June 23, 2019
Evening Service

Mat 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  (25)  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  (26)  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

            Jesus has been very open about the what it cost to follow Him.  When we come to be His disciple, we come offering to die to ourselves.  As we work our way through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spells it out clearly the level of commitment needed as He magnifies the true meaning of the Law to us.  This morning He explained that it is the inward motive that causes us to do something that we have to place our focus on.  The command to not murder has been magnified to include being angry at someone without reason or killing them with your words.  The command to not commit adultery now includes keeping from entertaining those thoughts in mind.  These are both part of the price that we pay to follow Jesus transforming our lives into what He wants us to be.  There is a change as we are no longer conforming to this world as we follow His commands because we love Him.

 

Mat 5:31-32 "Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  (32)  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

            Jesus detours from His pattern of quoting and commenting on the “Ten Commandments” to a looking at one of the Laws given in the Book of Deuteronomy.   This is a law that had truly got out of hand from its original intent.  It had evolved, with man’s help, to be acceptable to grant your wife a certificate of divorce for any reason which could be even for burning supper.  Jesus magnifies this law saying that divorce was unacceptable except where unfaithfulness had occurred.  Today young couples enter into the marriage covenant with each other knowing in the back of their minds that if it doesn’t work out they can always divorce and start over.  This is definitely not the view Jesus has of the marriage vows.  Marriage is to entered in with the mindset that it is forever.  Any issues, even infidelity, should be addressed as worth the effort needed to reconcile.  This is not always possible as it takes both parties committed to start over.  If one partner checks out and refuses to reconcile then the other on is freed from the vows and can move on with their lives with a clear conscience.  This takes much prayer and counseling to come to this decision. 

            This certainly focuses the great need to marry the one who you feel will strengthen your walk with the Lord and not detour you from it.  Paul stressed that point in his letter to the Corinthians that we just studied on Wednesday night.

 

2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

 

 

 

 

            Second from our decision to follow Christ, whom we marry is probably the next most important choice we make in our lifetime.  Everyone’s situation is unique and God understands those who were converted after being married or their spouse simply choosing to quit following Christ.  Those who find themselves in that situation must focus on their walk with the Lord and place their partner in the Lord’s hands and allow Him to work in their lives.  Again as a committed follower of Christ we will pay whatever the price is asked of us.

 

Mat 5:33-37 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  (34)  But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; (35) nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  (36)  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  (37)  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

            There is really no single OT command that pertained to this point, but it was a common practice to call upon God to witness an action and to punish them if it was not completed.  It became a practice of those who were unscrupulous to make their word more believable because their intent was never to keep their promise.  The point Jesus is making here is that our word should be all that is needed to believe that we are speaking the truth.  If we say or promise something it should be the true intent of our heart to complete that task.  We as Jesus followers should always speak the truth and be a person of our word. Remember it was James who encouraged us to “slow to speak,” so be careful before you commit to something and perhaps simply say, “I will get back to you” and set a specific time to do it.  That gives you time to think before committing to something you can’t do and then having to break your word.  Honesty is a trait of Jesus follower.

 

Mat 5:38-43 "You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.'  (39)  But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  (40)  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  (41)  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  (42)  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.  (43)  "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.'

            This is in reference to a teaching in Dt. 19:18 which was called the “Law of the tooth.”  Equal retribution was handed out by the authorities providing justice to the injured party.  The punishment always fit the crime.  It was intended to prevent others from seeking revenge on their own.  Jesus calls us to a walk that does not include retaliation or revenge.  We are called to “turn the other cheek” literally and to do more than is asked of you.  This would have been particularly offensive to those who hoped Jesus would militarily lead Israel to freedom from Rome.  This is an attitude that is transformed within the believer.  Our first and strongest reaction is always to get even rather than to offer mercy quickly to a one who has just hurt you.  This only comes from the power of the Holy Spirit within you to be able to do this.  Jesus, however, doesn’t stop there He asks us to go even farther.

 

 

 

 

 

Mat 5:43-48 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.'  (44)  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, (45) 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.  (46)  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  (47)  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?  (48)  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

            Jesus places before us a very tall task.  We are to “love our enemies, bless those who curse us and pray for those who persecute us.”  We can again see that our job is to love, and love everyone not just the ones who deserve it.  This again is very difficult to apply into our lives.  Loving someone who hates, despises you and persecutes you is again something that we have to greatly rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to give us the ability to do this.  As we imitate Christ and know that He is not a respecter of persons (He loves all equally) we become the “salt of the earth and the light of the world” by following Him down this path.

            In doing this we take another step towards perfection as our Father too is perfect.  Transformation of our lives at this level truly show that we are a committed follower to our Lord and Savior.  It becomes the cross that we have to bear because we love the One who called us to carry it.

 

Heavenly Father, in these tasks that seem almost impossible to us, we ask that You stir the Holy Spirit within us to empower us to have a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.