“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48)
Be perfect as God is perfect can sometimes be used to undercut the whole teaching of Jesus in chapter 5. Jesus has called me to this new way of living - but 'Oh - I can't be perfect.'
I wonder if that is what Jesus is saying. I think that Jesus' call for perfection (or complete in Greek) has a focus of being like God in loving your enemies. I think this makes sense because:
1. The only other comparison that is made between our conduct and our Father's conduct in the whole of the sermon on the mount is found in verse 45, and is about loving enemies.
2. We will be called sons of God if we love our enemies. ie. we will be 'chips off the old block'. (Australian expression) If we want to be like God (perfect) we should love our enemies.
3. This is probably the last thing on the Pharisees minds. Jesus again challenges the norm. You want to be complete or perfect - love your enemies.
If this view is right - the command to be perfect is not just 'wishful thinking', 'a nice thought', 'an burden of guilt' - but it becomes a way forward and a real command. 'Love your enemies.'
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Monday, 25 February 2008
Matthew 5: The So Called Moral Law
I'm not convinced that the law of Moses can be easily broken into moral, ceremonial and civil components. But what I am ever more convinced of is that none of the OT law is the reality. It is a shadow. The reality is found in Jesus Christ.
The laws relating to temple, sacrifice and worship that Moses gave the people are a shadow. That is without dispute. What I am also becoming convinced of is that the laws that we sometimes call moral - do not lie, do not murder, do not steal - are also a shadow. Christ casts an even brighter light on God's expectation and calling of his people. We are under Christ and not under Moses. We obey Christ's commandments for Christ's sake. Christ shows us what God wants - not what the OT law always meant - but what it was pointing towards - the reality only ever found in Christ.
"You have heard it said, but I say to you .... "
(see the post below)
The laws relating to temple, sacrifice and worship that Moses gave the people are a shadow. That is without dispute. What I am also becoming convinced of is that the laws that we sometimes call moral - do not lie, do not murder, do not steal - are also a shadow. Christ casts an even brighter light on God's expectation and calling of his people. We are under Christ and not under Moses. We obey Christ's commandments for Christ's sake. Christ shows us what God wants - not what the OT law always meant - but what it was pointing towards - the reality only ever found in Christ.
"You have heard it said, but I say to you .... "
(see the post below)
Matthew 5: The Newness of the Sermon on the Mount
I'm preaching on the sermon on the mount for the next few weeks. I've been ruminating on a thought - and it has probably hit everyone else before - but it hit me hard this morning.
The Sermon on the Mount is full of OT allusions but is fundamentally new - because it is about Jesus (and therefore relating to God as Father).
He never calls people back to the OT Law. He calls people to obey Him. His implicit message is in line with that of the apostle Paul - 'Don't follow Moses, instead follow me.' Don't follow the morning star when the sun has just risen. His last words to his disciples before his ascension reflect his last words in his sermon.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)
“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." (Matthew 7:24)
Remember it is Jesus who gives us clearer calling than the OT law (see my next post).
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28)
The last beatitude is actually the punch-line ... the first seven are the expectations of OT hope. The eighth is explicitly about Jesus - and focused the other seven to be about Jesus. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." (Matthew 5:11)}
It is Jesus' disciples (and no one else) who are the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the blessed ones, the wise builders, the good tree etc...
It is this Jesus' focusedness of the sermon on the mount that explains His need for its most difficult verses (the ones I'm preaching about on Sunday). Why else would he need to allay their fears?
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-20)
My take home. This is not mere continuity with the OT. The true light has come into the world - listen to him.
The Sermon on the Mount is full of OT allusions but is fundamentally new - because it is about Jesus (and therefore relating to God as Father).
He never calls people back to the OT Law. He calls people to obey Him. His implicit message is in line with that of the apostle Paul - 'Don't follow Moses, instead follow me.' Don't follow the morning star when the sun has just risen. His last words to his disciples before his ascension reflect his last words in his sermon.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)
“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." (Matthew 7:24)
Remember it is Jesus who gives us clearer calling than the OT law (see my next post).
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28)
The last beatitude is actually the punch-line ... the first seven are the expectations of OT hope. The eighth is explicitly about Jesus - and focused the other seven to be about Jesus. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." (Matthew 5:11)}
It is Jesus' disciples (and no one else) who are the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the blessed ones, the wise builders, the good tree etc...
It is this Jesus' focusedness of the sermon on the mount that explains His need for its most difficult verses (the ones I'm preaching about on Sunday). Why else would he need to allay their fears?
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-20)
My take home. This is not mere continuity with the OT. The true light has come into the world - listen to him.
Monday, 18 February 2008
Life lesson #1
I haven't gone kayaking for a couple of weeks. I made a mistake a couple of weeks ago that scared me off. I'm up this morning (now about 5:45) to get back into it ... so this post won't be long.
Lesson #1: 'Don't leave your car remote key in your pocket when you go kayaking. I will NEVER do that again.'
Lesson #1: 'Don't leave your car remote key in your pocket when you go kayaking. I will NEVER do that again.'
I can't stand it ...
I can't stand it ... it really annoys me ... the approach to leadership, especially in marriages, that says: 'be a leader'.
I think it is 10,000 times better to say to a young man about to get married, to preach to myself when I have to teach a Scripture lesson, lead a church camp, or pick up my game in marriage ...
(where was I?)
I think it is 10,000 times better to say:
'you are are a leader. make sure you are a good one.'
'you are the leader in this class room.'
God has appointed you, he has appointed me to this role. Let's not get existential, or introspective, or debating it ... there is too much at stake. There are souls to be saved, lives to be re-oriented, kids to be moulded, examples to be set ....
The question for every husband, every teacher, every Bible Study leader, every boss, every father is not
'Am I a leader?'
But
'God has made me the leader. Will I be a good one?'
(This is a reality statement and not a command. husbands are not to become the heads of the family. They are the head of the family).
Eph. 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
(This is the choice. What sort of head will I be?)
Eph. 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
I think it is 10,000 times better to say to a young man about to get married, to preach to myself when I have to teach a Scripture lesson, lead a church camp, or pick up my game in marriage ...
(where was I?)
I think it is 10,000 times better to say:
'you are are a leader. make sure you are a good one.'
'you are the leader in this class room.'
God has appointed you, he has appointed me to this role. Let's not get existential, or introspective, or debating it ... there is too much at stake. There are souls to be saved, lives to be re-oriented, kids to be moulded, examples to be set ....
The question for every husband, every teacher, every Bible Study leader, every boss, every father is not
'Am I a leader?'
But
'God has made me the leader. Will I be a good one?'
(This is a reality statement and not a command. husbands are not to become the heads of the family. They are the head of the family).
Eph. 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
(This is the choice. What sort of head will I be?)
Eph. 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
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