Scripture

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in Heaven.”

Observation

Jesus warns us against doing good in order to be admired by others. If we do this, we lose our Father’s reward.

When we give to someone in need, we shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves. Rather, we should do it quietly.

When we pray, we shouldn’t do it to show off how holy we are. Rather, we should pray privately- just me and the Father.

We don’t need to babble on endlessly, like the pagans. Repetitious words and phrases don’t impress God. He knows what we need before we ask him.

Application

In this passage, Jesus warns us against public piety. He talks about charitable giving and prayer as opportunities to try and impress other people rather than simply being faithful to our Lord. There is nothing wrong with giving publicly or in praying publicly. We need to take sure, though, that our focus remains on our heavenly Father and on the people around us.

In the days of Jesus, it was not uncommon for wealthy people to have a trumpet fanfare to announce their arrival to do a good deed such as giving money to the temple. If Jesus was speaking today. He might say something like “When you give to the homeless people or volunteer to clean an old person’s yard, don’t post it on social media.”

The key in all of this is, where is my heart? Why am I doing this?

Prayer

Lord, purify my heart. Please protect me from the dangers of seeking the approval of people for simply being obedient to you. Amen.

Scripture

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbour’ and hate your enemies. I say, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.”

Observation

Jesus talks about how we treat our enemies.

Even though the law says, we may exact proportional revenge – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth- we are not to resist an evil person. Do not hit back at a person who hits you.

In court, if you lose the case, give more than is demanded of you. Give to those who ask and don’t turn away those who want to borrow.

The law says we must love our neighbours, and some people interpret that to mean that we should hate our enemies. Jesus says that we must love our enemies. In this way, we will be like our heavenly Father. If we only love those who love us back, we are no better than pagans or corrupt tax collectors.

Application

The law of Moses says we must love our neighbour People being what they are, develop the thought that this means you could hate your enemies. Jesus says repeatedly that we must love our enemies. Everybody is our neighbour

This is hard and, really, it can only be done in the grace of God. So, when somebody treats us badly or gossips about us, we do not need to defend ourselves or seek revenge.

Jesus tells us to go on the front foot and pray for those who persecute us. That can be difficult too, but it is achievable. The interesting thing is that when I genuinely pray for my enemy, God changes my heart and makes it possible for me to love them.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you that even when I was opposed to you, you still loved me. Please give me that kind of love for my opponents. Amen.

Scripture.

“Just say a simple, “Yes, I will,” or “No, I won’t.” Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

Observation.

Jesus goes on to teach about divorce and vows.

In the Old Testament, it was permissible for a man to divorce his wife by simply giving her a written notice. Jesus now says that while this might be the law, the way of discipleship is to avoid divorce, unless a wife has been unfaithful .

In the past, people were required to fulfil vows that they made. The Pharisees found various loopholes rendering vows as unnecessary and deceptive. Jesus says, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’. Anything beyond this is from the devil.

Application.

A vow was supposed to be a way of binding a person to fulfil what they had promised to do. To swear on the name of God was, in theory, to call down the wrath of God if you break your promise.

The Pharisees had brought in levels of binding for various vows, making the practice totally worthless. As usual, the burden of this fell on the poor and uneducated people who were prone to being defrauded.

Jesus tells us to be people of our word. If we promise to do something, we should do it.

I recently had some big renovations done on my home. The total cost was ova, $150,000. There was no contract, just the bond of trust that I would pay what was owed and the various tradesmen would not overcharge me.

When we follow Jesus’s commands to follow through with their promises regardless of legalities, everybody benefits.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you require us to live up to the promises we make. Please help me to ensure that I am a trustworthy person in every part of my life. Amen.

Scripture

“But I warn you – unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and of the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Observation

We, the followers of Jesus are the salt of the Earth. The salt must keep its flavour, otherwise it becomes useless. We are the light of the world. A city on a hilltop cannot be hidden. In the same way, we are to let our good deeds shine out to the praise of God.

Jesus did not come to abolish the religious law but to fulfil it. Not even the least commandment will pass away until God’s purposes have been completed.

Our righteousness must be better than the righteousness of the Pharisees if we want to enter the kingdom of God.

Application

This righteousness of the teachers of religious law and of the Pharisees was a works based righteousness. They strove to be good, according to their interpretation of God’s law.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus describes a better righteousness. His followers will not achieve self-righteousness by being good. No, God will change their hearts so that good deeds flow from a transformed life.

When God heals our souls and fills us with His love, we find that we want to be kind to others. God’s righteousness does not just cover over a corrupt heart, it gives us a new and clean heart.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for the righteousness that comes from you as a gift. Amen.

Scripture

“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

Observation

The last beatitude concerns persecution. Those who are persecuted for the sake of God’s righteousness are blessed. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.

We can be sure that people will persecute us. They will mock, lie., and gossip against us because we are followers of Jesus.

We should rejoice in this because a great reward awaits us in Heaven. The ancient prophets were also treated this way.

Application

If we are serious about following Jesus, persecution is inevitable. The world hates those who point out their sins by living in a different way.

They don’t understand how you can live happily without alcohol or drugs. They don’t like the idea of sexual purity, as a choice for those who are unmarried.

You don’t have to be a street preacher to receive this kind of persecution. Those who know you are a Christian, will find ways to mock or to deride your beliefs.

We live in a “tolerant” society which tolerates and even celebrates the things that are repulsive to God. This kind of society will not tolerate Christian, belief or actions.

In Australia, we do not yet face persecution that is the norm for many believers in other parts of the world. Unless genuine revival transforms our society soon, we will experience discrimination oppression and legal opposition.

Prayer

Lord Jesus. I pray for this nation. Raise up righteous rulers, politicians, and media personalities. Change this nation by changing the hearts of its people. Amen.

Scripture

“God blesses, those who work for peace for they will be called the children of God.”

Application

There is a difference between pacifism as an end in itself and the working for peace that is a result of our relationship with God.

The peace makers referred to here are people who know that they are reconciled to God and therefore work in all their relationships to bring peace, justice and love to other people.

When we are saved, the wall between us and God comes to an end. We experience God’s shalom, the real peace or harmony that can only exist when we are walking in fellowship with the Lord.

God’s peace has four dimensions. It is peace with God, peace within ourselves, peace with others, and peace with creation.

As I grow in this experience of God’s peace, I live it out in my relationships with others. Not only that, as my life reflects the nature of God, people around me are saved and experience this piece themselves.

Every Christian becomes a catalyst for peace. Rather than demanding that others live at peace, we show what peace really looks like.

The Bible tells us that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. This is His nature and His desire. When we live in the habit of reconciliation or peace, then we are living as God’s children.

Prayer

Your peace, Lord, flows through me like a river. May I share this grace with those around me. Amen.

Scripture

“God blesses those who are merciful for they will be shown mercy.”

Application

Those who show mercy- forgiveness, grace, no record-keeping, they will receive God’s mercy.

Over and over, Jesus. emphasised that if we want to receive God’s forgiveness, we must also be people who forgive.

It is there in the Lord’s Prayer. — Forgive us as we forgive others. It is in the warning about judging other people. –do not judge or you yourself will be judged. It is there also in the salvation of Zacchaeus.

This is not to say that God’s grace is in any way dependent on what we do. We do not show mercy in the hope that God will be merciful to us. God is not transactional.

No, those who truly receive God’s forgiveness and have had an encounter with the Holy Spirit will themselves become people of mercy.

Genuine conversion results in conversion of relationships, so that revenge gives way to mercy.

We don’t forgive to buy God’s forgiveness. We forgive because we have been forgiven.

This raises an interesting question. What about people who do not know Jesus, but they live lives of mercy towards others?

At the risk of being branded a heretic. I think that some people like that will be in God’s kingdom. They have instinctively grasped what it means to be forgiven and they will receive God’s mercy on the day of judgement.

Prayer

Lord, please show me areas of my life where I need to show more mercy. Thank you for your forgiveness through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Scripture.

“God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.”

Application.

Money does not meet our needs; it does not satisfy. If we have some income, we always want more. We think, “If only I had another ten thousand dollars, then I would be happy.” But we find that a higher income opens our eyes to more to want.

Other sources of meaning also come with the same properties. We think, “more sex or more holidays, or more power, or a better job, surely these will make me happy.” But they just leave us wanting more.

Jesus tells us that those who hunger and thirst for justice will be satisfied.

We can interpret this in two ways.

Those who want the righteousness of God and pursue Him above all else, they will be satisfied. The Holy Spirit removes our desires for sin over time, and we live a holy life.

The beatitude can also be interpreted as meaning that those who hunger and thirst for justice in society, or in a community, will be also satisfied. We focus on bringing an end to unjust systems and we find that, through prayer and action, God cleanses the land of unrighteousness.

Unlike the fleshly ways of attending to our own desires, seeking God’s ways brings fulfilment of our needs for significance.

Prayer

Lord, please teach me how to hunger and first for your righteousness. Amen.