Jesus doesn’t begin here by teaching us how to pray
He first tells us how not to pray
“you must not be like the hypocrites”
– for the people Jesus had in mind, prayer wasn’t primarily about seeking God, or his help
◦ they may have used familiar words of praise or petition.
◦ but that wasn’t what was in their hearts
• for the hypocrites, prayer was a means to draw attention to themselves
◦ to put their “deep devotion” to God on display
Let’s go back over the ground Jesus has covered one more time
– if his disciples were going to enter the kingdom of heaven,
• their righteousness would have to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees (Mt. 5:20)
• they had to live closer to the heart and spirit of the Law
◦ that meant being devoted to right relationships
1. Their relationship to God had to be right
• not by being religious and legalistic
◦ or be doing the bare minimum of what the Law demanded
◦ but in loving God above everything else; trusting him and obeying his voice (cf. Jer. 7:22-23)
• this devotion had to be internalized
“the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. Oh that they had such a heart as this always to fear me and to keep my commandments . . .” (De. 5:28-29)
2. Their relationship to everyone else had to be right
• acting toward them in loving ways had to be the priority
• and this had to be internalized as well
◦ it’s not enough to not cause harm to others, but they had to not want to cause harm to anyone else
– the scribe’s and Pharisee’s “righteousness” was inferior, because it was only external and grossly compromised
• they didn’t get it right, because God’s Law was no written in their hearts
So now, when it comes to prayer, what hypocrites loved about it,
– was the attention they got when others noticed them praying
• the hypocrites used prayer to enhance their image
◦ they were not praying with the proper purpose in mind
• to be seen praying, gave them instant gratification
◦ they immediately received the reward they wanted
◦ and, in the process, forfeited any reward they could have received from God
Is it possible to offer a prayer in public and not be conscious of others who are present?
– probably not – but even then we cannot lose prayer’s essence
• and that is to be aware of God’s presence and speak directly to him
Jesus recommends a better environment for prayer
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” Matthew 6:6
Make it private and make it personal
– last week, Jesus told us when we give to charity, to do it in secret
• he gives the same instruction here
◦ but he adds something
• he uses the same phrase twice, changing only one word (in English):
“your Father who is in secret” and
“your Father who sees in secret”
– this is my greatest frustration with prayer: God’s hiddenness
• we do not live in the same dimension as God and we do not share his “nature”
◦ God’s existence transcends our existence
• so we cannot see, hear, touch, or physically approach God
◦ I assume this was also a frustration for the prophet Isaiah
(when God had made awesome promises that seemed impossible to ever fulfill)
“Truly, you are a God who hides himself,
O God of Israel, the Savior” (Isa. 45:15)
◦ God’s response to Isaiah, in essence, was
That may be so, but,
“I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
‘seek me in vain.’
I the LORD speak the truth;
I declare what is right” (Isa. 45:18-19)
– it seems to me that Moses spoke to this issue too
• he told Israel they didn’t have to go searching for God’s will
◦ it wasn’t far off, somewhere up in heaven or beyond the sea
“But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it” (De. 30:11-14; cf. Ro. 10:5-11)
Now we can understand the importance of contemplative prayer
– and why it plays an important role in the life of Reflexion
• it is one of our spiritual disciplines in seeking God
• we bring our awareness to God’s presence here and now
– when we approach our heavenly Father in prayer, we find him in secret
• and even if we don’t see him, he “who sees in secret” sees us
Jesus raises one other concern
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” Matthew 6:7-8
Already, Jesus is giving more space to prayer than he did with charity or will do with fasting
– it seems to be important to Jesus, as though he wants to help us make the most of our prayers
• Luke provides several examples of Jesus encouraging his followers to pray
• so he tells us no not be like the hypocrites, on the one hand,
◦ and not be like the Gentiles on the other
– these are two opposite ends of a religious spectrum:
• the hypocrites were obsessive about their one true faith
• Gentiles were pagans who did not know Israel’s God
◦ The New Living Translation may get us closer to the point Jesus is making:
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again”
In the past couple of years, I’ve begun to catch myself praying “empty phrases.” It’s like I have, over the years, developed prayer habits, so that I make repetitious requests without any thought or sincere attention to what I am saying. God neither desires nor deserves this nonsense.
I want to clarify two points so we hear Jesus correctly
– first, Jesus is not saying we should not pray long prayers
• there are several long prayers recorded in the Scriptures
◦ in fact, Jesus prayed a long prayer in John 17
◦ he could also spend an entire night in prayer
– second, Jesus is not saying we can never repeat a prayer
• I’ve heard some preachers say, “Faith means you ask just once”
• when Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, Matthew tells us,
“So leaving [the disciples] again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again” (Mt. 26:44)
– give as much time to pray as you feel you need
• ask and keep on asking until you receive your request, or
◦ until God lets you know you can stop asking
“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Lk. 18:1)
What Jesus does here, is correct our assumptions regarding prayer
– there are gimmicks or devices we can use to try to make prayer “work”
– Jesus wants us to know that instead of those things, we have a heavenly Father,
• and he knows our needs, but still wants us to bring them to him
Amy-Jill Levine, “The purpose of prayer is not to get God’s attention. We already have God’s attention.”
• Jesus has more to say about this later in this same chapter
Conclusion: One of my resources this time, going through the Sermon is Jonathan Pennington’s
excellent commentary
Pennington wrote that Jesus’ point here wasn’t to “provide instructions on proper mode of praying”
I would not dare to disagree with such a wise, educated and gifted scholar,
yet I feel differently about this
Since personal and private prayer is the heartbeat of our spiritual life,
we need helpful, truthful, insightful teaching to get it right
So, even if the “proper mode of praying” is not Jesus’ main point,
he is at least reporting an assumption he has regarding his view of prayer
A proper mode of prayer includes having a secret place you share with our Father,
and that, in itself, forms a special bond between you and God
Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun
Come Lord and join us today.
Some days Lord I shudder
Shaken to my depths
And I wonder how I How we
Will ever rise to the needs of this day.
How will we ever rise to truth
with both courage and grace
Even when ridiculed
Even at great cost?
How will we ever rise above our fears
Our anger
Our resentments
Our contempt?
How will we ever rise to care for the weak
The vulnerable
The needy
when hate is rewarded,
celebrated, glorified?
How will we ever rise to goodness
and gentleness
and kindness
When empathy has run dry?
How will we ever find joy
As your humble servants
Your grateful servants
when power is wielded like a hammer
Like a scythe?
Pull us near Lord
Hold us tight
Keep us close
Help us show up
Help us rise up
And do
Your work
Your way
In your love.
Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven Matthew 6:1
Intro: Peter and Andrew were knee-deep in Lake Galilee. A school of fish swam near shore, so they threw a net into water, dragging out whatever it collected. Jesus, walking the shore that morning, stopped and called to them. When they turned and looked at him, he said, “Follow me.” It was as if they were waiting for that moment, because they dropped everything to go with him. As Matthew tells the story, it was not long after they got the call that they were sitting on a nearby mountainside, listening to Jesus teaching lessons on True Righteousness and how to walk that spiritual path. They heard, first the Beatitudes, then the impossible requirement (5:20), after that Jesus ran through several examples of what the True Righteous looks like.
Now Jesus takes them to a new gate, where written on a sign hanging from it was the word “Beware.”
Verse 1 is an “introduction” to Jesus’ next lesson (that will continue to verse 18)
The message he delivers here is a warning
– back in the day we had “Driver’s Ed,” we learned about “blind spots”
• in everyday life, all of us have blind spots
◦ things we haven’t seen– and we don’t know we haven’t seen them
• after my worst mistakes, there has always come a realization:
◦ “If only I knew then what I know now”
– imagine that you and I have begun to live the Sermon as Jesus taught it
• we have a keener insight into God’s will, we’re growing in humility and integrity
◦ that’s all good – very good, in fact, but now Jesus tells us, “You have blind spots, so beware”
Having explained to us what true righteousness looks like,
– Jesus warns us about a wrong way of practicing our righteousness
• what we are doing may be good,
◦ but something in our heart or mind could sabotage it
• what Jesus addresses is a hidden motive:
“in order to be seen by others”
– this particular problem is not unique to Christians,
• but it is a temptation that’s especially easy for Christians to fall into
◦ am I a good person, or do I just want others to think I’m a good person?
◦ some believers show off how many verses they’ve memorized,
◦ or make sure that we discover how many hours they spend in prayer
• this is the key role that public relation firms play
◦ they arrange events and photo opportunities to “create an image”
◦ but an image is not an identity
The value of having a practice of righteousness is:
– first of all, there is the good it achieves in the world (blessing others)
• secondly, the progress we make in becoming good people through steady disciplines
• third, the rewards we receive from God
◦ not trophies or blue ribbons,
◦ but we are given greater opportunities, responsibilities, and resources
– no one, this side of heaven, knows the wonder of those ultimate rewards
• it might help if we realize that our entire physiological and psychological existence is shaped by internal reward systems
• if we avoid an open flame, we’re rewarded with not getting burned
◦ such lessons are encoded in the human nervous system
◦ the Bible is all about positive reinforcement
Jesus points out three activities that we’re to keep “secret”
Keeping in mind that righteousness is relational:
The first is horizontal righteousness and applies to our relationships with others
The second is a vertical righteousness and applies to our relationship with God
The third is an inner righteousness and applies to what we do out of a spiritual need
• not one of these activities is meant to call attention to itself
• the only audience is our heavenly Father
◦ in fact, Jesus stresses this specific aspect of our relationship with God
◦ he refers to God as our “heavenly Father” or “Father” ten times in these eighteen verses
The first example is charitable giving (“give to the needy”)
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you Matthew 6:2-4
Preachers will typically point out, “Jesus says when not if ”
– I would avoid saying that, except for what happened last week
• the world has been plunged into crisis, creating emergencies all over the planet
• in defunding government agencies meeting world needs,
◦ millions of people will soon be dying from starvation and disease
◦ and the majority of them will be children
– in the past, the rationale for meeting world needs has been, “America is a Christian nation”
◦ no other reason or justification was necessary
• it was not as painful to pay taxes when we knew that some of our money was feeding the hungry and providing shelter and protection for refugees
– now each one of us must ask, “What can I do?”
• there are needs that are within our means and ability to meet
• regardless of how small a gift or an action seems to be, we can find our conduit to assist others
I assume that Jesus placed this concern first for a reason
– here in Reflexion, we emphasize the “spiritual disciplines”
• ways to practice prayer and listen to God in scripture that lead to a greater awareness of his presence the here and now
• but that is not the sum total of our Christian experience
◦ in fact, spiritual disciplines serve to enhance and empower our mission in the world
◦ to reveal God’s love to others through caring for them
– let’s remind ourselves of what Jesus said about us:
“You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world . . . let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:13-16)
• he could have added, “The light is not on you, but in you”
• Paul reiterated and reinforced this when he wrote:
“For by brace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ep. 2:8-10)
◦ this is where the practice of righteousness leads
Jesus tells us how NOT to give to the needy
He tells us not to make a show of it
– again Jesus is using hyperbole to emphasize a point:
“sound no trumpet before you”
• we use a similar figure of speech: “Don’t toot your own horn”
• who does this? Jesus says this is what “the hypocrites” do
– they act like they’re doing something noble, charitable, big-hearted
• but in fact, they are drawing attention to themselves
◦ Jesus says they’re looking for praise from others
◦ we must admit, this is a powerful motive
in fact, it kept some people from following Jesus
“. . . many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (Jn. 12:42-43)
• can we be okay with only God knowing our good deeds?
We encounter more hyperbole when Jesus says,
“do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”
– again, I can imagine Jesus saying this with a smirk
• your gift is definitely secret if not even your left hand knows what your right hand is up to!
• don’t let this anonymity bother you – your gift has not gone unnoticed
“And your Father who sees in secret will reward you”
Amy-Jill Levine, “Jesus raises several questions worth considering: Do we want our names on the buildings, and if so, why? To honor ourselves? . . . We do not need, and should not even desire, public recognition; nothing could be greater, of more value, than God responding, ‘Well done.’”
Conclusion: When we have to put new tires on our cars,
Dealers often let us know they will also rotate and align them
(out of alignment: cars can pull to one side, be harder to handle, and use more fuel)
Jesus is putting our spiritual practice into alignment,
matching our inner motives to our outward actions
We’re old enough to know, that sometimes
there are wrong reasons for doing the right thing
A couple days ago, it occurred to me grace is God’s generosity;
they’re practically synonyms!
God’s way is always the right way,
and the right way is always the way of grace
Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun
Come Lord and join us here today
You Lord, you who are rich in mercy
Even when we were dead
Have made us alive
Teach us now
The work of mercy
The ways of compassion
The practice of forgiveness
The life of serving others
So our neighbor
Each, one by one, individually
Can know
Can feel
Can experience
Mercy.
Give to us a name or a face to hold with mercy
Or a prompt in the moment to be especially kind
Receptive
Gentle
Tender
And patient
So that together
Our neighbor and ourselves can know your loving care
To know your goodness in action
To know you are near
To know we are not forgotten
To know all shall be well
Tangibly
In real time
In that given moment
Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you” Matthew 5:38-42
Intro: Today we reach the end of this second part of the Sermon
But not until Jesus takes us all the way to end of the trail we’re on
– we’ve been following a theme that began with Jesus saying,
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. . . . For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 5:17-20)
• we’ve seen the heart of the Law and Prophets is relational
• Jesus will confirm this later on in Matthew’s gospel when he is tested by a lawyer
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Mt. 22:35-40)
◦ notice he makes reference to “the Law and the Prophets” again,
and he says that love for God and others is the summation of those Scriptures
– so after issuing the challenge to live a true righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,
• Jesus demonstrated what that righteousness looks like, using four examples:
◦ murder, adultery, divorce, and swearing oaths
◦ it’s not only what we do or don’t do, but it is especially what is in our hearts
• now we’re down to Jesus’ last two examples
◦ all his examples have challenged what we think we know, but
◦ his last word on this theme will be his most disturbing
“An eye for an eye”
How do you respond when you hear about a gross injustice?
– is it mildly annoying?
very frustrating?
infuriating?
• what if you’re the one who suffers the injustice?
◦ have you ever felt it so intensely that it kept you awake at night?
◦ I’ve never met a child who hasn’t cried, “That’s not fair!”
• the passionate reaction of being treated unfairly,
◦ can be so overwhelming we feel its strain physically as well as mentally
– it is a perfectly natural response to want to “get even”
• but sometimes it isn’t enough to “even the score”
◦ the imbalance requires a more severe penalty — so,
“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep” (Ex. 22:1)
◦ but this has to be tightly controlled, because if it’s left to us, restitution can turn into revenge
• a vendetta between two communities or two families,
◦ can continue in ongoing retribution after retribution over many years
The regulation Jesus quotes is found in three times in the Law
– the best way to understand it, is as setting a limit to revenge
• in fact, God says, “Vengeance is mine”
◦ for Paul, this means God takes revenge out of our hands
• so Paul says, “never avenge yourselves” (Ro. 12:19)
Amy-Jill Levine suggests that the intent of the command, “an eye for an eye” was not “physical mutilation.” She says, “Indeed, almost all rabbinic texts suggest that the formula must mean financial compensation. They get there by logic: since no two limbs and no two eyes are equal, the destruction of one could not be compensated by the destruction of another.”
– this is the first insight we need in order to appreciate what Jesus is talking about
• we know by now, that he will take us behind the command to the spirit of the Law
• he shows us what the Law was meant to work within us, what it was to make us
◦ Jesus is telling us, “You don’t have to get even; you can travel a higher road”
In case you forgot, each example Jesus gives follows a pattern:
1. Jesus begins with a quotation, “You have heard that it was said”
2. He then presents his alternative, “But I say to you”
3. Then he provides an illustration of what that looks like
– here, his illustrations are outrageous
• but we’ve already come across outrageous illustrations,
◦ like, tear out your eye and cut off your hand
• I believe we’re to handle these rules of responding to an offence in the same way
Last week I explained how the Bible sometimes uses hyperbole
– exaggerations that are not meant to be taken literally
• that is what Jesus is doing here
• he exaggerates to intensify the impact of the point he is making!
From My personal meditations on scripture: If someone slaps me in the face, it may take great self-control to not slap back, but what is the point of offering my other cheek as if saying, “Here you go, slap me again”? Am I supposed to offer myself to the abuser for more of the same? How does it help? Does it resolve the problem? Would that please God? Well, it might please him more than if I were to take revenge. [At this point I got distracted by asking myself, “Why do we say ‘take’ revenge?”] Is turning the other cheek truly what our Father wants?
Anyway, if I’m insulted what would be the appropriate response of love? What would be an extreme example of that response? Perhaps Jesus is saying, better to error on the side of not reacting in kind than proliferate antagonism, animosity, and aggression.
I need more wisdom, more light on this passage. For now, I do believe Jesus is using hyperbole and perhaps even almost comically, (exaggeration is sometimes comical).
– it’s my opinion that at times Jesus intentionally used comical exaggerations
“If asked for your coat, give your undergarment too, and then hurry home because now you’re naked”
• I think his listeners most likely smiled – but got the point
• verse 42 is more along the lines of a realistic response
◦ give to the beggar, loan to the borrow
Another personal meditation: I believe Jesus wants to mold each disciple into a certain kind of person, from the inside out. In this specific example, he is illustrating the generous heart he wants each one of us to have.
“You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” Matthew 5:43-47
The “love your neighbor” is a real commandment
– “hate your enemy” is the liberty we take after we’ve done our duty to love
• this is pretty much normal human behavior
◦ in fact, it’s exactly how many Christians currently operate
• Jesus repeats two ideas we found in the Beatitudes:
◦ first, how the blessed person responds to persecution
◦◦ only this time he goes beyond rejoicing in anonymous persecution
◦◦ now we’re to love and pray for our actual persecutors
◦ second, the peacemakers will also be called “sons of God”
(here a specific identifier, “sons of your Father who is in heaven”)
◦◦ the Greek word “sons” includes daughters
◦◦ the point is that there is a family resemblance
these children of the Father behave in a way that is characteristic of God
– “For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good”
• the Greek word for evil is notoriously tricky to translate
v. 37, ponerou – v. 39, ponero – v. 45, ponerous
◦ it can mean sexual immorality, hardship, being overworked, pressured, diseased, wicked, and an evil person
◦ here it refers to the person who wrongs you
We find the command to love our neighbor as self in Leviticus 19:18
– in that context, it means others in the Israelite community
• but later in the same chapter is something we don’t often hear
“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself . . .” (Lev. 19:34)
• did you know that?
◦ we are to love the stranger who comes into our land as we love ourselves!
– if I were God, I would water the yards of all my children,
• and dry out the yards of the heathen
◦ I would discriminate in the ways I delivered my sunshine and rain
• that’s exactly the attitude when religion has gone bad
◦ like a baker who refuses to provide a cake for a gay couple
◦ we’re not God, so we’re not supposed to make discriminations he does not make
When Jesus says when we love only those who love us, we remember:
• that tax collectors were unpopular (associated with sinners, as in Matthew 9:10)
• and Gentiles were unacceptable to God, because they lived outside his covenant with Israel
– Jesus is asking, “What’s so special about your love?”
• “Do you expect a reward for loving only those who love you?”
◦ the implied answer is that there will be no reward for the love that does not go beyond one’s family, friends, and associates
(rewards will be a central theme in the passages that follow)
And now Jesus drops the bomb
“You therefore must be perfect, as you heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5:48
“Perfect” translates a word I told you about last week: teleios
– it means complete, whole, a perfect fit
Jonathan Pennington, “To say that disciples must be teleios as God is teleios is to say that they must be whole or virtuous—singular in who they are—not one thing on the outside but another on the inside.”
– I think about integrity a lot – I admire people who have it
• I trust those people
• they live the truth of who they are – that is beautiful
Conclusion: I will leave you with these lines from Psalm 15
“O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart (Ps. 15:1-2)
When the truth of our hearts, matches the truth all that we say and do,
we are living the Sermon On the Mount,
and becoming the people Jesus wants us to be
Welcome and Introduction: Jim Calhoun
Come Lord join us here today
Tomorrow the powers that run this world will be Rearranged
Reallotted
Taken away
Surrendered
Divvied up
Handed down
And there will be upsets
And disasters
And victories unexpected
And the world in its way will keep spinning
And changing
And staying just as we know it
All at the same time
Some among us tremble in expectation
While others may tremble with dread
Each of us looking forward
Whether in anticipation or apprehension
Recognizing this kingdom isn’t your kingdom
That we are visitors
Called to serve in love
Our lives living sacrifices
Show us what you will have us do
And let our lives be overflowing with your love
With patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness
And full of peace and faith and joy as we go along
Following the path you have made for us
Keeping focused on you through all the
Strife and celebrations
Dirty deals and back stabbings
And distractions, misdirection and disappointments
Comeuppances and hopes fulfilled and victories won
Staying true to you
In word and deed
In body and spirit
Come what may
No turning back
No turning back
Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell” Matthew 5:27-30
Intro: There’s a fateful story in the Bible that begins like this:
It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (2 Sam. 11:2-4)
This afternoon fling would result in a series of tragedies for David–it’s a sad tale that follows
– the Old Testament Scriptures openly address sexual misconduct, and,
“You shall not commit adultery,”
• is the first of a number of laws related to sexual sins
◦ other references appear in Job and especially the Proverbs,
◦ where young men are warned to avoid loose women
Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes (Pr. 6:25)
◦ in the prophets, the focus shifts to God and his adulterous wife Israel,
and some of the references there are explicit
• the New Testament, mostly, is more reserved in its depictions of sex,
◦ but equally clear regarding violating the lines God has drawn
– Jesus isn’t adding something new to the Law
• he is quoting and emphasizing what’s already there
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s” (Ex. 20:17)
◦ The Greek translation of the Old Testament word for covet is the word Matthew uses here, “lust”
• imagining an affair isn’t the same as having an affair
◦ but the point is, if the desire is in my heart and my imagination,
◦ then it’s part of me and therefore has a role in defining who I am
So Jesus is making a course correction in how they interpret Law
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’”
They’d heard that much of the command, but stopped there!
– people considered themselves righteous if didn’t commit adultery
• but to Jesus, that was an inferior righteousness
◦ and, as such, a righteousness his disciple-students were to “exceed”
• Jesus was centering in on the heart
(of the six examples Jesus gives, this is the only one where the word “heart” appears, so it is important especially for that reason. Also, in this sense, “heart” represents the total inner person, including mind and emotions)
◦ Jesus told the Pharisees,
“You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts” (Lk. 16:15)
◦ it’s not enough to look like I’m a good person, I must be a good person
– this connects with the Beatitude, Blessed are the pure in heart
• purity is free from contamination
◦ it’s not one-half something and one-half another thing
◦ it’s not even 99% something and 1% something else
• purity is wholeness – for instance, pure love for God is
◦ loving the Lord your God with all your heart
◦ all through Bible, “the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7; cf. 1 Ki. 8:39; Ps. 44:21; Jer. 11:20; etc.)
Jesus is teaching his disciple-students about integrity
– the last verse of this chapter has often shocked and confused Bible readers
“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”
• “perfect” translates teleios – a project that has been completed
◦ Jesus, from the cross used a cognate of teleios, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30)
• here in the Sermon, Jesus integrates the heart and body
◦ the complete person–internal and external
– the emphasis in all six examples of “true righteousness” is integrity
• the root of integrity is “integer” – one whole number – integrity is oneness
◦ think of Jesus’ statements regarding “one thing” (Mk. 10:21; Lk. 10:41-42)
• Jesus informs us that righteousness is the trait of one whole person
◦ the inside matches the outside
Jonathan Pennington, these examples “reveal the true depth of the matter. They are a strong push against the human tendency to focus on external actions and make godliness a matter of appropriate behavior regardless of the heart’s intent.”
Last week I explained that these six examples make the same point
And they all share the same pattern, so once we see the pattern,
• we can move through the examples quickly
• however, there are some things that require explanation
◦ and explanation is especially necessary here
“If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away”
First, the eye and hand refer not to the organ or limb, but represent sight and action, seeing and doing
– Jesus is stressing the necessity of working on the inner person
• the kingdom of God works from the inside out
◦ amputating a literal body part would not change the heart
• so that’s the first thing to recognize regarding removing the “right eye” – it’s a figure of speech
◦ Paul also makes metaphorical reference to our “members” (body parts) in Romans 6 and 7
◦ besides, there’s still the left eye!
Second, the average Christian gets confused and frustrated with the Bible
– and that’s because our tendency is to read it literally (like a text book)
• biblical Hebrew has a small vocabulary (much fewer words than modern Hebrew or the English language we speak)
◦ so biblical Hebrew makes up the deficit with word pictures and metaphors
◦ for instance, it exaggerates numbers (the polite expression is not exaggerate, but hyperbole)
Robert Alter, “. . . ancient literature (Greek as well as Hebrew) has little notion of numerical accuracy in the way it conjures with numbers.”
◦ their concern was not literalness, but making an impression (like when someone says, “gazillion”)
• so here, Jesus is using figurative language to make a strong impact
◦ he knows we’re going to struggle with taming our hearts
◦ so he uses a radical analogy to stress the importance of applying ourselves to the challenge
Another related issue comes next
“It is also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery Matthew 5:31-32
What I hear Jesus saying is, divorce is always wrong when:
– a person divorces their spouse in order to be with someone else
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” (Mk. 10:11-12)
• this is not everything Jesus has to say on this topic
◦ he gives a fuller teaching in Matthew 19
◦ and we need to study that to appreciate his position on divorce
• but it’s worthwhile to note that even his disciples struggled with it
“If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry” (Mt. 19:10)
– this passage is not the entire New Testament teaching on divorce
• Paul releases the believing spouse from hanging onto an unbelieving spouse who wants divorce (1 Cor. 7:15)
◦ we would want to include instances of domestic abuse and so on
• in our time, we must be really sensitive to these issues
Amy-Jill Levine, “Far too many people have been trapped in loveless or abusive marriages because of a narrow reading of Gospel passages. The message of the text [in 1 Corinthians 7:15] is one of peace, not war; it speaks of the Christian home as the model of the love between Christ and the church.”
The next example is also relevant, having to do with keeping our commitments
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil” Matthew 5:33-37
The Bible doesn’t say anything about wedding vows,
– but they’re appropriate to the commitment required to keep a marriage together
• the Lord’s concern is about swearing an oath
• regarding swearing, we tend to confuse three separate activities:
First, we mistake taking God’s name in vain with everyday cussing
– that’s not what the commandment means
• using God’s name when cussing or cursing is “blasphemy” which is obviously forbidden
Second, what the commandment forbids is using God’s name to support a lie
– it was common to call on God (or a god) as a witness in business, trade and treaties
• people still do this all the time, though with less weight
“I swear to God, it’s the truth”
• the commandment is against swearing by God, to bolster a lie
◦ that’s what it is here in verse 33, to “swear falsely”
Third, there was the swearing a vow (oath-taking)
– a promise to give God something or to do something for God
• rules for it are found in Leviticus chapter 27 and Numbers chapter 30
◦ people would sometimes do this as an act of special devotion to God (e.g., the Nazirite Vow)
• it was often used in a somewhat mercenary way:
“Lord, if you do this for me, I’ll repay you with a sacrifice and public praise”
“I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you” (Ps. 56:12)
My meditation: Oaths and vows (like signed contracts and promissory notes) seem a necessity simply because we know human society is corrupt and we can’t trust each other. Jesus wants us to be different from our society. He wants us to be true; true to ourselves, true to God, true to others, true to what is; to live the truth so that no word we speak ever needs an oath to guarantee it. This doesn’t apply to judicial requirements, but to us volunteering an oath to convince another person we’re telling the truth. The scribes and Pharisees had made swearing a fine art of telling lies while swearing you are telling the truth (Mt. 23:16-22).
– that’s what Jesus meant by the scribes and Pharisees’ inferior righteousness
• the misuse of swearing vows was a way of working around the intent of the Law
Pennington, “The external matter of vow making is but an illustration of the real issue, being people of integrity, singleness, or wholeness in our speech, actions and intentions.”
Conclusion: Jesus did not intend to make us feel bad about ourselves
Perhaps he wanted to shake some people up so they would take him seriously
But his goal with us is to work a transformation
This is not something we can do on our own
But we can cooperate
Try to keep that in mind this week,
because that’s where God’s grace will meet you
Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun
Come Lord join us here this morning
In the back of our minds we know that all of our work can go down the drain
or up in smoke.
It can happen in the blink of an eye
or with a moment’s notice
or with no notice at all.
We know this can happen,
but live,
most of the time denying it is so.
We hold our lives,
our work and our dreams as given,
immutable, rock solid until they aren’t.
And just now they aren’t.
So many chased out of their homes
By winds and flames
And so many,
With only ashes and smoke
Where there was once a home
And so many now numb
Dumbstruck
Beat down
Overwhelmed
Angry
Resentful
Broken
Afraid of drowning in it all
Afraid to let it out
Or to hold it in
Afraid it is a very bad dream
A bad joke
And devastated, that it is all too real
We know in time
the winds will die down
Every cinder will stop glowing
And the long hard work of putting lives back together will begin
We pray for our family and friends
We pray for our neighbors who just by happenstance live in a different neighborhood
On different streets than we do
Who have lost it all.
We pray they have safe housing, food, and clothing
We pray they remained employed through all of this
We pray they receive kindness, patience, and understanding
from family, friends and strangers
We pray that they get the mental health help they need in the wake of this trauma
We pray they find guides to help them navigate the systems meant to help them
The governmental, the bureaucratic and the maze of insurance
We pray each community, each church, each family, each person will be able to rebuild their lives and thrive
We are thankful for the fortitude and determination
and training of those fighting the fires
And thankful for those attending to the needs of those out of their homes
We ask every blessing be granted to them
For those of us who are safe
out of destruction’s path
we ask that our gratitude be deepened
That our generosity be expanded to a fault
that we treat each moment of life as a gift
An opportunity for loving
And we know
Somewhere in the back of our minds that
All shall be well
And even in life’s catastrophes
Even in our overwhelm
Even in our deepest sorrows
You are with us
Bringing us along
Our rock
Our fortress
Our hope
Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the [fiery Gehenna]” Matthew 5:21-22
Intro: You know the directory in the mall, with the little star that reads, “You are here”?
Well, let’s figure out where we are in Jesus’ Sermon
– we’ve been through the Beatitudes
• we’ve made the transition from Jesus’ closing remarks to his declaration that he had not come
“to abolish the Law or the Prophets,”
• but to empower them so they do in our lives what they’re meant to do;
◦ and that is to turn human hearts toward God
Then he made that terrifying demand:
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”
– rigid obedience to minute details of the Law was the trademark of the scribes and Pharisees
• but Jesus didn’t mean we must be more rigid or rule-based than they were
– Jesus is teaching us a new way to read the Law – his correct way
• following Jesus, Paul made a radical statement regarding circumcision
(a badge of God’s covenant with Abraham that confirmed the identity of his offspring)
“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter [of the Law]” (Ro. 2:28-29)
(this idea was appeared first in Deuteronomy [the Law] and Jeremiah [the Prophets]; De. 30:6 and Jer. 4:4)
◦ a little later Paul writes:
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it–the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe (Ro. 3:21-22)
• Jesus was not teaching a greater religiosity,
◦ but what Jonathan Pennington refers to as “a greater righteousness”
◦ and Amy-Jill Levine, “a higher righteousness”
I see three important characteristics of Jesus’ “true righteousness”
First of all, it is relational – every command is rooted in love
Second, it doesn’t focuses on the surface of the Law, but the spirit of the Law
Third, the work it does is not on surface of our lives, but in our hearts
• what the Law and Prophets produce is a whole person–undivided–,
• where our external behavior matches our hearts’ commitments
As we move into the passage we’re covering this morning, we could begin, “For example”
Six times, Jesus shows us how he interprets the spirit of the Law
– he arranged all of these according to the same design
• Jesus begins, “You have heard that it was said” or “that it was written”
• next, he says, “But I say to you”
• then he provides at least one practical application
◦ the only example that lacks an application is the one on divorce
◦ there the application is obvious
Jesus’ first example, “You shall not murder”
What usually happens when we read these verses,
– is we immediately react to specific words and miss the point
• so let’s look closely at the big picture
◦ if all we have to do is obey the letter of the law,
◦ then it doesn’t matter what is in our hearts
• that’s the mistake Jesus wants to correct
◦ my heart matters, because it determines the kind of person I am
– having never murdered anyone does not make me a good person
• Jesus gives a good deal of space to clear up this issue
◦ it was a concern and goal of the Law and the Prophets
• the Law isn’t about setting boundaries and punishing bad behavior
◦ it’s about making us good people, inside and out
◦ righteous people, who love God and love others
Jesus takes us into what the Law says on the surface to its deeper message
– it’s clear the Law prohibits murder – it’s a “punishable offense”
• but Jesus says that anger is also a punishable offense
• then it seems like he is stepping up degrees of anger,
◦ and also stepping up the punishment:
◦ from being cited, to taken to court (Sanhedrin), to fires of Gehenna
(Gehenna was a valley outside the walls of Jerusalem where rubbish was burned and always smoldering – obviously an “unclean” place that became a symbol of extreme punishment)
– what I think Jesus is saying us that unresolved anger intensifies
• if you hold onto anger it mutates and increases
• murder is just one expression of it
◦ but you can do a lot of damage to another person before it comes to murder
Amy-Jill Levine, “Jesus sees connections between murder and insult, death and name-calling. He’s right. We’ve heard that ‘Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me,” but the saying is wrong. Names hurt. Names kill. In our call-out culture, children are cyberbullied to death; people take their lives because of the barrage of insults. Names kill. Jesus was right: if we would only listen to him.”
Anger is a normal, natural, and automatic emotion (everyone gets angry)
– at times, and in specific instances, anger is appropriate
And [Jesus] looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart . . . (Mk. 3:5)
• of course, not all anger is appropriate
◦ in fact, it is almost always the wrong response to frustration, noisy neighbors (or children), and traffic
• like other negative reactions and emotions,
◦ anger has to be managed or controlled
◦ it’s energy can be useful, but we can’t hold onto it
– anger is always wrong if it settles into a permanent state
• if it becomes habitual or a personality trait
◦ if anger settles in our hearts as resentment, it festers
• some people choose to live with compromised health,
◦ physically and mentally, rather than let go of resentment
◦ remember, Jesus is trying to clean out our hearts
We cannot always forgive – or let go of our anger by ourselves
– but we can always turn to God for assistance
• what Jesus wants to emphasize, is what we carry inside
– in Matthew chapter 15, Jesus is asked a question regarding hand washing
• in answering, he moves from the hands to the heart,
◦ from the external to the internal,
• then he dives deep into the heart, exploring what’s there
◦ Jesus’ diagnosis of the human condition is that,
◦ all of us have heart problems
Jesus presents a case that shows how to diffuse anger
“So if you are offering you gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” Matthew 5:23-24
The assumption is that you have wronged someone
– if that’s the case, Jesus says you can fix it (or at least take a first step)
• you can go to that person and offer to repair the relationship
• it may be up to you to begin the process of reconciliation
◦ it may be within your power to make things right
◦ however, you’re not responsible for other person’s response
– there may be other times when you have been wronged
• if another person comes to us seeking reconciliation,
◦ we have the opportunity and obligation to forgive
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Mt 18:21-22)
• there Jesus emphasizes forgiving others “from your heart” (Mt. 18:35)
◦ which is the whole point
◦ this is the path to spiritual wholeness and healthiness
Jesus presents a second case where this applies
“Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny” Matthew 5:25-26
This instance is very different from the first one and more difficult!
– this time the problem is not with a brother, but your “accuser”
• this could be with anyone, even a stranger
• Jesus isn’t giving us legal advice,
◦ but he’s telling us to quickly resolve interpersonal conflicts
◦ he’s saying, “Don’t escalate the disagreement. Don’t let it go all the way to court”
Conclusion: Going through these verses, it occurred to me,
If the Sermon On the Mount were all we had of Jesus’ teaching;
– if there were no Gospel of Matthew, or the other gospels, or the New Testament,
• the Sermon would be enough
◦ enough to know God, his kingdom, and his will for us
Amy-Jill Levine, “It is impossible to sustain the sense of the kingdom’s presence. Stuff gets in the way. Life gets in the way. Failing bodies get in the way. We can’t be perfect all the time. These moments of doubt, frustration, jealousy, greed, or despair are not failures or disappointments; they are opportunities.”
Taking Jesus’ sermon into our hearts,
brings us closer to what’s in God’s heart
If more people,
if more Christians,
actually lived the Sermon,
it would change the world
Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun
Come Lord and join us here today.
Gather us together.
When justice fades along with our hopes
Gather us together
When mercy seems distant and foreign and lost and forgotten
Gather us together
When kindness and respect Gentleness and civility
Retreat and feel like old worn memories
Gather us together
When arrogance and pride overwhelm us
And schemes of disregard win the day
Gather us together
When love is focused on things and money
And people are used and misused and torn
Gather us together
Gather us together, Lord
Where you are
Where we can hear your voice
Where our hearts can be healed
Where you make things whole again
Gather us together, Lord, and restore our hope
Reignite our love Rekindle our imaginations
Repair our relationships
Gather us together Lord and give us a song to sing
Fill us with praise for all you do
In our lives day after day
Bring us to worship
In word and deed
Body and soul
Hearts full to overflowing
Amen
Morning Talk: Scotty Smith
Approaching 2025, I found myself struggling with hope for the new year
– I think of myself as an optimist
• for instance, Divorce equals two Christmases and two birthdays
– but today’s world looks grim
• vicious election cycle, out of control inflation, wars, many tragedies, etc.
• I have been searching for hope
Reading through the Scriptures, I came across Paul’s letter to the Romans
– he wrote to a start-up church that he had never visited
• it was a church divided–not unlike our nation and even churches in our nation today
• what caught my attention, was his message to them about a future glory
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans Romans 8:18-26
Paul acknowledges our present suffering, our frustration, and bondage to decay
– these are related to our material situations and circumstances
• that is always where hopelessness is rooted
◦ and there is no denying them
◦ consider the person writing this letter; he experienced a great deal of real suffering
◦ that fact adds power to his words
• our hope lies in liberation from these material concerns
– Paul writes about a hope that is unique to believers
• our salvation in Jesus sets us apart
• he points out, that even though we already have the fruit of the Spirit,
◦ inwardly, we groan as we wait for the fulfillment of God’s work
Really? Even with love, patience, kindness, we still groan inwardly?
Paul explains, “Who hopes for what they already have?”
– when children see their wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree, they have hope
• hope for the special surprise that is hidden from them
• but as soon as the gift is opened, the hope is gone — it is fulfilled
– to me, the fruit of the Spirit is like a sneak peek of heaven
• the fulfillment of our hope
• if life were without challenges or suffering, if it were all ease and fun,
◦ there would be no need or purpose for hope
◦ in fact, that kind of life sounds a lot like heaven
Hope is built into our Christian character
C. S. Lewis described hope as a “theological virtue” that is “not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian life is meant to do.”
Verse 26 has become one of the most comforting promises for me
– there are times I certainly do not know what I “ought to pray for”
• this verse is like giving a hug to someone who is grieving when words cannot bring comfort
◦ it reminds me of the “Footprints In the Sand Poem”
(There are several different versions of this, but the one that speaks to me is when walking with Jesus along a shore, I look back and see two sets of footprints, but in some places there’s only one set. I turn and complain to Jesus, “Why weren’t You there for me?!” His reply, “Those were the times when I carried you.”)
Henry Alford, “. . . the Spirit also helps our weakness; not helps us to bear our weakness, as if the weakness were the burden, which the Spirt lifts for us and with us, but helps our weakness, us who are weak, to bear the burden.”
• the Spirit bolsters our hope
◦ I believe the next section of scripture can have a similar effect
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered” Romans 8:28-36
Paul faced those very threats he lists
– but he knew was it was to receive from God through Jesus “all things”
William Barclay, “That, to Paul . . . life was an eager anticipation of a liberation, a renovation, and a re-creation wrought by the glory and the power of God.”
• I see this hope also as a fuel for Paul in his ministry of spreading the good news
Story time
When my daughters, Addison and Adrianna, were very small we enjoyed a day at Disneyland. I borrowed a friend’s car to make the trip to Anaheim, but before leaving his house he warned me, “The gas gage doesn’t work, so you might want to fuel up before you get on the Freeway.” Being excited to get to the park right away, I skipped his advice. We went on every ride we could fit into the time available to us, so we did not get back on the road until midnight.
Anaheim boasts being home to “the happiest place on earth,” but Southern Californians know there is a dark side to the city where gangs roam and thugs threaten the safety and lives of others. We were driving through one of those dark areas when we ran out of gas. Fortunately, I could see a gas station down the road. I left the girls in the car with their mom, and walked to the gas station, then headed back with a can of gas in my hand.
I came to an intersection where I had to cross to the other side of the street. I could see two guys on the opposite corner, waiting for the “walk” sign to cross to my side. We would cross paths in the middle of the street. I kept my eyes on them as they came toward me, expecting them to look up. Both were wearing hoodies that covered their faces, kept their heads down, and had their hands in their pockets. I was beginning to feel like this was a weird situation. Now I was looking at them closely, and as they passed by me they began to pull their hands out of their pockets, and they were both wearing latex gloves and in their hands was something metallic–like maybe a metal club or bat. Immediately, I turned and ran. Then they began running after me.
I stayed in the street, running against traffic hoping that one of the drivers would stop and help me. No one did. The two men were also swerving between cars, trying to close the distance between us. I ran faster when there was a lull in the traffic until I was dodging cars once again. When I looked back, they had given up the chase and were running in the opposite direction.
Returning to the car, I quickly refueled, and we were back on the road safe and sound. As soon as my heart slowed enough for me to think semi-clearly, I asked God, “What was that about?” It was one of those times when God was not quiet. What he said to me was, “I’m not finished with you yet.” All I could say was, “Okay.”
Running out of fuel can be dangerous
– running out of hope can also be dangerous
– our sense of hope can be challenged by tragic events, disappointments, loss, confusion, and so on
• by the time Paul wrote the Romans, he was no stranger to suffering and persecution
◦ the very things that can cause our level of hope fuel to run low
◦ but Paul saw his suffering as an opportunity to bring glory to God
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 8:37-39 (through HIM who loved US)
Oswald Chambers, “These things can and do come in between the devotional exercises of the soul and God, and separate individual life from God; but none of them is able to wedge in between the love of God and the soul of the saint.”
This raises the question, “Why do we suffer if God loves us?”
Is it to glorify God?
To create a contrast between the blessings of heaven and hardness of life on earth now?
To test our faith?
Tribulation is difficult, and I always want to understand the “why” of my suffering
– turning to the Bible’s Wisdom Literature (Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes) I learn:
From Proverbs: God is just. He rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked
From Ecclesiastes: Good is not always rewarded and evil is not always punishment. Everything is meaningless
From Job: The most blameless man gets the worst treatment imaginable
• naturally, Job demands answers from God
◦ God presented him with many of the wonders of his creation and all the operations he oversees
• Job’s response is truly inspired:
“I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes” Job 42:2-6
We won’t always understand what is going on
– some things are “too wonderful for us” (above our pay grade)
• I did not understand why God told me he was not finished with me yet
◦ and it didn’t matter
◦ like Job, the encounter with God was enough to satisfy my soul
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus Philippians 4:7
Conclusion: How are you going to walk in hope in 2025?
How are you going to refuel your hope?
Through sharing the good news with others, like Paul?
Is there something you need to surrender?
Will you bask in eager expectation of heaven, the fulfillment of all hope and joy?
When I look back on my life from here,
I can see where God was present–during my trials and tribulations
So that’s my plan for this year;
to be more aware of God’s presence,
and to pay more attention to the glimmer of heaven sprinkled throughout each day
I will leave you with this Benediction, again from Romans:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun
Come Lord join us here today.
Thank you Lord
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you for a year of goodness
For a year of tender care
For a year of abiding patience
Thank you for your unending love
Your constant presence (as a simple matter of fact)
Whether we could perceive it or not
And for the drips and drops
The nudges and pokes
To help us know you are near
Thank you for the stumbles on the path
The false starts
The brick walls
That had us calling out your name
First in frustration or fear
But in time with affection
It is more difficult to thank you for
Our disappointments
Our losses
Our failures
Our loneliness and isolation
And even more so for
Our need to grow
To step into the next thing you have for us
To take full advantage of an unexpected opportunity
To heal our deepest wounds
Because we are afraid
Afraid we will lose who we are today
Afraid that we won’t be able to rise to the challenge
Afraid that everything we know will collapse
Afraid that we will be judged and discarded
Again
But Lord, even for our need to grow and our need to heal we thank you
Trusting you will hold us
Lift us up
Carry us along
And take us through
Even if we freeze
Even when we turn back
Even if we fight you
Even if we must start again again
So we thank you for all the fresh starts and second chances
For the third chances
And all the times we get to try again
For the grace of living life in you
For the seven times seventy you grant us
Because this is what we need as humans
Frail, flawed and finite
Dependent upon you
Wholly
Gladly
Thankfully
Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them Matthew 5:17
Intro: We need to know where we are in Jesus’ Sermon
Verses 17-20 are the heart of the Sermon (perhaps the heart of the entire Bible)
– these verses hold the key to interpreting the rest of Sermon
• unfortunately, many Christians read this passage, but don’t understand it
– speculations have resulted in some big errors:
• one, is that Jesus and St. Paul were not on the same page
◦ i.e., Jesus taught we’re made righteous by the Law
◦ Paul insisted we’re righteous by faith, and not works of the Law
• another error: the Sermon was meant for a Jewish audience not for Christian disciples
◦ because of this kind of misreading and faulty interpretation, it’s really important that we get this right
I want to give you a layout of the terrain we’re going to cover
Jesus reveals two big ideas in verses 17 and 20
– in between those verses, Jesus drives home the first big idea
• his emphasis is so strong, it sounds like he’s exaggerating
◦ v. 18 stresses the permanence of the smallest details of Law
◦ v. 19 addresses the way people treat Law–and the consequences of their actions
• then, in verse 20, Jesus drives home his second big idea
◦ it would have sounded to his disciples even more preposterous than the first
– after these big ideas, Jesus illustrates them with six examples
V. 17, Jesus begins with a caveat and a shocking surprise
A surprise, because we’ve heard that Christians aren’t under the Old Testament Law
– Paul, writing to the Romans (and to the Galatians, who had disappointed him in this regard)
For by works of the law no human being will be [made righteous] in [God’s] sight (Ro. 3:20)
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Ro. 10:4)
• ever since the Reformation, this has been stressed so strongly
◦ that it has become the key doctrine of salvation for many believers
– being grounded in this belief, we’re shocked by what Jesus says
• “Do not think I have come to abolish the law”
◦ Do not suppose or imagine – Do not draw this conclusion
• this does make sense when you consider that Jesus is Son of the Father, who delivered his Law to humankind
◦ he also ties the Law in with “the Prophets”
(which between the two of them often stand for the entire Old Testament)
◦ after his resurrection, Jesus told his disciples
“. . . everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Lk. 24:44)
– “fulfill” is same word he used here in Matthew 5:17
Amy-Jill Levine, “When Jesus speaks of ‘fulfilling’ the Torah, he signals that he is drawing out its full implications.”
• Matthew is fond of this word “fulfill” and its significance
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet” (Mt. 1:22; the same, or a similar phrase appears also in Mt. 2:15, 17, 23; & 4:14)
What “fulfills” the Law and Prophets?
Something we’ll come to later in the Sermon gives us a clue
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Mt. 7:12)
◦ then Jesus totally gives it away in the last week of his public ministry (Mt. 22:34-40!)
• how I understand the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets:
◦ it has to do with the power of God’s word (demonstrated on Mt. Sinai and in the visions and oracles of the prophets)
◦ there’ a spiritual potential in all God commands and promises
◦ Jesus actualizes, or releases that potential
he brings God’s word to its fullness in the lives of his disciples
Even though Paul was correct regarding the Law; i.e., that it can’t make us right with God,
– the Law is still is a vital and valuable revelation and also a connection with God
• but even more important is it’s fundamental significance
◦ it was never about making people perfectly obedient slaves,
◦ but it represented the formation of a bond with God
• in normal course of human affairs, people made agreements
◦ relationships were built on those agreements
◦ this involved a formal process in which they swore loyalty to each other
– the most intimate bond was the marriage covenant
• that is the significance of the Law
◦ it was Israel’s sworn covenant with God
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples (Ex. 19:5)
And [Moses] wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments (Ex. 34:28)
• this is the first indication that the Law is primarily relational
Jonathan Pennington, “This [view of the Law] is a far cry from the images of dusty old law books, large marble-filled rooms, and powerful judges standing coldly and objectively over us as we sit fearful in a box awaiting sentencing. Tora is covenantal and relational.”
Vv. 18-19, Jesus takes us deeper into the surprise
First (v. 18), the Law is here for the entire duration of the universe
– reading through the Law, some of it is obviously irrelevant
(when was the last time you saw your enemy’s ox stuck in a ditch?)
• but though the particular situations don’t fit our context,
◦ there are general principles behind them that do
◦ so we can still find relevant applications
• to make certain we do not shrug off chunks of the Law, Jesus adds,
“not an iota, not a dot will pass from the Law until all is accomplished”
◦ we would say, every ‘t’ is crossed and ‘I’ is dotted
– “until all is accomplished” – or all his come into being
• “accomplished” signifies the same thing as “fulfilled,” simply from a different point of view
• honing in on the smallest details of the Law adds force to the point Jesus is making
Secondly (v. 19), there is no tension between the Law and the kingdom of God
– God’s faithful teacher will not avoid or disrespect the Law
• one thing is certain: the Law was adored by spiritual souls we encounter in the Hebrew Scriptures
“O how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97)
• we don’t have time to look into their great affection for it, but many instances occur in the Psalms
V. 20 provides the key to interpreting these four verses
This would have struck terror into hearts of those who heard it
Jonathan Pennington, “On the one hand this is shockingly bad news, because in Jesus’ day the scribes and the Pharisees were the righteous untouchables who were obviously far superior in righteousness to the mere masses.”
– but we have to immediately discard this reaction
• Jesus is not putting us in a piety competition of with the scribes and Pharisees
◦ he is not saying we must work harder to obey the letter of law
• it is not a matter of volume (how many commandments are you faithfully obeying) but of essence
◦ Jesus is not saying, “You must be more religious, more devout, more intense or passionate than the scribes and Pharisees”
◦ He is saying, “You must go about this differently from how they observe the Law”
– what was the problem with righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees?
• we find out all through Matthew in Jesus’ conflict with them,
and then Jesus provides us list of their failures in chapter 23; for instance,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness” (Mt. 23:23)
(a significant contrast between law keeping in minutia, while neglecting the truly important broad strokes of the law)
• the Scribes and Pharisees missed the spirit of the Law, the true heart of the Law, and the heart of the Law is everything
◦ they missed the forest for the trees
– what Jesus illustrates is that the law is relational
• the scribes and Pharisees treated it as if it were moral
• what happens when we treat the Law as a moral code?
◦ we become fixated on ourselves!
“How am I doing? Have I broken a commandment recently?”
◦ we have less love or concern for others
◦ and we tend to become judgmental and treat others as being inferior to ourselves
– Mark gives us an insight into the Pharisee’s type of righteous
“For the Pharisees . . . do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, the do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe . . . .” (Mk. 7:3-4)
• these are all add-ons that are not found in the law, but in the tradition embraced by the Pharisees
My med: A few weeks ago, while reading Mt. 12:1-8, I had this thought: “Whatever a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees means, it is not a more meticulous adherence to the letter of the law. This is proven when Jesus argues from the case of human need and compassion, demonstrating that specific stipulations of the law can be overridden in certain cases. It seems the question that determines the case, is this: What action best fulfills the spirit of the law, which is love for God and love for others. AND, it is here in verse 14 that the Pharisees show their true colors in conspiring to destroy Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath. That is why (and in what way) their concept and practice of righteousness must be surpassed.”
• Paul cuts to the chase by declaring, “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Ro. 13:8-11)
• this is the essence of the “new covenant” (cf. Hebrews chapters 8-9)
◦ God gets his Law written inside of us and not merely to us
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer. 31:31-33)
◦ the Law is fulfilled in our lives, when the spirit of it is written in our hearts
Conclusion: Many Christians practice the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees
They go to church, pray, read their Bibles (infrequently), tithe, and they may attempt to live virtuous lives and convert others
The law of love, however, is much more challenging
(We will see this when we get to verse 44, where Jesus says, love your enemies! )
We might want to begin this way of fulfilling the Law by admitting that we’re broken
The world is hard on people – but then, so is the Church – and so are many families
We love imperfectly – sparingly – prejudicially
We are broken, but there is healing – in the love of Jesus
Receiving his love, love for God is birthed in our hearts,
and love for our neighbor as well
And THAT is what fulfills the Law!
Daily Meditations From the Scriptures