[Read] 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:7-12)
[Meditate] Verses 7-11 are also found in Luke 11:9-13. Luke 11:13 differs in that it says 'how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!'
Keep asking and seeking the Lord.
11 God gives good gifts... including the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus said would come.
"God is infinitely strong (he can do all he pleases), infinitely righteous (he does right), and that he is infinitely good, and he is infinitely wise so that he always knows what is right and good and that he is infinitely loving- so that in all his strength and righteousness and goodness and wisdom he raises the eternal joy of his loved ones as high as it can be raised- when you pause to consider this, then the lavish invitations of this God to ask him for good things, with the promise that he will give them is unimaginably wonderful." -John Piper
12 Matthew 7:12 is also found in Luke 6:31, which leaves off the 'for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.' The context in Luke 6:31 is about loving your enemies- doing good to them, and expecting nothing in return.
Verse 12 uses the phrase 'so in everything' in the NIV, and the word 'therefore' in the NASB and KJV. Why do these words appear here? Verse 12 doesn't seem to connect with verses 7 through 11.
"The recurrence of 'the Law and the Prophets' here takes us back to 5:17, the beginning of the body of the Sermon. As pointed out previously, this phrase forms an inclusio. Everything Jesus said between 5:17 and 7:12 was essentially an exposition of Old Testament revelation. Consequently the "therefore" in this verse probably summarizes the entire section (5:17—7:12)." -Constable, Study Notes on Matthew: 2013 Edition, 126.
"The 'golden rule' sums up the teaching of the Old Testament (cf. Exod. 23:4; Lev. 19:18; Deut. 15:7-8; Prov. 24:17; 25:21; Luke 6:31). The title 'golden rule' traditionally comes from the Roman Emperor Alexander Severus (A.D. 222-35), who, though not a Christian, was reputedly so impressed by the comprehensiveness of this maxim of Jesus . . . that he had it inscribed in gold on the wall of his chamber." -Constable, Study Notes on Matthew: 2013 Edition, 126.
"Jesus does not say that we are to do to others what we would like them to do to us in order that they will do it to us. At stake is no such utilitarian value as 'honesty pays' or the like. Rather, the reason we are to do to others what we would like others to do to us is that such behavior sums up the Law and the Prophets." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 121.
[Pray] God, your desire is for me to be persistent in prayer. You're a good father, and want me to seek you for good things including your Holy Spirit. Help me to treat others in a way that is loving, gracious, and gentle. Convict me through your Holy Spirit when I am not. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Seek the Lord in prayer constantly. Love others well.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Jesus' Teaching on Judging Others
[Read] “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 7:1-6)
[Meditate] Verses 1 through 5 seem like a complete thought. Is verse 6 connected to what precedes it? I am assuming it is not.
"This chapter has several asyndetons (lack of linking particles, which was very unusual in Greek), Matt. 7:1,6,7,13,15. It was a grammatical way of highlighting individual truths. It is presuppositional to assume that Jesus' sermon had a unifying theme or structured outline. He may have been following the common rabbinical teaching technique called "pearls on a string," which links unrelated topics together. Although some of the individual subjects at first seem unrelated to their surrounding contextual units, it is the best hermeneutical approach to interpret them in light of (1) context and (2) their usage in other Gospel parallels. The author of Matthew did have a unified theme and structured outline determining which of Jesus' teachings to record and in what order to record them." -Bob Utley, Bible.org
"It certainly does not command the sons of God, the disciples of Jesus, to be amorphous, undiscerning blobs who never under any circumstance whatsoever hold any opinions about right and wrong. Are we to say nothing about the rights and wrongs of a Hitler, a Stalin, a Nixon? of adultery, economic exploitation, laziness, deceit? ... Jesus warns, "Watch out for false prophets" (7:15) and alludes to certain people as pigs and dogs (7:6). -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 105.
What judgments are believers supposed to make?
Believers are supposed to judge correctly how to interpret the scriptures so that they themselves can live rightly. Here, Jesus is saying it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. A correct judgment would lead to correct practice:
Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:21-24)
Christians are supposed to judge whether a prophet is from God, or in other words, who they should listen to:
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. (1 John 4:1-3)
Believers are also encouraged to judge other believers. In fact, in the book of James it is highly commended:
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth [sin] and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)
Notice here that one of the roles for the believer is to point out the sin to the fellow believer with the goal of repentance. Paul makes a point of emphasis to talk about how the Christian is supposed to point out a fellow believer's sin- with gentleness:
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)
In this case, Paul is speaking in the context of false (erroneous) teaching:
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
The harsh and public rebuke of Christ, Paul, and John the Baptist (among others)- found in verses such as Matthew 12:34 and 2 Peter 2- is not meant to be a pattern for us to follow.
Paul's letter to the church in Corinth seems to paint a different picture of sin and judgment toward believers. The believers there were proud about their sin of sexual immorality. Paul says that he himself was judging them for their sin, and encourages the believers there to judge those in sin also; encouraging them not to associate with those people and even to 'expel' them:
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:1-13)
Note Paul also tells them not to judge the unbelievers doing the same things. The judgment is only for the believers.
So why is the judgment for believers in sin harsher here? Perhaps it is because they were unrepentant in their sin. When Jesus addresses the issue by prescribing an order for pointing out sin in other believers, he also brings up the issue of repentance versus unrepentance:
“If your brother or sister sins (some translations 'sins against you'), go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)
So then, "What then does Jesus mean by his imperative in Matthew 7:1, 'Do not judge, or you too will be judged'?... The context here argues that the verse means, 'Do not be judgmental.' Do not adopt a critical spirit, a condemning attitude. The same verb is found twice, with identical meaning, in Romans 14:10ff.: 'You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: 'As I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 106.
2 This verse is similar to Matthew 6:14 which reads, 'if you forgive others you yourself will be forgiven.'
"[These words] may mean the measure we use on others will be the measure others use on us; the person with a critical spirit is inviting a lot of criticism. Alternatively, verse 2 may mean that the measure we use on others will be the measure God himself will use on us. I think it is the latter meaning that is in view... The point of these two verses is not that we should be moderate in our judging in order that others will be moderate toward us, but rather that we should abolish judgmental attitudes lest we ourselves stand utterly condemned before God." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 107.
3-5 "Note that the passage does not tell us not to take the log out of our brother’s eye, but to first deal with our own sin. This process restores both the confronter and the confronted to Christ, pulling all back into unity in Him." -Ginger Taylor, from http://dailydiscernment.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/confronting-sin-in-your-christian-brother/
6 'Dogs' is a name David uses for evil men:
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalm 22:16)
Paul too refers to a group of people as 'dogs' in his letter to the church in Philippi:
Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. (Philippians 3:2)
"...it is no accident that Jesus speaks of pearls and not gravel. The man in the scenario is in possession of great wealth. Interpreting the metaphor, we learn that the good news of Jesus Christ, with all of history and revelation pointing toward it, really is a priceless treasure." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 113.
"Jesus is commanding his disciples not to share the richest parts of spiritual truth with persons who are persistently vicious, irresponsible, and unappreciative. Just as the pearls were unappreciated by the savage animals, but only enraged them and made them dangerous, so also many of the riches of God's revelation are unappreciated by many people. And, painful as it is to see it, these rich truths may only serve to enrage them. In the New Testament, there are several examples of this principle in action. In Matthew 15:14, Jesus, speaking of certain Pharisees, tells his disciples, 'Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.' According to Acts 18:5f., Paul abandons his ministry to the Jews in Corinth because they oppose him and become abusive. Instead he turns to the Gentiles to minister to them. Paul recommends a similar course of action to Titus concerning divisive people within the professing Christian community: 'Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned' (Titus 3:10f.)." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 113.
"There are many situations in which Christians need to persist in their witness and be patient with their sowing of God's truth... What Jesus is calling for is discernment... He can dismiss a group (Matt 15:14), write off a Herod (Luke 13:31-33), promise judgment to whole cities (Matt 11:20-24); but he can be patient with a group (Luke 9:51-55; Mark 6:31-34), offer indisputable evidence to a doubting Thomas (John 20:24), and weep over a city (Luke 19:41ff.)." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 114-115.
[Pray] God, you don't desire for me to have a spirit of judgment in looking down upon my brother or sister. Would you convict me through your Holy Spirit first of sin in my own life and a desire to repent of that sin. In situations where a brother or sister is caught in sin and you have placed me in a position to gently restore them, would you give me the boldness to confront them and a spirit of repentance toward my brother or sister that we may follow you all the days of our lives. In regards to the riches of Christ, would you give me wisdom on whom to continually share and whom to invest time teaching the scriptures. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] I am to call out sin in a fellow believer with a spirit of gentleness and respect; first examining it in my own life, realizing that I am prone to sin myself. Once this is done, I should confront my brother or sister individually, then in a group, then with the church leadership if repentance does not come first. If repentance never comes, consider the person as an unbeliever. I am also called to examine teaching critically to see if it is Biblically accurate and consider carefully what the Scriptures say so that I am living Christianly. In regards to sharing the word of God, I am called to consider whom I am investing deeper with. Let the Spirit lead in determining if this person is unappreciative, vicious, or consistently irresponsible toward the word of God.
[Meditate] Verses 1 through 5 seem like a complete thought. Is verse 6 connected to what precedes it? I am assuming it is not.
"This chapter has several asyndetons (lack of linking particles, which was very unusual in Greek), Matt. 7:1,6,7,13,15. It was a grammatical way of highlighting individual truths. It is presuppositional to assume that Jesus' sermon had a unifying theme or structured outline. He may have been following the common rabbinical teaching technique called "pearls on a string," which links unrelated topics together. Although some of the individual subjects at first seem unrelated to their surrounding contextual units, it is the best hermeneutical approach to interpret them in light of (1) context and (2) their usage in other Gospel parallels. The author of Matthew did have a unified theme and structured outline determining which of Jesus' teachings to record and in what order to record them." -Bob Utley, Bible.org
"It certainly does not command the sons of God, the disciples of Jesus, to be amorphous, undiscerning blobs who never under any circumstance whatsoever hold any opinions about right and wrong. Are we to say nothing about the rights and wrongs of a Hitler, a Stalin, a Nixon? of adultery, economic exploitation, laziness, deceit? ... Jesus warns, "Watch out for false prophets" (7:15) and alludes to certain people as pigs and dogs (7:6). -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 105.
What judgments are believers supposed to make?
Believers are supposed to judge correctly how to interpret the scriptures so that they themselves can live rightly. Here, Jesus is saying it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. A correct judgment would lead to correct practice:
Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:21-24)
Christians are supposed to judge whether a prophet is from God, or in other words, who they should listen to:
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. (1 John 4:1-3)
Believers are also encouraged to judge other believers. In fact, in the book of James it is highly commended:
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth [sin] and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)
Notice here that one of the roles for the believer is to point out the sin to the fellow believer with the goal of repentance. Paul makes a point of emphasis to talk about how the Christian is supposed to point out a fellow believer's sin- with gentleness:
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)
In this case, Paul is speaking in the context of false (erroneous) teaching:
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
The harsh and public rebuke of Christ, Paul, and John the Baptist (among others)- found in verses such as Matthew 12:34 and 2 Peter 2- is not meant to be a pattern for us to follow.
Paul's letter to the church in Corinth seems to paint a different picture of sin and judgment toward believers. The believers there were proud about their sin of sexual immorality. Paul says that he himself was judging them for their sin, and encourages the believers there to judge those in sin also; encouraging them not to associate with those people and even to 'expel' them:
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:1-13)
Note Paul also tells them not to judge the unbelievers doing the same things. The judgment is only for the believers.
So why is the judgment for believers in sin harsher here? Perhaps it is because they were unrepentant in their sin. When Jesus addresses the issue by prescribing an order for pointing out sin in other believers, he also brings up the issue of repentance versus unrepentance:
“If your brother or sister sins (some translations 'sins against you'), go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)
So then, "What then does Jesus mean by his imperative in Matthew 7:1, 'Do not judge, or you too will be judged'?... The context here argues that the verse means, 'Do not be judgmental.' Do not adopt a critical spirit, a condemning attitude. The same verb is found twice, with identical meaning, in Romans 14:10ff.: 'You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: 'As I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 106.
2 This verse is similar to Matthew 6:14 which reads, 'if you forgive others you yourself will be forgiven.'
"[These words] may mean the measure we use on others will be the measure others use on us; the person with a critical spirit is inviting a lot of criticism. Alternatively, verse 2 may mean that the measure we use on others will be the measure God himself will use on us. I think it is the latter meaning that is in view... The point of these two verses is not that we should be moderate in our judging in order that others will be moderate toward us, but rather that we should abolish judgmental attitudes lest we ourselves stand utterly condemned before God." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 107.
3-5 "Note that the passage does not tell us not to take the log out of our brother’s eye, but to first deal with our own sin. This process restores both the confronter and the confronted to Christ, pulling all back into unity in Him." -Ginger Taylor, from http://dailydiscernment.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/confronting-sin-in-your-christian-brother/
6 'Dogs' is a name David uses for evil men:
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalm 22:16)
Paul too refers to a group of people as 'dogs' in his letter to the church in Philippi:
Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. (Philippians 3:2)
"...it is no accident that Jesus speaks of pearls and not gravel. The man in the scenario is in possession of great wealth. Interpreting the metaphor, we learn that the good news of Jesus Christ, with all of history and revelation pointing toward it, really is a priceless treasure." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 113.
"Jesus is commanding his disciples not to share the richest parts of spiritual truth with persons who are persistently vicious, irresponsible, and unappreciative. Just as the pearls were unappreciated by the savage animals, but only enraged them and made them dangerous, so also many of the riches of God's revelation are unappreciated by many people. And, painful as it is to see it, these rich truths may only serve to enrage them. In the New Testament, there are several examples of this principle in action. In Matthew 15:14, Jesus, speaking of certain Pharisees, tells his disciples, 'Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.' According to Acts 18:5f., Paul abandons his ministry to the Jews in Corinth because they oppose him and become abusive. Instead he turns to the Gentiles to minister to them. Paul recommends a similar course of action to Titus concerning divisive people within the professing Christian community: 'Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned' (Titus 3:10f.)." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 113.
"There are many situations in which Christians need to persist in their witness and be patient with their sowing of God's truth... What Jesus is calling for is discernment... He can dismiss a group (Matt 15:14), write off a Herod (Luke 13:31-33), promise judgment to whole cities (Matt 11:20-24); but he can be patient with a group (Luke 9:51-55; Mark 6:31-34), offer indisputable evidence to a doubting Thomas (John 20:24), and weep over a city (Luke 19:41ff.)." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 114-115.
[Pray] God, you don't desire for me to have a spirit of judgment in looking down upon my brother or sister. Would you convict me through your Holy Spirit first of sin in my own life and a desire to repent of that sin. In situations where a brother or sister is caught in sin and you have placed me in a position to gently restore them, would you give me the boldness to confront them and a spirit of repentance toward my brother or sister that we may follow you all the days of our lives. In regards to the riches of Christ, would you give me wisdom on whom to continually share and whom to invest time teaching the scriptures. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] I am to call out sin in a fellow believer with a spirit of gentleness and respect; first examining it in my own life, realizing that I am prone to sin myself. Once this is done, I should confront my brother or sister individually, then in a group, then with the church leadership if repentance does not come first. If repentance never comes, consider the person as an unbeliever. I am also called to examine teaching critically to see if it is Biblically accurate and consider carefully what the Scriptures say so that I am living Christianly. In regards to sharing the word of God, I am called to consider whom I am investing deeper with. Let the Spirit lead in determining if this person is unappreciative, vicious, or consistently irresponsible toward the word of God.
Monday, May 06, 2013
Jesus' Teaching on Worry
[Read] 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34)
[Meditate] The word 'therefore' that begins this passage seems to connect what Jesus is saying here with the preceding section which he spoke against storing up treasures on earth and serving money instead of God.
A parallel account in Luke 12:22-32 blends parts of the two Matthew passages. Perhaps his listeners were tempted to seek after these things for fear that they would not have clothes to wear or food to eat. Jesus would then reply here, 'God will take care of your needs so don't be focused on this; instead seek after the kingdom and righteousness.' This time the 'therefore' follows the parable of the rich fool where Jesus says 'This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.'
25 Do not worry: Give!
In Luke 12:33, Jesus tells his listeners to sell their possessions and give to the poor. By doing so, they will provide purses for themselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
33 "The word 'seek' here is present imperative, suggesting unceasing quest." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 99.
"We may suppose that materialism is an undue desire for luxuries, but our Lord identifies it with undue concern over necessities, such as food and clothing." -Bob Deffinbaugh, Bible.org
"Notice what Jesus told us not to worry about: food and clothing. Not steak and ale, maybe not even meat and potatoes. Perhaps even a meager bowl of soup, or a second-hand suit for work." -Bob Deffinbaugh, Bible.org
"...our physical needs, however legitimate they may be, must never supplant our prior commitment to the kingdom of God and his righteousness." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 91.
[Pray] Your desire is that I seek after your kingdom and your righteousness. Help me to make this my first priority. Guard me against the temptation that I must store up security in savings and possessions. Instead would I focus my energy on kingdom business and trust that you will provide for my family's basic needs. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Give generously in money and possessions. Seek the guidance of the Spirit regarding righteousness and living to glorify God.
[Meditate] The word 'therefore' that begins this passage seems to connect what Jesus is saying here with the preceding section which he spoke against storing up treasures on earth and serving money instead of God.
A parallel account in Luke 12:22-32 blends parts of the two Matthew passages. Perhaps his listeners were tempted to seek after these things for fear that they would not have clothes to wear or food to eat. Jesus would then reply here, 'God will take care of your needs so don't be focused on this; instead seek after the kingdom and righteousness.' This time the 'therefore' follows the parable of the rich fool where Jesus says 'This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.'
25 Do not worry: Give!
In Luke 12:33, Jesus tells his listeners to sell their possessions and give to the poor. By doing so, they will provide purses for themselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
33 "The word 'seek' here is present imperative, suggesting unceasing quest." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 99.
"We may suppose that materialism is an undue desire for luxuries, but our Lord identifies it with undue concern over necessities, such as food and clothing." -Bob Deffinbaugh, Bible.org
"Notice what Jesus told us not to worry about: food and clothing. Not steak and ale, maybe not even meat and potatoes. Perhaps even a meager bowl of soup, or a second-hand suit for work." -Bob Deffinbaugh, Bible.org
"...our physical needs, however legitimate they may be, must never supplant our prior commitment to the kingdom of God and his righteousness." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 91.
[Pray] Your desire is that I seek after your kingdom and your righteousness. Help me to make this my first priority. Guard me against the temptation that I must store up security in savings and possessions. Instead would I focus my energy on kingdom business and trust that you will provide for my family's basic needs. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Give generously in money and possessions. Seek the guidance of the Spirit regarding righteousness and living to glorify God.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Jesus' Teaching on Treasures in Heaven
[Read] 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:19-24)
[Meditate] A similar passage to this one is found in Luke 11:34-36 and 12:33.
20 "The "treasures in heaven" Jesus spoke of were the rewards God will give His faithful followers." -Constable, Notes on Matthew (2013 Edition), 119-120.
How do we get treasure in heaven? Jesus gives two explicit examples, both are in regards to giving to the poor:
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. (Luke 12:32-33)
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Luke 18:22)
Paul gives an explanation in his letter to Timothy:
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
Here treasure in heaven seems to come from "doing good," "being rich in good deeds," being generous, and willing to share.
Are there other ways to get treasure in heaven? In Matthew 5:12, it says followers will be rewarded in heaven when people persecute them because of Christ. In Matthew 5:46, a (heavenly?) reward will be given to those who love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.
21 The place your treasure will be and the place your heart will be are going to be the same location. Whether that means you place your treasure there because your heart is there or the allure of the treasure causes your heart to desire that location.
22-24 "So what is the good eye that gives so much light and the bad eye that leaves us in the dark? One clue is found in Matthew 20:15. Jesus has just said, in a parable, that men who worked one hour will be paid the same as those who worked all day, because the master is merciful, and besides, they all agreed to their wage. Those who worked all day grumbled that the men who worked one hour were paid too much. Jesus responded with the words found here in Matthew 6:23, 'Is your eye bad because I am good?' What is bad about their eye? What's bad is that their eye does not see the mercy of the master as beautiful. They see it as ugly. They don't see reality for what it is. They do not have an eye that can see mercy as more precious than money." -John Piper, 'The Eye is the Lamp of the Body' from DesiringGod.org
In the context here, the good eye is one that seeks to serve God and the bad eye is the one that seeks to serve money.
24 This verse is also found in Luke 16:13.
"If you are laying up treasures in heaven not earth, you are walking in the light. If you are serving God not money, you are walking in the light." -John Piper, 'The Eye is the Lamp of the Body' from DesiringGod.org
[Pray] God, help me to place my heart on treasures in heaven and not on physical possessions that can be stolen or destroyed. Grow me in a desire to serve you instead of money, as you say that I cannot serve both. Give me a heart to love those that persecute me and a desire to serve you with my heart. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Instead of looking to accumulate possessions- nice car, computer, phone, shoes, fancy bike, etc.- I can accumulate treasure in heaven by giving to the poor. And not just possessions, but by "doing good" (maybe helping a friend move or cleaning up the kitchen for my wife, or serving in the soup kitchen for homeless or serving in the nursery at church or ...) and praying for those who persecute me.
[Meditate] A similar passage to this one is found in Luke 11:34-36 and 12:33.
20 "The "treasures in heaven" Jesus spoke of were the rewards God will give His faithful followers." -Constable, Notes on Matthew (2013 Edition), 119-120.
How do we get treasure in heaven? Jesus gives two explicit examples, both are in regards to giving to the poor:
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. (Luke 12:32-33)
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Luke 18:22)
Paul gives an explanation in his letter to Timothy:
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
Here treasure in heaven seems to come from "doing good," "being rich in good deeds," being generous, and willing to share.
Are there other ways to get treasure in heaven? In Matthew 5:12, it says followers will be rewarded in heaven when people persecute them because of Christ. In Matthew 5:46, a (heavenly?) reward will be given to those who love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.
21 The place your treasure will be and the place your heart will be are going to be the same location. Whether that means you place your treasure there because your heart is there or the allure of the treasure causes your heart to desire that location.
22-24 "So what is the good eye that gives so much light and the bad eye that leaves us in the dark? One clue is found in Matthew 20:15. Jesus has just said, in a parable, that men who worked one hour will be paid the same as those who worked all day, because the master is merciful, and besides, they all agreed to their wage. Those who worked all day grumbled that the men who worked one hour were paid too much. Jesus responded with the words found here in Matthew 6:23, 'Is your eye bad because I am good?' What is bad about their eye? What's bad is that their eye does not see the mercy of the master as beautiful. They see it as ugly. They don't see reality for what it is. They do not have an eye that can see mercy as more precious than money." -John Piper, 'The Eye is the Lamp of the Body' from DesiringGod.org
In the context here, the good eye is one that seeks to serve God and the bad eye is the one that seeks to serve money.
24 This verse is also found in Luke 16:13.
"If you are laying up treasures in heaven not earth, you are walking in the light. If you are serving God not money, you are walking in the light." -John Piper, 'The Eye is the Lamp of the Body' from DesiringGod.org
[Pray] God, help me to place my heart on treasures in heaven and not on physical possessions that can be stolen or destroyed. Grow me in a desire to serve you instead of money, as you say that I cannot serve both. Give me a heart to love those that persecute me and a desire to serve you with my heart. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Instead of looking to accumulate possessions- nice car, computer, phone, shoes, fancy bike, etc.- I can accumulate treasure in heaven by giving to the poor. And not just possessions, but by "doing good" (maybe helping a friend move or cleaning up the kitchen for my wife, or serving in the soup kitchen for homeless or serving in the nursery at church or ...) and praying for those who persecute me.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Jesus' Teaching on Fasting
[Read] 16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18)
[Meditate] "Whom am I trying to please by my religious practices? Honest reflection on that question can produce most disquieting results." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 79.
The Pharisees fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12), on Mondays and Thursdays. Multiple people suggest the Pharisees are who Jesus had in mind here, and they might very well be correct... I just haven't found a reference for this, so I'll consider it conjecture at this point.
[Pray] God, you care about my heart. You desire not that I do religious things such as fasting to impress others. If and when I fast, my heart needs to be one bent on pleasing you. Help make me aware of my motives through your Holy Spirit. Convict me of when I go astray in this. Give me a heart to please you instead of using you for selfish motives. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Don't draw attention to myself when I fast. Don't use spiritual things to impress people.
[Meditate] "Whom am I trying to please by my religious practices? Honest reflection on that question can produce most disquieting results." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 79.
The Pharisees fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12), on Mondays and Thursdays. Multiple people suggest the Pharisees are who Jesus had in mind here, and they might very well be correct... I just haven't found a reference for this, so I'll consider it conjecture at this point.
[Pray] God, you care about my heart. You desire not that I do religious things such as fasting to impress others. If and when I fast, my heart needs to be one bent on pleasing you. Help make me aware of my motives through your Holy Spirit. Convict me of when I go astray in this. Give me a heart to please you instead of using you for selfish motives. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Don't draw attention to myself when I fast. Don't use spiritual things to impress people.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Jesus' Teaching on Giving
[Read] 1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)
[Meditate] See also Deuteronomy 15:11, Psalm 41:1, and Proverbs 19:17.
"Matthew 5:16...says, 'Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.' ...But here, it sounds like the opposite. Be careful not to do good things for people to see. But that is not a contradiction. Actually, the Bible is saying both. These two verses are really talking about two different ideas and the difference is very important. We should do good things so that people will see them and give praise to God. But we should not do good things in order to show off to other people so they will praise us. It’s really a question of motive. The first brings praise to God. The second seeks praise to myself. That’s a huge difference." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
"It’s always easier to understand a general principle when you have a good example. And in the next few verses, Jesus gives us three examples to illustrate what he’s talking about. They are giving, praying, and fasting. In Jesus’ day, these three were seen as the three great things a person could do to demonstrate their devotion to God. If you really loved God, then you showed it by giving to the poor, by praying and by fasting. So Jesus says, let’s not just talk about what you do to show your devotion to God. Let’s talk about why you do it. Let’s talk about your motives." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
"I don’t think this happened at our church, but I heard a story about a little seven-year-old girl that came to church with her parents one Sunday morning. She watched her parents singing songs. She sat and listened through the sermon and the pastor’s prayer. She saw the offering go by, and watched her parents put something in the basket. And then after church, as the family was driving home, the mother commented, "I thought the music this morning was just awful." And the father added, "And the sermon was not only too long. It was boring." Their little daughter in the back seat heard all this and it really made her think. Finally, after a few moments of silence, she said, "Well, Mom and Dad, you've got to admit it was a pretty good show for a dollar." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
2 "There’s really no evidence that people in Jesus’ day actually blew trumpets to announce their gifts. Jesus is using a metaphor here to colorfully describe the people who made sure that everyone knew they were giving to the needy. Basically, he’s saying, “When you give, don’t make a big deal out of it.” Don’t attract attention to it. Don’t advertise how much you’re giving. Don’t show off your generosity." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
"Jesus refers to “hypocrites”... this is the word for an actor, someone who plays a role. Here, the idea is someone who is pretending to give because they care about the needs of people or because they want to give as an act of worshipping God, but their real motive is to be honored by their peers. They want people to see how generous they are. They want people to be impressed with their spirituality or their devotion to God or their kind heart. But Jesus warns us not to follow their example because God does not recognize their generosity and will not reward it." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
3-4 "I don’t think this verse means that all giving MUST remain confidential. One day Jesus sat at the temple with his students, and together they watched how much people were putting into the collection. And when this widow came by and put in two small coins, Jesus drew everyone’s attention to her gift and praised her for her generosity. Likewise, Paul praises the Macedonian churches for their generous gift for the poor people of Jerusalem. And he boasts about the pledges that the church in Corinth made to the same relief project. Jesus is not laying down a rule here. He’s not saying that only secret giving honors God. He’s saying that if you’re tempted to give for the wrong motives, if you might be tempted to give so you’ll look good in front of other people, then you can remove that temptation by doing all your giving in secret. Keep it confidential and your motives won’t be in question. I think it’s really important to be precise here in our understanding. Jesus is not saying that you have done wrong if people know about your gift. He’s not saying it’s wrong if people are impressed by your gift. What he’s saying is that it is wrong to give for the purpose of impressing people. It’s not an issue of who knows about it or what they think about it. It’s all about your motive. Why did you do it? For people? Or for God? The reason it’s so important to guard our motives in giving is because the reason WHY we give will determine how it effects our lives. Jesus urges us to give in secret, so that our motives will be completely pure." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
[Pray] God, help us to give with pure hearts; not to be seen by men and praised by men, but to be both seen by you, praised by you and to glorify your name. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Give anonymously. Don't try to get attention or praise from men by talking about giving.
[Meditate] See also Deuteronomy 15:11, Psalm 41:1, and Proverbs 19:17.
"Matthew 5:16...says, 'Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.' ...But here, it sounds like the opposite. Be careful not to do good things for people to see. But that is not a contradiction. Actually, the Bible is saying both. These two verses are really talking about two different ideas and the difference is very important. We should do good things so that people will see them and give praise to God. But we should not do good things in order to show off to other people so they will praise us. It’s really a question of motive. The first brings praise to God. The second seeks praise to myself. That’s a huge difference." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
"It’s always easier to understand a general principle when you have a good example. And in the next few verses, Jesus gives us three examples to illustrate what he’s talking about. They are giving, praying, and fasting. In Jesus’ day, these three were seen as the three great things a person could do to demonstrate their devotion to God. If you really loved God, then you showed it by giving to the poor, by praying and by fasting. So Jesus says, let’s not just talk about what you do to show your devotion to God. Let’s talk about why you do it. Let’s talk about your motives." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
"I don’t think this happened at our church, but I heard a story about a little seven-year-old girl that came to church with her parents one Sunday morning. She watched her parents singing songs. She sat and listened through the sermon and the pastor’s prayer. She saw the offering go by, and watched her parents put something in the basket. And then after church, as the family was driving home, the mother commented, "I thought the music this morning was just awful." And the father added, "And the sermon was not only too long. It was boring." Their little daughter in the back seat heard all this and it really made her think. Finally, after a few moments of silence, she said, "Well, Mom and Dad, you've got to admit it was a pretty good show for a dollar." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
2 "There’s really no evidence that people in Jesus’ day actually blew trumpets to announce their gifts. Jesus is using a metaphor here to colorfully describe the people who made sure that everyone knew they were giving to the needy. Basically, he’s saying, “When you give, don’t make a big deal out of it.” Don’t attract attention to it. Don’t advertise how much you’re giving. Don’t show off your generosity." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
"Jesus refers to “hypocrites”... this is the word for an actor, someone who plays a role. Here, the idea is someone who is pretending to give because they care about the needs of people or because they want to give as an act of worshipping God, but their real motive is to be honored by their peers. They want people to see how generous they are. They want people to be impressed with their spirituality or their devotion to God or their kind heart. But Jesus warns us not to follow their example because God does not recognize their generosity and will not reward it." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
3-4 "I don’t think this verse means that all giving MUST remain confidential. One day Jesus sat at the temple with his students, and together they watched how much people were putting into the collection. And when this widow came by and put in two small coins, Jesus drew everyone’s attention to her gift and praised her for her generosity. Likewise, Paul praises the Macedonian churches for their generous gift for the poor people of Jerusalem. And he boasts about the pledges that the church in Corinth made to the same relief project. Jesus is not laying down a rule here. He’s not saying that only secret giving honors God. He’s saying that if you’re tempted to give for the wrong motives, if you might be tempted to give so you’ll look good in front of other people, then you can remove that temptation by doing all your giving in secret. Keep it confidential and your motives won’t be in question. I think it’s really important to be precise here in our understanding. Jesus is not saying that you have done wrong if people know about your gift. He’s not saying it’s wrong if people are impressed by your gift. What he’s saying is that it is wrong to give for the purpose of impressing people. It’s not an issue of who knows about it or what they think about it. It’s all about your motive. Why did you do it? For people? Or for God? The reason it’s so important to guard our motives in giving is because the reason WHY we give will determine how it effects our lives. Jesus urges us to give in secret, so that our motives will be completely pure." -Chip Bell, Bible.org
[Pray] God, help us to give with pure hearts; not to be seen by men and praised by men, but to be both seen by you, praised by you and to glorify your name. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Give anonymously. Don't try to get attention or praise from men by talking about giving.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Jesus' Teaching on Fairness
[Read] 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:38-42)
[Meditate] This law is found in Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21.
"First, in Exodus 21:22-25, it is cited in a way that protected a pregnant woman and her child from death or injury that might occur if two men were in a fight. Second, in Leviticus 24:17-22, it is applied generally to any case where a crime of murder or intentional maiming occurred. To me, this text is the most clear that for the judicial authorities, the law applied to both capital punishment and maiming punishments (Judges 1:6-7) to be carried out in kind... Third, in Deuteronomy 19:15-21, it occurs in a passage to prevent perjury and using the court to execute or punish an otherwise innocent individual." -James Davis, Bible.org
"Repay no one evil for evil… . Beloved do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord" (Romans 12:17, 19).
"The law was not designed to be discharged by individuals swept up in personal vendetas, but by the judiciary." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 52.
It was also restrictive:
"...it was an excellent tool for eliminating blood feuds and intertribal warfare. Suppose someone cuts off my brother's hand, and I go and knock off the assailant's head. Immediately the initial violence has been escalated, and the assailant's family may feel honor-bound to butcher both me and my family. Where then will it end? But if, instead, the initial act of violence is met with reprisal in precisely the same kind and degree, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, that is the end of the matter." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 52.
"The punishment must fit the crime – no more than the crime but also no less. It was strict but fair. It was also designed to prevent and deter such crimes. It was there to remove punitive actions for crimes from the hands of the victim and his family and put them into the hands of the governing judicial system. It was designed as a principle of proportional justice. It was also designed to appropriately punish the offender." -James Davis, Bible.org
"By Jesus' day, however, both of these fundamentals were frequently overlooked... The question then became, How far may my personal retaliation extend, without breaking the law?" -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 52.
Jesus is also concerned with the heart or the mindset:
"The misunderstanding of the law would say if someone slaps you on the cheek, slap him back (after all “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”). If someone sues you, sue him back. If you are forced to go a mile by a Roman soldier, resist and fight back. Jesus is trying to confront that type of teaching and mindset." -James Davis, Bible.org
39 "If you are right-handed, and you slap someone on the right cheek, what have you done? You have given them a backhanded slap. The Jews considered a backhanded slap twice as insulting as a slap with the palm of the hand... The Jewish Rabbis had a law based on oral tradition found in what is called the Mishnah that said you could seek restitution in court. The offending party would be required to pay 200 zuz (a monetary unit) for a fronthanded slap and 400 for a backhanded one. So in that culture, you could take him to court and sue him for insult." -James Davis, Bible.org
40 "Now why would anyone want to sue someone for a piece of clothing? It is hard to understand this one without some Old Testament background, so let’s look at two passages.
The first is Exodus 22:25-27, which reads:
“If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. 26 If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge [i.e. collateral] you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. 27 For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious” (Exodus 22:25-27).
The second is Deuteronomy 24:10-13:
“When you lend your brother anything, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge. 11 You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you. 12 And if the man is poor, you shall not keep his pledge overnight. 13 You shall in any case return the pledge to him again when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own garment and bless you; and it shall be righteousness to you before the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 24:10-13).
Under the Old Testament borrowing laws, a poor person who borrowed money could provide a garment as a pledge or collateral to help ensure that he would pay the loan back. Normal practice at the time would be that people would wear a lighter inner tunic and also a heavier outer garment or cloak to be used in colder conditions. So why would a person give such a piece of clothing for collateral? Well, if he was really poor, that may be all that he had. But it gets awfully cold at night sometimes even in the desert depending on the time of year, so the Old Testament had a provision that required that the garment be returned to the poor person every night for warmth. So let’s say that the poor person took out a 30-day loan (loan time periods were much shorter back then). No interest would be charged and the pledge, the garment, would have to exchange hands between borrower and lender every day twice a day for 30 days. The lender was not allowed to go into the borrower’s house and had to return the garment every night. The borrower was to turn the garment back to the lender each morning until the loan was paid back.
But what if one of the parties violated one of these provisions? What if the lender came, stood outside the house, and asked for the garment and the borrower refused? What if the poor person felt rightly that the loan was already paid off and the exchange of garment was no longer required? This is where a lawsuit and court injunction might come into play, and the Pharisees had detailed rules for using the court system as the tool for dealing with the problem.
Jesus, however, has a bold and radical approach. “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.” He doesn’t say sue him back; He doesn’t say use the courts to prove you are correct; He doesn’t even say just go ahead rightly or wrongly and give him the garment. After all, Deuteronomy said if the one garment was returned according to the law, that was enough. But Jesus says give him BOTH garments! Amazing again." -James Davis, Bible.org
To try to apply this to a modern situation, what would happen if the U.S. Ambassador in Iraq decided to pass laws that required Iraqi citizens to work for the U.S.-occupying troops? What if the Iraqis had to do things like dig ditches, carry equipment, clear rubble for limited duration, but all for no pay? I would expect a huge outcry of unfairness and probably more active widespread resistance.
Let’s be clear that many of the Jews despised the Roman occupation. In 66/67 A.D., they started a futile revolt only to be crushed and killed. The temple would be destroyed. Many of them wanted a Messiah like Judas Maccabeus who would overthrow the Roman occupation, set up Israel as an independent nation once again, and restore their national hopes. This must have made Jesus’ teaching on compulsory service all the more jarring and astonishing to His audience.
Now suppose a Roman soldier comes along and says carry my pack for a mile. What should you do?
1. Actively retaliate, physical retaliation in a likely futile attempt at combat?
2. Resist, verbally deny the request, and run like the dickens?
3. Comply with the request, meet the legal requirement, and go with him the mile, no more and no less? Maybe you mumble and complain the whole way.
4. Yet Jesus teaches none of these; He says “Go with him two.” Amazing a third time!
I ask this rhetorical question: “What might the response of the Roman soldier be who has just witnessed an unexpected and powerful testimony of Christian discipleship?” " -James Davis, Bible.org
42 The Old Testament text of Deuteronomy 15:7-10 provides a good backdrop on Jesus’ teaching. It states:
“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs… . 10 You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand” (Deuteronomy 15:7-10).
Now the Old Testament has a strong ethic of promoting loans and gifts to those in need. The scribes and Pharisees also did, but much of it was enveloped in a system of regulations and rules predicated on ensuring repayment. But going to Jesus’ teaching on this subject cited in Luke gives a little more information.
“And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High” (Luke 6:34-35).
The key phrase here is “hoping for nothing in return.” In other words, make the loan to the person in need, but expect nothing in return; if he can’t or doesn’t repay, consider it a gift! Don’t you get the feeling that Jesus would never be hired by a mortgage company?" -James Davis, Bible.org
"I would like to close by pointing out and reflecting on the fact that Jesus lived out this teaching in His life. This is highlighted in several events in His arrest, trial, and crucifixion.
At the arrest, when Judas, one of the twelve, approaches with the Roman guard, Jesus doesn’t say, “You dirty rotten scoundrel, you traitor, you fiend.” Instead, He says, “Friend, why have you come?” Peter, however, is ready to resist. He pulls his sword out of the sheath to strike a blow and cuts off the ear of the slave of the high priest. But Jesus rebukes him by saying that those who live by the sword will die by the sword, and He heals the slave by restoring his ear. Jesus did not resist the evil person (Matthew 26:47-57).
Just before the trial, the soldiers come and strike him on the cheek with the palms of their hands mocking, “Prophesy who struck you” (Matthew 26:68). As Isaiah prophesied concerning Him, “I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). Jesus literally turned His cheek to the smiter.
At His crucifixion, Jesus lets the soldiers take both of His garments. John writes:
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots” (John 19:23-24).
He allowed both of His garments to be taken.
Lastly, on the cross, people are hurling insults at Jesus. “If You are the Son of God,” “If You are the King, come down now from the cross and save Yourself.” However, instead of hurling an insult back, Jesus asks for a blessing for them by saying, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34)." -James Davis, Bible.org
[Meditate] This law is found in Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21.
"First, in Exodus 21:22-25, it is cited in a way that protected a pregnant woman and her child from death or injury that might occur if two men were in a fight. Second, in Leviticus 24:17-22, it is applied generally to any case where a crime of murder or intentional maiming occurred. To me, this text is the most clear that for the judicial authorities, the law applied to both capital punishment and maiming punishments (Judges 1:6-7) to be carried out in kind... Third, in Deuteronomy 19:15-21, it occurs in a passage to prevent perjury and using the court to execute or punish an otherwise innocent individual." -James Davis, Bible.org
"Repay no one evil for evil… . Beloved do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord" (Romans 12:17, 19).
"The law was not designed to be discharged by individuals swept up in personal vendetas, but by the judiciary." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 52.
It was also restrictive:
"...it was an excellent tool for eliminating blood feuds and intertribal warfare. Suppose someone cuts off my brother's hand, and I go and knock off the assailant's head. Immediately the initial violence has been escalated, and the assailant's family may feel honor-bound to butcher both me and my family. Where then will it end? But if, instead, the initial act of violence is met with reprisal in precisely the same kind and degree, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, that is the end of the matter." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 52.
"The punishment must fit the crime – no more than the crime but also no less. It was strict but fair. It was also designed to prevent and deter such crimes. It was there to remove punitive actions for crimes from the hands of the victim and his family and put them into the hands of the governing judicial system. It was designed as a principle of proportional justice. It was also designed to appropriately punish the offender." -James Davis, Bible.org
"By Jesus' day, however, both of these fundamentals were frequently overlooked... The question then became, How far may my personal retaliation extend, without breaking the law?" -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 52.
Jesus is also concerned with the heart or the mindset:
"The misunderstanding of the law would say if someone slaps you on the cheek, slap him back (after all “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”). If someone sues you, sue him back. If you are forced to go a mile by a Roman soldier, resist and fight back. Jesus is trying to confront that type of teaching and mindset." -James Davis, Bible.org
39 "If you are right-handed, and you slap someone on the right cheek, what have you done? You have given them a backhanded slap. The Jews considered a backhanded slap twice as insulting as a slap with the palm of the hand... The Jewish Rabbis had a law based on oral tradition found in what is called the Mishnah that said you could seek restitution in court. The offending party would be required to pay 200 zuz (a monetary unit) for a fronthanded slap and 400 for a backhanded one. So in that culture, you could take him to court and sue him for insult." -James Davis, Bible.org
40 "Now why would anyone want to sue someone for a piece of clothing? It is hard to understand this one without some Old Testament background, so let’s look at two passages.
The first is Exodus 22:25-27, which reads:
“If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. 26 If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge [i.e. collateral] you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. 27 For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious” (Exodus 22:25-27).
The second is Deuteronomy 24:10-13:
“When you lend your brother anything, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge. 11 You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you. 12 And if the man is poor, you shall not keep his pledge overnight. 13 You shall in any case return the pledge to him again when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own garment and bless you; and it shall be righteousness to you before the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 24:10-13).
Under the Old Testament borrowing laws, a poor person who borrowed money could provide a garment as a pledge or collateral to help ensure that he would pay the loan back. Normal practice at the time would be that people would wear a lighter inner tunic and also a heavier outer garment or cloak to be used in colder conditions. So why would a person give such a piece of clothing for collateral? Well, if he was really poor, that may be all that he had. But it gets awfully cold at night sometimes even in the desert depending on the time of year, so the Old Testament had a provision that required that the garment be returned to the poor person every night for warmth. So let’s say that the poor person took out a 30-day loan (loan time periods were much shorter back then). No interest would be charged and the pledge, the garment, would have to exchange hands between borrower and lender every day twice a day for 30 days. The lender was not allowed to go into the borrower’s house and had to return the garment every night. The borrower was to turn the garment back to the lender each morning until the loan was paid back.
But what if one of the parties violated one of these provisions? What if the lender came, stood outside the house, and asked for the garment and the borrower refused? What if the poor person felt rightly that the loan was already paid off and the exchange of garment was no longer required? This is where a lawsuit and court injunction might come into play, and the Pharisees had detailed rules for using the court system as the tool for dealing with the problem.
Jesus, however, has a bold and radical approach. “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.” He doesn’t say sue him back; He doesn’t say use the courts to prove you are correct; He doesn’t even say just go ahead rightly or wrongly and give him the garment. After all, Deuteronomy said if the one garment was returned according to the law, that was enough. But Jesus says give him BOTH garments! Amazing again." -James Davis, Bible.org
41 "The historical background to this situation is the Roman law that required an individual from a conquered country to carry a load or pack up to one mile on foot if asked by a Roman. It was compulsory service. It was not popular; it was hated; it was done grudgingly. The scribes and the Pharisees particularly despised these laws being used by the ruling powers. There is a New Testament example inMatthew 27:32 to carry a load, which was forced on Simon of Cyrene: “Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to carry His cross.”
To try to apply this to a modern situation, what would happen if the U.S. Ambassador in Iraq decided to pass laws that required Iraqi citizens to work for the U.S.-occupying troops? What if the Iraqis had to do things like dig ditches, carry equipment, clear rubble for limited duration, but all for no pay? I would expect a huge outcry of unfairness and probably more active widespread resistance.
Let’s be clear that many of the Jews despised the Roman occupation. In 66/67 A.D., they started a futile revolt only to be crushed and killed. The temple would be destroyed. Many of them wanted a Messiah like Judas Maccabeus who would overthrow the Roman occupation, set up Israel as an independent nation once again, and restore their national hopes. This must have made Jesus’ teaching on compulsory service all the more jarring and astonishing to His audience.
Now suppose a Roman soldier comes along and says carry my pack for a mile. What should you do?
1. Actively retaliate, physical retaliation in a likely futile attempt at combat?
2. Resist, verbally deny the request, and run like the dickens?
3. Comply with the request, meet the legal requirement, and go with him the mile, no more and no less? Maybe you mumble and complain the whole way.
4. Yet Jesus teaches none of these; He says “Go with him two.” Amazing a third time!
I ask this rhetorical question: “What might the response of the Roman soldier be who has just witnessed an unexpected and powerful testimony of Christian discipleship?” " -James Davis, Bible.org
42 The Old Testament text of Deuteronomy 15:7-10 provides a good backdrop on Jesus’ teaching. It states:
“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs… . 10 You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand” (Deuteronomy 15:7-10).
Now the Old Testament has a strong ethic of promoting loans and gifts to those in need. The scribes and Pharisees also did, but much of it was enveloped in a system of regulations and rules predicated on ensuring repayment. But going to Jesus’ teaching on this subject cited in Luke gives a little more information.
“And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High” (Luke 6:34-35).
The key phrase here is “hoping for nothing in return.” In other words, make the loan to the person in need, but expect nothing in return; if he can’t or doesn’t repay, consider it a gift! Don’t you get the feeling that Jesus would never be hired by a mortgage company?" -James Davis, Bible.org
"I would like to close by pointing out and reflecting on the fact that Jesus lived out this teaching in His life. This is highlighted in several events in His arrest, trial, and crucifixion.
At the arrest, when Judas, one of the twelve, approaches with the Roman guard, Jesus doesn’t say, “You dirty rotten scoundrel, you traitor, you fiend.” Instead, He says, “Friend, why have you come?” Peter, however, is ready to resist. He pulls his sword out of the sheath to strike a blow and cuts off the ear of the slave of the high priest. But Jesus rebukes him by saying that those who live by the sword will die by the sword, and He heals the slave by restoring his ear. Jesus did not resist the evil person (Matthew 26:47-57).
Just before the trial, the soldiers come and strike him on the cheek with the palms of their hands mocking, “Prophesy who struck you” (Matthew 26:68). As Isaiah prophesied concerning Him, “I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). Jesus literally turned His cheek to the smiter.
At His crucifixion, Jesus lets the soldiers take both of His garments. John writes:
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots” (John 19:23-24).
He allowed both of His garments to be taken.
Lastly, on the cross, people are hurling insults at Jesus. “If You are the Son of God,” “If You are the King, come down now from the cross and save Yourself.” However, instead of hurling an insult back, Jesus asks for a blessing for them by saying, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34)." -James Davis, Bible.org
[Pray] This is a hard saying, Lord. Help me to respond this way when the situations and times come. Would my actions reflect or testify to who you are. Would my heart be right before you such that it aligns with my actions. Help me to be this kind of man, father. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Personal retaliation is not my responsibility. Instead, God wants me to respond with love outwardly and inwardly.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Jesus' Teaching on Oaths
[Read] 33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil. (Matthew 5:33-37)
[Meditate] This is not a direct quotation from the Old Testament, but an allusion to passages such as Exodus 20:7, Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, and Deuteronomy 23:21-24.
33 About vows:
"A vow is a specific kind of oath in which the person making the vow solemnly swears to pay something to God in return for God’s favor or blessing in a certain matter. In the Law of Moses, there is a very strong connection between vows and votive offerings. A votive offering was a special form of the peace offerings (Leviticus 7:16). It is an offering made in fulfillment of a vow. In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah, the mother of Samuel, vowed that if God would grant her a son, seeing that she was barren, she would devote her son to God as a Nazirite. God did give her a son, and she fulfilled her vow, bringing Samuel to the temple and giving him over to Eli, the high priest. There are numerous other examples of vows in the Old Testament, some frivolous, some foolish, such as Jephthah’s rash vow, and some admirable." -Tom Wright, Bible.org
A similar verse to this one is: "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and your no, no; so that you may not fall under judgment." (James 5:12)
34-36 "Some Christians have taken Matthew 5:33-37 to teach that we must not, under any circumstances, utter an oath or vow. So they refuse to take an oath in a court of law, in a marriage ceremony, or in any other situation. Is that our Lord’s point here – to create a new prohibition that didn’t exist under the Law of Moses and thereby to overcome men’s tendency to be untruthful? Part of me would love for it to be that simple, but I do not think it is. Oaths and vows show up remarkably often in both testaments, and the Law addresses them a great many times. It is strikingly consistent that, aside from this passage and James 5:12, the rest of the Scriptures does not prohibit oaths. Indeed, the Law specifically commanded God’s people to swear their oaths in His name." -Tom Wright, Bible.org
Some places in scripture that oaths are made:
"You shall fear the Lord your God. Him you will serve, to him you will cleave, and you will swear by his name" (Deuteronomy 10:20). God himself swears: he swears not to send another flood (Genesis 9:9-11), he swears to send a redeemer (Luke 1:68, 73), and to raise his son from the dead (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:27-31), for example. Paul regularly swears by God's name, calling God as witness (Romans 1:9, 2 Cor. 1:23, 1 Thess. 2:5, 10; cf; Phil 1:8).
Jesus’ words in Matthew 23 show how absurd this all had become:
"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it." (Matthew 23:16-22)
"...by Jesus' time the Jews had built up an entire legalistic system around the Old Testament teaching. In the Jewish code of law called the Mishnah, there is one whole tractate given over to the question of oaths, including detailed consideration of when they're binding and when they're not. For example, one rabbi says that if you swear by Jerusalem you are not bound to your vow; but if you swear toward Jerusalem, then you are bound to your vow. The swearing of oaths thus degenerates into terrible rules which let you know when you can get away with lying and deception, and when you can't. These oaths no longer foster truthfulness, but weaken the cause of truth and promote deceit." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 50.
"Jesus relates every oath to God. Heaven and earth are God's throne and footstool, respectively. Jerusalem is the city of God, the Great King. Their head cannot change a single color of hair; God alone has ultimate sway over this." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 50.
"The Jews of Jesus’ day had put an interesting twist on all of this. They had trouble telling the truth consistently, just like you and I do, so in order to guard themselves against being found guilty of swearing falsely by the name of God, it seems that they had firmly established the habit of swearing by everything EXCEPT God. They wanted to add some kind of force to their promises to make their words more credible, but they didn’t want to incur the judgment of God by swearing something in His name when they didn’t fully intend to make it good or when it was not entirely true. They wanted to have their moldy cake and eat it, too. So they created what was in effect a lesser class of oaths – oaths that were bound to various parts of God’s creation rather than to God Himself. James Montgomery Boice refers to this practice as 'evasive swearing.' " -Tom Wright, Bible.org
"As Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:34-36 point out, instead of swearing by God, they swore by “the heaven,” or by “the earth,” or by Jerusalem, or even by their own heads. Apparently, it got pretty silly. Oaths became like contests to see who could bind the most impressive object to his statements to give them the greatest force." -Tom Wright, Bible.org
"Do you see where the scribes and Pharisees had taken this, and how Jesus stands their foolish logic on its head? They were coming up with all sorts of mental acrobatics to insulate themselves from accountability to God, and Jesus told them you cannot get away from your accountability to God by invoking things, because God is sovereign over all things!" -Tom Wright, Bible.org
"When Abraham sent his servant to choose a bride for Isaac, he got it right. He said to his servant in Genesis 24:3: “I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live” (emphasis mine). You don’t swear by the heavens or the earth! You swear by the God of heaven and the God of earth." -Tom Wright, Bible.org
"God alone can call creation to witness with Him because He alone is sovereign over that creation! Men have no place to do so, because men control nothing! Jesus told us that we can’t even swear by our own heads because we can’t make a single hair on our heads white or black! See Deuteronomy 4:25-26, 30:15-20. In Isaiah 66:1-2, God declared: “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord... I don’t believe Jesus’ point in Matthew 5 is that oaths are evil or that an oath can never be legitimate. I believe His point is that the swearing of oaths as practiced by the scribes and Pharisees was evil, in its entirety – because they deliberately swore their oaths by everything EXCEPT God in a foolish effort to sidestep their accountability TO God!" -Tom Wright, Bible.org
37 Better to let your 'yes' be 'yes' and 'no' be 'no' than vow:
“When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you. “However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. “You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God, what you have promised.” (Deuteronomy 23:21-23)
"When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay!" (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5)
When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said." (Numbers 30:2)
"...all of this swearing, these oaths, are designed to encourage truthfulness, or to make truthfulness the more solemn and sure... Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath." (Hebrews 6:17) For the same reason, the Mosaic code forbade only false or irreverent oaths, which must be regarded as profaning God's name. -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 50.
"The real question here is truthfulness." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 51.
[Pray] Lord, if I must vow or give oath, would I do it with the plan on fulfilling my vow or oath. Would truthfulness be important to me. Help me through your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Only vow what I can possibly keep; only vow or give an oath something I plan on fulfilling.
[Meditate] This is not a direct quotation from the Old Testament, but an allusion to passages such as Exodus 20:7, Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, and Deuteronomy 23:21-24.
33 About vows:
"A vow is a specific kind of oath in which the person making the vow solemnly swears to pay something to God in return for God’s favor or blessing in a certain matter. In the Law of Moses, there is a very strong connection between vows and votive offerings. A votive offering was a special form of the peace offerings (Leviticus 7:16). It is an offering made in fulfillment of a vow. In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah, the mother of Samuel, vowed that if God would grant her a son, seeing that she was barren, she would devote her son to God as a Nazirite. God did give her a son, and she fulfilled her vow, bringing Samuel to the temple and giving him over to Eli, the high priest. There are numerous other examples of vows in the Old Testament, some frivolous, some foolish, such as Jephthah’s rash vow, and some admirable." -Tom Wright, Bible.org
A similar verse to this one is: "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and your no, no; so that you may not fall under judgment." (James 5:12)
34-36 "Some Christians have taken Matthew 5:33-37 to teach that we must not, under any circumstances, utter an oath or vow. So they refuse to take an oath in a court of law, in a marriage ceremony, or in any other situation. Is that our Lord’s point here – to create a new prohibition that didn’t exist under the Law of Moses and thereby to overcome men’s tendency to be untruthful? Part of me would love for it to be that simple, but I do not think it is. Oaths and vows show up remarkably often in both testaments, and the Law addresses them a great many times. It is strikingly consistent that, aside from this passage and James 5:12, the rest of the Scriptures does not prohibit oaths. Indeed, the Law specifically commanded God’s people to swear their oaths in His name." -Tom Wright, Bible.org
Some places in scripture that oaths are made:
"You shall fear the Lord your God. Him you will serve, to him you will cleave, and you will swear by his name" (Deuteronomy 10:20). God himself swears: he swears not to send another flood (Genesis 9:9-11), he swears to send a redeemer (Luke 1:68, 73), and to raise his son from the dead (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:27-31), for example. Paul regularly swears by God's name, calling God as witness (Romans 1:9, 2 Cor. 1:23, 1 Thess. 2:5, 10; cf; Phil 1:8).
Jesus’ words in Matthew 23 show how absurd this all had become:
"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it." (Matthew 23:16-22)
"...by Jesus' time the Jews had built up an entire legalistic system around the Old Testament teaching. In the Jewish code of law called the Mishnah, there is one whole tractate given over to the question of oaths, including detailed consideration of when they're binding and when they're not. For example, one rabbi says that if you swear by Jerusalem you are not bound to your vow; but if you swear toward Jerusalem, then you are bound to your vow. The swearing of oaths thus degenerates into terrible rules which let you know when you can get away with lying and deception, and when you can't. These oaths no longer foster truthfulness, but weaken the cause of truth and promote deceit." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 50.
"Jesus relates every oath to God. Heaven and earth are God's throne and footstool, respectively. Jerusalem is the city of God, the Great King. Their head cannot change a single color of hair; God alone has ultimate sway over this." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 50.
"The Jews of Jesus’ day had put an interesting twist on all of this. They had trouble telling the truth consistently, just like you and I do, so in order to guard themselves against being found guilty of swearing falsely by the name of God, it seems that they had firmly established the habit of swearing by everything EXCEPT God. They wanted to add some kind of force to their promises to make their words more credible, but they didn’t want to incur the judgment of God by swearing something in His name when they didn’t fully intend to make it good or when it was not entirely true. They wanted to have their moldy cake and eat it, too. So they created what was in effect a lesser class of oaths – oaths that were bound to various parts of God’s creation rather than to God Himself. James Montgomery Boice refers to this practice as 'evasive swearing.' " -Tom Wright, Bible.org
"As Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:34-36 point out, instead of swearing by God, they swore by “the heaven,” or by “the earth,” or by Jerusalem, or even by their own heads. Apparently, it got pretty silly. Oaths became like contests to see who could bind the most impressive object to his statements to give them the greatest force." -Tom Wright, Bible.org
"Do you see where the scribes and Pharisees had taken this, and how Jesus stands their foolish logic on its head? They were coming up with all sorts of mental acrobatics to insulate themselves from accountability to God, and Jesus told them you cannot get away from your accountability to God by invoking things, because God is sovereign over all things!" -Tom Wright, Bible.org
"When Abraham sent his servant to choose a bride for Isaac, he got it right. He said to his servant in Genesis 24:3: “I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live” (emphasis mine). You don’t swear by the heavens or the earth! You swear by the God of heaven and the God of earth." -Tom Wright, Bible.org
"God alone can call creation to witness with Him because He alone is sovereign over that creation! Men have no place to do so, because men control nothing! Jesus told us that we can’t even swear by our own heads because we can’t make a single hair on our heads white or black! See Deuteronomy 4:25-26, 30:15-20. In Isaiah 66:1-2, God declared: “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord... I don’t believe Jesus’ point in Matthew 5 is that oaths are evil or that an oath can never be legitimate. I believe His point is that the swearing of oaths as practiced by the scribes and Pharisees was evil, in its entirety – because they deliberately swore their oaths by everything EXCEPT God in a foolish effort to sidestep their accountability TO God!" -Tom Wright, Bible.org
37 Better to let your 'yes' be 'yes' and 'no' be 'no' than vow:
“When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you. “However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. “You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God, what you have promised.” (Deuteronomy 23:21-23)
"When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay!" (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5)
When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said." (Numbers 30:2)
"...all of this swearing, these oaths, are designed to encourage truthfulness, or to make truthfulness the more solemn and sure... Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath." (Hebrews 6:17) For the same reason, the Mosaic code forbade only false or irreverent oaths, which must be regarded as profaning God's name. -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 50.
"The real question here is truthfulness." -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 51.
[Pray] Lord, if I must vow or give oath, would I do it with the plan on fulfilling my vow or oath. Would truthfulness be important to me. Help me through your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Only vow what I can possibly keep; only vow or give an oath something I plan on fulfilling.
Friday, March 08, 2013
Jesus' Teaching on Divorce
[Read] "It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." (Matthew 5:31-32)
[Meditate] The passage in discussion here is Deuteronomy 24:1-4.
From William Luck on Bible.org: "Verses 31 and 32 are a clarification of an Old Testament Law, a correcting of a wrong, Pharasaical interpretation. The disciples, thinking that the action discussed is permissible, are served notice that God’s righteousness finds such action morally deficient in some way. In the case at hand, the disciples had been led to believe that the action of legal divorce, i.e., sending the wife away with a writ, as taught by the Pharisees, was morally permissible and satisfied God’s Law. Jesus informs them that divorce, unless it qualifies by being based on porneia, is an abuse of the wife, an abuse which is the sin of adultery."
32 From John Piper, pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church (full article is here-http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/on-divorce-remarriage-in-the-event-of-adultery):
I have recently come to the conclusion that the exception clause in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 is not intended to provide a loophole for divorce and remarriage when one of the partners commits adultery.
[Meditate] The passage in discussion here is Deuteronomy 24:1-4.
From William Luck on Bible.org: "Verses 31 and 32 are a clarification of an Old Testament Law, a correcting of a wrong, Pharasaical interpretation. The disciples, thinking that the action discussed is permissible, are served notice that God’s righteousness finds such action morally deficient in some way. In the case at hand, the disciples had been led to believe that the action of legal divorce, i.e., sending the wife away with a writ, as taught by the Pharisees, was morally permissible and satisfied God’s Law. Jesus informs them that divorce, unless it qualifies by being based on porneia, is an abuse of the wife, an abuse which is the sin of adultery."
32 From John Piper, pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church (full article is here-http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/on-divorce-remarriage-in-the-event-of-adultery):
I have recently come to the conclusion that the exception clause in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 is not intended to provide a loophole for divorce and remarriage when one of the partners commits adultery.
My Journey to This Conviction
I began, first of all, by being troubled that the absolute form of Jesus' denunciation of divorce and remarriage in Mark 10:11, 12 ("And he said to them, 'Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery against him'") and Luke 16:18 ("Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.") is not preserved by Matthew, if in fact his exception clause is a loophole for divorce and remarriage. I was bothered by the simple assumption that so many writers make that Matthew is simply making explicit something that would have been implicitly understood by the hearers of Jesus or the readers of Mark 10 and Luke 16. Would they really have assumed that the absolute statements included exceptions? I have very strong doubts, and therefore my inclination is to inquire whether or not in fact Matthew's exception clause conforms to the absoluteness of Mark and Luke.
The second thing that began to disturb me was the question, Why does Matthew use the word porneia instead of the word moicheia which means adultery? Almost all commentators seem to make the simple assumption again that porneia means adultery in this context. Even though I am ready to admit that now and then porneia is used in a sense which can include adultery, the question nags at me why Matthew should not use the word for adultery, if that is in fact what he meant. Then I noticed something very interesting. The only other place besides Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 where Matthew uses the word porneia is in 15:19 where it is used alongside of moicheia. Therefore, the primary contextual evidence for Matthew's usage is that he conceives of porneia as something different than adultery. Could this mean, then, that Matthew conceives of porneia in its normal sense of fornication rather than adultery?
The next clue in my search for an explanation came when I stumbled upon the use of porneia in John 8:41 where the Jewish leaders indirectly accuse Jesus of being born of porneia. In other words, since they don't accept the virgin birth, they assume that Mary had committed fornication and Jesus was the result of this act. On the basis of that clue I went back to study Matthew's record of Jesus' birth in Matthew 1:18-20. This was extremely enlightening.
I began, first of all, by being troubled that the absolute form of Jesus' denunciation of divorce and remarriage in Mark 10:11, 12 ("And he said to them, 'Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery against him'") and Luke 16:18 ("Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.") is not preserved by Matthew, if in fact his exception clause is a loophole for divorce and remarriage. I was bothered by the simple assumption that so many writers make that Matthew is simply making explicit something that would have been implicitly understood by the hearers of Jesus or the readers of Mark 10 and Luke 16. Would they really have assumed that the absolute statements included exceptions? I have very strong doubts, and therefore my inclination is to inquire whether or not in fact Matthew's exception clause conforms to the absoluteness of Mark and Luke.
The second thing that began to disturb me was the question, Why does Matthew use the word porneia instead of the word moicheia which means adultery? Almost all commentators seem to make the simple assumption again that porneia means adultery in this context. Even though I am ready to admit that now and then porneia is used in a sense which can include adultery, the question nags at me why Matthew should not use the word for adultery, if that is in fact what he meant. Then I noticed something very interesting. The only other place besides Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 where Matthew uses the word porneia is in 15:19 where it is used alongside of moicheia. Therefore, the primary contextual evidence for Matthew's usage is that he conceives of porneia as something different than adultery. Could this mean, then, that Matthew conceives of porneia in its normal sense of fornication rather than adultery?
The next clue in my search for an explanation came when I stumbled upon the use of porneia in John 8:41 where the Jewish leaders indirectly accuse Jesus of being born of porneia. In other words, since they don't accept the virgin birth, they assume that Mary had committed fornication and Jesus was the result of this act. On the basis of that clue I went back to study Matthew's record of Jesus' birth in Matthew 1:18-20. This was extremely enlightening.
Unlocking a Key Text
In these verses Joseph and Mary are referred to each other as husband (aner) and wife (gunaika). Yet they are described as only being betrothed to each other. This is probably owing to the fact that the words for husband and wife are simply man and woman and to the fact that betrothal was a much more significant commitment then than engagement is today. In verse 19 Joseph resolves "to divorce" Mary. The word for divorce is the same as the word in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9. But most important of all, Matthew says that Joseph was "just" in making the decision to divorce Mary, presumably on account of her porneia, fornication. Therefore, as Matthew proceeded to construct the narrative of his gospel, he finds himself in chapter 5 and then later in chapter 19, in a difficult situation. He has before him the absolute sayings of Jesus that if a man divorces his wife and marries another he commits adultery, that is, he commits a grave injustice.
Nevertheless, the one divorce that Matthew has contemplated with his readers in chapter 1 has been described by him as a "just" possibility. Therefore, in order to avoid the jarring inconsistency between what he has said about Joseph and what Jesus says about divorce, Matthew inserts the exception clause in order to exonerate Joseph and show that the kind of divorce that one might pursue during a betrothal on account of fornication, is not included in what Jesus had said. This interpretation of the exception clause has several advantages: 1) it does not force Matthew to contradict the plain, absolute meaning of Mark and Luke; 2) it provides an explanation for why the word porneia is used in Matthew's exception clause instead of moicheia; 3) it squares with Matthew's own use of porneia for fornication in Matthew 15:19; 4) from a redaction-critical standpoint it is very astute edition which promotes the truth of Jesus' own absolute command and the rightness of Joseph's intention in resolving to divorce his betrothed, Mary.
From William Luck, Bible.org: "It is also important to note that what follows are two sayings connected by “and” (kai). The reader should note that in two other major divorce passages, Mark 10:11-12 and Luke 16:18, similar dual sayings are connected in the say way. (In the only other teaching of Jesus, Matt. 19:9, there is only one saying.) The point to be made here is that in each case where there are dual sayings connected by “and,” the sayings are independent of each other. No one argues for interdependence for the sayings of Mark or Luke, neither should it be assumed that the sayings in Matthew 5 should be interpreted interdependently as is commonly done, i.e., the first clause is seen as making sense only when the second is a fact. It is instructive also to consider the use of “kai” as a connector in the surrounding saying groups, specifically 5:22 and 39-41. In neither case does the connector function as an introduction to a causing condition, as if translated best by “when.” Chamberlain cites Matt. 15:26 as having a context which shades the meaning of a “kai” toward “when,” but there, kai connects words rather than extended clauses as in our verse. Further, no causal connection is found in the latter passage, whereas the use of “kai” as “when” (traditional interpretation) in Matthew 5:32a/b would allege such. There is one other significant function of “kai” which helps us understand these sayings in relationship to each other, but, since that understanding relates more properly to the second saying than to the first, we will wait to discuss it until the next chapter. For now, however, we will satisfy ourselves to state that no use of “kai” seems arguable from the grammar which supports the traditional understanding that the meaning of the first clause awaits the speaking of the second. Thus, we will look at the first clause as an independent saying, to be interpreted in its own right."
In these verses Joseph and Mary are referred to each other as husband (aner) and wife (gunaika). Yet they are described as only being betrothed to each other. This is probably owing to the fact that the words for husband and wife are simply man and woman and to the fact that betrothal was a much more significant commitment then than engagement is today. In verse 19 Joseph resolves "to divorce" Mary. The word for divorce is the same as the word in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9. But most important of all, Matthew says that Joseph was "just" in making the decision to divorce Mary, presumably on account of her porneia, fornication. Therefore, as Matthew proceeded to construct the narrative of his gospel, he finds himself in chapter 5 and then later in chapter 19, in a difficult situation. He has before him the absolute sayings of Jesus that if a man divorces his wife and marries another he commits adultery, that is, he commits a grave injustice.
Nevertheless, the one divorce that Matthew has contemplated with his readers in chapter 1 has been described by him as a "just" possibility. Therefore, in order to avoid the jarring inconsistency between what he has said about Joseph and what Jesus says about divorce, Matthew inserts the exception clause in order to exonerate Joseph and show that the kind of divorce that one might pursue during a betrothal on account of fornication, is not included in what Jesus had said. This interpretation of the exception clause has several advantages: 1) it does not force Matthew to contradict the plain, absolute meaning of Mark and Luke; 2) it provides an explanation for why the word porneia is used in Matthew's exception clause instead of moicheia; 3) it squares with Matthew's own use of porneia for fornication in Matthew 15:19; 4) from a redaction-critical standpoint it is very astute edition which promotes the truth of Jesus' own absolute command and the rightness of Joseph's intention in resolving to divorce his betrothed, Mary.
From William Luck, Bible.org: "It is also important to note that what follows are two sayings connected by “and” (kai). The reader should note that in two other major divorce passages, Mark 10:11-12 and Luke 16:18, similar dual sayings are connected in the say way. (In the only other teaching of Jesus, Matt. 19:9, there is only one saying.) The point to be made here is that in each case where there are dual sayings connected by “and,” the sayings are independent of each other. No one argues for interdependence for the sayings of Mark or Luke, neither should it be assumed that the sayings in Matthew 5 should be interpreted interdependently as is commonly done, i.e., the first clause is seen as making sense only when the second is a fact. It is instructive also to consider the use of “kai” as a connector in the surrounding saying groups, specifically 5:22 and 39-41. In neither case does the connector function as an introduction to a causing condition, as if translated best by “when.” Chamberlain cites Matt. 15:26 as having a context which shades the meaning of a “kai” toward “when,” but there, kai connects words rather than extended clauses as in our verse. Further, no causal connection is found in the latter passage, whereas the use of “kai” as “when” (traditional interpretation) in Matthew 5:32a/b would allege such. There is one other significant function of “kai” which helps us understand these sayings in relationship to each other, but, since that understanding relates more properly to the second saying than to the first, we will wait to discuss it until the next chapter. For now, however, we will satisfy ourselves to state that no use of “kai” seems arguable from the grammar which supports the traditional understanding that the meaning of the first clause awaits the speaking of the second. Thus, we will look at the first clause as an independent saying, to be interpreted in its own right."
It is... not proper to imply... that the divorcing subsequently leads to the causing of the woman to commit adultery, when she remarries. The divorcing occurs at the time of the causing, not previously to it. -William Luck, from Bible.org
"Anyone who divorces his wife is at fault, because he is causing her to commit adultery if she marries someone else, since the first link is not really broken. It follows therefore that the man who marries a divorcee is likewise committing adultery; before God he is in fact marrying another man's wife. -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount
[Pray] God, divorce is not what you desire. You even say in Malachi 2:16 that you hate it. Build and grow our marriage. Would it be an example of your love for your church. And when we face trials and difficulties would you give us a desire not to want to escape and avoid but to communicate and work on reconciliation to your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Love my wife as Christ loved the church. Divorce is not an option, so pursue reconciliation when trials come.
"Anyone who divorces his wife is at fault, because he is causing her to commit adultery if she marries someone else, since the first link is not really broken. It follows therefore that the man who marries a divorcee is likewise committing adultery; before God he is in fact marrying another man's wife. -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount
[Pray] God, divorce is not what you desire. You even say in Malachi 2:16 that you hate it. Build and grow our marriage. Would it be an example of your love for your church. And when we face trials and difficulties would you give us a desire not to want to escape and avoid but to communicate and work on reconciliation to your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Love my wife as Christ loved the church. Divorce is not an option, so pursue reconciliation when trials come.
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Jesus' Teaching on Adultery
[Read] “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 lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. (Matthew 5:27-30)
[Meditate]
28 The verse being referred to here is Exodus 20:14, the 7th commandment.
It’s not only the external behavior of adultery that is wrong. It is also wrong to harbor and nourish a secret internal desire for an illicit relationship. Physical adultery is wrong. But so is emotional adultery or mental adultery or attitudinal adultery. -Chip Bell, Bible.org
The key word in this sentence is “lustfully”. However, that’s actually not a very good translation of this Greek word. The English “lust” carries a decidedly negative and sexual connotation—both of which are missing in the Greek word, epiqumew. It simply means, “to desire something or to long for something” and it is strictly a neutral term. In other words, whether desire is good or bad depends entirely on what you are desiring. The Bible uses this same word to say that one who wants to be an elder “desires a noble task”. Paul “desires to depart” this life and be with Christ. Jesus “eagerly desired” to eat the Last Supper with his disciples. The prophets in the OT “longed to see” the Messiah and angels “long” to understand our salvation. When Jesus uses this word, it is usually positive. But here it is obvious that he is talking about a desire for a woman that God has placed “off limits”. To desire that woman, says Jesus, is wrong, just as adultery itself is wrong. -Chip Bell, Bible.org
29-30 These verses are not suggesting that we should fight sexual sin by literally plucking out our eyes and cutting off our hands. I’m confident that even if we had only left eyes and left hands, we would still be able to find a way to have inappropriate sexual relationships and inappropriate sexual desires. -Chip Bell, Bible.org
"I do not think Jesus has randomly chosen these members of our body. Looking and touching – our eyes and our hands, would you not agree, are big elements in the realm of immorality, in the realm of adultery? So what He said is not that we stop the looks by plucking out our eyes or the touch by cutting off our hands, but that we must stop it no matter what it takes!" -Bob Deffinbaugh, Bible.org
It's the same principle that's used in church discipline. "The body of Christ is made up of individual members. What happens when a member of that body, as in 1 Corinthians 5, is living with his father’s wife? What is the church to do when such a man has been rebuked for such sin but refuses to repent? You are to “cut off” that member. It is radical! It is drastic! But the principle that applies to individuals applies to churches as well. You must sever the member or whatever it is that causes us to commit the sin which is damnable." -Bob Deffinbaugh, Bible.org
"The Law’s purpose was not to make us perfect so we could get to heaven by good works. The Law’s purpose is to show us that our hearts and our hands are unclean, that we have nothing to commend us before God. The reason that Jesus appears to be soft on the woman caught in adultery is because He came not only to show us we are sinners, but He came to bear the penalty of our sin."
[Pray] Lord, you not only hate adultery but the lusting or desiring of a woman other than my wife is also sin. You care about my thoughts as well as my actions. Give us a sweet marriage and protect me against thoughts that are destructive and sinful. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] How do I live this out? Love and desire only my wife. Guard my eyes against the pornography and images that flash before me on television, the movies, billboards, stores, the mall, the mail, ...
[Meditate]
28 The verse being referred to here is Exodus 20:14, the 7th commandment.
It’s not only the external behavior of adultery that is wrong. It is also wrong to harbor and nourish a secret internal desire for an illicit relationship. Physical adultery is wrong. But so is emotional adultery or mental adultery or attitudinal adultery. -Chip Bell, Bible.org
The key word in this sentence is “lustfully”. However, that’s actually not a very good translation of this Greek word. The English “lust” carries a decidedly negative and sexual connotation—both of which are missing in the Greek word, epiqumew. It simply means, “to desire something or to long for something” and it is strictly a neutral term. In other words, whether desire is good or bad depends entirely on what you are desiring. The Bible uses this same word to say that one who wants to be an elder “desires a noble task”. Paul “desires to depart” this life and be with Christ. Jesus “eagerly desired” to eat the Last Supper with his disciples. The prophets in the OT “longed to see” the Messiah and angels “long” to understand our salvation. When Jesus uses this word, it is usually positive. But here it is obvious that he is talking about a desire for a woman that God has placed “off limits”. To desire that woman, says Jesus, is wrong, just as adultery itself is wrong. -Chip Bell, Bible.org
29-30 These verses are not suggesting that we should fight sexual sin by literally plucking out our eyes and cutting off our hands. I’m confident that even if we had only left eyes and left hands, we would still be able to find a way to have inappropriate sexual relationships and inappropriate sexual desires. -Chip Bell, Bible.org
"I do not think Jesus has randomly chosen these members of our body. Looking and touching – our eyes and our hands, would you not agree, are big elements in the realm of immorality, in the realm of adultery? So what He said is not that we stop the looks by plucking out our eyes or the touch by cutting off our hands, but that we must stop it no matter what it takes!" -Bob Deffinbaugh, Bible.org
It's the same principle that's used in church discipline. "The body of Christ is made up of individual members. What happens when a member of that body, as in 1 Corinthians 5, is living with his father’s wife? What is the church to do when such a man has been rebuked for such sin but refuses to repent? You are to “cut off” that member. It is radical! It is drastic! But the principle that applies to individuals applies to churches as well. You must sever the member or whatever it is that causes us to commit the sin which is damnable." -Bob Deffinbaugh, Bible.org
"The Law’s purpose was not to make us perfect so we could get to heaven by good works. The Law’s purpose is to show us that our hearts and our hands are unclean, that we have nothing to commend us before God. The reason that Jesus appears to be soft on the woman caught in adultery is because He came not only to show us we are sinners, but He came to bear the penalty of our sin."
[Pray] Lord, you not only hate adultery but the lusting or desiring of a woman other than my wife is also sin. You care about my thoughts as well as my actions. Give us a sweet marriage and protect me against thoughts that are destructive and sinful. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] How do I live this out? Love and desire only my wife. Guard my eyes against the pornography and images that flash before me on television, the movies, billboards, stores, the mall, the mail, ...
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Jesus' Teaching on Murder
[Read] “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent. (Matthew 5:21-26)
[Meditate] Mainly from Bible.org and Chip Bell: In Matthew 5:20, Jesus says “your righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees”, the most carefully righteous people of his day. His followers no doubt wondered how that could be possible that they could be even more righteous than the Pharisees.
But what Jesus meant was that although the Pharisees were very concerned with obeying the external requirements of the code, they followed it in a very legalistic, wooden, joyless way. Jesus called them “actors”. They cared very little about whether they were doing what God wanted. They only cared that they did exactly what God told them to do. In fact, they had even added a few extra rules (and some of them were actually the opposite of what God wanted).
And so, Jesus tells his disciples that the true meaning of the law, the Kingdom Code, is to honor God not just with your actions, but also with your thoughts, your motives and your attitudes. The Kingdom Code is deeper and more personal than the law of any country. It delves into the innermost parts of a man that no other man can judge and only God can know.
What follows are six comparisons between external performance of the law and internal obedience to the law. Jesus deals with anger, lust, divorce, lying, revenge, and hatred. In each case, he calls us, his followers, to commit ourselves not just to obeying the external requirements of the law, but also to allowing the Kingdom Code to govern our thoughts, our motives and our attitudes.
22 Not all anger is sin. From other passages, we know that Jesus himself was sometimes angry and that we can be angry without sinning. Ephesians 4:26-27 and James 1:19-20 make it sound like the anger itself is not sin, but what you do with it can be sinful. Other passages (Ephesians 4:31, 1 Timothy 2:8) seem more general, and leave open the possibility that there is a distinction between righteous anger and anger that is not (and therefore is sin).
Raca and fool are insults. (Raca sounds like spitting and means “empty head”.) Fool is Greek “moron”. When we’re angry, we really want to say something nasty to the people who make us angry. Jesus says, that’s sin.
"The Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish court in the land. 'Gehenna' is a Greek transliteration of two semitic words which mean 'Valley of Hinnom,' a ravine south of Jerusalem where rubbish was dumped and burned, and consequently became a euphemism for 'the fire of hell.' " -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount
Jesus doesn’t mean that if you call someone a fool that you’re going to hell. He means that it is a sin and sin deserves hell. If Jesus hadn’t paid for your sin, that’s what you would deserve—not just for murder, but even for speaking insults.
23-24 This verse shows the importance of reconciliation. It’s important enough to interrupt worshipping God (maybe because unresolved conflict does interfere with our ability to worship God.)
Notice here the initiative is on the one who has sinned against someone else. The guilty party should take initiative to resolve the conflict with his brother. (This is interesting because it’s the other person who is probably angry.) Don’t even stop to worship when you know that your sin has caused a brother or sister to be angry. Seek them out. Apologize. Ask for their forgiveness. Seek to reconcile your relationship. The responsibility to seek reconciliation does not rest with only the offending party. Later in Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus gives instructions to the party that has been offended (and is probably angry). So both parties are responsible to come together and patch things up.
25 In this last section, Jesus gives us a mini-parable to teach us that the business of reconciliation is urgent. Surely this extends beyond just the situation of two men going to court. He’s using this example to illustrate a broader principle. If you continue to hold anger in your heart or if you have sinned against a brother and not ever tried to patch things up, then you are asking for it. There are consequences for leaving these things unresolved. Reconciliation is urgent so that you can avoid those consequences.
[Pray] God, would I be quick to resolve conflict, quick to seek reconciliation regardless of if I am angry or I can sense someone else is angry with me. When I am angry, would you help me to diffuse that anger and would I not act on the anger, as likely both are sin. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] If I notice I am angry at someone- say a co-worker or my wife- God wants me to reconcile with that person quickly.
[Meditate] Mainly from Bible.org and Chip Bell: In Matthew 5:20, Jesus says “your righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees”, the most carefully righteous people of his day. His followers no doubt wondered how that could be possible that they could be even more righteous than the Pharisees.
But what Jesus meant was that although the Pharisees were very concerned with obeying the external requirements of the code, they followed it in a very legalistic, wooden, joyless way. Jesus called them “actors”. They cared very little about whether they were doing what God wanted. They only cared that they did exactly what God told them to do. In fact, they had even added a few extra rules (and some of them were actually the opposite of what God wanted).
And so, Jesus tells his disciples that the true meaning of the law, the Kingdom Code, is to honor God not just with your actions, but also with your thoughts, your motives and your attitudes. The Kingdom Code is deeper and more personal than the law of any country. It delves into the innermost parts of a man that no other man can judge and only God can know.
What follows are six comparisons between external performance of the law and internal obedience to the law. Jesus deals with anger, lust, divorce, lying, revenge, and hatred. In each case, he calls us, his followers, to commit ourselves not just to obeying the external requirements of the law, but also to allowing the Kingdom Code to govern our thoughts, our motives and our attitudes.
22 Not all anger is sin. From other passages, we know that Jesus himself was sometimes angry and that we can be angry without sinning. Ephesians 4:26-27 and James 1:19-20 make it sound like the anger itself is not sin, but what you do with it can be sinful. Other passages (Ephesians 4:31, 1 Timothy 2:8) seem more general, and leave open the possibility that there is a distinction between righteous anger and anger that is not (and therefore is sin).
Raca and fool are insults. (Raca sounds like spitting and means “empty head”.) Fool is Greek “moron”. When we’re angry, we really want to say something nasty to the people who make us angry. Jesus says, that’s sin.
"The Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish court in the land. 'Gehenna' is a Greek transliteration of two semitic words which mean 'Valley of Hinnom,' a ravine south of Jerusalem where rubbish was dumped and burned, and consequently became a euphemism for 'the fire of hell.' " -D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount
Jesus doesn’t mean that if you call someone a fool that you’re going to hell. He means that it is a sin and sin deserves hell. If Jesus hadn’t paid for your sin, that’s what you would deserve—not just for murder, but even for speaking insults.
23-24 This verse shows the importance of reconciliation. It’s important enough to interrupt worshipping God (maybe because unresolved conflict does interfere with our ability to worship God.)
Notice here the initiative is on the one who has sinned against someone else. The guilty party should take initiative to resolve the conflict with his brother. (This is interesting because it’s the other person who is probably angry.) Don’t even stop to worship when you know that your sin has caused a brother or sister to be angry. Seek them out. Apologize. Ask for their forgiveness. Seek to reconcile your relationship. The responsibility to seek reconciliation does not rest with only the offending party. Later in Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus gives instructions to the party that has been offended (and is probably angry). So both parties are responsible to come together and patch things up.
25 In this last section, Jesus gives us a mini-parable to teach us that the business of reconciliation is urgent. Surely this extends beyond just the situation of two men going to court. He’s using this example to illustrate a broader principle. If you continue to hold anger in your heart or if you have sinned against a brother and not ever tried to patch things up, then you are asking for it. There are consequences for leaving these things unresolved. Reconciliation is urgent so that you can avoid those consequences.
[Pray] God, would I be quick to resolve conflict, quick to seek reconciliation regardless of if I am angry or I can sense someone else is angry with me. When I am angry, would you help me to diffuse that anger and would I not act on the anger, as likely both are sin. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] If I notice I am angry at someone- say a co-worker or my wife- God wants me to reconcile with that person quickly.
Friday, March 01, 2013
The Fulfillment of the Law
[Read] “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20)
[Meditate] D.A. Carson describes Matt 5:17–20 as “among the most difficult verses in all the Bible.”
17 From Bible.org: “Abolish” (kataluo) is a very strong word. In its other three usages in Matthew, the verb is used of demolishing a temple.
Jesus is loyal to the Old Testament Law. In verses 17-19 He tells His listeners that He has not come to abolish the least of the Old Testament rules, but that they shall stand until “heaven and earth pass away.” It seems clear, then, that Jesus means to recover the Law and bring out its fullness, not to make changes in it that would negate the least of its principles. This leads us to conclude that Jesus intends to clarify misunderstandings. -From William Luck, Bible.org
"Jesus fulfills the entire Old Testament- the Law and the Prophets [Matt. 11:12]- in many ways. Because they point toward him, he has certainly not come to abolish them. Rather, he has come to fulfill them in a rich diversity of ways... Jesus does not conceive of his life and ministry in terms of opposition to the Old Testament, but in terms of bringing to fruition that toward which it points." -From D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount
What did Jesus mean by the word fulfill?
The word “fulfill” (pleroo) occurs numerous times in Matthew, and it normally means “to bring to its intended meaning.” “Fulfill” does not mean “to bring to an end.” Rather, it means, “to fill out, expand, or complete.” Concerning the Old Testament, we could say that Jesus “filled it up” or “filled it full” with meaning. Whether we study the furnishings of the temple, probe the messianic passages in the Psalms, or delve into the details of Isaiah 53, we see Jesus Christ. Just as the fetus is fulfilled in the adult human, so Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. We could go so far as to say that the primary purpose of the Old Testament is to point to Christ. Therefore, Jesus does not contradict the Old Testament; He’s the culmination of it. The entire Old Testament points to Jesus and will be fulfilled in Him, down to the smallest detail.
Jesus restated some of the Old Testament Laws (19:18–19), but some He modified (5:31–32). Some He intensified (5:21–22, 27–28), and others He changed significantly (5:33–37, 38–42, 43–47). Some Laws He abrogated entirely (Mark 7:15–19). Jesus was not advocating the continuation of the traditional Jewish approach of adherence to the Law. Nor was He advocating that the Law be dismissed altogether. He was proclaiming that the meaning of the Law must be interpreted in light of His coming and in light of the profound changes introduced by His teaching.
The Law prescribed a system of sacrifices to deal with sin. For 1500 years, day after day, week after week, and especially year after year, the people brought their sacrifices. These offerings signified that sin brings punishment and only death and blood could release someone from that punishment. Those thousands of dead animals pointed forward to a sacrifice. That’s why John the Baptizer exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Through Jesus’ sinless life and sacrificial death, the penalty for sin has been paid. Christ provided a way of salvation that meets all Old Testament requirements and demands.
18 “Until heaven and earth pass away” is a vivid way of saying as long as this world lasts. "The Law" here represents the entire Old Testament.
20 The main theme is true righteousness. The religious leaders had an artificial, external righteousness based on Law. But the righteousness Jesus described is a true and vital righteousness that begins internally, in the heart. The Pharisees were concerned about the minute details of conduct, but they neglected the major matter of character. Conduct flows out of character. -Warrren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary
Jesus does on several occasions in the subsection quote Old Testament material, but He has served notice that He is correcting Pharasaical misinterpretations of the Law. It is as if He were saying, “You have heard the Old Testament quoted and explained in the following way, but let me explain to you its true and full meaning.” In other words, the very quoting of the Law evoked in His listeners’ minds the aberrant teaching that Jesus intended to correct. He does not intend to annul the commandment, only its Pharasaical interpretation. -From William Luck, Bible.org
[Pray] From this passage, I can tell that practicing and teaching the commands of God are something of vital importance to the Lord. Also true righteousness is important. So I pray, Lord, that we would live well and teach well. Not only hearing the word of God, but doing what it says from the heart. The internal heart as well as the external actions. And you place a high premium on teachers. So when we teach, would it be accurately, and not in a way that neglects the commands of God. In Jesus name, Amen.
[Live] Which commandments are Jesus referring to? Specifically the ones before or after this text? Teach in accordance with the scriptures. Walk in them.
[Meditate] D.A. Carson describes Matt 5:17–20 as “among the most difficult verses in all the Bible.”
17 From Bible.org: “Abolish” (kataluo) is a very strong word. In its other three usages in Matthew, the verb is used of demolishing a temple.
Jesus is loyal to the Old Testament Law. In verses 17-19 He tells His listeners that He has not come to abolish the least of the Old Testament rules, but that they shall stand until “heaven and earth pass away.” It seems clear, then, that Jesus means to recover the Law and bring out its fullness, not to make changes in it that would negate the least of its principles. This leads us to conclude that Jesus intends to clarify misunderstandings. -From William Luck, Bible.org
"Jesus fulfills the entire Old Testament- the Law and the Prophets [Matt. 11:12]- in many ways. Because they point toward him, he has certainly not come to abolish them. Rather, he has come to fulfill them in a rich diversity of ways... Jesus does not conceive of his life and ministry in terms of opposition to the Old Testament, but in terms of bringing to fruition that toward which it points." -From D.A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount
What did Jesus mean by the word fulfill?
The word “fulfill” (pleroo) occurs numerous times in Matthew, and it normally means “to bring to its intended meaning.” “Fulfill” does not mean “to bring to an end.” Rather, it means, “to fill out, expand, or complete.” Concerning the Old Testament, we could say that Jesus “filled it up” or “filled it full” with meaning. Whether we study the furnishings of the temple, probe the messianic passages in the Psalms, or delve into the details of Isaiah 53, we see Jesus Christ. Just as the fetus is fulfilled in the adult human, so Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. We could go so far as to say that the primary purpose of the Old Testament is to point to Christ. Therefore, Jesus does not contradict the Old Testament; He’s the culmination of it. The entire Old Testament points to Jesus and will be fulfilled in Him, down to the smallest detail.
Jesus restated some of the Old Testament Laws (19:18–19), but some He modified (5:31–32). Some He intensified (5:21–22, 27–28), and others He changed significantly (5:33–37, 38–42, 43–47). Some Laws He abrogated entirely (Mark 7:15–19). Jesus was not advocating the continuation of the traditional Jewish approach of adherence to the Law. Nor was He advocating that the Law be dismissed altogether. He was proclaiming that the meaning of the Law must be interpreted in light of His coming and in light of the profound changes introduced by His teaching.
The Law prescribed a system of sacrifices to deal with sin. For 1500 years, day after day, week after week, and especially year after year, the people brought their sacrifices. These offerings signified that sin brings punishment and only death and blood could release someone from that punishment. Those thousands of dead animals pointed forward to a sacrifice. That’s why John the Baptizer exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Through Jesus’ sinless life and sacrificial death, the penalty for sin has been paid. Christ provided a way of salvation that meets all Old Testament requirements and demands.
18 “Until heaven and earth pass away” is a vivid way of saying as long as this world lasts. "The Law" here represents the entire Old Testament.
20 The main theme is true righteousness. The religious leaders had an artificial, external righteousness based on Law. But the righteousness Jesus described is a true and vital righteousness that begins internally, in the heart. The Pharisees were concerned about the minute details of conduct, but they neglected the major matter of character. Conduct flows out of character. -Warrren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary
Jesus does on several occasions in the subsection quote Old Testament material, but He has served notice that He is correcting Pharasaical misinterpretations of the Law. It is as if He were saying, “You have heard the Old Testament quoted and explained in the following way, but let me explain to you its true and full meaning.” In other words, the very quoting of the Law evoked in His listeners’ minds the aberrant teaching that Jesus intended to correct. He does not intend to annul the commandment, only its Pharasaical interpretation. -From William Luck, Bible.org
A final structural point is that in each of the first three saying groups (unlike the second three) the addressed “you” is presented in the hypothetical situation as being guilty of some offense that Pharasaical teaching had missed: in the first instance, unjust anger; in the second, lust; in the third, breaking solemn covenant. It is a foreboding refrain:
You think you are innocent of ____, but you are guilty.
You think you are innocent of ____, but you are guilty.
You think you are innocent of ____, but you are guilty.
In each case the Pharisee’s audience had been led to believe that they were avoiding guilt by committing an act beyond the jurisdiction of the Commandment. But they were wrong. God’s concern goes way deeper than that. -From William Luck, Bible.org
[Live] Which commandments are Jesus referring to? Specifically the ones before or after this text? Teach in accordance with the scriptures. Walk in them.
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