šš» Heavenly Father ā We return to You to read Your Word, Lord, for renewed life. For the unfolding of Your Words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. (PS 119:130). Grant us Your wisdom as revealed in these words that we study today. We ask this in Jesusā name. Ā Ā Amen.
Where have we been so far? (Click here to jump to the recap of chapters 1 through 6.)
Do Not Judge Others
7 āDo not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3 āAnd why worry about a speck in your friendās eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, āLet me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,ā when you canāt see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friendās eye.
6 āDonāt waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Donāt throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
Points to Ponder: This chapter seems to be addressing new believers and followers as if He knew that some people would later claim that everyone should just live like Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. But Jesus warns us here that as we mature, not to think too highly of ourselves where we assume the authority to correct others.
We like to sayā¦ itās a journey or itās a processā¦ when someone else points out where our own words, thoughts, or actions still miss the mark, and it is, but thereās more. Learn from that uncomfortable experience and realize that with that plank still sticking out of our eye we have no business judging anyone elseās speck. (He already taught us that eye-for-eye is not the strategy for Christians. How clever to now apply that tit-for-tat strategy towards judging others when their speck may not be comparable to our own unseen plank.)
If you wore a Go-Pro all day; if it caught all your words and thoughts as they were directed at other people, then on that last dayā¦ would your life stand up to the same scrutiny that you impose on others.
And forget the unbelievers. You may as well throw your pearls to pigs. Unbelievers donāt profess to live to the same standard that Christians strive to maintain, why would you expect to hold them to that standard?
Only Godās grace can change a personās heart to see the sinner that they are and The Savior for what Heās done. And when their eyes are opened and their heart is softened by Godās grace, they too will wonder how to live an entirely new life.
Will it be your patient and kind treatment towards them that comes to mind?
Effective Prayer
7 āKeep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 āYou parentsāif your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
Points to Ponder: Be persistent in prayer ā it is the most powerful tool we have.
Two things to notice: (1) there is a relationship between a parent and a child here and (2) we are commanded to participate in thisā¦ to keep askingā¦ keep seekingā¦ keep knocking.
The point is not to keep asking for what we want until we get it; children often want what is not good for them. The point is to keep that conversation with Our Father an active part of our life. When believers are indwelt with His Spirit ā we donāt even have to have the right words. (Romans 8:26) We must be intentional in our spending time with God. (Yes, He knows it all, but talking it outā¦ thinking it outā¦ helps us to understand and mature.) When we became believers, we were given the Spirit ā exercise it, use it to connect with God. [Ephesians 1:13] Learn how to grow.
If you struggle with your faith or wonder why your relationship with God seems to have cooled, check yourself here. Mark a calendar for a weekā¦ 2 weeksā¦ or 30 daysā¦ schedule a specific time to ask, seek, and knock. If youāre already praying regularly but it is not feeling effective, start a journal and record your Father-child dates. Dates? Yes!
Remember how excited a child gets when thereās a Donuts-with-Dad day at school? The child would ask his dad, and dad would say yes and heād go to work late? š šØāš§ š It is an incredible privilege to have access to Our Heavenly Father ā donāt miss the opportunity. In prayer, Our Father makes you a priority. Reciprocate and show Him that He is a priority in your life as well, He will not disappoint.
(Psalm 37:4)Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
(Jeremiah 33:3) Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
The Golden Rule
12 āDo to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
Points to Ponder: The summary of Jesusā teachings. Even unbelievers know what āThe Golden Ruleā isā¦ or at least they think they do. And they expect Christians to live by this rule; even if they donāt hold themselves accountable to it.
All Jesusā teachings in the previous chapters on murder, anger, reconciling differences, marital faithfulness, keeping promises, and showing love for our enemies are showing us a different way to live. Rather than being self-focused, weāre to focus on what is good for others in the relationships we have AND WEāRE TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE! When He commandsā¦ DO TO OTHERS WHATEVERā¦ we are not to wait for others to treat us kindly. We are not to build up expectations of othersā behaviorā¦ weāre to do.
This is open-ended folks. Think back to the Garden where man walked in the cool of the day with God to co-rule with Him over His creation. With Jesus, our savior, we are beginning to return to that garden ā His Kingdom, His rule. We are to partner with Him to bring life into the garden where He has placed us. [Genesis 2:8]
The Narrow Gate
13 āYou can enter Godās Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
Points to Ponder: This sounds harsh but not unlike what we see in the natural world. Think about itā¦ there are many ways to spend your time growing up but not all will lead to a career in the NFL! You donāt wake up and discover that youāre a brain surgeon! Thereās nothing unfair about it. Itās just a fact. Generally, we are a result of our choices ā it is estimated that the average adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. Dang! And we wonder so often where did the time go? (I used to enjoy playing the guitar. One day I put it down, I donāt know why. Now, I wish I hadnāt. š)
I think the main point of this warning is that we donāt find God by accident; we make a choice. I can testify that Satan has lots of shiny objects to distract us from answering Godās call to follow Him, but God keeps calling and as long as it is called ātodayā we are to answer the call and help others to do the same ā for the way is difficult and many will choose to believe that one of the many other pathways are better suited for them.
The stubbornness of our heartsā¦ our prideā¦ makes it difficult for us to acknowledge when we willfully chose the wrong path. Humble yourself, repent, and call out to God to show you how to return. i.e., Lord, why didnāt I believe? Or as Scripture recordsā¦ I do believe. Help my unbelief! [Mark 9:24] Make no mistake, there is only one way to Godās Kingdom and the King, Himself, has made that way to enter. It is Our King who says that every other way leads to hell.
Note: If you find yourself in hell today ā THANK GOD! He has allowed you to see the wrong path while you still breathe in your natural life. Repent and return to Him and be prepared to start all over again as a child. The alternative is finding yourself in hell for eternity, not where you expected nor what you intended. š£
The Tree and Its Fruit
15 āBeware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree canāt produce bad fruit, and a bad tree canāt produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
Points to Ponder: Jesus now moves to living life as a Christian ā in a Christian community. Here He is expounding on what that difficult Narrow Road looks like. That āprocessā or ājourneyā we call our spiritual growth is not to be done on our own. We are His Kingdom being formed throughout time to enter into His presence for eternity. There are many who have gone before us and many who will start after us. There is a purpose for you in this journey. But firstā¦
Spending time with those more mature is necessary. You need those role models. You need good leadership. Here Jesus warns us that many will not have the integrity they profess. We should be careful and discerning about the leadership we choose to follow.
Itās not rocket science to understand the metaphor. In the center of the garden there were two trees: The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When manās desire was to know for himself good and evil, we lost access to the tree of life.
Now, as Christians, we desire for God to reveal to us what eternal life truly is. That requires us to humble ourselves and give up what we thought was good and evil. (Sounds simpleā¦ reread thatā¦ itās huge!)
We are to look at our leaders with a critical eye ā are they one of the role models we need in order to mature? (We need many.) Who can help us understand scripture? Who models good behavior around non-believers? Who models the appropriate level of discipline around new AND mature Christians. Who models marriage and friendship well? You get the idea.
If the fruit is faithful Christian life, then stand by that tree! Ask them how they tend to their rootsā¦ learn all you can while you can. Neither you nor that friend is guaranteed tomorrow. You are not called to stand in the garden and be inspired by their beautyā¦ you are called to be transformed into new life yourself.
True Disciples
21 āNot everyone who calls out to me, āLord! Lord!ā will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, āLord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.ā 23 But I will reply, āI never knew you. Get away from me, you who break Godās laws.ā
Points to Ponder: Another warning here. Simple religious profession does not make you a Christian. That process, that journeyā¦ implies your growing submission unto the King. His kingdom, His rules, His way. Even if you, like the magicians in Egypt, can call on some spiritual power to do miracles ā cannot start name-dropping at the gates of heaven. You know whether or not you put the King before yourself. He will not be fooled by false testimony.
Building on a Solid Foundation
24 āAnyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it wonāt collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesnāt obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.ā
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authorityāquite unlike their teachers of religious law.
Points to Ponder: This is a pretty clear and divisive teaching. There is no middle ground. Either you hear the teaching and put it into practice or you donāt. The first option is wise ā with a firm foundation of Christ alone will allow you to build a solid life. The other option is foolish, it will not stand.
The first option requires works of honesty, integrity, and a transformation of all weāve held dear in our natural life. The second option seems easier ā we build on what we already know.
Life in a broken world is difficult for everyone. Those who build their lives on the first option will still experience the broken, difficult times, but they will stand. Those who build their lives on what they already know feel incredibly defeated when difficult circumstances arrive and their world collapses around them.
(And as the Sermon on the Mount concludes we make a mental note that we probably need to review chapters 5 through 7 on a regular basis.)
Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy
8 Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. 2 Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. āLord,ā the man said, āif you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.ā
3 Jesus reached out and touched him. āI am willing,ā he said. āBe healed!ā And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 4 Then Jesus said to him, āDonāt tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.ā
Points to Ponder: The first thing we see here is that The Teacherā¦ after He teachesā¦ puts the teaching into action. The man asks, if Jesus was willing, like the man knew Jesus could, but wasnāt sure that Jesus would. There is no judgment shown by Jesus, He just heals the man AND tells him to make the offering required by the law for those who have been healed.
When youāre burdened with the thoughts of your worthiness, remember this. Heās willing. If fact, Heās already shed His blood as the offering required by law to secure your forgiveness.
The Faith of a Roman Officer
5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 āLord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.ā
7 Jesus said, āI will come and heal him.ā
8 But the officer said, āLord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, āGo,ā and they go, or āCome,ā and they come. And if I say to my slaves, āDo this,ā they do it.ā
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, āI tell you the truth, I havenāt seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the worldāfrom east and westāand sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelitesāthose for whom the Kingdom was preparedāwill be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.ā
13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, āGo back home. Because you believed, it has happened.ā And the young servant was healed that same hour.
Points to Ponder: Even for the non-Jew, Jesus was willing. But this outsider ā a Roman officer ā publicly admits his own unworthiness and the superiority of Jesusā authority. His faith is so strong that Jesus is amazed. This outsider tells Jesus that if Jesus would just say the word from thereā¦ it would be done.
That public recognition of Jesus, as Lord and King, with the authority to work the will of God ā is the risk we take in this world. This officer took the riskā¦ he asked. And because he believed, it was answered.
Jesus Heals Many People
14 When Jesus arrived at Peterās house, Peterās mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. 15 But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him.
16 That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. 17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said,
āHe took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.ā [Isaiah 53:4]
Points to Ponder: This healing power demonstrates that Jesusā authority is superior to all disease and illness. Even those who are held captive to evil spirits can be healed.
Itās as if God knew that there would be a time where humanity was captive to the fear of disease or that they would be led astray to the false claims that science could advance to remove all disease and maybe even death itself.
Do not be deceived. (Believing that claim is idolatry.) Death is a result of sin. A little sin, a big sin, it does not matter ā death will come to all. These same people that Jesus healed were only healed for a time. They were given more time. This is salt in action ā slowing down the decay and corruption in this world.
We cannot remove it from this world. But we can shine the light towards the cross where death was defeated ā the King is alive and He will return with a new heaven and a new earth ā there will be no need for healing there. š
And the ONLY people there are those that walked that hard, narrow road. The ones who admitted their sins and allowed the blood of Jesus to wash them clean. We cannot carry our little pet sins into heaven. Bring them to the cross now, while you can still confess them.
The Cost of Following Jesus
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.
19 Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, āTeacher, I will follow you wherever you go.ā
20 But Jesus replied, āFoxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.ā
21 Another of his disciples said, āLord, first let me return home and bury my father.ā
22 But Jesus told him, āFollow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.ā
Points to Ponder: Our King makes no promise of a leisurely, carefree life as a Christian. To the first man, He tells him ā that Christians donāt get settled into this world. This world is not their home ā a Christian consider themselves in exile. To the second man, He tells the man not to be distracted by the normal routines of this world. There will always be one more thingā¦ one more, āfirst let meā¦ā Jesus is clear: to follow Him, it must be now.
Jesus Calms the Storm
23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, āLord, save us! Weāre going to drown!ā
26 Jesus responded, āWhy are you afraid? You have so little faith!ā Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
27 The disciples were amazed. āWho is this man?ā they asked. āEven the winds and waves obey him!ā
Points to Ponder: Maybe for those 7 daysā¦ 14 daysā¦ 30 daysā¦ of intentional prayer and journaling, also note how well you sleep. Can you say, with Cody carnes, that you have a peace that makes no sense? Click here to listen to his song, Firm Foundation.
In the middle of a stormā¦ physical, emotional, spiritualā¦ what drives your response? Fear or faith? Fear is natural ā fear is still the response of those with little faith. The authority of Jesus trumps the storms.
Like the disciples, be amazed.
Jesus Heals Two Demon-Possessed Men
28 When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They came out of the tombs and were so violent that no one could go through that area.
29 They began screaming at him, āWhy are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before Godās appointed time?ā
30 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. 31 So the demons begged, āIf you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.ā
32 āAll right, go!ā Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
33 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.
Points to Ponder: This story is wild! The demons KNOW who Jesus is and they react violently. They KNOW their time is limited and at Godās appointed time, they will be tortured. They KNOW the authority of Jesus and that He can cast them out. Then they hang themselves!!! It is the demons that offer the pig solution and Jesus permits them to run with their own suggestion.
The pigs will have nothing to do with the demons and they drown themselves. In a very sad and stark contrast, the townspeople will have nothing to do with Jesus and they beg Him to leave.
Summary: In these chapters we finish the sermon on the mount and see what it means to be a Christian; to be a disciple of Jesus. And the main point is that a Christian is nothing on their own ā they are servants of the King. It is His authority that trumps everything here in this world including us.
His teaching is with authority. He tells us what it is like in Godās Kingdom and how we can begin this new life now ā here, in a broken world. He holds nothing back ā His way of life is different. His way of life wonāt be easy. We shouldnāt pretend that it is. He knows the motivation of our hearts. Honesty and integrity matter ā because as we work things out, we gain the wisdom that can be shared with those who follow Him, after us. It won’t be easy, but it will be good.
As He chooses to reveal some of this wisdom to us, we are to remember that the revelation is a gift but it is still just a glimpse of whatās to come. What He chooses to give us, we are responsible to use wisely in service to Him. We stay close to Him and He stays close to us and gives us only good things. We mature as we learn how to use these gifts to slow the decay (salt) around us and bring life (light) to the places where He plants us.
It will not be easy and in this life, we will never become experts. When we march under the authority of Jesus ā expect those who are led by evil to react violently; expect the natural person to just beg you to leave.
March anyway.
šš» Heavenly Father ā By ourselves, we could never do this. By ourselves we wouldnāt know how to find our way back to you. By ourselves, we wouldnāt even know that we were lost! So, we thank You, that from all eternity You knew. You made a way. And Your Word lives on through history. Your Word welcomes us back into Your presence and invites us to submit to the only process by which we are cleaned up ā remade in Your image, as originally created. All honor and praise and glory to our King! It is in the mighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
- Chapter 1 ā The genealogy of Jesus showing this has always been Godās plan to restore humanity.
- Chapter 2 ā The wise men, the outsiders search for the king. His own people reject and try to kill Jesus.
- Chapter 3 ā John the Baptist prepares the way by calling people to repentance and baptizing Jesus.
- Chapter 4 ā Jesus is tested by Satan in the wilderness. He remains faithful and standing strong using the Word of God. Jesus begins His mission ā gathering disciples, healing, and preaching about Godās Kingdom.
- Chapter 5 ā Sermon on the Mount ā Part 1. Rethink everything! What it means to be blessedā¦ our purpose as Salt and Lightā¦ the validation of the Old Testament law and how it should be interpreted. Not just murder, but anger and dismissing others is wrong. Not just adultery, but lustful leering counts. Divorce was never part of Godās design ā keep your promises, oaths donāt need embellishments to be real. Your integrity matters to the people around you ā your āYesā should mean āYesā and your āNoā means āNoā. Eye-for-eye? No! Love your enemies.
- Chapter 6 ā Integrity matters to God. No showy religion. Give to the needy to help them, not to promote you. Pray to God, our Father, earnestly. Fast for a purpose. Do all this in secret where your Father sees you and rewards you in heaven. Donāt worry about the things of this worldā¦ He sees you givingā¦ he sees you workingā¦ he hears you prayingā¦ do you think he missed seeing that you need something? Trust Him ā Seek Him first and everything else falls into place.
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