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Today’s reading:  Matthew 5:21-26, Psalm 61

Substance over form is an accounting principle used to help ensure that financial statements give a complete, relevant, and accurate picture of an organization’s transactions and events. The root of this principle is in accounting theory, but it applies to so much more than financial statements.  In fact, I challenge my team with this quite often – are we more interested in looking like we “follow the rules”, or are we truly committed making informed decisions that are in the best interest of our customer?  Almost every time, the answer is the latter.  We are responsible for looking below the surface, making sure the substance of our decision is rooted in our company mission and shared values.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he often taught through the use of parables. If his audience didn’t pay attention to the substance over simply the form of his teaching in this method, or had hardened hearts, they couldn’t understand his message.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5, was different. It was much more straightforward, as Jesus categorically outlined key principles for leading a Godly life.  Jesus began our passage for today in Matthew 5:21 by quoting the law of Moses – Do not commit murder.  If we stopped right here, most of us would walk away feeling okay about ourselves.  I have never even come close to taking the life of another person, so I’m good on this principle, right?  Not so fast.  We must stop and reflect – like the Pharisees, are we more interested looking like we “follow the rules”, or are we committed to Jesus and are we passionate about changing our hearts to look like his?  If the latter, we must go beyond the first sentence of this passage to get to the substance of this message.

In the very next verse, Jesus dug deeper and shared context on the true purpose behind God’s law against murder. “But I say to you, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council.  And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell” (Matthew 5:21-22).  The substance of Jesus’ message isn’t simply on the physical act of murder, it is about anger.  Hmm…that hits a little closer to home.

Jesus did not say that anger itself is sin. In fact, we can be angry without sinning, as Jesus himself demonstrated (see the story of Jesus and the money changers in John 2).  It is what we choose to do with anger and what we choose to do because of anger that makes it sinful.  Unresolved anger and bitterness eventually lead us to intentionally harm the people who made us angry, which is sin.  Even if we never get to the point of actually taking action, however, harboring anger in our heart is still sin because it draws a wedge in our relationship with others and our relationship with God.  We cannot claim to love God while we hate other people.

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen (1 John 4:20).

Do you struggle with unresolved anger? Don’t gloss over the substance of these verses thinking they don’t apply to you.  Will you consider the counsel in verses 23 and 24, and make it a priority to reconcile with the person(s) that caused your anger?  It isn’t easy, but God promises to make a way (Isaiah 43:16).

The readings this morning are Matthew 5:17-20 and Psalm 60

“Christ Came to Fulfill the Law”

In this short passage, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that he is not here to abolish the law…but to fulfill them. They are here to stay! I think seeing the definition of “fulfill” makes it clear of what Jesus is saying.

ful·fill
fo͝olˈfil/
verb
1. Bring to completion or reality; achieve or realize (something desired, promised, or predicted).

2. Carry out (a task, duty, or role) as required, pledged, or expected.
When I look at the definition, the words really jump out as to the purpose of the Old Testament laws and how they pointed to Jesus: desired, promised, predicted, required, pledged, and expected. All six of these words, combined, provide a great indicator…Jesus was to be all of these things.

Jesus also made it clear that just because he had arrived to fulfill the laws, that they were not to be taken any more lightly: “Therefore, whoever relaxes 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 does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Not mixing words! Personally, I think it goes along with a phrase I heard from the great philosopher Gary York one Sunday morning: “Action follows faith.” If you have faith in Jesus…and that you believe He is Who He says He is…your actions will be in alignment with the laws. In John 14:6-7, Jesus tells us: “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Who can you introduce Jesus to today? He is the only way. Have a blessed day!

Today’s Reading : Psalm 58; Matthew 5:3-12

In today’s reading we are at the top of the mountain in close quarters with Jesus.  We have a private audience with Jesus and the disciples before the Sermon on the Mount.   As the crowds are gathering, Jesus pulls all of his close associates into a small huddle and preps them on the future possibilities of their ministry and life.  He tells them how blessed their life will be following Him, but it is not the typical blessing that they would expect.  I have read the Beatitudes many times in my life, but I have found a new understanding of them as I studied and write this blog.  Below is the The Message form of the Beatitudes:

Matthew 5:3-12

 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

⁴ “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

⁵ “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

⁶ “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

⁷ “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.

⁸ “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

⁹ “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

¹⁰ “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

^11-12 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Last night, as I was putting my son to sleep I read these to him and he said “Dad, that really makes sense. I can see how God blesses people in all of those situations”.  It really makes sense and my seven-year-old son gets it.  We have the fortune to see this and live this post sermon, but could you image the impact that these words had on the people of Jesus’ time? These were people who had been treated without regard of their religion, citizenship, physical capacities, and so much more.  In that society, the more powerful you appear to have the more force you have, but Christ is showing the complete opposite side of this argument.  The more that you relinquish the power or pursuit of said power and submit to Christ the more you are given and more peace you are granted.   In our society we can see remnants of this ideology of more force and more power makes the better person or entity.  This is contrary to Jesus’ teachings.  The more that we can allow God to give use Shalom (completeness), the more we are in His power and his peace.

Be Blessed

How can we live a life that pleases God??

This will be our focus over the next 5 to 6 weeks. We are going to take an in-depth look at the Sermon on the Mount. We will explore Mathew 5,6,&7 and hear exactly what it looks like to live as a follower of Christ.

Matthew 5:1-2 is the reason that this passage is known as the Sermon on the Mount: “Now when He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them…” The Sermon on the Mount is the most famous sermon Jesus ever gave, perhaps the most famous sermon ever given by anyone.

In many ways, Jesus’ teachings during the Sermon on the Mount represent the major ideals of our daily Christian walk. In these 3 chapters we will see Jesus teaching about prayer, justice, care for the needy, handling religious law, divorce, fasting, judging other people, salvation, and much more. The Sermon on the Mount also contains both the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) and the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).

Jesus addresses our heart in these chapters. How we will live in the reality of our world and all that happens in our daily lives. In the She Reads Truth Devotional, the reference is made that “Jesus transformed the law from a back-breaker to freedom-maker.” Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law so that we may experience freedom. “Freedom from sin, freedom from self. Freedom from hopelessness and death. Freedom from rule-based religion. Freedom to love and be loved by a holy and merciful God.” (She Reads Truth)

Lets look with an open heart over the next weeks as Jesus speaks to us from the hill above. He is not telling us what to do, but how to live. Jesus wants us to be close to Him. To experience freedom in this life, these chapters show us that we will only find freedom in Him.

Also, read Psalm 57

Thank you for following BibleJournal.net.  To date, we have 817 journal entries with more than 48,000 views!  Our focus, has been reading entire chapters so that we can experience the Bible in its entirety.  Starting tomorrow, we are going to make a small change.  Our daily scripture reading is going to be drastically reduced.  The goal is intimacy rather than broad understanding.  Our topic for the next 45 days is the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7.  As always, you will continue to receive a link to the day’s reading along with a journal entry from one of our 12 writers.

I hope you enjoy the new format.  Either way, we would love to hear from you.  Leave a comment, or email me directly at bj@bjarmstrong.com.

Blessings,
BJA

2 Samuel 24, Psalms 56

Contracts often include language like “valuable consideration.”  It identifies the price, or the cost (not necessarily in monetary terms) that is required for the exchange of goods.  The amount of consideration provided is dependent upon the item changing hands.  To complete the contract, both parties must agree that the compensation offered will result in full payment for whatever is received. 

Today, in 2 Samuel 24, David receives something incredibly valuable from God.  Forgiveness.  In return, God asks for consideration.  He sends his servant Gad to ask David for the payment.  In this case, David’s payment takes the form of a burnt offering.  Gad instructs him to, “Go up, raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”  Araunah the farmer, attempts to give David the parts for the altar, the wood, even the oxen from his own stock.  But, David knew better.  He knew that any offering without personal cost, would not be an offering at all.  It is, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it, “cheap grace.”  Without payment, David knows that his agreement with God would be null and void.  

So, how is it that we receive forgiveness without a costly sacrifice? the answer is that we don’t.  Thankfully, the full price was paid, for us, in advance.  According to Hebrews 10:14, Jesus is our “single offering” and  “he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”  What does that mean?  It means that our agreement with God is paid in full.  There is no more consideration due.  It is worth pausing here.  Think about how valuable Jesus’ consideration was.  He effectively paid for all sins, for every person for all time.  It is promised in 1 John 2:1-2.  It says, “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

If the valuable consideration for our sin has already been given, then the only thing remaining is our agreement.  How does that work?  Romans 10:9-10 says that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”