Monsterlizard - Born Again

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

This passage fits in with what Jesus later says are the 2 greatest commandments.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:38-40)

Our entire existence needs to revolve around love.  Love God, love our neighbors, love ourselves.  If these simple laws were followed, think how great our days would be.  Even in the midst of persecution and suffering we would live fulfilled and joyful lives.

These simple commandments ordered to be the most important, are the most difficult for me.  I pray that God will help me with these and remove the vengeful, judgemental thoughts and actions from me.

“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.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:33-37)

Our actions are really all we have to define us.  If we say “yes, I will do that”, or “no, I will not do that”, then we are bound to take those actions.  Anything else is out of our control.  We can swear by God, because who are we to control him.  We can swear by the earth because (as you see with the ridiculous global warming debate), we don’t have control over it.  We can’t even swear by our bodies because we can’t choose to grow old.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’  But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 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)

This is pretty straight forward: give.  Give your cloths, give your pain, give your presence.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 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. 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.
It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’  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.” (Matthew 5:27-32)

I find these to be rather clear verses.  First, Jesus says that adultery begins much earlier than we tend to believe.  We rationalize our thoughts, but God knows our heart.  Next, He explains the one and only acceptable reason for divorce.  This is cut and dry and leaves no room for interpretation.  Adultery is the only reason.  The word that was used was ‘porneia’, which means several things alluding to sexual acts including homosexuality, sex with animals, and idolatry.  Now, if you divorce your spouse (I think in this day and age we can replace wife with spouse because these actions could occur the other way around), you are causing them to be an adulterer.  They cannot remarry without committing adultery according to Jesus’ definition, and the one that marries them commit the same act.  I believe Jesus was talking about people who divorced in order to marry up the social ladder.  If you love your spouse, these are easy things to obey.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. 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.  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. 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. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” (Matthew 5:21-26)

Verse 21 through the end of chapter 5 is Jesus explaining the Laws.  He is clearly defining what they say so that we will not misinterpret them any longer.  This passage is about murder, and Jesus is explaining just having anger is equal to murder, and therefore should suffer the same penalty.  However, Jesus also explains how to rid ourselves of that anger.  Our greatest responsibility is not to offer things to God, but to reconcile our relationships.  He also explains that we should attempt to settle our problems man to man, person to person instead of leaving it up to a court where grace will not be given.

I was lead to this chapter today (Romans 14), and decided to write about it instead of continuing with Matthew 5.  I will get back to Matthew tomorrow, but I felt this couldn’t wait.

Romans 14 really gets at what I think the Laws of Moses stand today.  So many questions I have had are answered in these verses.  The LORD alone is our judge.  We should not do things just because someone else tells us it is the right thing to do.  God gives us the answers in our conscience, we just have to listen.  In the same right, we should not judge others who choose to do things different from us.  If someone believes that what they are doing is correct, then it is.  Paul, in Romans 14 uses food to make this point.  I would imagine the diet restrictions of the Laws were on a lot of early Christians minds, just as they have been on mine.  However, I think food was just an example here, and anything in our modern lives can fit this teaching.

The teachings of Jesus were of loving your neighbor.  He taught to feed the hungry, to cloth the naked, to reconcile with your brother.  In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus says, “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.”  He doesn’t say, make your brother follow rule X, or do Y.  He commands that we reconcile.  I would think that reading this says that even if your brother has done something that is so vile (enter any number of atrocities here) you want nothing to do with him, that it is your duty to let it go.  Don’t push him away to make yourself feel better.  Never once can I find in the Scriptures where Jesus said to condemn anyone for anything.

So, we must remember that everything we do, we do for God.  Likewise, everything others do, they do for God.  We all will be judged alone.

“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. 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. 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. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-28)

This has been one of the most difficult sections for me to understand in Matthew.  Heather has friends who are Messianic Jews.  They practice traditional Jewish law, but also believe Jesus is Christ. (At least that is what I think they believe, if I am wrong some please correct me.)  They are good people, and Joshua is going to teach us Hebrew which I am very excited about (but that is subject for another post).  Anyway, knowing them has started Heather and I on a journey to discover where the laws of Moses should sit with Christians today.  “Should we keep Kosher”, has been our biggest question.

As I have been readings other views on this section, I find people saying Jesus is saying that we must keep the law, while I find others saying that we don’t have to listen to Old Testament law.  Who is correct?  I think I have determined that both are. 

Abolish Vs. Fulfill
First, I don’t think you can study these 3 verses without looking at the semantics.  Jesus is saying that he has not come to abolish in the NIV and NASB.  In the KJV it says “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy…”  From my research I have found that abolish/destroy translated from the Greek “kataluo” which means “destroy, demolish, dismantle, do away with, abolish, annul, make invalid, repeal”.  While fulfill translates from the Greek “pleroo” which means “make full; bring something to completion, finish something already begun; by deeds, a prophecy, an obligation, a promise, a law, a request, a desire, a hope, a duty, a fate, a destiny; Complete, finish, bring to an end”  From here I see that Jesus is not getting rid of the laws.  So, then do we need to follow the laws of Moses as Christians?  It would seem so to me at this point, but we need to keep reading.

Practice and Teach the Commands
As I read verse 19, it would really appear that we should follow the laws.  “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.” (Matthew 5:19)  It is right there in plain English.  Don’t break the commandments or teach others to break them.  It is looking really bleak that I will be eating sausage for breakfast tomorrow.

Righteousness
But wait, verse 20 throws a wrench in it: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 5:20)  The Pharisees are the high priests.  These are the guys that make sure all Jews are following the law.  They are the ones that decide what the law really means.  How can we possibly surpass them?  I believe the answer is in the word “righteousness”.  Jesus doesn’t say don’t eat this or wash that a certain way.  He doesn’t say that the law must be followed to the letter.  He broadens it to “righteousness”.  As you read further through to the end of chapter 5, Jesus shows that it is not the robotic motions of obeying the law that are important.  It is doing good things in bad situations.  Not killing anyone during your life does not get you into heaven.  It is mearly the anger which casts your fate.  So, I believe that the Laws of Moses and the demands of the Prophets in the Old Testament are relevant today and should be followed by all Christians.  However, don’t get caught up in semantics.  It is the spirit of the laws that are important, not blindly doing things from muscle memory.

1 Corinthians 9
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.  (1 Corinthians 9:20-21)
I don’t want to get into this too much until I am ready to discuss 1 Corinthians, but this line really caught my eye: “though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law”  Christ has redefined the law so as to make it relevant to all, Jews and Gentiles alike.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 

“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 its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

The first section of these verses about the salt was confusing to me.  I thought it was probably because of the time period, but after reading it will the part about light the salt made more sense. 

In the section about light, Jesus explains:  Light is not something that people try to hide.  When we turn on a light, we don’t try to keep the rays to ourselves (except maybe when I am reading in bed and Heather is asleep).  We share light, even if we don’t realize that we are.  I remember back to junior high school history class when the teacher was talking about the American settlers putting up fences.  The Indians didn’t understand this, and my teacher made the analogy of air.  Taking claim to land was as strange a concept to them as it would be to us if people took claim to air.  So, in the same way that we don’t make claim to air, we don’t normally take claim to light and try to keep it to ourselves.  Jesus then teaches that we should do good things in the name of God, and lead others by example.

Understanding the light section really brought the salt section into focus.  By Jesus saying we are the salt of the earth, I think he is saying: we will last forever in this world by spreading to those we come in contact with.

First, if you understand salt, you will know that salt cannot become unsalty.  The very properties of salt constitute what it is.  It is like saying that water has lost it wetness.  Un-wet water is not water at all, it is nothing.  The only way to make salt unsalty is to wash it away into nothing.  However, once diluted away it makes salty all that came in contact with it.  If you have a shaker of salt, and put it into a pot of water, you no longer have salt, but you now have salty water.  Then if you cook something in that pot of water, the item you cook becomes salty.  So, we are like salt who with our faith cannot be made to lose it.  We can be washed away into nothing, but in all actuality our properties live on in those we touch.

I haven’t posted in a while because I left town to pick up my brother.  He is going to stay with us for a while.  This is a huge step for him to ask for help, and move all the way out to Texas. 

He came out to visit a few weeks ago, and Heather and I urged him to stay.  While he was out, I was drawn to Matthew 18:21-35.  I told him the other day, “my motto for us with you is 70 times 7″.  He started doing the math, 490, 77, etc.  I let him know that the mathimatical number is irrelevant to what I am saying.

I don’t know if he’ll ever read my posts here, but incase he does, here is the answer:
Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” 
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” (Matthew 18:21-22)

Aaron asked me to write this post after I opened my mouth and told him that I looked up what beatitude means. According to what I was able to find, beatitude is from the Latin beatitudo which means blessedness. This section of Matthew is named “The Beatitudes” because in Latin each verse begins with “beati” (blessing in Latin). http://noshadow.cnc.net/matthew/05.shtml

Basically, in these verses, Jesus is describing to his disciples what awaits them in the kingdom of Heaven if they live a Godly life. Many of the verses that I have heard over the years, such as “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” reside in the Beatitudes.

I find comfort in these passages. To me, reading these verses feels like a refill of my soul. At the end of the day, when I’m tired and just don’t feel like I have the energy to be strong in my faith, I can read these verses and find strength. It’s like being picked up off the floor by the LORD and reminded that there are better things waiting beyond this life. And not that I have a bad life. On the contrary, I have an amazing husband and three precious sons and I get to work in my calling every day. But there are days, and there have been plenty of them in the past year, where it just feels like too much effort to stand up for myself as a Christian. Reading these verses is such a reminder to me that it’s not about the momentary embarassment or tension that I would endure at saying “hey, I’m a Christian and that offends me”. It’s about taking the time out to do so, and reaping rewards far greater than I can fathom in a place beyond this one.

11″Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 4 ends with Jesus going back to Galilee when he hears that John the Baptist has been put in prison (see my post on the Herods). This fulfills a prophecy of Isaiah 9:1. He then begins to call on disciples: Simon (called Peter), Andrew, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother. Calling on Simon and Andrew is the famous verse, “fishers of men”: Matthew 4:19. Finally Jesus began healing the sick and teaching the gospel (Old English for “Good News”) of heaven. I find it interesting that “So a report about him spread throughout Syria.” Matthew 2:24. The message of Him spread through Syria and not Israel.