Beware The Creep

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

Why do we continue to study the scriptures? Surely by now we have read all of the Bible at least once. Is that not good enough? One reason to study comes from the creep. No, not that guy who hangs around in Walmart. The creep that comes over time to a project or a life. You may have been there before. The company needs more storage and a metal building is approved for construction about half a mile from the headquarters building. It begins simply as a warehouse with no services but electricity for lighting. Then the facilities director tours the site and has to go. You know, she feels the urge that comes from too much coffee in a long meeting. Half a mile suddenly seems way too far to be away from a certain facility. The project just crept a bit. Then another department needs a space for an important function and since this project is already approved, a little change won't mean all that much added cost. You have been there and seen the simple warehouse that grew into a 3-story addition to the corporate headquarters site. In a similar fashion, we can see how the Pharisees did not sit down one day in 982 B.C. and hash out 600 traditions to add to the Law of Moses. The creep set in with just a few or even one tradition, and then it got out of hand somewhere. When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem some years down the way, He found a bunch of rule-spewing dragons who had lost their way and could not recognize the Messiah standing before them. They did not fulfill the law, Jesus did!

So, after you groan over the length of that paragraph, study the Word with the Lord! And avoid the creep. 

Bucky

But To Fulfill

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

The new covenant given to us by Jesus is remembered each time we take communion or the Lord's table, and each time we read in the New Testament of the Bible. In keeping with our Lord's mission of salvation, He explains in our verse for today that He came to fulfill the old covenant. We know the old covenant from the Old Testament books of law and the prophets. In the sayings of Jesus, He gave to us a couple of chances to obey that fulfillment by what is known as the Golden Rule (Matt 7:12), and by the two greatest commandments (22:36-40). It does not require some dispensation of insight from above to know this, Jesus states it at the end of both scriptures. While we do like to search the scriptures to solve a mystery, we also like it simple, and Jesus simply states how to fulfill the older while living in the new covenant.

Praise God for the simple!

Bucky

My Mighty Plank?

Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  Matthew 7:5

Speck-bearer, I know thee, and with my mighty plank shall I smash thee with vigor and force of will! Yes, easily do we often stand on the wrong side of our Lord's lesson from His great sermon. Striding through the world we swing that plank in the eye and think that we are 'doing good'. Standing a little ways off, it is so easy to see all the things that other person should do to become perfect in our judging eyes. Of course with that plank hanging out there, we kind of have to stand some distance away. Yes, sir! A lot less criticism from us and a lot more love toward them could go a long way toward what our Lord Jesus taught us. 

Brother, help me to pluck the plank, that I might see clearly!

Bucky

The Teacher Said

In this manner, therefore, pray:
​
​​Our Father in heaven,
​​Hallowed be Your name.
  -- Matthew 6:9

"In this manner" sounds like a basic lesson, a beginning. Jesus our Lord did not follow this prayer word for word as He spoke to His Father in Heaven. Yet some today only speak the words as quoted in the Lord's Prayer. But, we look and there appears to be no provision of praying for someone as we like to do. Plus, Jesus had just said, "...pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you," (5:44) Like the Beatitudes began the great sermon of our Lord, so this model of praying begins our education in prayer. It does not appear meant to be the end of the lesson as our Lord's earlier command to pray for others shows us. Also we have the wonderful prayers of our Teacher in the garden at Gethsemane showing us there is much more we can say to our Lord without the vain repetitions He told us to avoid.

So, yes, go and pray! As our Lord said, start by acknowledging whom you are speaking to.

Bucky

Let Your Light Shine

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

Intention comes up much as our Lord Jesus gave His great sermon. The Pharisees who prayed on the street corners intended for themselves to be seen and glorified. Jesus came down on them. Letting your light shine before other persons by good works glorifies God. But how do we be seen without desiring to be seen? We need some good help in this. The light that shines from us lives in us only because He gave Himself for us. As we learn in John 8:12, Jesus is the light of the world. But wait, didn't He just say in v14 of the great sermon that 'you', as in those He was speaking to were the light of the world? So, it would appear that the light of the world can shine through and from any who do good works. Jesus would later say in John 9:5, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” This light therefore is not dependent upon His physical presence in the world. Of course to do good works without self-centeredness, we must have His Spirit in us. 

Whew! I feel like that confused pioneer who, when he was told to circle the wagons, took off on a run around the wagons. There are those times when I feel like a tiny transmission hooked up to the massive power of the engine that is the Lord's Word, and immediately I start slipping and spinning as it overpowers my abilities. Perhaps it is like trying to grasp the light of the Sun in my hand. It just isn't possible for me. 

Have a wonderful Friday in Christ Jesus as we ponder on His light!

Bucky

Starts So Easy

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

Hell fire certainly brings to mind an earnest desire for avoidance as even earth fire causes pain and harm to us. This passage of the great sermon begins with murder, and it starts so easy since most of us can easily say with ol' Jethro out in the sticks, "Ah ain't never kilt nobody!" But Jesus doesn't stop there and goes on to even the act of calling your brother out as "You fool!" Ever since I became a brother at a young age, I know that brothers can act and speak quite foolishly at times. This makes obeying this verse today all the more difficult. However, we know from the context that Jesus means everyone - all of our brothers and sisters in Christ and all of those who do not believe in the Lord yet. Difficulty and challenge pile up so quickly in the great sermon until we think that only perfection can make it. Well, funny you should go there! Jesus brings up that very thing at the end of Matthew 5. In the end, perfection must come from the One who can accomplish the perfecting, the Lamb who is found worthy. 

Praise God for His Son!

Bucky

​One Such As Me

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.​ Matthew 5:44-45

I want to do good for those I love. But here the Lord commands doing good to those who hate me. I tell ya, brothers and sisters in Christ, my first inclination is not in this direction! And so we have that lifetime battle of the lust of the flesh, which wants to punt the haters, and the new spirit given by our Lord. This new spirit of the Lord must first halt the reaction of the old water-born man to the perceived injustice of being persecuted or spitefully used. Then the new spirit can give the Lord's kind of response in love and blessing from one such as me.

What a change the Lord has wrought!

Bucky

The Difficulty of the Simple Answer

But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. Matthew 5:37

We have seen some impossible things in the great sermon, but what about something more relatable? It likely will not take each of us long to recall an incident where we should have stopped our talking with a yes or a no, because all of the words spoken from that point on only dug a deeper hole in which to bury ourselves. We then recall the words of Jesus and feel a strong inclination to obey them next time. Of course in this section of the scripture, Jesus forbade the uttering of oaths. You know them by experience most likely, the things where we call God, or Heaven, or Earth to witness us promising that our will be done. As Jesus will teach soon in the great sermon that we should pray that God's will be done, it may be a problem if we go about swearing by God that each of our wills be done. Yes and no, so easy most of the time, but so difficult for us to just stop there and not add a bunch of words that will get us in trouble!

Let God's will be done! Amen.

Bucky

In The Heart Too?

You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  Matthew 5:27-28

We have looked at some 'impossibles' in the great sermon thus far, but this one may be for some the nemesis that tops 'em all - lust. We may think this sin was easier to avoid back in the days of the law of Moses since they actually had to commit the action to be guilty. Jesus upped the game when He said that just thinking the thoughts committed the sin. Yes, that fantasy reel rolling along in the mind brings the same condemnation as the physical act. Some ministers in past times took the extreme step of banning marriage in order to combat lust. No word on whether it worked or not; the congregations gradually died out when no children were born. So, is lust unbeatable to us? Must we only run from it as Joseph did with Potiphar's wife? As with all the other things we have studied in this great sermon, the answer lies with the minister, Jesus of Nazareth. 

Believe in Him, walk with Him, follow Him, and trust in Him. 

Bucky

Not Even Close To Ready

But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Matthew 5:39

Are you ready to go to Heaven? Yeah, sounds great, let's go! That would be the response of a person of the world; the one who thinks just anyone can show up for the wedding and get in. Those who believe in Jesus would rather that we have the invitation in hand and the proper clothing on our bodies. As we have read the Beatitudes and found ourselves lacking, so the great sermon goes on about our state of unreadiness. Don't resist an evil person? That is exactly what we want to do when confronted by one. And never mind that almost anyone could fit our definition of evil when they don't do what we want them to do for us! Then the evil person gave us a hearty slap across the face. Nope, not even close to ready as my first thought is not to stand up, face that evil person, and offer to take another whack. All of His great sermon it seems to me is for getting us to come to Him for help and salvation. So many things in that sermon did not come in my original package. Rebirth must be the only option.

Rejoice in the rebirth of our Savior, we surely need it!

Bucky

Blessed Are You!

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

So, the last Beatitude doesn't look quite like the others because the 'are the's' suddenly change to 'you'. Whereas before one might duck down a bit and say, "Meek and pure? I'm not there yet! No need to persecute me." Suddenly we are looking straight down the barrel of reviling and persecuting when the Lord changes to the direct address pronoun, "You!" Gulp, me? Yes, you, rejoice and be exceedingly glad! But, persecution, reviling, false evil words about me, and more persecution like the prophets of old? I'm not sure I want to go there!

In this study of the Beatitudes, you and I can notice one thing about them: they describe quite well the life of Jesus. Mourning, meek, merciful, and the rest of 'em, He lived all of the blessed qualities seen in the Beatitudes. They are indeed a map to Him, and of Him. And, as we believe in Him, Christ Jesus will take us on this journey with Him. Do you not see your heart as pure yet? He will take care of that in His good time. Not sure you can complete the journey to persecution? He has been there and will get all of His sheep through it too!

Have a wonderful day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Happily Persecuted Do You Say?

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
​​For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:10

If the neighbors, those you and I are to love as ourselves, reject the light we bear so much that it turns to persecution, then we have cause for rejoicing. I don't know why that doesn't make me feel like rejoicing. As our Lord Jesus spoke in the Gospels, it seems that we often run into commands and promises that seem to go against the grain of our feelings. Stephen probably didn't get up the day of his execution feeling happy to be killed. And yet the Lord was there with him to give such an amazing testimony of his faith in Christ Jesus. Stephen's blessing must be that he saw the kingdom of heaven open before him. The blessing we get from the Beatitudes may not be an immediate sense of pleasure that we are familiar with as happiness. It may well come in a similar manner as the woman in labor, an example Jesus used, seeing her newborn child. When it seems like the blessings of the Beatitudes are not blessings at all, remember that the Beatitudes are the beginning of the great sermon showing us not only how far we are as sinners from the Lord, but how far Jesus our Lord will take us in His great work.

Let us rejoice in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

A Map To Jesus

Blessed are the peacemakers,
​​For they shall be called sons of God.
  -- Matthew 5:9

So, this one does seem doable at the first as well. Become a diplomat and make peace between warring nations, or perhaps become a judge and settle disputes between the companies. Sorry, we don't get off so easily. Nope, go and make peace between Mr. and Mrs. Jones over there as they are going at it again for all the neighborhood to hear. After we have become proficient at that sort of peace, let us make peace between God and all the sinners of the world. Oh dear!

I haven't resolved any marital wars in my life, how could I ever make peace with God for all of us? And if I try to force peace on anyone am I not working against Jesus, who came not to bring peace but a sword (Matt 10:34)? This one is as frustratingly far from me as the Beatitude we looked at yesterday. But wait! Didn't Jesus give us His peace, and not as the world gives? (John 14:27) Surely then this set of blessings is not an accomplishment I can produce, but that map to Jesus I need. While I can do works that show my faith, who is really doing the good works here?

Jesus is, and He does!

Bucky

Arrgh, He Went There!

Blessed are the pure in heart,
​​For they shall see God.
  -- Matthew 5:8

If the Beatitude about mercy seems the easy one, the next one brings the feet of clay right back to the Earth they came from. I can't speak for you, but my purity of heart just ain't. And one prophet of old agrees with me with a direct quote from the Lord:

The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
  -- Jeremiah 17:9

So, if the Beatitudes are the map to Jesus, who will lead us on the journey from ain't pure to purity? Of course it makes sense to us to ask the One who gave us the map. For it was Jesus who said to us... wait for it... "I am the way, the truth, and the life!" (John 14:6).

Follow the Way by way of His map!

Bucky

The Easy One, Right?

Blessed are the merciful,
​​For they shall obtain mercy.
  -- Matthew 5:7

Mercy, it appears the obvious child among the Beatitudes. Then a circumstance arises that causes one to question which is the path of mercy. Is it mercy to put the suffering one to death or is it murder? And does it make a difference whether it occurs on the battlefield or in the hospital? What about the little mercies? A debt of a few hundred dollars too much to forgive for you, or is only ten dollars enough to bring on the firm response? Jesus didn't set a dollar limit here for us, and actually said to lend to those who can't pay us back (Luke 6:34-36). What if the poor dumb deadbeat spends money like it grows on trees and keeps coming back for more?!! We tend to think the mercy one is easy and obvious, and then comes the situations and circumstances where it may not seem so easy to choose the merciful way. However, we know who to ask, right?

Seek the answer in prayer!

Bucky

To Be Filled

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

When a person hungers and thirsts, he or she longs to be filled and satisfied. For some time in life, I longed for righteousness in others, and I had a few criticisms to help them get righteous. Then came the time that Jesus sent His law and prophets to tell me that this was a personal quest; a longing that needed His righteousness to fill the void in me. Jesus even gave to me an illustration involving beams and motes to remind me that my righteousness wasn't helping anyone, and it certainly couldn't fill me. Yes, indeedy, dear ones, this blessing is meant for those who see and hear their sin and long to be filled with the righteousness of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Lots of folks stroll about whacking one another with those beams. The need for a filling of righteousness sits a bit closer to home. Hopefully it will wash away that mote in my eye!

O to be filled with His righteousness!

Bucky

He Rewards The Meek

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

Traditions of men and basic principles of the world sound good to us. That is to say, they cause a yearning in the flesh to be thought smart or even brilliant by agreement with those things the world loves us to believe. We will not find the good news of Jesus Christ in this as the world and its prince would rather we not believe in Him. One example lies in strength: the world would have the strong take over the earth. Which sounds good to those who have strength, but what about those who by age, injury, condition or circumstances have no strength of mind or body? Jesus stated the third Beatitude has the meek inheriting the earth. Inheritance means the meek one didn't earn it for himself or take it by her strength. By this prophecy of our Lord, no amount of accumulated power can gain the earth in the end. 

The inherited earth, a place for those meek ones our Lord loves!

Bucky

Achieve or Receive?

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

So, we left off with a question on Monday. Why should the poor in spirit change if they already have the kingdom of Heaven? That question brings up the kid's question from the back seat on a long trip: Are we there yet? So, what do we need to achieve to become poor in spirit? How do we know when we are there yet? Perhaps it isn't so much an achievement, but a state we find ourselves in. If you grew up like me 'in the church' as they say, you may think that the Beatitudes are a set of achievements. Goals to mark off on a list of things to accomplish. Then we come to a statement by Jesus that puts those who may be the best lawful accomplishers in Israel's history down as a bar to be exceeded. You may read it again up yonder in our verse for today. And if that isn't enough for your goal setting, try out verse 48 where you must be perfect!

Perhaps we can be blessed in the Beatitudes when we see that this is all a journey we go on with Jesus our Lord, and that He is in charge of the destinations. The whole achievement misunderstanding falls apart on the second one anyway. Who would want to achieve mourning?

Love to you in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Until He Gave

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
​​For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  -- Matthew 5:3

Books and sermons have been written about the Beatitudes, so condensing each one down to a paragraph may not satisfy your longing to know. Speaking of longing, the first Beatitude begins with a poorness, something of which we do not have enough. Those poor in spirit want or need more of it. But what is it? The Greek word is pneuma and has several similar meanings. One is the Holy Spirit, and given that Jesus breathed on His disciples and gave to them the Holy Spirit to dwell in each of them, that would be one lack of Spirit (or Holy Spirit). As the people were at this sermon listening, thinking, and deciding whether to believe our Lord or not, the other definitions do not seem to fit. So, the poor in spirit are those who seek to fill what has been said to be a God-shaped hole in each of us. We do not have to become poor in spirit, but were born that way. Until He gave to us His Spirit, we had no way to obtain what we needed.

But wait. If the poor in spirit are happy in their blessing, and they have the kingdom of heaven already, why should there be a change?

What's this? A cliffhanger? Yes, more asking, seeking, and knocking seems needed for this answer!
Have faith in Jesus!

Bucky

Bridled Lust

For this ye are well informed of, knowing that no fornicator, or unclean person, or person of unbridled lust, who is an idolater, has inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and God. Ephesians 5:5 Darby's Translation

Unbridled lust must then be something bad, as in not good for us, since there can be no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. It is likely that you and I have not felt unbridled lust since what we remember about that day when we fell to lust was the battle when the flesh tugged one way on the bridle while the conscience and spirit pulled the other way. The bridle suggests a powerful animal that we could not control without it. And, well yes, each of us has felt the power of that beast. Bridled lust does not make it a good thing by default, but rather something we must endure for a time. While we may think the cause is lost due to the sheer power of the beast, our salvation in Christ places another hand on that bridle, the hand of our Lord Jesus. Through faith in Christ Jesus we gain the strength to take the bridled beast into its stall. We will of course need to put it back from time to time as it is a clever beast always seeking to escape and run where it will.

As in all things, we have good help in this,

Bucky