Matthew 7 vs 1 - 5
1 ‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. I love the way Jesus here draws on his experience as a carpenter to illustrate the point here. I wonder how many times the wind blew sawdust into his eye? What Jesus is saying is not what many people today think he’s saying; that we shouldn’t evaluate people’s actions, weigh them or that we must never say that someone is wrong. We are so terrified of the accusing finger being levelled at us with a charge of being judgemental that quite often when asked for a view on something we begin with the qualification.... “Well, who am I to say...”. Yet, we can discern truth from error, right from wrong, and we can understand and know those things that God in his word describes as offensive or sinful. That is not what Jesus is talking about but rather our attitude and approach to others and perhaps it is helpful to bear three things in mind. First and foremost our attitude towards others should be gracious since it is with grace that God deals with us. We ought to have a fellow feeling and sympathy for those who fall. Secondly his will is to restore us and that in like measure should be our aim. Thirdly we are rightly called hypocrites if we criticise and condemn other people for doing those things that captivate our hearts and dominate our thoughts and deeds, if we have turned a blind eye to our own sins. Perhaps a little more understanding and humility is appropriate as we seek to restore our fallen brothers and sisters. PRAYER: Lord you know my heart and understand my thoughts and I confess that I am often critical and finding fault with other people. Sometime I say harsh things about them often behind their back, or harbour feelings of anger or hatred. Lord please give me wisdom and compassion as I evaluate the actions and words of others. Take away attitudes of superiority; remind me of how you have treated me with consideration and mercy and help me be gracious as I try to restore others to walk in right paths.
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After our study yesterday of Exodus 19 this song sets to music many of the things we thought about and asks for an undivided heart. Why not use it as a prayer today? Matthew 6:1-4
‘‘Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 ‘So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. We are called as Christians to be caring and generous in our practical concern for other so it’s striking that Jesus begins with a warning to “be careful”. Not in any sense that we are in danger of being too generous, but of being ostentatious as a means of drawing attention to ourselves. Well you ask, what difference does it make, what harm has been done, the person in need has still been helped and isn’t that the point? Hasn’t good been done? Yes, in a way, but the obvious problem is that the person’s poverty or need has become a platform for self promotion. If as those who trust in Jesus we are one body, then the way to minister to the needs of others and live out our unity is not to draw attention to their poverty and our generosity. When we are generous without fanfare or gracious without others knowing, it is God who receives the glory and the praise for his provision. Remember we are only instruments in his hands and from the goodness with which he has blessed us we ought to bless others. Ultimately, He is the giver and it’s only right that he should receive the glory. Prayer: God of mercy, thank you for the freedom to bless others, not as a way to prove to you, them or myself how good I am but as an act of love and in response to the abounding grace you have lavished on me. Give me a gentle heart of compassion and the sense to know that in doing good works I am only doing what is appropriate as a response to your love demonstrated in Jesus and may you receive all the glory. AMEN Matthew 5:43-48
43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour 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. We have all at one time or another been wounded or humiliated by the words or actions of another and let’s be honest to bear a grudge after an experience like that is entirely natural and we need to be realistic about it. The problem it presents for the disciples of Jesus though, is that we are not to be ruled by the old nature but to live by the Spirit and that means a whole different outlook on life. In the light of God’s grace Jesus calls us his followers to do something extremely hard, to pray for those who may belittle us, abuse us or in some way harm us. If you think that’s unrealistic few would argue with you but as we begin to pray for enemies something unexpected happens, our own hearts are changed before theirs and we find it difficult to hate those we are praying for since it’s impossible to pray for their blessing and at the same time plot their downfall. This is not natural, of course not, it’s supernatural and possible only with the Holy Spirit’s help. PRAYER: Lord as one who has experienced your love and known your grace you call me, a follower of Jesus to do something that is almost impossible, to pray for and do good to those who have hurt me. It is much easier for me to continue to live in animosity and harbour feelings of revenge and in that way to gratify the sinful nature and nurse my wounded pride. Since however, I am to walk as Jesus walked help me Lord, fill me with the Spirit’s power and enable me, as one loved by you, to forgive others and pray for them with a sincere heart. AMEN Matthew 5:33-37
‘Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but fulfil to the Lord the oaths you have made.” 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath 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 All you need to say is simply “Yes,” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. We have all at one time or another made the mistake of making rash promises, either to a pestering child to get a minute’s peace, or to gain something we want only to find out later that we have no power to keep the promise or deliver what we said we would. It’s bad enough doing that carelessly but when we make a promise with absolutely no intention of keeping it, just call it what it is... a lie. The Pharisees were adept at finding escape routes from the obligation of a promise by carefully wording a vow so that, in their view, it didn’t implicate God and therefore become binding. That’s really the issue here. It’s using a form of words that later allows an individual to wriggle out of the obligation. Perhaps for the same reason so many treaties in history have been so ambiguous in their language that later, when it was convenient, any or all of the parties could abandon their costly commitments with some pretence of justification. Jesus point is simple, all promises are binding and the formula of words is not the issue. After all, the earth in its entirety belongs to God. So, what’s wrong with simply answering yes or no and then being that rare entity, a person or people of our word? A prayer - Our Father in heaven, Jesus reminded us that your word is truth, and yet even as your people we are so often untruthful. Forgive us that we make promises carelessly, and later find convenient ways of escaping our obligations. Help us rather to promote truth, to be trustworthy people and help us by your Holy Spirit to strive always to keep and act upon the promises we have made to you or to others. Enable us always to be people of our word. In Jesus name AMEN Matthew 5:27-30
27 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall 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 stumble, 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 stumble, 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. I’m starving..... I could eat a horse! Really???? Well no, not actually but I am really, really hungry. We understand easily the technique of exaggeration to make a point and sometimes, unlike the example above, that point is really important and that’s what Jesus is doing in this teaching Matthew records. The marriage relationship between a man and a woman is one given and blessed by God and is the only sphere in which a full physical relationship is to be enjoyed so lusting after another person even when nothing actually happens is much more than harmless “window shopping”. When we dwell on impure thoughts and take perverse pleasure in them there’s only one word for it ... sin! That’s why Jesus makes a big deal of it. Not only this but anything that causes us to sin. It’s much better not to look, not to touch and not to dwell and so deny the opportunity for temptation; to coin a phrase.... ”Don’t even go there!” We have a tendency today to trivialise sin, in fact, it’s a word we don’t even like and if we can fit in another word like mistakes or failures so much the better but in the end no matter how we refer to it, sin is offensive to God and is then by its nature serious because it separates us from him potentially forever. Making amends for something as serious as sin and bringing peace with God (atonement) cost Jesus his life, a cost he bore willingly so we enjoy that new relationship with the living God. A Prayer - Incarnate Jesus, thank you that you formed in me good desires and fashioned a body that feels pleasure. Yet, how quickly desire turns into an all-consuming idol, how easily pleasure becomes a god. Remove the impure thoughts and improper desires knowing that these are not harmless sins but violations of my soul and your honour. AMEN (Quoted in Seeking God’s Face. Baker Books) Psalm 35 vs 28 “My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.” A good tradesman is never short of work because those who benefitted from his skills and are pleased with the quality of his work are his best sales people. You can watch all the TV advertisements you like and read all the blurb in the publicity leaflets but the best way to judge their accuracy and the ability of the tradesman in question is to listen to his customers. Having encouraged others to trust in the Lord in Psalm 34, David again finds himself in a tight spot and again he calls on the Lord for help. We don’t know the outcome but the psalm is filled with confidence that the Lord will answer, and it ends with the promise from David that he will proclaim God’s righteousness. As those who have experienced the love of God and his deliverance in many trials that ought to be our pattern as well. It might be the example of David but it is also the very last thing Jesus commissioned his followers to do, Acts 1:7-8 “He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ That commission has not changed our task is, like theirs, to tell others about Jesus to speak about what we have known and experienced and how Jesus has touched and changed our lives. That’s all it means to be witnesses and to be witnesses we don’t need theological training or to have done the latest evangelism course however much that may help, we just need to speak up and nothing is needed more urgently from the church in these days of lockdown when all our external activities and ways of outreach have either been curtailed or ended and nothing beats the personal touch of telling what the Lord has done for us. Psalm 34 vs 1 - 6 & 8
1 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the Lord with me: let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. I’ve just heard Mary Berry the celebrated cook and TV personality on the radio speaking about a new baking shown of which she is one of the presenters. It seems lately that we are inundated with cookery shows, why, we even have an entire channel devoted to them and to be honest, they are not bad entertainment either and may be a better way to put in an hour or so than some of the other stuff we are inclined to watch. Of course once the contestants have finished their concoctions the taste test by the judges follows bringing either praise or criticism. No matter how good something may look or how others may wax lyrical about it, the proof of goodness in the end comes down to the taste. No wonder we say the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The psalm writer here in effect says the same thing of the Lord. He has encouraged others to praise God, to put their faith and their confidence in him, he has spoken of his own experience but in the end the only way another person can prove his truth and faithfulness and experience the love of God is to step out in faith, to actually trust in him.... “taste and see that the Lord is good.” It can only ever be like that. You might hear someone else speak about their life and the difference it has made to trust in Jesus; hear what he has delivered them from and how he has blessed them. You may be really persuaded, but in the end it is someone else’s experience and it can never apply to you. The only way to know the Lord’s salvation and at the same see your life turned around is by doing the same thing, actually putting him to the “taste”. Won’t you trust him today and he will prove his goodness and faithfulness. Psalm 33 1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy. This psalm takes off where the last one, psalm 32, ended by encouraging praise for God and that should be the preoccupation of his people. Worship should be a lifelong activity and one which fills every aspect of life; what we think and say, what we do and how we treat others even our attitudes. As one hymn puts it.... “Fill Thou my life, O Lord my God, in every part with praise, that my whole being may proclaim Thy being and Thy ways.” This psalm though is not speaking about worship in the whole of life but particularly, I think, our praise in song when we come together since that seems to be the background of the psalm. Singing may not be everyone forte, not everyone enjoys it but verse one declares it a fitting activity for God’s people and verse 3 tells us what the marks of that praise should be. Firstly our relationship with Jesus should cause our hearts to overflow with new expressions of praise, or new songs, as the psalmist puts it. Secondly what we offer to Jesus by way of praise should not just be thrown together but played as skilfully as we can. We should offer our best efforts in praise to him. That struck me a few years ago in an unexpected way when listening to, of all people Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing “The little Drummer Boy.... ”I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum I played my best for Him pa-rum pum pum pum” and it dawned on me that we should only be content when we have offered our very best in praise of Jesus. Then the last characteristic of Christian praise should be to sing aloud for joy. I’m not a lover of team sports in the way some are but still, it amazes me how some Christians on a Saturday afternoon can sing their heart out with joy because their team is winning, not minding what kind of musical sounds come from their mouths but stand the following day in church with lips barely moving as others around them sing God’s praise. Surely our Saviour is worthy of much more, more in fact than we can give but all we offer in spirit and truth with joy is blessed by God the Holy Spirit whose work it is to glorify the name of Jesus. Psalm 32 vs 1 - 2 & 11 1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! Despite the Coronavirus and the disruption it has caused the wheels of government, and specifically those of the Inland Revenue, continue to turn. Back in the day, and speaking of the newly written American Constitution Benjamin Franklin is reputed to have said despite its ideals “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. Well this week is the last in which you can file your tax return for the years 2019-20 so if you haven’t it completed it, best to get a move on! I loathe doing my taxes, and every year I seem to procrastinate for no reason other than I don’t like the hassle involved. I mean, why do your tax return today if you can put it off to tomorrow? It’s obvious! The problem then is that it becomes such an issue that it’s like a weight on my shoulders until I’ve everything handed to the accountant, the tax return is filed and I’ve paid anything I owe to the exchequer. Then it’s bliss.... I’m walking on air for the rest of the day promising myself that I’ll do it all in good time next year. Whatever that feels like though, is nothing compared to knowing one’s sins are forgiven. That is the experience David writes of in this Psalm how the burden of unrepented sin sapped his strength, perhaps in a spiritual and emotional way, until it was confessed. Perhaps that’s your experience too as it was mine and that is especially so when we first confess our sin to Christ, repent of it and receive his salvation. It’s like a great big debt has been settled and the weight of guilt and the dread of judgement lifted from us. Where that repentance is genuine and the peace of God is experienced there is real rejoicing and more, joy which we can’t keep to ourselves, at least, that’s how it should be. The psalm writer concludes that those who are forgiven, the upright in heart, should rejoice in the Lord and sing his praise. Peter affirmed that should be the preoccupation of the church.... “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1Pet 2:9). Much too often our preoccupation is with other things and not in declaring this good news. |