We may see these opening words of the Sermon [1].
as promises to the meek, especially those who suffer for
doing God's will. What is coming is well worth the trouble and the
wait! Jesus is assuring us that those who turn away from old ways and
begin acting in a manner fit for a true worshiper of God will be very
satisfied. But let us not hold the conceit that we can work our way
into God's favor. Jesus is talking about the
"be-attitude"
[2*]
we should
have. He has come to obtain followers who will become good servants
after receiving a mind/spirit makeover.
Consider Paul. He did not fit the mold for any of those promises. In fact, after his conversion he looked back on his old self as having been the worst of sinners. Yet after Jesus' stunning intervention, Paul became a worshiper of God in spirit and in truth. We can tell from the humble spirit and content of Paul's letters that, after his conversion, he personally dovetailed very well with all the beatitudes. Or take the case of Peter. He may not have been as sin-sick as was Paul (though, who knows?). But at one point he urged Jesus to part from him because he felt his sin so deeply in the Lord's presence (Luke 5:8).
Matthew apparently amplifies "poor" with the phrase "in spirit," a phrase that does not occur in Luke 6:20, which quotes Jesus thus:
While it is true that in general God, as a father to the fatherless (Psalms 68:5-6), cares for the poor, yet we can see from Luke's use of "you" that Jesus seems to be primarily addressing his students, as Matthew indicates in 5:1. Poverty, and the associated humility, permits disciples to start their journey with God, who opens to them the kingdom of heaven. Matthew's amplification tends to underscore this point: simply being impoverished is surely not the only condition for entry into God's kingdom. But even so a disciple's poverty bespeaks an attitude of humble reliance on God.
In this connection, we can see Luke's "good news to the poor" as embracing the anawim, the mass of the people who had nothing and were bent over under the weight of life. They had never had anyone to lean on but God. Now Jesus was saying, "Come to me and you will be in excellent shape!"
In fact, don't even worry about material poverty. If you wish to follow me, Jesus is saying, forget about chasing money.
The Lord is seeking people who are willing to get radical, to defy all social and family expectations, as is brought out elsewhere in the Sermon and throughout the New Testament.
The main purpose of the sayings in the Sermon is not, as many have assumed, to create a legal code to which one must adhere or face hellfire. They already face hellfire – though God is the final judge – and there is no human means of escape. Whatever Matthew's principle author or some early editor may have been thinking, I strongly suggest that a main purpose of the sayings is to prod people to realize that they have sinned, no matter how "good" they think they are, so that they may become eager to receive God's salvation.
In that case, also holding true is that those who acknowledge how poor they are spiritually, that their "righteousness" is nothing but filthy rags in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6), are in a position (contrite and self-abasing) to receive God's salvation, to receive God's kingdom.
Salvation comes to reverse the agony that entered the human world with the Fall. We mourn, or feel depressed, because we are very locked in to this old world – in fact, trapped. But the eternal life made possible by Jesus' sacrifice makes our current misery of little account – if we avail ourselves of him.
One might interpret this promise as a forecast the of the Millennium, the reign of Christ on earth, when there will be heaven on earth. Those who are meek enough to see their need of Jesus and receive his word will be those chosen to stay on earth until the end of time.
One commentator says the Greek word translated "meek" implies "gentle but strong." Such a description well suits the true follower of Jesus, who is to be "meek and lowly" (Matthew 11:29) but who is nevertheless "more than a conqueror" (Romans 8:37), who can do "all things through Christ who strengthens" him (Philippians 4:13).
We may infer from this assurance that a Messianic Millennium (=heaven on earth) is in store. But even before that great event, once a person has meekly asked Jesus to save him, or has asked the Father for salvation in the name of Jesus, he receives the Holy Spirit and becomes a son of God, not in theory but in truth. As a son, he is given the keys to the kingdom – though, as a beginner, he has much to learn about use of the keys. Wherever he sets his foot, he owns that ground (Genesis 13:4; Joshua 1:3) – because God owns it. Further, wherever he goes, God's mercy and grace go with him – so that all his spiritual and material needs will be met (as we will hear in other Sermon teachings).
In other words, those who are meek enough to receive Christ become sons of God and thus share in all God's possessions, including "the land," meaning the Promised Land of God's kingdom, wherever that might be. (There is little if any distinction between the words "land" and "earth" in the gospels.)
(See Psalm 97, verses 9,11,29. [GB1] )
When you have been made right with God by being washed in the blood of Lamb, that is righteousness to the nth degree, as far as you are concerned.
No one can be righteous on his own account. The burden of sin is too great (Romans 3:23, Psalms 53:3). Yet those who place their trust in Jesus are accepted by the Father on Jesus' account. Jesus wraps them in his robe of righteousness so that they may commune with God as friends. "Any friend of Jesus is a friend of mine," says God. That robe is like the "wedding garment" spoken of in Matthew 22:1-14.
Once a person has thrown in his lot with Jesus, he receives the Holy Spirit. The goodness of God indwells him, and he will be on his way to acting in spirit and in truth to do the works of righteousness (actions that God sees as worthy).
Mercy does not come easily to one whose mind is absorbed with self or is racked by a desire for revenge. Recall all the people who strode by the injured robbery victim. Only the heart of the despised Samaritan was filled with mercy for the man. The others were too busy – driven by needs of self.
And those who thirst for revenge are, at root, being driven by "the flesh" (the corrupt natural mind), which asserts its need to be boss and which fears and loathes humiliation (Luke 10:25-37). Such attitudes may make some sense out in a Darwinist jungle somewhere (though I doubt that), but they are the hallmarks of the lost, whose minds cannot operate well because of the rampant sin-sickness that so afflicts the world.
Consider the author of "Amazing Grace," John Newman. He was a cruel 18th Century slave-trader. Those slaves got little mercy from him. Yet, when Jesus got hold of his heart, Newman repented and became a man of mercy, who vigorously fought the slave trade.
I doubt that Matthew 5:7 should be read to mean that nice people will go to heaven. I believe the verse implies two ideas:
As the psalmist said, "a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Psalms 51:17).
The first step to "seeing" God is to cast aside self, which occurs when one realizes the depth of one's degraded state.
Generally, unregenerate man cannot see God. Recall the Israelites requiring Moses to veil his face because the brilliant shekinah light radiating from his face was unbearable. That much direct connection to God was more than they could tolerate. People who saw God would die, according to Israelite beliefs. [7*]
Consider the fact that unregenerate, fallen man has an unclean spirit – which is to say, his own spirit. If that unclean spirit were to look God in the eye, it would die (what happens on Judgment Day). In fact, Adam's disobedience made him unclean and he died immediately, as did his wife Eve. Earthly descendants of Adam, being influenced by this fallen world, grow up askew – even when parents have very good intentions – and find that sin has a hold on them.
The spirits of the fallen are dead. They are prohibited from direct contact with God, who does not look upon sin. Thus, the angels with the flaming swords bar the way back to the garden of Eden. There is only one ticket to paradise: to receive Jesus as a personal rescuer. He has paid for your spirit and soul by his enormous sacrifice so that you can be declared "clean" in God's eyes. You become transformed by the renewing of your mind and being, as Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit come in to sup with you. You are no longer dead, but alive with a transformed spirit, able to worship God in spirit and in truth. You have been born again, this time of the spirit.
Once a person has been reborn in spirit, he is able to "see God" without perishing. Consider Thomas, who was gently chided by the risen Jesus, for his inability to perceive that "the Father" was standing right there looking at him in the person of Jesus the son (John 20:24-29).
Once Thomas had received the Spirit (if he hadn't yet, he soon would), he not only could "see God," he could do so forever. There was no need for spiritual death. That would be impossible once Jesus had chosen him. True, the son of perdition – a strange soul not truly made in the image of God – was chosen for the role of traitor, but he was not chosen, like the other 11, for eternal life.
To recap: as the believer walks with Jesus every day, Jesus washes his feet spiritually. In other words, the false moves, bad habits, puzzlements, impure reactions and routine mistakes that ensnare every believer walking through this world are dealt with by the Lord so that the believer can walk again tomorrow, whether in this world or the next.
Though certainly Jesus was extolling peace as something of high value, he is forecasting here what is soon to occur: his followers will start broadcasting the fantastically good news that God, via Jesus, will give his people rest from all their cares and troubles. Communities of true Christrians will have great peace even in the face of persecution.
Compare verse 5:9 with
The proper attitude is love for one another. Yet, the fire – the message of salvation – the Word of God – was already crackling, and the Holy Spirit was about to fall onto the earth or onto "all flesh" – all sorts of people. The worldly will recoil at those who join up with Jesus. Families will make life difficult for those who do not play by the old rules. Society will do likewise, because the world, once it takes notice, sees true Christians as aliens who are intolerable to be around. [3a*]
Jesus is being very serious.
Think about this saying:
If he is like many of us, and finds that too tall an order, he is to keep asking God for help in the extinguishing of self. Never fear; that is one prayer God hears! It means God's will be done, no matter what I would like!
We need not give up when hounded and harassed for doing right, especially not if we are laboring to advance the message of salvation. Heaven is coming our way. Just as Stephen looked up into paradise to see Jesus' smiling face as murderous stones rained down on him, we can expect a similar reception as we persist in spite of cruel opposition, even if martyrdom is not our lot. Yet, many of us do fear persecution [5*] and are unwilling to receive the idea of one's own martyrdom.
Why is that? Because our trust in Jesus is not all that it should be. We still cling to this life and its attractions. This life is to be lived – and lived more abundantly. But if we are not willing to die for Jesus, then we cannot be his true disciple. And so many who say they are disciples are not. They are double-minded, pulled between the devil and the deep blue sea, so to speak. When one is single-minded, able or at least willing, to surrender all and go flat-out for Jesus, then one is a disciple (=student).
The Christian is to be "in the world" – the system of humans dominated by Satan – but not "of the world" (John 17:16-27). He is supposed to be different, as coming verses show. Otherwise, he is like unsalty salt: Worthless. (See sidebar: Matthew 5:13-16.)
The Christian is assured that, despite his troubles, his journey is worthwhile! All's well that ends well! (Romans 8:16-18). [5*]
So when persecution strikes:
Whoopee! Now you can be sure that God chose you for a wonderful destiny! Plainly, when the unpleasantness hits, we are liable to wince, mutter, groan and complain. But we have nothing to complain about. We "asked for it," by siding with Jesus. And he won't give us – that is, born-again Christians – more than we can handle. After all, this persecution is for our own good (whatever our adversaries intend).
We have
In any case, the world turns against you because it cannot stand your light, which is the light of Christ. Let us reflect again on Moses descending Mt. Sinai, his face glowing with divine light. The people recoiled to such an extent that he was forced to wear a veil in order to protect them from too much God. [8*] Those people were not ready for that much God.
We can learn something from this veiling. A Christian can make an effort not to throw his "holy" around by instead striving for a humble attitude, always considering as better than himself those who are less fortunate in not yet having the light. After all, they are weaker and so are asked to endure more; they are heavy laden by the sufferings due to blindness and their situation as spiritual zombies. Much of the time a Christian who keeps a low profile will avoid trouble. But every now and then – and this could include the act of going to church or of giving someone a Christian tract – the Christian's light sets off anger (=fear) in the worldling. Though somewhat paradoxically, a Christian who maintains a lowly profile is letting his light shine – on those who can receive it.
Matthew shows right up front that true disciples are expected to face abuse from unbelievers who would be in a position to hurt them.
In fact, if a Christian suffers no persecution, one may wonder just how sincere he is. A problem has to do with the division of Christianity into the "professional clergy and missionaries" and everyone else. It's as if everyone else merely audits a class in Christianity weekly or biweekly but is sufficiently conformist to avoid the wrath of people with power to disrupt their lives.
On the other hand, a common form of persecution, or abuse, is the bypassing of sincere Christians for promotion at their job sites. Executives tend to be more comfortable with people like themselves, avoiding as much as possible, "Jesus freaks." If the Christian is the best qualified for the better-paying job, it is abusive to pass over him because of his religious views.
In any case, Jesus is saying, why grieve over such wrongs? You have a wonderful payoff coming!
Some who turn to Christ fall away when persecution comes. They have not considered that following Jesus requires the total commitment of one's being. [4i*]
You must be willing to turn away from those who seek to impede you from following Jesus with all your heart, soul and mind. If not, you will be torn between two masters (see upcoming: Matthew 6:24).
All this sounds like a very tall order. But, because of the grace of God, it is not really too hard. In fact, "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30) [4iv*]
Let us pause for a moment to think upon the numerous horrendous persecutions of the past, along with many that occur in modern times in places other than America. Right from the gospel's Roman beginnings, Christians endured unspeakable atrocities as the authorities made strenuous efforts to exterminate the new faith. Yet, the gospel was unstoppable, in those years spreading without use of the sword and in the face of severe sanctions.
Eventually, the church prevailed, only to find that the mix of temporal and spiritual power that followed brought great difficulties. In fact, some sincere believers, over the centuries, were martyred for refusing to recant under pressure from ecclesiastical authorities.
†.
Consider Paul. He did not fit the mold for any of those promises. In fact, after his conversion he looked back on his old self as having been the worst of sinners. Yet after Jesus' stunning intervention, Paul became a worshiper of God in spirit and in truth. We can tell from the humble spirit and content of Paul's letters that, after his conversion, he personally dovetailed very well with all the beatitudes. Or take the case of Peter. He may not have been as sin-sick as was Paul (though, who knows?). But at one point he urged Jesus to part from him because he felt his sin so deeply in the Lord's presence (Luke 5:8).
Matthew 5:3
Being poor in spirit is the
necessary condition for entry into heaven's kingdom!
In order to receive Jesus as your
Lord and Savior, you must humble yourself before God. Fortunate are you when you
do so, rather than carrying on as a routine frightened, though
prideful person.How wonderful for the poor [3*] in spirit, for theirs is heaven's kingdom!
Matthew apparently amplifies "poor" with the phrase "in spirit," a phrase that does not occur in Luke 6:20, which quotes Jesus thus:
Luke 6:20
In both cases, this is the opening concept for Jesus' discourses or
"sermons." As we read other parts of the sermons and other sayings, we
realize that Jesus puts a high premium on being able to be fully
reliant on God's ability and willingness to provide. Poverty is a good
thing for his real followers (which should not be taken as
justification for being stingy with members of the clergy or
missionaries).
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."
While it is true that in general God, as a father to the fatherless (Psalms 68:5-6), cares for the poor, yet we can see from Luke's use of "you" that Jesus seems to be primarily addressing his students, as Matthew indicates in 5:1. Poverty, and the associated humility, permits disciples to start their journey with God, who opens to them the kingdom of heaven. Matthew's amplification tends to underscore this point: simply being impoverished is surely not the only condition for entry into God's kingdom. But even so a disciple's poverty bespeaks an attitude of humble reliance on God.
In this connection, we can see Luke's "good news to the poor" as embracing the anawim, the mass of the people who had nothing and were bent over under the weight of life. They had never had anyone to lean on but God. Now Jesus was saying, "Come to me and you will be in excellent shape!"
In fact, don't even worry about material poverty. If you wish to follow me, Jesus is saying, forget about chasing money.
The Lord is seeking people who are willing to get radical, to defy all social and family expectations, as is brought out elsewhere in the Sermon and throughout the New Testament.
The main purpose of the sayings in the Sermon is not, as many have assumed, to create a legal code to which one must adhere or face hellfire. They already face hellfire – though God is the final judge – and there is no human means of escape. Whatever Matthew's principle author or some early editor may have been thinking, I strongly suggest that a main purpose of the sayings is to prod people to realize that they have sinned, no matter how "good" they think they are, so that they may become eager to receive God's salvation.
In that case, also holding true is that those who acknowledge how poor they are spiritually, that their "righteousness" is nothing but filthy rags in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6), are in a position (contrite and self-abasing) to receive God's salvation, to receive God's kingdom.
Matthew 5:4
Are you suffering? Comfort is on
the way, right now!
Death, pain and suffering were then, as now, conditions that so often
drain life of joy. Jesus overcame death, so that those who trust him
gain eternal life. Even in this life, they are to count their troubles
as joy (James 1:2-3 and Matthew 5:10-12). Those who are in despair, who
see their lives as worthless and hopeless, are about to get a new deal!
Throw yourself on the mercy of Jesus and you will be comforted! Once
you do this, and mean it, Jesus sends you the Comforter, the Holy
Spirit, to refresh you and revitalize you, to make you a new, and
fundamentally happy, person – regardless of afflictions that are very
likely to come.
4 How wonderful for those who mourn! Comfort is on the way!
Salvation comes to reverse the agony that entered the human world with the Fall. We mourn, or feel depressed, because we are very locked in to this old world – in fact, trapped. But the eternal life made possible by Jesus' sacrifice makes our current misery of little account – if we avail ourselves of him.
Matthew 5:5
God turns everything upside
down! The lowly own
everything in sight.
That is,
the born-again person, as a son of God, shares ownership of the
universe with God.
The grace of God never runs out. God always provides. The believer is
one of God's princes, even though he is to be the servant of all.
5 How wonderful for the meek! They will inherit the earth.
One might interpret this promise as a forecast the of the Millennium, the reign of Christ on earth, when there will be heaven on earth. Those who are meek enough to see their need of Jesus and receive his word will be those chosen to stay on earth until the end of time.
One commentator says the Greek word translated "meek" implies "gentle but strong." Such a description well suits the true follower of Jesus, who is to be "meek and lowly" (Matthew 11:29) but who is nevertheless "more than a conqueror" (Romans 8:37), who can do "all things through Christ who strengthens" him (Philippians 4:13).
We may infer from this assurance that a Messianic Millennium (=heaven on earth) is in store. But even before that great event, once a person has meekly asked Jesus to save him, or has asked the Father for salvation in the name of Jesus, he receives the Holy Spirit and becomes a son of God, not in theory but in truth. As a son, he is given the keys to the kingdom – though, as a beginner, he has much to learn about use of the keys. Wherever he sets his foot, he owns that ground (Genesis 13:4; Joshua 1:3) – because God owns it. Further, wherever he goes, God's mercy and grace go with him – so that all his spiritual and material needs will be met (as we will hear in other Sermon teachings).
In other words, those who are meek enough to receive Christ become sons of God and thus share in all God's possessions, including "the land," meaning the Promised Land of God's kingdom, wherever that might be. (There is little if any distinction between the words "land" and "earth" in the gospels.)
(See Psalm 97, verses 9,11,29. [GB1] )
Matthew 5:6
People who are yearning for a state
of affairs in which right prevails
over wrong can have their dream come true! Ask Jesus into
your heart
and an interior revolution occurs and will keep occurring. You will
receive the Holy Spirit into your being along with Jesus and the
Father. So, though you have no power from your old self, you now have
power from God to imitate the ways of Jesus – and like it!
How wonderful for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They will be filled!
When you have been made right with God by being washed in the blood of Lamb, that is righteousness to the nth degree, as far as you are concerned.
No one can be righteous on his own account. The burden of sin is too great (Romans 3:23, Psalms 53:3). Yet those who place their trust in Jesus are accepted by the Father on Jesus' account. Jesus wraps them in his robe of righteousness so that they may commune with God as friends. "Any friend of Jesus is a friend of mine," says God. That robe is like the "wedding garment" spoken of in Matthew 22:1-14.
Once a person has thrown in his lot with Jesus, he receives the Holy Spirit. The goodness of God indwells him, and he will be on his way to acting in spirit and in truth to do the works of righteousness (actions that God sees as worthy).
Matthew 5:7
You can't enter God's kingdom if
you are so full of pride that you lack a merciful attitude toward
others. In other words, if you are to become reborn in a
new spirit, then you must
fall on your knees and truly admit to God what a rotten shame you've
made of your life. But, if you hold on to a major grudge against
someone, are you not being rather haughty? "Too good" to forgive? But
if you show those who have wronged you mercy, then you can be welcomed
into God's personal family!How wonderful for the merciful. They will receive mercy!
Mercy does not come easily to one whose mind is absorbed with self or is racked by a desire for revenge. Recall all the people who strode by the injured robbery victim. Only the heart of the despised Samaritan was filled with mercy for the man. The others were too busy – driven by needs of self.
And those who thirst for revenge are, at root, being driven by "the flesh" (the corrupt natural mind), which asserts its need to be boss and which fears and loathes humiliation (Luke 10:25-37). Such attitudes may make some sense out in a Darwinist jungle somewhere (though I doubt that), but they are the hallmarks of the lost, whose minds cannot operate well because of the rampant sin-sickness that so afflicts the world.
Consider the author of "Amazing Grace," John Newman. He was a cruel 18th Century slave-trader. Those slaves got little mercy from him. Yet, when Jesus got hold of his heart, Newman repented and became a man of mercy, who vigorously fought the slave trade.
I doubt that Matthew 5:7 should be read to mean that nice people will go to heaven. I believe the verse implies two ideas:
¶ All those kindly people of ancient Judea who had despaired of anything much for themselves were in for a surprise! God's kingdom was at hand for them. The Millennium, so to speak, was dawning.
¶ Once a person is born again, his heart becomes merciful. And whenever he misses the mark in that respect, God lets him know. He has already received mercy, and he will receive unlimited mercy as he goes along. Jesus daily "washes his feet" in order to take away the sin that occurs during his walk through this world (John 13:1–17). When he is in need, he receives mercy as his needs are met.
Matthew 5:8
Those with an impure heart can't
look God in the eye. When an unclean spirit sees god, it
dies. But when Jesus and
the Father come in to sup with the repentant person, the spiritual
heart is made brand new. God sees that believer's heart as pure
because the person has been justified (made right) by faith in Jesus.
8 How wonderful for the pure-hearted. They will see God!
As the psalmist said, "a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Psalms 51:17).
The first step to "seeing" God is to cast aside self, which occurs when one realizes the depth of one's degraded state.
Generally, unregenerate man cannot see God. Recall the Israelites requiring Moses to veil his face because the brilliant shekinah light radiating from his face was unbearable. That much direct connection to God was more than they could tolerate. People who saw God would die, according to Israelite beliefs. [7*]
Consider the fact that unregenerate, fallen man has an unclean spirit – which is to say, his own spirit. If that unclean spirit were to look God in the eye, it would die (what happens on Judgment Day). In fact, Adam's disobedience made him unclean and he died immediately, as did his wife Eve. Earthly descendants of Adam, being influenced by this fallen world, grow up askew – even when parents have very good intentions – and find that sin has a hold on them.
The spirits of the fallen are dead. They are prohibited from direct contact with God, who does not look upon sin. Thus, the angels with the flaming swords bar the way back to the garden of Eden. There is only one ticket to paradise: to receive Jesus as a personal rescuer. He has paid for your spirit and soul by his enormous sacrifice so that you can be declared "clean" in God's eyes. You become transformed by the renewing of your mind and being, as Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit come in to sup with you. You are no longer dead, but alive with a transformed spirit, able to worship God in spirit and in truth. You have been born again, this time of the spirit.
Once a person has been reborn in spirit, he is able to "see God" without perishing. Consider Thomas, who was gently chided by the risen Jesus, for his inability to perceive that "the Father" was standing right there looking at him in the person of Jesus the son (John 20:24-29).
Once Thomas had received the Spirit (if he hadn't yet, he soon would), he not only could "see God," he could do so forever. There was no need for spiritual death. That would be impossible once Jesus had chosen him. True, the son of perdition – a strange soul not truly made in the image of God – was chosen for the role of traitor, but he was not chosen, like the other 11, for eternal life.
To recap: as the believer walks with Jesus every day, Jesus washes his feet spiritually. In other words, the false moves, bad habits, puzzlements, impure reactions and routine mistakes that ensnare every believer walking through this world are dealt with by the Lord so that the believer can walk again tomorrow, whether in this world or the next.
Matthew 5:9
The born-again believer who
proclaims the gospel of salvation is a
peacemaker in the most fundamental sense. He is a son
of God both in
the sense of being one of God's real servants and in the sense of
having being made part of God's true family.[GH1]
9 How wonderful for the peacemakers! They will be called God's children!
Though certainly Jesus was extolling peace as something of high value, he is forecasting here what is soon to occur: his followers will start broadcasting the fantastically good news that God, via Jesus, will give his people rest from all their cares and troubles. Communities of true Christrians will have great peace even in the face of persecution.
Compare verse 5:9 with
Matthew 10:34-36
Also:34 Don't think I am here to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I come to set a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 And a man's foes will be those of his own household.
Luke 12:49
So on the one hand Jesus proclaims the excellence of being a
peacemaker, which fits right in with the theme of the Sermon, and on the
other he tells us he is quite the troublemaker.
I came to throw fire onto the earth – and I strongly wish it already torched!
The proper attitude is love for one another. Yet, the fire – the message of salvation – the Word of God – was already crackling, and the Holy Spirit was about to fall onto the earth or onto "all flesh" – all sorts of people. The worldly will recoil at those who join up with Jesus. Families will make life difficult for those who do not play by the old rules. Society will do likewise, because the world, once it takes notice, sees true Christians as aliens who are intolerable to be around. [3a*]
Jesus is being very serious.
Think about this saying:
Luke 14:26
The word "hate" here does not imply ferocious rage against someone. It
is like Abraham "hating" his son Isaac when he obeyed God and prepared
to offer him as a sacrifice. Abraham loved his son. But he knew that
obedience to God had to take precedence over his feelings. Faith in
God was paramount. Jesus is saying that the real Christian must be so
devoted to him that if his family turns against him, if his wife
leaves him and his children are taken away, he is to stick with Jesus,
to never let go – even if that means his own life. In fact, a person
who submits fully to Jesus must, one way or another, die to self.
If anyone [as an adult] comes to me, and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. [4i*,4ii*,4iii*,4iv*]
If he is like many of us, and finds that too tall an order, he is to keep asking God for help in the extinguishing of self. Never fear; that is one prayer God hears! It means God's will be done, no matter what I would like!
Matthew 5:10-12
For I reckon that the sufferings of
this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in
us.
Those words of Paul the Apostle in Romans 8:18 elicit little
confidence among those who are still hiding from God, like Adam and
Eve cringing among the trees in the garden. But once you have received
Christ into your heart, you gain the courage of a lion. Like Jesus who
unswervingly followed God's lead, nothing will deter you, nothing
dissuade you from following Jesus and telling others about him! You
have all the courage you need. If, perhaps, you falter, that hesitancy
won't last. As Peter said, "Who else can we go to? You have the words
of eternal life" (John 6:68).10 How wonderful for those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Theirs is heaven's kingdom!
11 How wonderful for you when, on account of me, people revile you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil about you.
12 Rejoice and be extremely happy! Your heavenly reward is great. This is how the prophets were treated.
We need not give up when hounded and harassed for doing right, especially not if we are laboring to advance the message of salvation. Heaven is coming our way. Just as Stephen looked up into paradise to see Jesus' smiling face as murderous stones rained down on him, we can expect a similar reception as we persist in spite of cruel opposition, even if martyrdom is not our lot. Yet, many of us do fear persecution [5*] and are unwilling to receive the idea of one's own martyrdom.
Why is that? Because our trust in Jesus is not all that it should be. We still cling to this life and its attractions. This life is to be lived – and lived more abundantly. But if we are not willing to die for Jesus, then we cannot be his true disciple. And so many who say they are disciples are not. They are double-minded, pulled between the devil and the deep blue sea, so to speak. When one is single-minded, able or at least willing, to surrender all and go flat-out for Jesus, then one is a disciple (=student).
LK 14:33
Yet, how many of us cannot even take a lesser level of persecution:
shunning – as happened to the Jews who professed Jesus; they were shunned
from synagogues and hence all social life during the first century.
Many people worry about what "they" will think, in what the
psychologist Thomas Szaz called "the dictatorship of the They." Our
acceptance by our social groups is so important that many of us are easily
swayed by pressures to conform to group norms. Such group psychology
is easily manipulated by clever people, as we know from history's sad
record of demagoguery.
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
The Christian is to be "in the world" – the system of humans dominated by Satan – but not "of the world" (John 17:16-27). He is supposed to be different, as coming verses show. Otherwise, he is like unsalty salt: Worthless. (See sidebar: Matthew 5:13-16.)
The Christian is assured that, despite his troubles, his journey is worthwhile! All's well that ends well! (Romans 8:16-18). [5*]
So when persecution strikes:
Whoopee! Now you can be sure that God chose you for a wonderful destiny! Plainly, when the unpleasantness hits, we are liable to wince, mutter, groan and complain. But we have nothing to complain about. We "asked for it," by siding with Jesus. And he won't give us – that is, born-again Christians – more than we can handle. After all, this persecution is for our own good (whatever our adversaries intend).
We have
Romans 8:28
Sometimes persecution comes in the form of temptation: a bribe in the form of a
promotion or access to a cute "girlfriend" or "boyfriend." But, as
Paul observes, such temptations are the human lot. [6*]
In any case, God
always provides an escape route so that the improper offer does not
overwhelm you. [6*]
Of course, if you "romance" the tempting offer, then
you are not availing yourself of the fire exit so as to escape the
flames of desire.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
In any case, the world turns against you because it cannot stand your light, which is the light of Christ. Let us reflect again on Moses descending Mt. Sinai, his face glowing with divine light. The people recoiled to such an extent that he was forced to wear a veil in order to protect them from too much God. [8*] Those people were not ready for that much God.
We can learn something from this veiling. A Christian can make an effort not to throw his "holy" around by instead striving for a humble attitude, always considering as better than himself those who are less fortunate in not yet having the light. After all, they are weaker and so are asked to endure more; they are heavy laden by the sufferings due to blindness and their situation as spiritual zombies. Much of the time a Christian who keeps a low profile will avoid trouble. But every now and then – and this could include the act of going to church or of giving someone a Christian tract – the Christian's light sets off anger (=fear) in the worldling. Though somewhat paradoxically, a Christian who maintains a lowly profile is letting his light shine – on those who can receive it.
Matthew shows right up front that true disciples are expected to face abuse from unbelievers who would be in a position to hurt them.
In fact, if a Christian suffers no persecution, one may wonder just how sincere he is. A problem has to do with the division of Christianity into the "professional clergy and missionaries" and everyone else. It's as if everyone else merely audits a class in Christianity weekly or biweekly but is sufficiently conformist to avoid the wrath of people with power to disrupt their lives.
On the other hand, a common form of persecution, or abuse, is the bypassing of sincere Christians for promotion at their job sites. Executives tend to be more comfortable with people like themselves, avoiding as much as possible, "Jesus freaks." If the Christian is the best qualified for the better-paying job, it is abusive to pass over him because of his religious views.
In any case, Jesus is saying, why grieve over such wrongs? You have a wonderful payoff coming!
Some who turn to Christ fall away when persecution comes. They have not considered that following Jesus requires the total commitment of one's being. [4i*]
You must be willing to turn away from those who seek to impede you from following Jesus with all your heart, soul and mind. If not, you will be torn between two masters (see upcoming: Matthew 6:24).
All this sounds like a very tall order. But, because of the grace of God, it is not really too hard. In fact, "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30) [4iv*]
Let us pause for a moment to think upon the numerous horrendous persecutions of the past, along with many that occur in modern times in places other than America. Right from the gospel's Roman beginnings, Christians endured unspeakable atrocities as the authorities made strenuous efforts to exterminate the new faith. Yet, the gospel was unstoppable, in those years spreading without use of the sword and in the face of severe sanctions.
Eventually, the church prevailed, only to find that the mix of temporal and spiritual power that followed brought great difficulties. In fact, some sincere believers, over the centuries, were martyred for refusing to recant under pressure from ecclesiastical authorities.
†.
Isaiah 2:4
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.Philippians 4:6-7
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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