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Tag Archives: Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:13-16

23 Jul

13 “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 underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

Dear God, what kind of salt and light do you want me to be within my sphere of influence? I guess another question is what kind of salt and light do I allow into my life to strengthen my relationship with you and my faith? What do I listen to? What do I read? With whom do I visit? If I am the average of the five people I spend the most time with, what does that mean about them and about me?

But back to me being salt and light, I think sometimes it is easier to be salt and light in a secular environment. I know how to talk about my faith and the difference you have made in my joy and peace with people who do not have that frame of reference. For whom it is a foreign concept. The tricky part for me is how to get past the cultural acceptability of being a “Christian” in my community and drill down to the differences between being a nominal Christian and being a disciple.

I’m about to spend the morning with our staff in a staff meeting. I will have an opportunity to show your love to my coworkers and inspire them into deeper discipleship. I will have an opportunity to learn from them and grow stronger in my faith through their inspiration. Then we can take that salt and light and take it to each other, our volunteers, and our patients. When people come to us and they are hurting, scared, and desperate, we have something beyond our services to offer. Help us to remember that.

Father, help me to be salty and light-filled today. Help me to shine for you and spread your salt to others. And put your saltiness and light into me. Through your Word. Through your Holy Spirit. Through my interactions with others. Let it be all about you and bringing you into this world so that your kingdom might come and your will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 23, 2024 in Matthew, Sermon on the Mount

 

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Matthew 5:1-12

22 Jul

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 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.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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.

Matthew 5:1-12

Dear God, who is “them”? “He began to teach them.” Was he teaching the crowd or his disciples? Or both? It’s interesting that he sat down. That’s one of the things that makes me wonder who he was addressing. If it was a crowd I would think that he was standing up. I would also think he would have taken a lower spot elevation wise so his voice would project into them and not over them.

For just a moment, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before and think of this as just being for a group of 75 or less. Maybe more than the 12, but less than the crowds.

With that said, these Beatitudes are interesting because he might be teaching the disciples that they should appreciate these people. “If you see someone who is poor or even poor in spirit then you better love and respect them because your father loves and cares for them.”

The first two, poor in spirit and those who mourn, are changeable conditions. Love on those people. But the rest are attitudes of the heart. Meek, hunger for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers. And then we double around and come back to a possible temporary condition of life, persecuted. “If you’re doing these things and persecuted for it then you’re doing the right thing.”

Father, give me a heart to spend time with and live on those who are poor in spirit and mourn. Give me a heart that pursues you in mercy, hungering for righteousness, meek, and striving to make peace. Glorify your name through me. And if I am really living into this well and someone persecutes me for it, may my persecution be a pathway for them or someone else to follow you.

I offer this prayer to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit.

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 22, 2024 in Matthew, Sermon on the Mount

 

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Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

21 Jul

Dear God, I was listening to a great interview this week with Rich Villodas about his new book The Narrow Path: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies our Souls. It’s about the Sermon on the Mount, and I look forward to reading it soon. I’ve been asked to teach a Sunday school class for a couple of weeks in a row in a couple of weeks, so I think I want to explore if maybe this is something you’re leading me to.

For today, I thought I would just sit and write an outline of the sermon over the three chapters. I would have sat down earlier today to do it, but I knew it would take some time, and I did not want to be rushed. Okay, here we go:

  • Jesus outlines what the life you bless looks like and how you bless us — the Beattitudes
  • Our job in living for God – Salt and Light
  • The law is still in effect
    • It’s easier to break the law than you think
    • Take seriously to avoid temptation (take out your eye, cut off your hand, etc.)
    • Divorce is serious
    • Oaths are important
  • Eye for an eye was never law, but permission. Now the new standard is turn the other cheek
  • Love your enemies and pray for them
  • Give to others
  • If you seek reward for behavior now it will be denied you later
  • (Here’s the one that is hard for me, but I think I’m doing this for the right reasons–to inspire others to spend time with you) Private prayer is important. It needs to be earnest and not for show.
    • How to pray — The Lord’s Prayer
  • Forgiveness is critical for our well-being and to secure your forgiveness
  • Do not fast for acclaim, but for our own development in you
  • Do not make accumulation of wealth a priority
    • Money is dangerous and can easily be an idol
  • Worry is a lack of faith
  • Judging others is really bad. We have enough wrong with us without worrying about someone else
  • You love us enough to give us what we want in our prayers if it is good for us
  • Finding the path to a good life with you is hard, but worth it
  • Choose who you listen to or trust by their fruit
  • Following Jesus’s teaching here will lead to peace, even in the midst of storms, on the narrow path

Father, this sermon is a tall order, but it’s remarkable. I am grateful Matthew recorded it for us. One thing that Villodas said is that some people see this sermon as something we strive to achieve so that we might achieve redemption in you and reconciliation with you, but he taught that we should see this as the fruit of a life lived in worshipping you and following you. And I can say that, while I still fail throughout this sermon, I am better now than I once was. Yes, I still judge people, but I am quicker to remember to have mercy on them and consider their perspective. I am also better at stopping myself and doing some self-evaluation when I start thinking about how others are sinning. That’s just one example. I could list many more. But the truth is that I am just grateful to be here praying to, loving you, and even sitting here this afternoon and appreciating what Jesus taught almost exactly 2,000 years ago. Thank you, Father.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 21, 2024 in Matthew, Sermon on the Mount

 

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Matthew 5:43-48

25 Oct

Matthew 5:43-48 NIV
[43] “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 children 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 own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? [48] Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Dear God, I chose this passage because of the part in the middle about the sun rising and the rain falling on the righteous and the unrighteous. I forgot that that verse is right in the middle of all of this stuff about loving my enemies.

In this case, I think Jesus is referring to rain and sun as both good things that God gives to everyone, no matter how good or evil. What I’m taking from this is that we are all in this together, and beyond the fact that we share the earth together is the idea that my enemy is still your child and at the most basic level, I need to, at a minimum, be praying that they have a relationship that is as close to you as possible. If I think they are evil, then that is one type of prayer. But if they are a seemingly good person with whom I have simply become at odds then that is another type of prayer. And I might have a direct role to play in that person’s life, but if I allow the darkness of bitterness and hate to consume me then I am no good to them, to myself, or to you.

Father, make me an instrument of your peace. It is in pardoning that I am pardoned. Help me to care more about my enemy’s well-being and submit my own ego and demands for my rights to your will.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 25, 2018 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Exercise and Prayer (Matthew 5:3)

21 Aug

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Dear God, it is so difficult to understand why I cannot be more attuned to your Spirit when things are going well. Why do I too often need to suffer first before I cry out to you? I was driving to work this morning and feeling pretty good. My marriage seems to be moving in the right direction. Kids are doing okay. Work is moving ahead and seems to be going in the right direction. So I was driving along and listening to some of my favorite secular singers on my Pandora app through my phone. About halfway to work, however, I thought, why am I listening to this? Why aren’t I filling myself with Christian music and thoughts right now? So I switched Pandora over the “Rich Mullins Radio” and listened to Christian music for the last five minutes of my drive (I’m blessed to only live less than 10 minutes from work).

Now, I’m sitting here disciplining myself to spend a little bit of time in prayer. It would be the easiest thing in the world to skip today. A little like skipping my exercise last night. I know I need it. I know I need you. I know it will be good for me. I know time with you is good for me. I know it will make me healthier. I know time with you will heal my soul. I know I’ll feel better when it’s over. I know I’ll feel better after I’ve touched you. Yes, there are a lot of similarities between the discipline of regular exercise and the discipline of regular, thoughtful prayer. If I go out and exercise once a week then I won’t feel much difference, but a month of exercising will bring about a change in me. It’s the same thing with prayer. One prayer a week won’t really have much impact on my life, but a month of praying regularly will.

Father, thank you for bringing me here today. I am sorry that I often need to be poor in spirit before I end up on my knees before you. I am sorry that I still try to take control of my surroundings and the events in my life so often. But here, in this moment, I bring my life to you, I lay it at your feet, and I ask that you will please do with it and me as you will. Love through me. Parent through me. Husband through me. Lead through me. And serve through me.

 
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Posted by on August 21, 2012 in Matthew, My Utmost for His Highest Scripture of the Day

 

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Emails to God – Caiaphas’ Passover (Matthew 26:57-68)

04 May

57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

64 “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”

Dear God, I wonder if they had to wake Caiaphas up when they brought Jesus in, or if he was sitting and waiting for them to come. After all, it was late, and in a society with no electricity, bed time was a little earlier than it might be now. I’m betting it was the latter. I would imagine that he knew the guards had followed Judas out to find Jesus, and he was sitting there waiting for Jesus to arrive.

I also wonder what this Passover was like for Caiaphas. I don’t know when he would have celebrated the Passover meal (I don’t know if Jesus did it early to accommodate his crucifixion, or if he did it with his disciples on the normal night), but I wonder what was going through his mind as he celebrated with his family and friends. Was his heart heavy? Was he apprehensive? Was he just flat out mad? Was he a victim of a mob mentality, or was he the creator of the mob mentality? Did you put a check in his spirit that made him wonder if Jesus might, in fact, be who he said he was? Did he rest easy in the thought that he had defended you against a heretic?

The truth is, there are no answers to these questions. Thanks to your grace, I will probably get a chance to talk to him about it one day in heaven. Either way, I am sure he now knows about the mistakes he made that week, but I also wonder how much you would hold an earnest heart against him (if that’s what he had) since it was part of your plan to begin with.

Father, I can see that there might be a difference between Judas and Caiaphas. I’m not saying there was one, but I can see where there would be one. Where Judas simply allowed his anger toward Jesus to become murder (see the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus saying that one was as bad as the other), Caiaphas might have been protecting himself, but he also might have been, legitimately, protecting you. So my prayer is, when (not if) I make mistakes, let them be the kind that are out of pure motive. Help me to discern between my own agenda and your agenda. Minimize my mistakes as much as possible and be glorified in my life.

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Summing up the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24-29)

12 Dec

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Dear God, I think our temptation is to read this passage and focus on the house analogy. Do we do the right things? Do we ensure our lives are built on a solid foundation? But this passage isn’t about the house. It is about what we do with Jesus’ words. Do we put them into practice?

Frankly, you put a lot into this sermon. There is a lot here to absorb. There is a lot here to put into practice. I suppose that later, when Paul refers to us working out our faith with fear and trembling, at least in some part, he is referring to our ability to take the lessons from this sermon and put them into practice.

So what is in this sermon? In summary:

  • Beattitudes: Be humble, meek, poor in spirit, etc.
  • Be salt and light in the world
  • Murder, divorce, adultery: It’s easier to commit sins than you think.
  • Integrity and forgiveness: Be the kind of person who doesn’t have to take an oath because people trust you and to follow an eye for an eye.
  • Give to the needy
  • Fast and pray
  • Focus on heaven and not on earth. Worrying is not worth it.
  • Don’t judge others because you need mercy too.
  • Seek God and follow the narrow path.
  • Be a true disciple and discern from false disciples.

Father, help me to work out my faith with fear and trembling. Guide me as a husband, father, employee, friend, and member of the community. Help me to put all of these principles into practice so that I might be called your child.

 

 
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Posted by on December 12, 2011 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – False Prophet, False Disciple, or Both? (Matthew 7:15-23)

09 Dec

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Dear God, these two passages are separated in the NIV by subtitles “True and False Prophets” and “True and False Disciples”. I would say that the concepts of false prophets are probably closer to false disciples than we might think. Sure, there are people out there who are simply manipulative, consciously misleading people for personal gain. But I think that is the minority. I think there are probably a greater number of false prophets who started out as false disciples.

I am thinking about one television evangelist, in particular, in my mind whom I judge to be a false prophet. His message isn’t about humility and decreasing as you increase. His message is about what I am owed by you and what you will give me. While this message has resulted in personal wealth for him, I don’t think he set out to intentionally mislead people. I think that somewhere along the way he became a false disciple and that lead to him being a false prophet.

The question is, How do I protect myself from becoming a false disciple? I think one of the best ways is through submitted community, meaning I need to have at least one other disciple outside of my home who has a chance to look at my life and critically evaluate me and speak your truth in my life. I need someone who can look at me and call me on things. At the same time, I need to be willing to call the other person on things. It is my responsibility to them to not let them become a false disciple.

Father, I want you to look at me one day and say, “I am so glad you are here. Yes, I know you.” I want to lead people into a place in their lives where they will one day be known by you as well, if they are not already. What I really want is to lead my children into a place where they are known by you. Please help me to be known by you and let my children (and my wife) be known by you as well.

 
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Posted by on December 9, 2011 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – What does the Narrow Path Look Like? (Matthew 7:13-14)

07 Dec

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Dear God, is this gate for our life here on earth, or is it for what comes after we die? I have always taken it to mean life after death, but I wonder if Jesus wasn’t talking more about the life we live now rather than the life to come. If it is about life here on earth, what is the “life” to which Jesus refers, and what does it look like in someone who has found it?

I am convinced that “life” does not mean financial success, perfect children, perfect marriage, perfect career, etc. One of the ironies I saw in the lives of a couple of men who recently died was that they were estranged from their children even though many, many people looked up to them as men who were humble and truly loved you. And I agree with the perception of them as lovers of you. I believe they found the small gate. I believe they walking the narrow path. But somewhere along the way, Satan ripped their children from them. Not that their children are bad people now, but somehow the relationships were destroyed.

That is probably my biggest frustration about trying to walk the narrow path: Why don’t my life circumstances turn out prettier? Why do I still struggle with personal failings? Why do I still hurt my children? Why do I still hurt my wife? Even last night, I didn’t mean to, but I ended up hurting my daughter by telling her teacher something I suppose I shouldn’t have. She was embarrassed, and I think that event, in isolation, wouldn’t have bothered her so much, but I think it was built on other things that annoy her about me to the point where she was really hurt.

Father, I am sold out and committed to this path even though it isn’t always pretty. I believe the life you have for me on the path is filled with a peace that I cannot find on the other path. I also believe that the path is about submitting my life circumstances to you. At the same time, I am sure that you do not intend for this path to cause rifts in my relationships. I think that is where Satan attacks us because I am on the path. So help me to be aware of Satan and please bind Satan and protect all of us from his plans and attacks. I am frustrated that he has so much success in throwing little wrenches in my life. Please protect me not from trials, but from the sins I am prone to commit.

 
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Posted by on December 7, 2011 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Giving Bread and Fish instead of Stones and Snakes (Matthew 7:7-12)

06 Dec

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Dear God, how often do we ask what we should seek? Do we question for what we should ask? On whose door should we know? I think that a lot of times people take the view that we can ask what we want of you and, if we have enough faith you will give it to us. If we know on the door of opportunity then you will open it to us and let us live this marvelously successful life. To quote one author, we can live our best life now. But that is a total misrepresentation of this passage. Even the example that Jesus gives in the second paragraphs are “need” items like bread and fish. He didn’t say, “Which of you, if your son asks you for a toy will give him a snake?”

I was talking with someone last night and they were remarking about a thank you letter that I sent them. They said that they were touched to see the need we met for a patient. In short, a patient needed a medication, and we were able to provide it for them for about $100. Their donation helped us be able to provide for that so I let them know. They were so delighted. They were delighted to give this person some medication. In essence, some break and a fish.

How much more, then, were you delighted when we were able to do this? How much more delighted are you when we (and I mean the collective humanity “we”) help to meet our neighbors’ needs?

Father, I think the thing that is pressing on my heart the most is the suffering of some friends. Some are sick and dying. They need some bread and fish. Some have just lost someone and are mourning. They need some bread and fish. Some are unemployed and scared. Some are just facing mountains that are bigger than they feel they can climb. I can even see something in my son now that he is being pressed. He hasn’t said anything, but I can see it in him. He is overwhelmed and he doesn’t want to talk about it. I can see it in him because I can recognize it from my own past as well. Please provide all of these people, including my son, with fish and bread. Use me to provide the fish and bread, and use others to provide fish and bread as well. Wrap all of these people up in your arms and give them your provision so that they might draw closer to you.

 
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Posted by on December 6, 2011 in Matthew

 

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