Jesus Clarifies

How readily do you listen to how someone interprets the rules? Do you listen when someone is explaining a new process? Do you listen attentively, attempting to gain a good understanding? Or do you only listen half-heartedly, not really caring to know?

Our culture is full of rules, laws, processes, guidance, and directives. There are so many we cannot begin to understand them all. It is only when we must follow them in a specific situation that we may attempt to understand them. Then it is likely we will turn to someone we trust to explain them.

Sometimes, we may find the explanation doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t follow what we thought we knew. We may not believe the person explaining them to us, even if we think the person is trustworthy. We find ourselves in a quandary.

Jesus redefines what the Jews thought were the rules or law of God. Perhaps redefine is the incorrect word. He explains to them how God originally intended them to be. Not only does Jesus’ explanation cause the Jews to wonder if they heard Him correctly, but we may also ask the same question–Did I hear that right?

When Jesus explains God’s original intent of the Law, He upsets many apple carts. He may upset yours or mine. We don’t really want to hear it. Yet, Jesus states exactly what God originally intended. After all, shouldn’t He know? He is God!

I pray we all read Jesus’ explanation with a desire to understand. I pray we seek to abide by His explanation to the best of our ability. I pray each one of us will seek to understand God’s truth. Read Jesus’ words. Understand what He is saying. Take His explanation to heart. Seek to follow Jesus.

Matthew 5:22a, 28a, 32a, 34a “But I say to you…”

Golden Rule

Do you know the golden rule? Can you quote it? Have you attempted to live by it? Was it difficult to do? Are you still attempting to live by it? Is it a challenge at certain times? What if you do not fully understand it? What if it is even more challenging than you think?

It is likely we have heard of the golden rule. It is most often quoted as, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It may be paraphrased, but generally the meaning is the same. The meaning most often meant when it is quoted is that we are to be nice to other people.

Notice in today’s passage where Jesus states it. Not only does it follow His statement to give or allow to be taken from us and not to demand it back, but the sentence just before that says we are to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. That changes the meaning of the golden rule significantly, doesn’t it?

The golden rule does not merely mean to be nice to others. It also means we are to love our enemies, we are to do good to those who hate us, we are to pray for those who mistreat us, we are to give more to those who take from us and not demand it back. Looking at where Jesus states the golden rule, He is summing up His previous statements.

If we are going to live by the golden rule, we must go well beyond what we think it means. It must be more than nice. To do so requires us to lean on God’s strength and guidance. As human beings, we cannot do this on our own. Our core beliefs must change. We must become like Jesus to live as He wants us to.

I pray we all attempt to live by the golden rule. I pray we understand that it means far more than being nice. I pray each one of us will lean on God to give us strength and guidance. Love your enemies. Do good for those who hate you. Pray for those who mistreat you. Give more than is demanded. Lean on God for strength. Follow God’s guidance.

Luke 6:29-31 “If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

In A Foreign Land

Have you ever lived in a foreign country? Have you traveled to a foreign country? Have you felt as though you stood out? Have you experienced people pointing at you, or heard them whispering about you? Have you considered that you live in a foreign land now?

Many of us have traveled to other countries. We may have experienced the citizens of that country easily identifying us as foreigners. We may have thought they were trying to take advantage of us. Or we may have felt as though they were laughing at us.

As a Marine, I lived overseas a couple of different times. I have lived in Okinawa, Japan and have been deployed to South Korea. On average, I was several inches taller than the citizens of both places. Not only that, but I was easily identified as an American by several other physical features, not to mention my language.

I have also traveled to Romania on multiple mission trips. Though my physical attributes were similar to theirs, they could still quickly identify me as an American. My clothing, the way I walked, the way I looked around, and language once again gave me away.

When we take on the image of Christ and do our very best to follow Him, we stand out as being different. It is as though we are a foreigner, even if we are in our hometown. People notice how we are different than everyone else. They notice how we speak different than others. They notice our attitude is different.

Notice that Peter calls those who do not follow Christ pagans. Have you ever thought of the people you interact with daily as pagans? Perhaps we should. Perhaps by viewing them in that manner we would feel as though we are on a continual mission trip. Perhaps we would be more committed to showing them Christ through our attitudes, actions, and speech. Perhaps we would be more effective in bringing them to Christ.

I pray we all view ourselves as living in a foreign land. I pray we realize we are not in our permanent home. I pray each one of us will take on the attitude, actions, and speech of Christ. See yourself as a foreigner. Know you are not home. Show Christ to others. Be a good example.

1 Peter 2:11-12 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Cross Over

Have you heard statements that you believe are too good to be true? Have you heard someone make a statement that you think, “That is unbelievable?” What credibility does that person need for you to believe them? Do you believe what Jesus has said?

We may hear something said that just seems to be outrageous. We may think, “There is no way that can be true.” It could be someone telling us what they saw, something they heard, or something they did. Our determination to believe them or not may rest on how trustworthy we believe the person is.

Jesus doesn’t hold back. He makes it very clear. If we believe what He tells us, we have eternal life. What does it mean to believe Him? It means we act on our beliefs. It means we take His teachings and put them into action. We cannot simply say we believe Him.

Think about it this way. I can say I believe the multiplication tables I was taught in school. But if I do not use them when I need to determine how much it costs to buy three dozen eggs, I likely do not believe what I learned. Of course, this is a simple example, but the principle stands.

Believing what Jesus says follows this same principle. It may be more challenging to put His words into action than using multiplication tables, but it is much more important. The result is not simply whether we have enough money to buy eggs but whether we spend eternity with God or not. Jesus’ words have an everlasting effect. Our belief and action based on His words has an eternal impact on us.

I pray we all believe Jesus. I pray we believe what He said. I pray each one of us will put His words into action and gain eternal life. Believe Jesus. Trust Him. Put His words into action. Gain eternal life. Spend eternity with God. Cross over from death to life.

John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

Challenging Choice

What do you believe? Really, what do you believe deep down in the core of your being? What guides you in your everyday actions and behaviors, your interactions with others? Is it the cultural norms or the Word of God? Do you believe what Jesus says or the news you hear?

Those are tough questions to answer. They require a deep introspection. We must stop our incessant busyness and distractions to wrestle with them. Yet, each one of us should do so. We need to understand what our core beliefs are. When we do, we should allow them to guide us.

Why do I pose such challenging questions? Well, because Jesus did. He asked these questions in a much simpler way in today’s passage. But make no mistake about, those questions reside within the question He asked. In fact, the implied answer to the question is they did not believe Him. Those in the crowd were unwilling to follow His guidance. Not just the guidance He had given them in the short time He was with them, but the guidance God had given them over the centuries.

Are we any better? Have we set aside God’s guidance in favor of following whatever is popular? Do we still oppress people? Do we still shun people because of the way they dress? Do we look down our noses at the homeless and poor? Do feel sorry for the hungry child but give him/her nothing to eat?

God told the Israelites of old to not allow these things to happen. God has told us to rid ourselves of this behavior and actions. Yet, we see it in our cities and towns every day. Do we believe Him? Will we do what He says? Jesus is challenging each and every one of us. We have a choice to make. We can obey or discard. God will see our choice. Each one of them every day.

I pray we all believe what Jesus says. I pray we follow God’s guidance. I pray each one of us will choose to carry out the work that God has put before us. Believe Jesus. Believe God. Know what God has instructed. Follow his instructions. Make the right choice. Choose to follow Jesus.

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

Humility and Wisdom

How do you display wisdom? Do you display it through your decisions and choices? Do you display it in the way you live? Do you consider humility to be a portion of your wisdom? Does humility come as a result of wisdom? Would others consider you humble and wise?

I venture to guess that most of us do not associate humility and wisdom together. We likely think of someone who is wise as being knowledgeable, smart, and a person who makes good decisions. On the other hand, we may think of a humble person as someone who is quiet and unassuming.

Not that our view is completely wrong, but it is incomplete. Wise people are knowledgeable and make good decisions. They also spend time listening and thinking. They will consider as many angles as practical before making a decision. They weigh the pros and cons of a choice. Once they determine what they believe is the best choice, they decide and execute.

A humble person may be quiet and unassuming, but they are also someone who relies on God to guide them. They may occasionally speak voraciously or release righteous anger. After all, Jesus was considered humble, yet He turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple. Being humble in the eyes of God means to lean on him and follow his guidance. It means praying continually.

James tells us that we show our humility and wisdom by the life we live. We live a good life, performing good deeds, not bragging about them, but letting them be seen for what they are. By the life we live, we demonstrate our wisdom and depending on God. We bring glory to him through our actions and behavior.

I pray we all grow in wisdom. I pray we are humble, depending on God in all situations. I pray each one of us strive to pray continually and live a good life that brings glory to God. Grow in knowledge. Grow in wisdom. Pray continually. Be humble. Let your actions speak. Show humility and wisdom in your behavior.

James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Wonderful Differences

Do you try to force people to fit into the mold you have in your mind? Do you look oddly at those who are different than you expect? Do you determine people are right or wrong based on your paradigm? Do you know that God has purposely created people to be different?

We see different people all around us. There are people with different colors of skin, different skills, different physical attributes, different ways of thinking, and different preferences. Our differences create a wonderful tapestry around this world.

Too often, we mistreat people who are different than we are. We see the difference as a means for looking sideways at them. We are both curious about the differences and wary of them. We often look down our noses at people who are different. Since they are not like us, we may look at them as being inferior. We miss a wonderful opportunity to learn about and experience something new.

The Apostle Paul doesn’t merely address differences with a broad stroke but goes into some detail. Even people who look like us do not always like the same things we do. Paul addresses eating preferences, but we can apply this principle to a plethora of other differences. Those differences may include clothing, schools, sports teams, pets, political party, shopping choices, vehicles, wealth, and even our churches. Our preferences are not to be a reason to judge one another. We are to treat all people as a child of God. We are to treat all people in a loving and caring manner at all times.

I pray we all look at differences in a positive light. I pray we see the wonder of God’s tapestry all around us. I pray each one of us chooses to treat others with love and care, as children of God. Celebrate differences. Do not judge based on preferences. Treat others well. Treat everyone as a child of God.

Romans 14:3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.

Salt and Light

What is your purpose in life? How often have you asked yourself that question? Who are you? Have you asked yourself that question? Do you know who Jesus says you are? Would you like to know?

It is not uncommon for people to wonder what their purpose in life is. They may even start out by asking themselves who they are. It’s good to know who you are, where you are in life, what your position in the world or your community is. It can be the point from which we determine our purpose.

But what if I told you Jesus has already set your purpose for you? What if He already told you who you are? He has! And it is good. Jesus says we are salt and light. Within those statements of who we are is our purpose in this life.

As the salt of the earth (literally dirt), we are to help others grow. In Jesus’ day, farmers put salt on their fields to provide the right mix of minerals to help them grow their crops. Salt is also used to season and preserve. We are to season others and preserve their lives for them. That preservation comes in the form of eternal life.

As the light of the world, we are to show the way for others. This coincides with preservations. We show them the way to Jesus. We show them the way to eternal life. We do this through our actions, showing others what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Whether we like or not, whether we want to or not, if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are His representative. He has told us who we are and our purpose. Perhaps we should accept His Word and be who He told us we are.

I pray we all know who we are. I pray we understand our purpose as Jesus defined it. I pray each one of us accept our place as a representative of Jesus and be who He desires us to be. Know your purpose. Be salt. Add flavor. Be light. Show Jesus to others. Share Jesus’ love.

Matthew 5:13a, 14a “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.”

Convicted in Jesus

What are your beliefs? Do you believe in right and wrong? Do you believe there is a proper way to go about living your life? Or do you go with the flow, following whatever the popular trend of the moment is? Do you believe in the Son of God and follow Him and His teachings?

Many of us can quote, or at least paraphrase, John 3:16. We know that it states that whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life. But if we only read that one verse, and do not continue reading or fully understand it, we fall into a false belief.

The Greek word translated as believe in John 3:16 and today’s passage, does not mean to believe in the sense that we believe the sun will come up tomorrow. No, it is a much deeper belief than that. It is not a flippant belief but a trust, correct perception, and conviction.

If we are convicted that Jesus is the Son of God, we don’t continue our lives as-is. We ask God to change us into the person he wants us to be. We seek to learn as much as we can about Jesus. We desire to follow Him, wherever He leads us. Being convicted includes a strong commitment to what we are convicted of.

Think about it this way. When we commit to a profession, something we truly love and believe in, we work hard to know our craft inside and out. We desire to succeed in our chosen profession. We continually seek to do things better, be more efficient, produce a better product. That is the conviction John tells us about in his gospel when he speaks of believing in Jesus. Therefore, our belief must be more than a few simple words. Our belief must go to the core of our being.

I pray we all believe in Jesus. I pray we have a conviction that He is the Son of God. I pray each one of us will commit to knowing more about Jesus and commit to following His teachings. Believe in Jesus. Be committed to Him. Seek to follow His teachings. Be convicted.

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Be Exceptional

How do you feel about laws? Do you think they should be obeyed to the letter? Are you a person who will not go one mile over the speed limit? Do you stay well within the limits of any laws? Or do you like to color outside the lines from time-to-time (or more often)?

We have a lot of laws across our land. When we count the federal, state, and local laws, we have thousands of them. Many of them are for our good. When we obey them, they can help keep us from harm. Laws can be an aid to an orderly society. They can also be used to oppress.

God gave us laws to obey, too. The purpose of those laws is to keep us from harm and provide an orderly society. However, people often misinterpret those laws or take them to the extreme. The Jewish religious leadership of the Old Testament had done that over the course of hundreds of years. They added guidance, or their own laws, to put hedges around the laws of God. Their intent was good, but their execution was not. For example, the Sabbath was holy, and no one was to work on that day. So, they set a limit of one-hundred paces. Walk one more and it was considered work.

We do this, too, sometimes. Our traditions and reasoning add to the laws of God. We should remember that Jesus said all the law and the prophets were wrapped up in two commands, love god and love neighbor (Matthew 12:30-31). When He tells the people they must exceed the scribes and Pharisees, he is telling them to stop being legalistic and to base all their actions on love. When we consider every act, every behavior, every word we intend beforehand, and determine if they are done or said in love, we are following Jesus’ commands. We no longer need to wonder if we are following the law.

I pray we all know the laws of God. I pray we understand the commands of Jesus. I pray each one of us determine to act, behave, and speak in love toward everyone. Know Gods law. Know Jesus’ commands. Put Jesus’ commands into action. Make the decision to act in love. Be a person who speaks with love.

Matthew 5:20 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”