Ok, ok. This is where I started writing down the scripture and then making notes following it. Up to this point I've only made notes on what kinda jumped out at me or I felt there was something to be said about but now every verse is included in something. After the first couple apparently.
Vs. 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
It is not the rich in spirit but the poor who need help. The rich can help themselves. They can dig deep and help themselves. The poor have no recourse except to fall prostrate before a loving heavenly father and rely fully on Him. In this way they gain the heaven that eludes the rich.
Vs. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
By no earthly will of their own. Those who mourn are helpless. They are unable to fill up what is missing inside. God provides a comfort and a peace that reason and logic cannot explain away. This can become a great witness at times. People might question how you can be calm and peaceful in the midst or aftermath of a tragedy. They are already seeing God's grace but now you can explain it to them.
Vs. 5-6 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Meek in my dictionary is quiet, gentle and easily imposed of, submissive. Then it lists a bunch of synonyms and at the end says--like a lamb to the slaughter. I can definitely see turn the other cheek as part of meek. Doing a little research it seems the Greek here would suggest 'strength being brought under control'. So vs. 5 and 6 are very similar. I really believe inherit the earth really means inherit the kingdom of God here on earth. So if we submit our will to God's and hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will receive righteousness and entry in to the kingdom of God here on earth.
Vs. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
This seems like a, well, duh!, kind of verse, but when I really thought about it, it seems like mercy is often returned with unjustness. A life is unfair kinda thing. Really this is payment from God, after this life. He might reward in this life also, but mostly I believe this is treasure in heaven.
Vs. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
When I see people pure in heart I automatically feel as if I have a window into God, to the heart of God. It's not like God is gonna show up on their door step for them to see but that they will see God for who He is. His character will be clear to them. We all see God through our filter of who we are but their filter is much closer to clear.
Vs. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Peacemakers look not to their own interests but to those of others, even their enemies. They are looking to a bigger picture-just as God does.
Vs. 10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of God. 11. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
To be willing to be persecuted for Christ, God must have value and meaning far above all else. To be convicted that deeply about the kingdom means you get it, that you understand the whole story and where your part is in it.
Vs. 13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses it's saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
A person who has known God and walked away, has a next to impossible journey to ever make it back. A person who has truly had a relationship with God. To a great degree the church in America has lost it's saltiness. It has forgotten the reason for it's existence, Jesus was lifted up to draw all men to himself and we are the extension of Him. Yet we have crawled behind our doors and hidden away from the world. --The American church--.
Vs. 14-16 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on it's stand, and it gives light to every one in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.
As God's people, we often do things that defy reason. Giving ourselves away to others with seemingly no benefit to self. They are seeing God in us whether we get to explain why we do it or not. And by our actions we glorify God.
Vs. 17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
The law and the prophets--the Old Testament. Hundreds of prophecies tell about Jesus and much more show us who God is and His design for us. Though we misunderstand much about God and His laws, Jesus came to show us His laws in Action, that we could watch Him an see God. When we put the two together (Jesus and law), we get a more complete picture.
Vs. 18-20 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless you righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus is trying to show them that it's the heart behind rather than the actions themselves that is important. So in the rest of chapter 5 Jesus picks out some of the laws and shows how the heart behind it is where the importance lies. God is not a bunch of laws--God is love. As we immerse ourselves in to God's love, we naturally move with Him, not against Him.
Vs. 21-24 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement. 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother (without cause) will be subject to judgement. Again, anyone who says to his brother, raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, "you fool!" will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
I John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Our relationship with God is based in His love. One of the things that can impede that is junk in our hearts towards others. There will always be a substantial part of my heart full of junk. It is not that God expects me to get rid of all of it but He selects bits and pieces that I am able to work on. Here is what I need you to be vigilant about, says God. My relationship with God is just that, a relationship. God has a relationship with every part of His creation to some degree or another, which means that when my relationship with my brother is strained or broken, then my relationship with God is strained, and taken to the extreme, can even be broken altogether. The body of Christ is a living relational organism and all too often pieces of it fall to the ground and are left to die. Marriage also is an area where this principle of not making things right right away can and often does have lethal consequences. God knew this and gave us this tool (instruction) long ago. Yet we are a prideful people and because of our insistence on independence now have a Christian divorce rate near that of the world. Many of those Christians remaining in marriage are living in dead lifeless marriages so the mortality rate of not following this scripture is greater by far. Growth in God takes work but we must never stop there. We are called and equipped to greatness. You can scrape into heaven having barely survived your relationships on earth, or you can live in victory, dancing your way through the gates of eternity.
Vs. 25-26 Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
As a follower of Christ we should be ahead of this. If we see others and ourselves as Christ does we will strive extra hard to live honorable lives. This should show up in our finances as it does every where else.
Vs. 27-30 You have heard that it was said, do not commit adultery. 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Can you say porn? When I was younger, even after my first wife, I had this view of women that was pure and beautiful. Fast forward many trips around the block and I would kill to still see women that way. I don't believe that this has come about because of women who have been anything but. rather I think the coldness of the world and most importantly porn. Porn was so destructive for me in this area. Taking nearly every woman I didn't have a relationship with and making objects out of them. What my mind was capable of doing is beyond deplorable. God gave me a way out of that years ago, but the battle to regain my purity of mind is ongoing, probably never to be fully won til I step into glory. The heart is the key, as always is in God's story. A man who sees a woman as God's spotless beautiful child could never knowingly hurt her. I believe that's the core of what God wants us to see here.
Vs. 31-32 It has been said, anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
I went to a wedding the other day. From the beginning to walking back down the aisle married was maybe 20 minutes. It struck me how easy it is to make this commitment. What if divorce was not an option? What would our marriages look like if we were forced to make it work? What would our courting or dating look like? I am divorced and remarried so this isn't just for "everyone else." I would have done anything to not get divorced but God had so so much more for me. Not saying that God endorsed my divorce, but He did make beauty of my ashes.
Vs. 33-37 Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord. 34 But I tell you, do not swear at all: Either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your 'yes' be 'yes,' and your 'no,' 'no'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
We live in a world where everything has to become greater and greater and greater still. Like some sort of law of escalation. It seems though that this mostly applies to negative things. Or if it is a positive, then it becomes negative by the very process of escalation. God knew our ways from the very beginning and He didn't want us to slip into the enticement of sin. To get there before even realizing we've moved. Character doesn't need to prove itself. It doesn't need to scream or shout. It stands tall. It may stand alone, but it is strong. Character says it and than lives it. It does not need to swear by another, it has a firm foundation and supports itself. We find that character in God and when we find Him, He plants His character in us.
Vs. 38-42 You have heard that it was said, eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth. 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
People expect to be repaid evenly--there's like a balance to society that expects to be kept even. But Jesus isn't like that. Jesus says to come under that person and lift them up. Because every person to Jesus is of incredible value. He does not want them crushed because He wants relationship with them also. Without Jesus we look at others through the lens of what they have done to us. Jesus knows what they have done but never views them through any filter except the cross. When we grasp this, we will no longer see them through their sin, but through eternity. This is how we begin to love our enemies.
Vs. 43-48 You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Now Jesus is giving a picture of real love. Not an easy breezy love, but a love that answers Rodney King's question with a resounding yes. It is a hard to live out love because we cannot do it. Only through Jesus inside of us can we begin to love everyone.
Oh my gosh. If you think this is a lot of reading, you should try typing it.
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