The Master Teacher-Don't be a Hater!- Matthew 5:21-26

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am

the Lord. Lev. 19:18

Church! Have we become a group of haters? Are we so caught up in what we aren’t that we have forgotten what we are? We are the bride of Christ. When we picture a bride on her wedding day I would hope we don’t see a bridezilla, but a lovely young woman, who is the epitome of love in her purity with all the promises of a future being fulfilled for her groom. I don’t see her walking down the aisle talking to the guests about the latest gossip, or pointing out who wronged her, or who did what to who, or worse yet picking out who she wants to go out with on the weekend. No, the bride keeps her eyes on her groom, and he keeps his eyes on her, and they both have the same look of total anticipation and excitement on their faces. The bride is not a hater on that day, she is his beloved, and that’s all she cares about once she stands before him.

Jesus was indeed the lawgiver, and He was also the Master Teacher. Filling both positions, He gave us a series of explanations of what the intention of the law was, that is the difference of the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. We are about to get into some heavy-duty lessons from our Teacher. We can refer to these as the “you have heard it said.” It is when Jesus goes into the commandments and how they should be lived out, particularly the commandments on how we should live with each other. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4

Sometimes this can seem harsh to the world, and even to our brothers and sisters, but it’s not. See, love does require discipline and boundaries. It is not loving to be without boundaries. When you know that something is going harm someone, is it loving to sit idly by and allow them to partake in it? The Nazis referred to the gas chambers as the showers and the saunas. Would you want to be holding the door for either no matter how lovely they sounded?

In the world today, there is enough hate to go around. As Christians, we need to spread the love of God. We also need to know what that looks like, so spending some time on the mount beside the sea and listening to our Teacher show us and tell us how to live and love is vitally important.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’  Matt.5:21

I can’t think of a single person I know that would say that murder is okay, can you? Yet there are many that say that abortion is not murder, it is a choice. But if the choice is that the woman is excited and happy to be pregnant it is a life, her baby, and people become excited for her. From the moment she knows she’s pregnant, if she is pro-pregnancy it is a person, and everyone around her will do all they can to protect that life. If she is not pro-pregnancy, then there are those in our society that will do all they can to assist her to end that baby’s life so she can continue her life and “live out her dreams and potential”. The only difference is what value is placed on the life in the mind of the one who has the power of life and death. Isn’t this always the way it is in murder? As long as our lives are valued by others we are alive, but if someone decides they don’t value our lives and has the power to take them from us, aren’t we then capable of being murdered? Aren’t there people in our society that will do all they can to make sure we, as the church, aren’t here? Aren’t there people who will just hate us for our color, our gender, or because we’re Christian? But should we become haters in return? If it is possible, as much depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:18

Murder burns in all our hearts at times when we let anger take over. We all think about what life would be like if only that one brother or sister who so irritates us was no longer in the picture. How many times have we fumed at complete strangers on the freeway, or in lines at the airport, or anywhere we might be ‘inconvenienced’ ?  Maybe we don’t wish them dead, maybe just gone, but it is the same thought when it is in anger.

 “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” Matt.5:22

At this time I could just see Peter turn to Andrew and say, “It’s a good thing for me that Matthew isn’t my brother.”

Andrew would answer, “Being your brother, I’d say it’s a better thing for Matthew.”

What does it mean to be angry without cause? There are times when anger is righteous. God was angry when someone came against His children, and His anger was righteous. If someone were to come against our children and do something hideous to them, then there is a cause to be angry. If someone were to savagely kill a child, then anger would be a right emotion, and therefore if mercy was shown it would be a miraculous action, and therefore grace extended in its fullness. Anger without cause would be the emotion without restraint.

If we think of anger as a pot of boiling water that we must move from the heat source to place where it must be safely poured out then we would think through how to move it. There would be a way to do it. First, we would not grasp the hot pot with our bare hands. We would protect our hands with mitts or gloves so we could get a firm grasp of the pot. We should be like that with our anger. We should take the time to get a firm grasp of the situation and just react, or we’re throwing our hands into the heat and burning ourselves. Secondly, once we’ve picked it up, we should make sure there is no one around to bump into us. We wouldn’t want to scald anyone we love with our boiling water. Especially those who have no business being in the area at all like our children. We need to get them out of the way, and if it means using a forceful voice then so be it, it’s not anger, it’s protection. “Go away right now,” is better than being burned by the fiery tongue. Finally, when it’s time to pour it out, we need to control it and slowly pour so that we don’t splash it on ourselves or anyone else around. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed and be still. Ps.4:4 If your pot has a lot of boiling water in it, it would be to your benefit to use a smaller pot and make several small trips to the larger pot and empty it over time. Anger can be a very heavy pot to try to carry, but you don’t have to carry it. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matt. 11; 28-29  Prayer, the word, and time can help you overcome. 

  “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.” Matthew 5:23-26

It isn’t enough to have to deal with our own anger. According to the Lord, we also have to deal with the anger of others against us as well. Isn’t it awful to be somewhere and see someone who gives off that bad vibe feeling in our direction. We wonder what we ever did to the person.

I had a friend who asked me if I had been a mean girl in high school because of a situation I was in with another person. I was definitely not a mean girl in high school. However, it did make me realize that I had to get the situation remedied if it was getting back to my friend, and she would ask me such a question. She could see that this woman had a deep seeded issue with me that I was unaware of. We called a meeting with the pastor, and, boy, did the boiling water fall on me. I was shocked by the accusations made, and many of them were outrageous based on innuendo and gossip. I had to learn to forgive and give it over to the Lord, and that was painful. It was a process to empty that pot of boiling water, cup by cup, while my blisters healed. Over time I saw God’s hand in it, and I learned a lot about the power of forgiveness. I still think of her often and pray for her. I also pray for those in the room with us that day, because I learned a lot about them as well. I learned how easily swayed some can be, and how others are just and willing to listen to both sides, included in the just was her husband, who brought about peace between us. It wasn’t like we were best friends, but it wasn’t awkward when I saw them in public either. Years later, when the woman lost her husband, I found myself weeping for her great loss. I sent her a card to comfort her and let her know I was praying for her.

The Teacher knows His students, and as He looks out at our faces, He can see the angry expressions. He is very aware of the terse brow lines, the creased foreheads, rigidity in our jaws, and the clenched fists we hold. He knows we grind our teeth as we utter hateful words under our breath against…against His children, because the one we are so angry at is His child. He sees us, and also sees them in the same light holding the same posture toward us. He forbids us from hurting each other. It is not His desire that any of us lose each other and suffer that loss. Jesus wants us to make the first move and resolve the issues before they become so big a gap they can’t be overcome. Remember, in Heaven there are no grudges, no battles to be fought, no wrongs to be righted, and not a single right to be upheld. There’s only Jesus and His love for us, our love for Him, and our love for each other. There is no demanding in heaven. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:11

The Master Teacher - Fulfillment of the Law- Matthew 5:17-20

For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. Ecc. 12:14

Are you a troublemaker? Do you take pride in your reputation in pushing against the boundaries? It used to be that the clean-cut, law-abiding protagonist of the story was who we wanted to be like, but now society has done a complete turn around and made heroes out of villains. Morality has become subjective. No one in history pushed His society’s morays more than Jesus. His ways were not what was expected of the Messiah. His message wasn’t one of rebellion against the governing authorities, nor was it one of peace and harmony as believed today. His message was of repentance to prepare for the day when this sacrificial Lamb of God, who had come to do the atoning work of reconciliation, would return as a Lion, a Warrior, coming to reclaim His Kingdom.

Many times people like to portray Jesus as accepting people for who they are, right where they are, and letting them stay just as they are. While it may be true that Jesus loves you, for who you were created to be, and He does love you, He certainly did not come to leave us in our sin.

 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Matt. 5:17

This one verse is what the Grace Principle hinges on. Some people believe that when a person gets saved it is like they have received a free pass on all of their sin. Whatever sin has been in their life, is in their life, or will be in their life can now be erased by just showing this free pass called the “Moment of Salvation”, meaning the moment they prayed the prayer and said that Jesus is Lord that it was it, they bought their condo in heaven. They believe this is grace. They take this grace card and play it whenever it suits them. If they choose to sin, they play it saying, “God’s love covers a multitude of sin,” or “We are all saved by grace,” and go right on living their lives and excusing their sin, even when confronted. People will even point out the speck in their brother’s eye while sinning openly through the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life and claim grace upon themselves. Yet the word of God clearly states, “For him who knows the right thing to do, and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17  What they fail to recognize is that grace is a gift offered by the giver, not a demand made by the receiver.

Jesus didn’t come to take away the expectations God has on us to live our lives in observance of what is right. It’s always right to do as Christ said, “You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40.  The Law and Prophets are the parts of scripture that were given to us to determine how we are to live in relation to Him, to each other, and to the world around us. It is like carrying our identity card around with us, only it is inscribed upon our hearts. Having read through the books of the law it is refreshing to see that before germs and viruses were known to man, God had a way of keeping illnesses from spreading. It is easy to see that knowing the heart of man, God knew how to keep integrity within relationships. God, being a good Father, is watching out for His children. The prophets gave directions of which way we needed to go, and the warning of what was up ahead.  Together the complete instructions of the covenant of God is laid out before us. The contract terms are made, but we fall short of the terms and conditions we needed to complete the deal and inherit what we were created for; so Jesus stepped in to do it for us.  “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14  

It amazes me when people paint the Lord as being heavy handed because of the way God dealt with the enemies of Israel in the Old Testament, and as being too much of a pacifist in the New Testament because He told people to love their enemies. Let me clarify one thing, the God of the Bible is One God. He doesn’t change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8  As for being heavy handed, if someone were to mess with your children, take them from you, enslave them, do all kinds of horrendous things to them, what would you do to them? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matt.7:11 We consider it an admirable quality when a parent defends their child. If you are the child of God, wouldn’t you want Him to defend you? And as far as being a pacifist, this is the same Messiah who proclaimed, “When the Son of Man come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.” Matthew 25:31 & “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36 Our teacher isn’t coming in softly with this lesson.

 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Matt.5:18

The rules exist for a reason. We don’t have to like them but there are purposes for them. Sometimes we like to push back and think we don’t have to follow them, but at other times we don’t give them a second thought once we’re used to following them. Consider the rules of phonics. We were expected to know certain elemental principles. We were expected to know what sounds letters made in order to read. Once we are beyond basic reading ability we don’t really stop and think, “That’s an ‘o’ and it sounds like “uh” in this word, and in other words it sounds like “oh”. We just read it because of the elemental principles we learned as we learned the rules of reading. The rules didn’t go away just because we got used to them. We use them all the time. We’re just not used to thinking back on them as we read through the words. We may think we’re breaking the rules when actually we’re following along completely submitting to them. If tomorrow, however, the rules suddenly changed, and all the o’s suddenly had to be pronounced differently, say like a ‘t’ then your reading ability would serious decline. Just try going back and reading this paragraph making the o’s sound like t’s.

            Other rules just can’t be changed no matter how we fight them. We cannot defy gravity. We can fly in planes, but that’s not defying gravity, that’s using other laws to push higher, but eventually the planes succumb to the laws of gravity. Some laws exist for our benefit. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by send his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:2-4 Our Master Teacher set the example for us of what sin would cost us and in doing so allowed us to be freed from suffering the consequences of the sin for eternity.

             Praise God there are laws that must still be fulfilled! The law that must still be fulfilled that has been proclaimed I cling to is the promise God gave: The Lord has appeared of old to me Saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Isaiah 31:3

            And there are other laws that will not pass away until they are fulfilled, and promises that have yet to be honored. “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for His Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” Rev.17:14 & “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:32-33 All of what God has said will be fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Have faith!

  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19

Have you ever thought that your little lie was not that big a deal, or that taking something wasn’t yours was okay because the person you took it from had plenty more? Then you’re missing the point. A lie is still a lie, and a thief is a thief. It’s not about the words used, it’s the fact it veered off the truth, and it’s still wrong. If we miss the target by one degree, we still missed the target. When we think that’s not a big deal consider this, if we are in a space ship headed for the moon, and we veer by just one degree and miss our target we will be doomed to the vacuum of space forever. It only takes being off in a little thing to mess up a lot. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Gal. 5:9

We tend to want to bring God down to our level and forget that God is a completely Holy God, which means there is no sin in Him. Since He is completely void of sin, how can we expect Him to be okay with our piles of little sin that add up quickly to heaps of sin? It is not in His nature to be surrounded by this sin inside of us. It was never His plan for us to be in sin and suffer death either. “Therefore, just as through one man’s sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12. We fail to see the purity of God because it causes us to see the fall again. Once again we feel exposed by the truth.

  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 5:20

            In Jesus’ times, there appeared to be no one in Jewish culture that was more righteous than the scribes and the Pharisees. They were the law interpreters. If anyone had a question about the law, those were the people to go to for understanding. They practiced the law down to the smallest principles, and yoked other people with it as well. Legalism became their way of life, and they lost the reasons behind the law. Strictly adhering to the law took the place of looking into the eyes of the people in need of the restrictions. They found it easier to punish those who didn’t meet their criteria than to show compassion to those who needed to be guided into doing right. It’s easier to see wrong in others than to continue to point out the right.

            Jesus was telling the people that even in those they believed always, did the right thing, there was fault. No one is perfect when it comes to the law. So why did God give us the law? ”But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.” Gal.3:23-24 NASB  The purpose of the law was to educate us on the way things are supposed to be done. We are to know what is good, and what is bad, not based on what we feel, but based on what works within creation. The standard is set. Since we can’t meet that standard, Jesus has met it for us, and we meet Him through faith. If we try to meet up to the standard of the law, we will fall short. We can’t do it. We all sin. We all fall short. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24

            We have a teacher, who has come to teach us in a better way, and is telling us when it comes to the test He knows we will fail if left on our own, but don’t worry. He’s taken it before us. He knows all the answers, and He’s got it covered for us. He wants us to do our best because we’re His students, and He taught us well. He set the example, and where we fall short His work makes up the difference.

            People may not want to live by the standard set by Christ and those called by His name. They might think it’s cool to be the bad guy because they can get their fifteen minutes of fame, but what about after that? Have you ever considered what happens after that ends. So many people today want to make themselves stand out for the wrongs suffered. What if we were to stand up and actually do something about it in a positive way, even if they don’t get any attention at all? If we were to feed people just because they’re hungry, or clothe them because they’re cold, or help them because they’re sick, and not be looking for what we could get out of it; then we’d be doing what our teacher taught us. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

The Master Teacher- Salt and Light- Matthew 5:13-16

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4:6

Are we different? I’m not asking if we’re unique in our looks or our intellect, but do we feel like we’re so different from people around us that we are literally a square peg in a round hole world. Have we heard ourselves say to other people that we just don’t fit in, or that they just don’t get it, or understand us? If it stems from our faith, we are not alone. Let’s look at from another angle. Have we ever been in a room and felt alone until we see someone carrying a Bible, and then suddenly we don’t feel so different. We walk up to the person and say, “Are you a believer?” The person says yes and instantly we are connected. It’s as if we have a family member, and we are free to smile. We sit with him. We become his friend and he becomes ours. All because of what? A book he was carrying? What if he’d been carrying a book we’d recently read? Would we do the same thing? Or a movie we’d recently watched? What is it about a Bible that gives us that instant connection? The answer is that it is the light in the darkness. The Word, Jesus, is salt in a bland, tasteless world.

As the disciples of Christ, called to be like our teacher, and bear His image, we are to be as different as He was to the world, and as such we will incur all the responses He had from those around us. Some will be welcoming, some will be wanting, and some will be rejecting, scornful, and even hateful. As we learned last time, we are blessed when we are persecuted for His sake, since we’re in good company.  This time we continue our study on the teachings of Christ with a look at the metaphors of salt and light found in the Sermon on the Mountain.   

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Matthew 5:13

In the first of his metaphors, Jesus compares us to salt. The salt of the earth implies that we are purest of the minerals, that which is drawn from the elements of creation. “ And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 We were created to be in His image, and to bring preservation to all creation. We were to have dominion over all of the Lord’s world, and to keep it for His glorification. Salt preserves for a time, but once it encounters our taste buds it brings out the flavor of what is already there by bringing forth the best of the savoring within the food. It is an amazing mineral, that can last for an extremely long time.

        The purpose of salt in this metaphor is clearly just for seasoning. We are supposed to be a little different. We are supposed to bring out the true flavor of those around us. As Christians, we do that because we expose the truth about them. We tend to bring to the surface what’s deep inside of them that makes them who they are, just like Jesus did. When the Holy Spirit comes to live in each of us, He gives us a special gifting of insight into not just who we are individually, but as a creation of God. He helps us to see humanity at large, and how every person on this planet has a great need to be reunited with God. “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23  As believers, we need to be ready for those times when those around us are being seasoned by our salt. “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” 2 Tim 4:2 This was a command, not a request. I’m not saying to grab our soap box and hit the street. I’m just saying to not be ashamed of our Jesus. We’re salty! We’re not always going to be sweet about being salty. If we are then we will have lost our saltiness. And then…we’re not salt anymore, no one would want to taste us… we’re asphalt.

Salt that lost its saltiness in ancient times was used as asphalt because it still maintained its ability to keep the vegetation from taking over the roadway. It was useful only to be trampled down, to make the ground hard, and compact it so that water couldn’t permeate it. If water sat on top of it, the water became bitter and undrinkable, like the Dead sea. Too much salt, that is unusable, is just as bad as not having any salt. Undrinkable water serves no purpose. We cannot drink it so it will not refresh us; if anything it could kill us. Salt that loses its purpose does that to the elements around it. Christians who lose their purpose do that to others around them as well.  

“We are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

        The darker the night the more welcome the light of day. Years ago my husband and myself went with a friend of ours deep into a cave while on a camping trip. While in this cave we got the idea to turn off our flash lights to see if there was any light to be seen. For the first time in our lives we experience true darkness, and it was terrifying! The thought crossed my mind I was not holding a flashlight, and was dependent upon them. If they should drop them, or the lights should not go back on, we would not be able to escape the darkness. The same thought must have crossed our friend’s mind too because within seconds his light went back on and the fear that was etched across his face, while it caused us to laugh, was really not funny. Darkness, when it is intense darkness, is like nothing else because it takes all the senses away. It’s not just sight. We lose all spatial awareness in darkness. Sound becomes unclear as we lose our sense of direction. So why would anyone want to be in the dark? “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19

One fact about light is that light cannot be hidden, so naturally we make people uncomfortable because we are light, and we shine that conviction of their evil deeds on them just by being in the room with them. In our lives, our faith should be evident in our work place, in the street, and any place venture into. It should be worn in our countenance and our conduct.  We are the cities on a hill, and we illuminate the area around us. Don’t compromise, strive to remain bright because of what a city on a hill at night provides for all those who see it. Like stars in the night sky, the city gives direction, it is a landmark, and a symbol of safety and rest from the dangers that reside in the night.

 “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Matthew 5:15

Other than being light in the world is being light within our own home. Sometimes the hardest to reach are those who are closest to us. They tend to see our faults instead of our victories. Yet, we cannot give up on them. We can’t be Christian out in the world, and then when we get home we leave Jesus outside the door. He has to live in our homes as well. Our character is who we are when no one is looking. God is always looking. Who are we when we are alone? Are we real with Him? Are we giving light to all who are in the house with us, or are the people closest to us the ones who know the real person we are when the world isn’t looking?

Or worse are we only a Christian when we’re alone? Are we a closet Christian? One of the worst things that can be said about a believer is “I didn’t know you were a Christian.” OUCH! How could someone not know? Do I not look like a Christian? Do I not act like a Christian? Do I reflect my Lord? Am I so much like the world that I don’t stand out from the crowd? Am I so hidden under the basket of my own fears and insecurities that my light is stifled by the darkness?   

”Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

This verse begins with the word “let”, as in allow, give permission, make the choice to shine before men. We have to choose every moment of the day to choose Jesus over the draw of the world.  ”Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, Him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My father who is in heaven.” Matt 10:32-33 Once we let them see the light of God then we reflect the love of Jesus to them.

The moon is just a rock floating in space. We poetically call the nightlights moonbeams and moonlight, but the moon doesn’t emit any light at all. It is the sun that casts light upon the moon, which acts as a reflector breaking through the darkness of the night. Yet we can only see that reflection when it is dark. With the sun and the moon, we see only the sun’s light, always. And so it is with the Christian and his Master. The light of the Christian upon the world is Christ reflecting through us. We are simply rocks floating through space. It is what we reflect that will make the impact on others. The moon also has a dark side, but could we imagine what our world would be like if that was the only side we ever saw? What if we never saw the beauty of the full moon?

Jesus clearly mentions works in this verse, so when people say that they can be saved, and yet go on sinning, this is yet another verse that demonstrates He never intended His gift of grace to mean we could do whatever we want. ”What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Romans 6:1-2 Some would say, “but a loving God would not condemn anyone to suffer for eternity.”  They are correct. Jesus himself said, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18 It was not God who condemns man, but man himself by exercising the gift of freewill and choosing not be restored the One who loves him. This is a working of man’s own will.

We all show what is in our hearts by the outward expression of our works. “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead. But someone will say, “we have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2:17-18 We come to this conclusion; if we are truly Christians, we can’t help but reflect the light of Jesus, just by being a rock floating around in the space of the darkness around us. If God can place a rock in the heavens, that can make the night seem so much brighter, then how is it that we can’t penetrate the darkness around us. Is it that we have a side to us we aren’t allowing God’s love to touch so we only share that side with the world? Or will we be faithful and reflect our Teacher so that we can bring His glory to those who stumble about in darkness? The choice is ours every moment of every day.

 “It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Ps. 89:37

The Master Teacher- The Beatitudes

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40

Many people in the world, who do not accept Jesus as their master, will accept Him as a great teacher, and for that reason Christians tend to almost shy away from the idea of examining His teachings, yet that is what we as disciples should be doing. With today’s fast access to knowledge we think we know everything, when actually what we have lost is the ability to learn, to listen, and to apply those lessons to our lives. How can Jesus be Lord of our lives if He is not teacher of our way as well? The teacher is judged by his students. A good teacher produces students who can perform the standards of the curriculum, especially one who set the standards at the beginning. As Christians we need to reflect those standards set by our great teacher.

 Jesus was indeed not just a great teacher, but the greatest teacher who ever lived. He taught masterfully by using his words and his example. As our focus on Jesus continues, having ended the encounters with Jesus, we will be examining Jesus as a teacher beginning with His famous Sermon on the Mountain found in Matthew 5. This week we will be looking at the Beatitudes. This set of verses begins Jesus’ message of the identifying characteristics of the students of Christ.

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

In the tradition of the times it was the rabbi who sat and the students who stood. Jesus had come to a point on a mountain top, where around him was a field where he could be heard and seen by the crowd following him. When he sat it was calling the class to order. We can picture the murmuring ending, the silence taking hold, and the students preparing for the lesson to begin. They stood on the slope of the mountain, and Jesus began to teach them.

 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

As we start with the beatitudes we should see that there is the first part- the characteristic, followed by the second part -the reward, or you could say the seed and the fruit it will bear.  He begins by calling His followers blessed. We are blessed to be following Christ, no matter what the circumstance, because we have the promise of eternity-restored fellowship with our Creator. We will return to the original relationship with God, a relationship free of the encumbrance of sin.

Let us go through the characteristics and the rewards and then we will look back at the hallmarks as a completed picture to see the lesson in its entirety.

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt.5:3

In the first beatitude the characteristic is the poor in spirit and the fruit that it bears is the kingdom of God. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means to be lowly of spirit, not haughty or proud in spirit. But what does this actually look like? You can probably find this person at your church. He or she is probably the person who cleans the toilets, or fills the food pantry, or prepares the Sunday School rooms without fanfare. They’re the silent workers who do the dirty jobs because they need to be done, and act as if it’s the most important job in the world, because it is! Where would we be without them. The King notices every single thing they do. They earn the crowns of great worth because they are so precious in His sight. They do those things without so much as a thank you from any of us, who hardly notice, but would indeed notice if they were not done. They don’t seek to be in the limelight, or to be in the pulpit. They just want to be a member in the body because they just want to love everyone and do the Jesus stuff. These are great in the Kingdom. They are the owners of heaven because they have invested whole heartedly.
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Matt. 5:4

Those who mourn are conventionally thought of as those who are suffering through a loss of a loved one, and while this can be interpreted this way, since perhaps there were those who had just suffered a loss within the crowd, there is still a different and even deeper meaning for the disciple of Christ. When Jesus saw the rejection of so many to His message of salvation, it broke His heart. We all know that sharing Jesus with others is a risk we take. We can suffer rejection because of it, and when we do it causes us to mourn. There is no greater mourning to suffer than to be left with the spiritual loss of a loved one who has rejected Christ. You can only hope that perhaps in the final moments the person recognized their sin and, like the thief upon the cross, was able to cry out in repentance. Yet, for Christians, there is comfort in the assurance of being where we were designated to be. “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4 To be comforted by being in the presence of God himself will make all the pain and rejection of this life pass away.

 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Matt.5:5

When we hear this verse we tend to think weak instead of meek, but the word meek means gentle, submitted to the will of one in authority willingly, docile in spirit. It is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of flexibility. Someone who is submitted in spirit and willing to take on whatever they are asked to do is extremely useful and has much more value than someone who is looking out for their own interest. It makes sense that as the disciple submits more and more the one in authority would entrust the one in service with more and more, until eventually there would be no reason not to give over the inheritance completely into his care. We see this happen in scripture with Joseph and Daniel. “ He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” Luke 16:10 What a blessing it would it be to stand before the Lord and be told by Him, “I trusted you, and you maintained that trust. Well done.”

 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  For they shall be filled. Matt. 5:6

To be really hungry for something is to be beyond desiring it, it’s to be beyond longing for it, it’s to be beyond craving it. It’s not a selection. To be hungry is to be in pain, in agony, so that it necessitates action to alleviate the pain. Thirst is even more excruciating than hunger, because hunger pangs come and go, but thirst is unquenchable. It builds on itself.  To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to be so compelled for all those around us to adopt the mind of Christ that we would not cease to stop telling them of the love and compassion God has for them. If we can have that passion for the things of God we will be filled with His Spirit, with His purpose for our lives. Every morning we will awake with the words, “Whatever you have for me today, Lord, I am yours.”  
”Blessed are the merciful,  For they shall obtain mercy.” Matt. 5:7

There is often confusion on the gifts of grace and mercy. One thing should be made very clear, they are both gifts. Grace is getting favor you do not deserve, but mercy is when you do not get what you do deserve, that is, not getting a punishment or punitive measure that should be given. Mercy is nothing less than total forgiveness. It is the ability to look the other way without someone having to apologize to you. In order to have this characteristic the disciple has to be completely void of pride and selfishness. Admitting we don’t possess this quality is not hard, but to pursue it is a noble quest. Jesus said, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37  But what about those times when someone does sin against you, when they do those things to you for which even other Christians say you were wronged? What does the Bible say then? “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” Luke 17: 3-4 It has been said that forgiveness is as much for the forgiver as for the forgiven, and that is certainly true. Releasing offenses is freedom and in doing so you obtain such mercy in return. For as you forgive, so you are forgiven. If you’re not holding the offense there are no offenses to be held. Then our arms are open for what things God puts into them.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” Matt. 5:8

Purity in any substance means without the presence of any other substance. In this case it means holy in heart. One set apart for God, who has chosen to forsake the world, in order to pursue Christ. We cannot compromise in endeavoring to make the Kingdom our priority. “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you.” Luke12:31

It is difficult to be completely sold out for God in a world in which we are pressed upon by so many obstacles and hindrances to our faith and our time with the Lord. Sometimes the ‘noise’ of this fast pace world gets to be so much that we can’t even think a thought without another thought jumping in the way. Meditation is practically impossible, yet, we are told in scripture to meditate on the attributes of God. How can we do that with all the noise around us? We have to shut it out. We have to force ourselves into the quietness of spirit and only then can we work on pulling out the dross of the worldliness within us so that we can find the purity of heart and search out God.
 “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” Matt.5:9

Peace is not maintained by pillow fights. Peacemakers in our society are usually required to carry weapons. As I was writing this blog (which takes days sometimes) I was driving through my son’s neighborhood. Let me rephrase that, I was not driving while writing, I was driving while mind writing, not physically writing. I came to a point just a block from where my son lives and the police had several blocks cordoned off, there were officers in full tactical gear, with automatic weapons, behind cruisers, diverting traffic. Oh! My mother’s heart began to race, until I turned on my son’s street and all was peaceful. I went up to my son’s door, which was unlocked, and walked right in. He was on the phone, a business call, completely unaware of the terrifying situation going on just a block away where chaos reigned. Obviously the peacekeepers were doing their job well containing the problem within the area. This is the vision of peacemakers I think the Bible has in mind. It is a warrior who has secured the area and made the peace out of what was or could have been a battle. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph.6:12

The idea of being called sons of God is also worth consideration since the angels, who are also known as the hosts of God, are known to battle in the heavenly realms, are also known as the sons of God scripturally. (Ex. Genesis 6 & Job 1&2) These soldiers of the Lord battle for us in the spiritual realm and are strengthened by our prayers and dedication to the Word of God. Remaining steadfast and vigilant in our duties of prayer and meditation times is a way to keep the peace of God, as well as bringing peace to those around us, because that which we fill ourselves with is what pours out of us.
 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
    For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 5:10

Have you ever done the right thing and suffered for it? It has happened before. Maybe you told the truth when in a situation it would have been easier to lie. You might have felt like, “blessed are the liars because everyone likes them.”  I know there have been times when a little twist or omission would have made things go so much smoother, but I was called upon to tell the truth. I’ve had to tell people if you don’t want the truth to go out then don’t let me know the situation at all. Keep me out of it completely; so they did. Ignorance can be bliss. I’ve suffered isolation and rejection because of it. I’ve had the reputation of having a big mouth because I’ve spoken the truth. The truth can hurt, but we’re not called upon to stop the hurt, only to bind up the wounds of the broken hearted. A broken heart is not necessarily a bad thing. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 In order to get that heart of stone out of our chests, the Lord is going to have to crush it. Only then can He replace it with the soft malleable muscle that will pump life giving blood into the outer reaches of our body. Doing the right thing is costly in today’s world. You can lose everything because of it, but standing up for what is right is still the right thing to do, no matter what the cost, this is what the kingdom of God is all about. Isn’t that what Jesus showed us when He took on the cross? He did it to reach all people and establish His Kingdom.

 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matt. 5:11-12  

            We arrive at the litmus test of discipleship for a follower of Christ. To what extreme are you willing to take in what you are learning. I was a teacher for years, and I can tell you that no matter how well I taught the lesson the outcome of the lesson was determined not by my ability, but by the student’s level of application. If a student really took it in and used what I taught they had mastery of the subject, but if they only sat and did the basic requirements the students had only a rudimentary grasp of the curriculum and while they might pass my class, chances were, they would quickly lose most of what I had taught them. The material was not going to stand up to the test of time. What if the time line were eternity, and the test is where you spend it?

            Jesus didn’t say here in these verses ‘if they revile and persecute you for my name sake”; He said “when they revile and persecute you”. It’s not optional; it’s a guarantee. People are going to reject you because of your faith. Why are Christians so angry and upset when this happens? It was told it would happen. Yes, we should support one another, and give each other encouragement. We have always been under attack, and we will continue to be under attack until our righteous King comes to ransom His bride.

            Often when I feel persecuted I think on the Lord, and how on that day, when He returns, He will come not as the Lamb that was slain, but as the Lion to slay. I desire to have what David knew of the Lord, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.” Ps. 27:4 Understanding that we are in good company in being persecuted for our faith, we are also in for the same reward as those who have faithfully served the Lord.

            After examining all of the beatitudes we can see that what shows through all of them is a spirit of humility. It is about being in the image of God. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:5  We, the disciples of Jesus, should be striving to be like our Teacher.