Matthew 5:43-48 (The Sermon on the Mount, Part VII)

Love for Enemies
Chapter 5 wraps up with Christ's message about loving one's enemies. Again, what good is being legally tied to the law, but not having it live in your heart? Christ says to not only love your friends and family, but to love your enemies. (v 44). The law says to Love your neighbor, but hate your enemy (v 43) but how easy is that? Loving those who love you is easy. (v 46-47) Praying and blessing those who hate you and persecute is far more difficult. However, we are not God. He sends the rain and sun on both good and evil. (v 45)God is the one who repays man’s evil and he is the judge. So all we are to do is pray and bless our enemy and let God judge and punish him. Looking at this passage, I think of who my enemies are. I am so fortunate to live in a land and society where I feel that all are my friends, all are my neighbors. Sure there are people whose personal habits (especially on the road) I find irksome. But do I hate them? Are they an enemy? Most definitely not! The only group I can remotely attribute being an enemy are the Islamic Fundamentalists. But here is why they hate us. We worship a God who says to pray for an enemy and to bless them. Their “god” says to kill and destroy to earn salvation. My God says to love because He loved me first. So, as weird as this may sound, I pray for and bless the terrorists. Not that they may succeed in their nefarious deeds, but that they may hear the call of a loving God through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. By doing this, by loving, praying and blessing those who would be last in our minds, we leave little room in our hearts for sin. I think praying for enemies ties directly to Christ’s command of being perfect, as God is perfect. (v 48) This is one of the hardest verses in the Bible for me. Here is my God, incarnate, he who died for me, commanding me to be perfect. I know that I am sinful however, and it hurts to know that I always fall short of this command. I am glad though, because of Christ’s perfect life and death on the cross that I too have the forgiveness of sins and His perfection given to me by grace.

Apologies...

I am sorry for neglecting this blog, because I really enjoy posting to it. I just let all the little things get in the way of reading and writing about the bible.

Matthew 5:33-42 (The Sermon on the Mount, Part VI)

Oaths
Jesus now speaks of oaths, or being truthful. The law says to always keep your word (v33), so why swear on anything? Your word should be known and good enough to make promises by. There should be no need for a Christian to have to swear on a bible, or by anything in earth or in heaven (v34-35) or by any part of your body (v36). Ultimately, these things do not belong to you, but to God, and are not yours to give if the word is broken. Christians should be known for their honesty and reliance, but unfortunately we are sinful too, and break our word. It is worse though to have sworn on something holy like the Bible, or Heaven and then have our word broken. There are things that we have no control over, so why bring down holy things when we can't keep promises?

An Eye for an Eye
Jesus then gives the example of an "eye for an eye" or the law of retribution (v38, Exodus 23-25). The thing to remember is that the law is to limit retaliation for a wrong-doing. Much like our own guideline of "cruel and unusual" punishment. The Old Testament law was to protect the "criminal." Again, Christ asks us to take it a step further. To forgive and give what we have. If we are struck, not to take offense and strike back, but to offer the other cheek. (v39) He also says in the verse not to resist an evil person. Why? Remember that "Blessed are the Peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9). Resisting (or fighting) against an evil person will more than likely just cause more evil and "drama". Just letting them be petty and mean, and trying to love them, will have a better effect than going against them. Jesus then tells us that if someone is suing for the shirt off our back, to give them our coat as well (v40). This ties back into being peaceful and trusting God for all we need. Better to be physically poor and have a happy brother than rich and have a brother who thinks you have stolen from him. Also, if someone needs your help, help them far more than has been requested of you. (v41) Are you there just to get brownie points, or are you living in the Spirit? Verse 42 ends with a general concept that we should be loving people, willing to help and serve others and lend to them what we can.

Matthew 5:27-32 (The Sermon on the Mount, Part V)

Adultery and Divorce
Picking up after murder/hate, Christ talks about adultery/lust. Once again, it is not the act of lust but entertaining the thought of it. (v27) Also, again it is not about making sure we follow the rules, but having heart dedicated to God. I find it interesting that Christ doesn't say, "If you are married, and look at a woman lustfully..." because if a single person lusts, they are being unfaithful to their future spouse in doing so. They are cheating on that person before they even know them. The bible says much about sexual sin, because it can be the most damaging. Christ himself says in this context that if any part of you causes you to sin, it would be better to lose it than to lose your soul. (v29-31) He also tells us that there is no reason for divorce unless a spouse has been unfaithful (v32). Your thoughts?