Matthew 5:1-12
Well, I missed a day. I mean that literally. I am writing this blog from the Jeju Island off the south coast of South Korea. I left Kansas at 3am on Wednesday morning and when I arrived it was Thursday night. The following studies were actually done somewhere over the Pacific Ocean but I have only been able to get on line to post them now. It is now Friday afternoon for me but Thursday night for those of you in the US. As I look to my left I see a wide expanse of the ocean with waves crashing on the rocks below. As I look to my right there is a huge snow capped mountain. Unfortunately, it is about 10 degrees outside so I won't be doing any swimming while I am here but the view is breathtaking. I am here to speak at the, first ever, missions conference for the new Word of Life Bible Institute here in Korea. What an honor! Well, this is not a travel blog so I guess I had better get to "gleaning".
The Sermon on the Mount, wow, what a message! We will really be skimming over the surface of this amazing text because in all honesty there is enough material here to do a year long blog on just this passage. Christ starts out giving His recipe for joy, blessedness or spiritual prosperity. There are nine ingredients that would not likely be the ones you or I would choose if we were to write a nine-step guide to happiness. But, they are the ones that Jesus chose and it is His message so I think it wise for us to stick with what He said. I think all nine of them can fit into three basic categories that might be easier for us to remember as we strive for spiritual prosperity in each day. So I will try to summarize them in this way.
We will be spiritually prosperous if we are HUMBLE before God. Jesus used more exact words like being poor in spirit, morning, gentleness, peace making and mercy. But I think that humility describes them all. I believe the first two have to do with recognizing our own spiritual weakness and grieving over our sinful state. I think that the last two have to do with the way that we treat those that are around us. However, whether we are being saddened by our sin or being nice to our neighbor, humility is the character quality that will lead us to do both. I find that whenever I loose sight of my own sinfulness the first thing that happens is I loose my patience with the people around me. May we be faithful to recognize our sin, grieve over sin and then rejoice in the forgiveness we have through the cross of Christ. May that work of God's Spirit in us make us much more gentle and merciful towards those who might sin against us.
We will be spiritually prosperous if we are HUNGRY for God. Nothing makes you appreciate water more than thirst. If we faithfully recognizing our sin, it will make us have a burning desire for righteousness and purity in our lives. I think one of the greatest joys of heaven will be to experience life free from sin. Unfortunately I am, often, too easily satisfied with my current spiritual state. I don't long for God's righteousness to be revealed in my life and in the nations of the world like I should. I tolerate impurities in my life, thoughts and motives. It is easy to become blinded to our faults and therefore satisfied with spiritual mediocrity. May God grant us the grace to passionately pursue purity and righteousness in our lives and may we never be satisfied until His glory is reveled in us on that blessed day.
We will be spiritually prosperous if we are HATED because of God. Holiness and humility may not be the best way to "win friends" in this sin cursed world. I know of an Indian tribe in Brazil where the men will destroy the flowers they find growing in the jungle. When asked by an outsider why they did this they simply responded: "The flowers are so beautiful they make us feel ugly." People don't like being convicted of sin and that is what happens when God begins His work in our lives. His character begins to shine through us and His message begins to ring through us. This is convicting to those who are lost and chained to their sin. It makes them feel ugly. The work of God in and through believers will either turn the lost into brothers or bullies. If we make them feel bad they feel justified in making us feel bad. That is what sinners do and how they think. However, it is just the opposite of how we should act or think. God has called us to rejoice when we are persecuted and to love and pray for those who persecute us. The rejoicing is because it reveals God's work is active in us and the loving is the result of that work. God has called us to eliminate our enemies by either loving them until they are our brothers or by praying for and serving them as our neighbors. May God grant us the strength, patience and unconditional love that is needed in our lives so He might be visible in us to all men. May we have the wisdom to rejoice at His work in us even when others don't like it.
If we are Humble, Hungry and Hated Christ has promised that there is ample reason for rejoicing because we will be truly blessed. The rewards for this blessedness may not be immediately visible and, in reality, may never be visible on this earth. But the rewards for such a life are securely stored in the vaults of heaven. May we ever live in light of that day.
The Sermon on the Mount, wow, what a message! We will really be skimming over the surface of this amazing text because in all honesty there is enough material here to do a year long blog on just this passage. Christ starts out giving His recipe for joy, blessedness or spiritual prosperity. There are nine ingredients that would not likely be the ones you or I would choose if we were to write a nine-step guide to happiness. But, they are the ones that Jesus chose and it is His message so I think it wise for us to stick with what He said. I think all nine of them can fit into three basic categories that might be easier for us to remember as we strive for spiritual prosperity in each day. So I will try to summarize them in this way.
We will be spiritually prosperous if we are HUMBLE before God. Jesus used more exact words like being poor in spirit, morning, gentleness, peace making and mercy. But I think that humility describes them all. I believe the first two have to do with recognizing our own spiritual weakness and grieving over our sinful state. I think that the last two have to do with the way that we treat those that are around us. However, whether we are being saddened by our sin or being nice to our neighbor, humility is the character quality that will lead us to do both. I find that whenever I loose sight of my own sinfulness the first thing that happens is I loose my patience with the people around me. May we be faithful to recognize our sin, grieve over sin and then rejoice in the forgiveness we have through the cross of Christ. May that work of God's Spirit in us make us much more gentle and merciful towards those who might sin against us.
We will be spiritually prosperous if we are HUNGRY for God. Nothing makes you appreciate water more than thirst. If we faithfully recognizing our sin, it will make us have a burning desire for righteousness and purity in our lives. I think one of the greatest joys of heaven will be to experience life free from sin. Unfortunately I am, often, too easily satisfied with my current spiritual state. I don't long for God's righteousness to be revealed in my life and in the nations of the world like I should. I tolerate impurities in my life, thoughts and motives. It is easy to become blinded to our faults and therefore satisfied with spiritual mediocrity. May God grant us the grace to passionately pursue purity and righteousness in our lives and may we never be satisfied until His glory is reveled in us on that blessed day.
We will be spiritually prosperous if we are HATED because of God. Holiness and humility may not be the best way to "win friends" in this sin cursed world. I know of an Indian tribe in Brazil where the men will destroy the flowers they find growing in the jungle. When asked by an outsider why they did this they simply responded: "The flowers are so beautiful they make us feel ugly." People don't like being convicted of sin and that is what happens when God begins His work in our lives. His character begins to shine through us and His message begins to ring through us. This is convicting to those who are lost and chained to their sin. It makes them feel ugly. The work of God in and through believers will either turn the lost into brothers or bullies. If we make them feel bad they feel justified in making us feel bad. That is what sinners do and how they think. However, it is just the opposite of how we should act or think. God has called us to rejoice when we are persecuted and to love and pray for those who persecute us. The rejoicing is because it reveals God's work is active in us and the loving is the result of that work. God has called us to eliminate our enemies by either loving them until they are our brothers or by praying for and serving them as our neighbors. May God grant us the strength, patience and unconditional love that is needed in our lives so He might be visible in us to all men. May we have the wisdom to rejoice at His work in us even when others don't like it.
If we are Humble, Hungry and Hated Christ has promised that there is ample reason for rejoicing because we will be truly blessed. The rewards for this blessedness may not be immediately visible and, in reality, may never be visible on this earth. But the rewards for such a life are securely stored in the vaults of heaven. May we ever live in light of that day.
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