“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they
shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the
earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive
mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those
who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute
you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice
and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus came
into the world at a very cruel moment. Living was harsh – the democratic
ideals, scientific infrastructure and technological advances we live under today
were 2,000 years in the future. That is not to say that it is any less
difficult today to abide by these principles. Most people in the ancient
world lived in slightly worse than slavery conditions. If you were a
slave, you at lease were counted as worth something; and probably had the
assurance of a roof over your head and food to eat; and yet Jesus specifically
homed in on the notion of “retribution in order to gain justice” that surely
must have seemed right for most people; but even so, His read of the Old
Testament teachings was, ”In everything, treat people the same way you want
them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)
1.
Unfortunately, however, human nature
is diametrically opposed to this principle and those of us who are honest will
admit the difficulty in practicing this command after having been wounded or
hurt. What is the problem?
2.
How can we ever treat others the way
we want to be treated when they don’t abide by the same rules?
3.
Examine the following passage.
How does it strengthen the message of the Beatitudes?
"You are the light of the world.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it
under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the
house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see
your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew
5:14-16)
4.
When something happens to spoil
relationship, whose responsibility is it to get things back on the right track?
Read Matthew 5:22-24 for the answer. Note who is the “Offender” and who is
the “Offended.”
"But I say to you that everyone
who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says
to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme
court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery
hell. Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and
there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering
there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother (or sister),
and then come and present your offering."
We all know
that with the coming of Christ we have been given something that we did not have
before. However, not everyone has received it. But John tells us,
“He came to His own (the
Jews), and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as
received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those
who believe in His name.” (John 1:11-12)
Speaking for
himself and the other believers around him, he says further,
“For of His fullness we have all
received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace
and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-17)
Grace changes
things. We are instructed that what we have freely received, we must
freely give. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast
out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” (Matthew
10:8)
Conversely,
as our pastor has so aptly put it, “Garbage in! Garbage out!”
You can only give what you have received. If you have received the love of
God, it will be poured out freely to those around. If, however, you have
received bitterness and anger, that too will be poured out on those you minister
to.
Paul’s take
on this subject is in Galatians 5:1-2,
“It was for freedom that Christ
set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke
of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision,
Christ will be of no benefit to you.”
5.
Is grace null and void for those who
receive circumcision? What is the real message?
6.
Paul is telling us something important
about “receiving.” Look at verse 13 in the same passage:
For you were called to freedom,
brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but
through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one
word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if
you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one
another. (Galatians 5:13-15)
Paul here
deals with the conflict we find in ourselves. Not only have we received
God’s love and grace, but from the devil and others we have received bitterness.
But God has set us “free” so that we might serve Him by choice. Discuss
“freedom.”
“But
I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless
those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on
the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not
withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and
whoever takes away what is yours; do not demand it back. Treat others the
same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what
credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you
do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even
sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive,
what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive
back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend,
expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons
of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
(Luke 6:27-36)