Scripture

“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”

Observation

Even though the Law says, “eye for eye and tooth for tooth”, we are not to seek revenge. If someone strikes us on the right cheek, we are to let them strike us on the left cheek also. Always go further than the law requires.

Teachers have said, “Love your neighbour, but hate your enemy.” Jesus says we must love our enemies. We must pray for those who persecute us, and greet brothers and pagans alike.

Application

Who is my enemy? I don’t think that I have any enemies as such. Perhaps there are people who are opposed to the gospel and therefore to me, but I don’t know who these people are.

Nobody mocks me or hurts me or calls me names that I know of.

Jesus says that we should expect persecution just for being His followers. We are to love those who hate us.

Things are changing in Western cultures. The move towards persecution of christians is accelerating. If there is no revival, then it is possible that enemies will increase.

So I need to practise love and forgiveness towards everyone. In this way, Jesus says,we behave like our Father in heaven who blesses even those who hate Him.

Prayer

Lord, it is hard to love those who are hostile to me. Please help me to do this. Amen.

Scripture

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

Observation

Jesus says that, although the law stated that a man could divorce a woman by just giving her a written notice, He says that divorce should only come when one person has been unfaithful.

Not only should people keep their vows, it is much better not to make vows at all. It is better to simply say “Yes” or “No” than to make elaborate vows, swearing by things that you cannot affect.

Application

Vows are not a common part of modern day life, except perhaps in wedding ceremonies and in courts of law. A vow is a solemn promise which carried weight before the law. In most cases we have written contracts and agreements rather than verbal promises.

The problem is that people are always looking for loopholes. The scribes and Pharisees taught that certain vows could be ignored or broken because they were of lesser importance than others.

Jesus goes straight to the heart of things and says, “Let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No’ be no.” Don’t look to get out of promises you have made, and don’t promise what you can’t deliver.

There used to be a saying, “My word is my bond.” In other words, whatever you promise will be done, without a contract or deposit.

There was a major property developer in one city who undertook hundreds of projects without ever signing a contract. He was known as a man whose word could be trusted.

This is the way of Jesus. There are times when our society says that contracts and vows are necessary by law. For followers of Jesus, truth is such a part of our value system that we should be known as people of integrity, with or without legal guarantees.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, please show me any part of my life that is not regulated by your integrity, and help me to change my ways. Amen.

Scripture

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

Observation

While the Law says we must not commit murder for fear of the judgement of God, Jesus says anyone who gets angry with a brother or calls them an idiot is already in danger of judgement.

Even if we are making an offering to the Lord, we must go and be reconciled to a brother who is offended by us.

If a man lusts after a woman, he has already committed adultery in his heart. Any part of our body that leads us to sin should be removed. It is better to lose a part of the body than for the whole body to be cast into hell.

Application

Jesus takes the Law and amplifies it to the nth degree. He looks at the heart and its motives, not just the outward appearance. Therefore lust is adultery and anger is murder. We need to get our heart right and not just the outward actions.

Jesus tells us that relationships are more important than religion. Even if I am in the middle of a church service and then remember that I have an issue with a christian brother, I need to fix that issue immediately.

It is not just about when I take offence. That just needs a bit of repentance and a heart adjustment. I am also responsible for sorting out issues that other people have with me: “ If you remember that your brother has something against you…”

I cannot deflect responsibility for a relationship on to the other person. If a brother or sister in the Lord is offended by me, I need to take the initiative to clear the air and restore the friendship.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you lay on all of your followers the responsibility for making relationships right whether by forgiveness or by seeking reconciliation. Please show me any relationships I need to work on. Amen.

Scripture

“I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.”

Observation

Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfil it. Until heaven and earth disappear, then not even the smallest detail of God’s law will pass away, until its purpose is accomplished.

We must not ignore the commandments or teach others to do so. To enter the kingdom of heaven takes a righteousness greater than that of the Pharisees.

Application

This is one of those passages that we can approach from a number of angles.

The phrase “until heaven and earth disappear” might refer to the literal end of the earth. It might also be a metaphor for the end of the age of Israel or the end of the Old covenant.

Jesus is telling His Jewish followers that they must obey the Law to its ultimate conclusion in that present age. For them this then raises the question “Who can be saved?”

If is is a literal end of the earth that Jesus is talking about, He is not saying that we who are Gentiles must obey the least commandment of the Law. Christ has fulfilled the Law on our behalf. He is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.

When we put our faith in Christ, He pronounces us “Not guilty.” He can do this because He is the law giver and the law keeper.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you are the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Thank you for taking away my sin and for fulfilling the law n my behalf. Amen.

Scripture

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it loses its flavour? Can you make it salty again?”

Observation

Jesus tells us we are salt and must not lose our flavour. We are light for the world and must let our good deeds shine before people so that they will praise our heavenly Father.

Application

Saltiness is the flavour of God in my life. For all of the many sermon illustrations about salt and its many uses, this is about flavour.

If I am salt with the “flavour” of God, it means that I have to “bury” myself or “hide” myself in the world n order to give it the flavour of God. Salt does not do its work if left in the salt shaker.

Saltiness is a feature of the nature of salt. Godliness must be “baked in” or “hard wired” into my nature. This is the Holy Spirit who kills the old nature and replaces it with the new nature, the shape and flavour of Christ.

Each day I am sent into the world that is dying to add the flavour of Christ. It is the savour of life in a world of death. Some will recognise the life in me and be excited by it, while others will be disgusted by the scent of life.

Salt does its work by being salt. I cannot be salt if I am taking on the nature of the world. I cannot bring life if I am carrying death.

Salt can lose its flavour when it takes on the appearance and taste of the world, when it is more world than salt. We have to be in the world but remain different from it.

Can you make salt that has lots its saltiness salt again? No. But God can. “Return to your first love,” Jesus urges those who have lost their saltiness. “Come back to me, and I will give you rest. You are mine, so let my saltiness infuse through you.”

Prayer

Please help me, Lord Jesus, to remain true salt in this world that so desperately needs you. Amen

Scripture

“God blesses you when people mock you, and persecute you, and lie about you, and say all kinds of evil things about you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward waits for you in heaven.”

Observation

This scripture is the beginning of what is called The Sermon on the Mount. This section consists of a series of blessings or beatitudes.

Each of the Beatitudes starts with the words “blessed are…” In some versions the word for blessed is translated as “happy.” The New Living Translation uses the phrase “God blesses.”

Jesus says that various groups of people who may appear to be abandoned by God, or even cursed, are in fact blessed by God above others. The poor in spirit own God’s Kingdom; those who mourn will be comforted by the Lord; the humble will inherit the earth; those denied justice will receive it; the merciful will receive mercy; the pure in heart will see God; peacemakers will be called “children of God”; the persecuted will attain God’s kingdom.

So Jesus overturns our understanding of who is blessed by God.

Application

In the West, we are now entering dangerous territory for christians. We didn’t think this would be possible a few decades ago, but now followers of Jesus are mocked, lied about and defamed widely. What people would not say about other groups, they will say freely against christians.

How we react to such events will be critical. Jesus tells us to rejoice and be very glad. After all, it is not us they are hating, it is Him. If they hate us for following Jesus, then we must be doing a fair job of representing Jesus to the world.

That is the key of course. We must always be obedient to the Father and gracious to people, so that they really do see Jesus in us and react to Him, not us.

Prayer

Father, when people mock me for your sake, may I find grace to love them in Your name. Amen.

Scripture

From that time on, Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Observation

Jesus moves to Capernaum. He begins to preach the message of repentance, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

One day, as He is walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus calls two fishermen, Simon Peter and Andrew. He tells them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.”

Jesus travels through Galilee preaching the Good News and healing every sickness. Large crowds gather everywhere He goes as the news spreads across the region.

Application

The message of Jesus is “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

God is present reigning over His people wherever they submit to His reign.

We no longer need a hierarchy of priests and endless sacrifices, because the ultimate price for sin has been paid by God Himself.

The kingdom of God is here, and that means every person has to make a choice. Will I follow my own path or will I place my life in the hands of Jesus? Will I make my own meaning out of my life? Or will I let the God who created me bring meaning to me?

To repent means to change our thinking. It means to see that the things that I once thought were important are not at all valuable, while the things I once despised are the most valuable of all.

It is a complete change of direction- no longer me and my wants, but only serving the Lord.

Prayer

Help me Lord to cast off sin and every attachment that stops me from worshipping and obeying you. Amen.

Scripture

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Observation

The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness. There He fasts for forty days and nights.

The devil comes and tempts Jesus three times- to make bread out of stones, to throw Himself off a high place so that angels rescue Him, and to worship satan in return for the glory of the kingdoms of the earth.

Each time, Jesus rebukes satan by quoting Scripture.

Finally, the devil goes away, and angels come and care for Jesus.

Application

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. Actually the Greek word means to be thrown out. This is a forceful leading of the Spirit.

Jesus was taken out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit for a confrontation with the evil one.

It is said that God does not tempt us to do evil things. However, it is also true that God allows us to be put into places where we are confronted by evil – both the evil in our own hearts and that in the hearts of others.

We don’t know the depths of sin that we can fall into until we face temptation.

Every one of us is able, under the right circumstances, to commit actions that we thought were beneath us.

Satan’s role is to remind us of how corrupt our hearts are without Christ, and to lead us to depend on Him even more.

Prayer

Lord I know temptation is real. Please give me the grace to stand firm in you. Amen.

Scripture

But Jesus said, “It must be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.”

Observation

Jesus goes from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptised by John the Baptist. John tries to talk Him out of it, but Jesus replies, “We must carry out all that God requires.”

As Jesus comes up out of the water, the heavens open, and the Spirit of God comes on Jesus in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven says, “This is my dearly loved Son who brings me great joy.”

Application

Obedience to God is not a matter of choice or convenience.

Jesus says, “We must carry out all that God requires.” For Jesus the great test was to accept the suffering of the cross.

We see our lives as a series of choices from what to wear to what to eat, whom to marry, and so on. In this series of choices, we see obedience to God as an option.

For a person committed to walking in the way of Jesus, there is no choice to be made.

Obedience is obedience at every point. We cannot be 80% obedient. We cannot pick and choose how we will serve God and in what parts of our lives we will be surrendered. We have to carry out all that God requires, and not just the bits we enjoy.

Surrender to Christ means to give up the right to choose- perhaps even our choice of clothes.

As soldiers in an army obey their orders without question, so too christians must learn to obey God’s orders without hesitation.

Prayer

Lord Jesus please teach me what it means to be obedient to you in all thing, so that I can carry out all that God requires. Amen

Scripture

“Repent of your sin and turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Observation

John the Baptist begins preaching in the wilderness. He preaches that people should repent and turn to God.

He is the one who was sent by God to prepare the way of the Lord. He calls the Pharisees and Sadducees vipers for their hypocrisy. He warns that the axe of God’s judgement is about to fall upon them.

John baptises with water, but someone is coming who will be far greater and who will baptise in fire and the Holy Spirit.

Application

The gospel of God’s kingdom is the same through the ages. The message in fact predates Jesus and goes back through the prophets to to Moses and right to the beginning of humanity.

The message is simple- we must repent. To repent means literally to change your mind. We must see our sin for the abomination that it is. We might have once thought that we were OK with God, but now we must recognise that He not impressed with anything that we say or do. A new heart is required, and that comes as a gift from God.

The second step is to turn to God. We no longer run our own lives as if we are our own king. We recognise that God is King. He is the one who created us and gave us life. Therefore we are to be under His reign.

To become a follower of Jesus involves a total change in our life direction and our lifestyle. It means giving up on the things which displease God and living His way instead. When we do this, we stop being God’s enemies and we become His friends.

Prayer

Lord, what an awesome privilege it is to be called your friend. Please help me to live for you in every part of my life. Amen.