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5:1-12
Jesus teaches his disciples some important principles
Having established himself beyond question as the Messiah - at least to
the discerning - Jesus went up a
hill called the Mount of Olives and sat down. Below him spread the many
thousands of people who had followed him in the hope of receiving some
miraculous aid, but Jesus distanced himself from them for a while. His disciples
gathered around him, expectant and hungry for knowledge, so Jesus waited until
they were all quiet and composed, then he began to teach them the following
principles :
"Most people want to be happy, and most people want happiness right
now. I have a different view. I promise to you everlasting happiness, if you
behave like children of God - then one day your happiness will come.
"So if you want to be happy, I mean really happy, be the opposite to
what you have been used to being. See which way the world goes, and then go the
other way! For example, most people rely on their own strength, money or
position for getting through life, but my standard is the other way round. I say
trust in God for everything, acknowledge that you are helpless, and that all you
need comes from God. This is how the people in God's kingdom should behave.
Another way to receive this great happiness is to identify with me. That
means being sad and sorrowful because you will feel the damage which sin makes
in this world. You will also be aware of your own sinfulness. It will hurt
deeply, but one day you will be comforted, because one day all sin and sickness
and death will be wiped out.
A third way to achieve this great happiness is to be meek. That is, think
of yourself as nothing but a servant, and empty yourself of pride.You may be
robbed of all your belongings, hounded from place to place, mocked, tortured,
and even killed, but one day you will be a co-inheritor of this planet, and all
your persecutors will be gone for ever.
A fourth way to reach this great happiness is to give up chasing sinful
things, half-truths and deceptive ways of living, and instead concentrate on
doing, and thinking, and speaking only right things. Be passionate about
honesty, and integrity and justice. Develop a hunger for being good. Make no
compromise with things you know are wrong. One day, if you are really committed
to this sort of life, you will be satisfied, because when I inaugurate my
kingdom, those will be the qualities everywhere in it.
A fifth way to enter into this great happiness is to show mercy, to
yourself, to others, and to anyone who offends you. It is normal to want revenge
or punishment for personal slights, but you must not try to hit back, or hurt
people for what they have done to you. Be compassionate instead. Help people
when they don't deserve it. Forgive and forget. Wipe the slate clean. Why?
Because one day, when you are judged for what you did with your life, your
merciful behaviour will have a bearing on your rewards (1Cor.3:12-15). If you
have consistently shown mercy, you will be very happy with what God gives you.
A sixth way to enter into this great happiness is to keep your heart
pure. This means actively avoiding bad things - such as conversation,
entertainment, music, books, social events . . . anything which might pollute
your mind with sin. It also means actively feeding on good things, such as the
Bible. Sin is so often dressed up to look attractive, but you must stay clear of
it, and as a reward for this disciplined sort of life, God will reveal Himself
to you. (John 14:21 etc)
A seventh way to enter into this great happiness is to actively intervene
in situations where there is trouble, and try to settle disputes, and lay
yourself on the line in an attempt to bring solutions to difficult situations.
Be a counsellor. Bear the abuse which may come patiently. Remember that
God is always working to bring peace to this world, and if you are part of this
work you will be seen as one of His children. One day peace will come to the
whole earth, and with peace, happiness.
An eighth way to achieve the happiness you long for is to stand up for
good morality and for what is right. But when do this you will provoke people
who feel that their sinful lifestyles are threatened, and they will turn on you,
and put you through a fire of hate
and nastiness, underhand and lying verbal attacks and displays of unreasoning
vindictiveness, needless reviling and bad-mouthing. The people of this world
will fling at you an astonishing variety of rotten things, but if you bear the
brunt of this criticism and slander and keep living in an upright way, God will
be pleased to give you citizenship in His kingdom.
The ninth way to great happiness is to be a Christian, and let people
know that you are one. You see, in their hearts, most people know the truth, but
they suppress what they know because it interferes with their self-indulgence
and their love of sinful pleasures. Many of these people will not like you
because you are living in a good way, but they will really hate you when they
find out you are a Christian!
But the ultimate reward for all this trouble is happiness. Wonderful,
overflowing happiness. You must keep your eyes on the future, and go through the
sufferings and trials with this great thing in mind : your reward is piling up!
And think of this too - you will be in the group of people which includes
the prophets of the Old testament. These are elite and honoured men and women
whose books you read, and whose lives you admire. You may have forgotten what
persecution many of them suffered because they seem remote and far away, but
they went through exactly the same things you are called to go through today.
You will be equals together, sharing in the same glorious reunion when God
returns to establish His rule over all the earth.
5:13-16
Christians are like mini-Christs
Salt has many uses. It brings out the flavour in food, it acts as a
preservative, it generates thirst, and it seasons food to make it fit to eat.
Christians can be like salt in this world. By being involved in things
(good things) in the world, they can add Christian qualities, which will then
add to the overall quality of whatever they are doing. They can also bring
stability, because of their honesty and integrity, reliability and good manners.
They can, by their lifestyle, make people want Christ too, because people will
see what a wonderful change He makes in a life. And finally, Christians can
sweeten or make easier difficult situations, simply by being there to care and
help.
But salt left unused in the open, on the ground, will decay, so also
Christians are meant to be busy, and actively working for God in this world -
otherwise, they will be ignored by the people around them. The world usually
treats undedicated disciples with contempt. People - despite what they often say
- want to see that Christians actually believe in something! So stay fresh!
And light can also teach us about being a Christian. For example, it
shines more obviously where it is darkest. In the same way that I am the light
of the world, so you can also be light-bearers for me. Imagine that you are
towns or cities built on hill-tops; in this way your witness will be seen
clearly by the people around you. Take the moral high-ground. Aim at being the
best. Lift people up, rather than dragging them down into the valleys of sin and
darkness.
On a smaller scale, imagine you are candles, in dark houses. You can
shine your light in the home, to your family and friends, or wherever you are -
the boat, the factory, the hut . . . and logically, the best place for a candle
is out in the open, where it can give the maximum light, so don't hide your
Christianity, rather, do as many good works as you can. People will notice your
new life, and be grateful for it. When they are grateful they will be indirectly
acknowledging that God is good.
5:17-20
The Law and Grace
Now I must explain something very important about my relationship between
my ministry and the Old Testament Law. Some people are wondering if I have come
to start a revolution, in which all that has gone before me will be swept away,
but this is not the case at all. I have not come to start a new set of Laws, but
to actually fulfil the already existing ones. That is, I am keeping, to the
letter, every Old Testament Law, in perfect obedience.
You see, the Law of God cannot be abolished while this age lasts, because
God gave it to the world as His standard of goodness. If I abolish the Law, how
will God be able to judge people fairly? Where there is no Law - there is also
no standard by which God can measure sin.
So I assure you, every tiny detail of the Old Testament Law remains in
force!
And just in case you missed the point, let me put it another way. If
Christians go about teaching that the Law is no longer relevant, God will reduce
their reward when Judgement Day arrives. If they act as if God's Law can be
broken with impunity, they will find themselves in trouble with God!
But on the other hand, if Christians hold the Law up as God's standard to
an unsaved world, and teach that it is still a legally active thing, God will
honour them with great rewards.
(The Law of God is a mighty weapon in a Christian's hands - it can bring
conviction of sin to sinners, as it shines God's standard into their hearts. But
when a person becomes a Christian, the Law is replaced by a new way of life,
based on a desire to simply love Jesus and please him in every way.)
Now look at the difference between a Christian and a religious Pharisee.
The Pharisee thinks that by trying to keep the Law he will get to heaven. He
trusts his own hard work and diligent efforts to please God. He thinks he is
righteous because of his faithfulness and sincerity . . . but he is wrong. He
has no changed heart, no fellowship with God, no inward spiritual life. (He is
like a hard-working Mormon, or door-knocking Jehovah's-witness).
The Christian, on the other hand, must not aim at looking the part. My
followers must refer to me, rather than the Law for their standard, and when
they do this, they must accept the fact that they can never achieve perfect
obedience to the Law. Salvation depends on accepting my gift of (imputed)
righteousness. If you don't trust in me, and me alone for salvation, you will be
on the same path to hell as the Pharisees!
5:21-28
Murder, insults, gifts and forgiveness
Now here are some examples of how much more difficult my standards are
compared to those of the Law :
First of all take the Old testament law on murder. According to the
letter of the Law, a murderer is a sinner, on the brink of judgement, but I'm
extending the definition of murder to your thought-life. All you have to do now
is hate someone, and as far as God is concerned, you have murdered them.
Another emotion related to hate is anger. If you are angry with someone
without a good reason you are on the brink of God's judgement. Just call someone
a fool, or speak contemptuously to them, or swear at them and you are in danger
of severe punishment!
And its no use coming to God with gifts and things if you have, before
you showed up, deliberately offended someone. Before you show your face in front
of God, try to make peace with the person, or people you have offended.
(1Cor.11:27-34), because God does not enjoy the company of hypocrites.
What I am trying to say is that you avoid playing 'church'. Formalism can
kill a Christian life. Outward ceremonies can destroy an inner spirituality. The
church will die unless it put sincere, meaningful fellowship with Jesus first.
If you are in the wrong, admit it. If you have been rude - apologise. If you
have deliberately hurt someone - try to make amends. Rectify your mistakes
quickly - like a man on his way to court with his adversary. If he settles the
case before he gets to court, he won't have to go through a trial and pay a
fine. In the same way, keep short accounts with God, so He doesn't have to start
a process of painful judgement on you. I warn you - once you leave something too
long, and God starts to move in, he will not finish until a fair punishment has
been exacted from you!
5:27-30
Adultery
The Old Testament Law prohibits adultery (Ex.20:14) and there are many
people - men and women - who are obedient to this rule. But My standard is much
higher than the letter of the Law. I say that if your thought-life is
adulterous, you have, as far as God is concerned, committed the offence.
(2.Pet.2:14). I demand inward
purity. My requirements expect of you strict self-discipline of the mind.
I know this is very difficult, because there are many influences which
encourage sexually impure thoughts - TV, radio, videos, magazines and books, bad
company, posters, movies, and so on - but there are ways of dealing with this.
One very clear way of keeping yourself pure is to recognise the thing
which causes you to stray from purity. It may be something as valuable as your
eyes or your hands, or some literature you own, or a particular movie, or song .
. . you will know what it is. When you have identified the source of the
temptation, if it is practical, remove it! Get rid of it! Throw it away, or sell
it, or destroy it!
You may think this is rather drastic, but consider what you might lose if
you keep the offending thing? Are you willing to trade your salvation for some
stupid little sin? If you put the sin on one side and eternal destruction on the
other, which is more important to you?
5:31-32
Divorce and re-marriage
Another Old Testament Law says that divorce is permitted, but only if one
or the other partner commits sexual immorality. But I see that today there are
men who are happy to divorce their wives for all sorts of other reasons. This is
wrong. Marriage is binding and sacred. It is not a union to be broken for just
any old excuse.
The problem is compounded if the divorced woman, who has been sent away
for some trivial or personal reason, marries again. As far as God is concerned,
she is then committing adultery, because in God's sight she is still married to
her husband.
But if the woman has in fact committed adultery, the man is free to
divorce her, and then marry again - Mat. 19:8,9.
5:33-37
Oaths
The Old Testament Law forbids people from making false promises - Lev.
19:12, Num.30:2 and Deut.23:21. But it has become a Jewish custom to make
grand-sounding promises, and to include important things in them, such as
heaven, the earth, and Jerusalem, to reassure whoever they are making the
promise to that they are telling the truth. They also think that God is separate
from these things, so if they fail to keep the promise, God won't be angry with
them.
But this is hypocrisy! Despite what the Jews like to think, God is in
everything! He is in heaven - He calls it His throne, and he is in the earth -
He calls it His footstool - and he
is in Jerusalem - He calls it His own City!
And some Jews make promises 'by their head', which is another silly
practise. They think God is not as close to their head as he is to other things
- but who made humans? God did, so God must be in every Jewish head in the
world. The proof is the fact that God gives every Jewish head its own particular
colour of hair, so God must know about every tiny hair on every head in
Palestine.
So my advice is to avoid making any qualified promises at all. Just say
"Yes" or "No" and mean it. Keep it simple. People will soon
realise that you are a man or your word.
5:38-41
Personal revenge
In the Old Testament Law God demands fair and equal judgement for all
crimes - Ex.21:24, Lev.24:20 and Deut. 19:21. The punishment must never be more
or less than required. An individual, if wronged, has legal right to the courts
to exact revenge, and it is the government's responsibility to make sure the
offending party is justly treated.
But my standard for Christians is this : don't take personal revenge.
You will meet, as you go through life, people who deliberately seek you
out because you are Christians, and try to harass you, or annoy you, or spoil
your peace. They will try all sorts of things - these devil-inspired people -
because they will be opposed to Christianity. At times they will physically hurt
you. When this happens, give them the opportunity to hurt you again. If they
steal from you, give them something to add to their booty. If they force you to
do something against your will, add interest to it - go further, give more, do
more. Show them you are a committed Christian, and not some pretender.
And if one of these people asks to borrow something off you, don't say
no. Even though you make want to keep it, let it go. This will be sure evidence
to them that what you say about not being bound by material possessions is real.
5:43-48
Loving your enemies
In the Old Testament Law you are told to love your neighbours,
(Lev.19:18) and also, but in not so many words, to actually hate your enemies
(Deut.23:3-6), or at least not to go chasing after them in order to be like
them. The Christian way is not like this. I expect you to love both your
neighbours, friends and acquaintances with whom you already get along, plus all
those people who rub you up the wrong way. In fact, when you meet people you
cannot stand being with or near, I want you to pray for them, and look for
opportunities to do good things for them. But be sensible about how you do this.
As an illustration of how this works, think of the weather. God allows
the sun to shine and the rain to fall on people like Hitler and Stalin, Hussein
and Nero. Why? Because he loves everyone equally. He gives to everyone an equal
chance to receive His blessings, but of course not everyone is willing to
acknowledge the source of all these good things in their lives. Your
responsibility therefore is to be like your heavenly Father. Do what He does,
and don't worry about whether your enemies are changed or not by what you do.
That is not your business. All God requires of you is your obedience, and the
rest is up to Him.
In this way - that is, if you do all the things I have just mentioned you
will be a mature Christian, and your Father will be proud of you.