Kind, compassionate man. Not the best president.
We Are Called to be the Light and the Salt of the Earth
We had listened in as Jesus began His Sermon on the Mount with an introduction of short sentences called the ‘Beatitudes’ – a blueprint for accessing blessings through one’s behaviors by living a godly life. (See Jesus’ Most Famous Public Address).
Continuing with the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins to teach us how to apply that knowledge:
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people [when the walkways are wet and slippery].
“You are the light of [Christ to] 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 a 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 deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Mt. 5:13 – 16. AMP
Christ is calling His followers to make a difference in the world, to stay on purpose (be ‘salty’ to bring a pointed clarity / taste to the Word) and to shine that light of Jesus and His Father onto a dark world.
(Note: Up until now, Jesus has called Jehovah His Father. Now He says that God is our Father as well.)
After Jesus’ Ascension to His Father, the Holy Spirit would reveal further Christ revelations about these very things through the Apostle Paul:
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.
Proclaim these things; encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard] you. Ti. 2:11 – 13. CSB
Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. Ti. 3:1, 2. CSB
We are to try our utmost to be living testimonies of God’s goodness, examples of the transformation that is possible for those who walk with Him.
Jesus reads the hearts of some in the crowd who think His appearance and teachings disqualifies the Old Testament. He puts a stop to that right now:
“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For I assure you and most solemnly say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke [of the pen] will pass from the Law until all things [which it foreshadows] are accomplished. So whoever breaks one of the least [important] of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Mt. 5:17 – 20. AMP
The Old Testament teachings of Moses and the prophets are completely valid until the second advent of Christ. The last sentence in this Scripture is taking a swipe at the Pharisees and their cohorts who have mutilated Scripture to serve themselves. Without repentance, the doors of heaven will not grant them access.
Jesus is the living Word of God. Thus, it falls within His authority to bring greater clarity to Scripture by ‘evolving’ them into their highest applications. He begins with the 6th of the Ten Commandments:
“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister[ will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire. So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny. Mt. 5:21 – 26. CSB
Thus, we are held accountable for what feelings we keep in our hearts towards others. Being angry with anyone is not being reconciled; and as followers of Christ, we must be reconciled with everyone (if they are willing), and even then, at least reconciled as best we can in our own hearts:
If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Rm. 12:18 CSB
It is so important that Jesus said if you detect any derogatory feelings for anyone at the Temple, that you leave your gifts to God behind, and to go and be reconciled first, before presenting your gifts.
Next, Jesus evolves the 7th Commandment:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who [so much as] looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble and leads you to sin, tear it out and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.If your right hand makes you stumble and leads you to sin, cut it off and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Mt. 5:27 – 30. AMP
Lust is at the heart of the problem. All sin begins in the mind. Jesus is adding extreme examples here to impress the severity of sin in the heart and the importance of curbing this behavior before the sin becomes full-blown.
Likewise, pressing for an unjust divorce also forces adultery upon the recipient:
“You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce. But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.” Mt. 5:31, 32. NLT
In Moses’ time, a man could divorce a woman for any reason he came up with – fictitious or not. (‘No-fault’ divorce, as is practiced today). Jesus is adamant, (and again, He is the living Word of God), that the only acceptable reason for divorce is for unrepentant adultery. If the adulterer is repentant, the offended Christian must forgive and work to restore the marriage.
God is very clear about where He stands with divorce:
“For I hate divorce!”[a] says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” Mal. 2:16 NLT
And Jesus puts a period on it:
But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother [to establish a home with his wife], and the two shall become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but [are united as] one flesh. Therefore, what God has united and joined together, man must not separate [by divorce].” Mk. 10:6 – 9. AMP
Jesus shifts to oath-making. In His day, the Pharisees used to promise to do something under an oath which was supposed to give their declaration greater weight. Here, Christ condemns this fault in their personal integrity:
“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ “ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.” Mt. 5:33 – 37. NLT
Jesus is always about love. Even when injured by someone, once again He preaches reconciliation over revenge:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth [punishment that fits the offense].’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person [who insults you or violates your rights]; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other toward him also [simply ignore insignificant insults or trivial losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity, your self-respect, your poise]. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also [for the Lord repays the offender]. And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” Mt. 5:38 – 42. AMP
Finally, for today, Jesus dovetails this love into His command to love our enemies:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor (fellow man) and hate your enemy.’But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that? You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Mt. 43 – 48. AMP
That is one loving Savior! We’re about halfway through the Sermon on the Mount. Stay tuned!
Goodnight and God bless.
What is Wisdom and Why is it so Important?
We’ve just come from a 5-part study of the book of Psalms (see Learning How to worship God: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5.) It is only fitting then, that we follow that gift from King David with the gifts of wisdom bestowed upon his son, King Solomon.
So, let us ask ourselves, ‘What is wisdom?’ The word is translated from the Hebrew chakam, meaning ‘intelligent, skillful, artful, and cunning.’ From the Greek saphes, it is translated as ‘to be clear.’ Also, English dictionaries define wisdom as ‘the quality of having experience, knowledge and good judgment.’
Thus, if we bring all of that together, wisdom is a (good) character trait that you learn from having experienced what life has to teach you, as well as being able to process these lessons and to astutely apply the beneficial elements, with a mind and heart that is clear
from misconceptions.
King Solomon asked for wisdom from God Himself, who gave more of it to him than anyone else, making him the wisest man on earth, and for all time. He recorded most of that in what is known as the book of Proverbs.
Most of what is written in the book is from direct Holy Spirit inspiration given to King Solomon. Near the end of the book, (30:1 – 33), are proverbs written by ‘Agur’, thought to be a proselyte of the King. Finishing the book, 31:1 – 31) are the words of ‘King Lemuel’ whom nothing is known about but describes his words as an oracle his mother taught him.
The first nine chapters consist of Solomon’s treatise on wisdom itself, beginning with the purpose of the proverbs:
The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: To know [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction; to discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, to receive instruction in wise behavior and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity; that prudence (good judgment, astute common sense) may be given to the naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], and knowledge and discretion (intelligent discernment) to the youth,the wise will hear and increase their learning, and the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth], To understand a proverb and figure [of speech] or an enigma with its interpretation, And the words of the wise and their riddles [that require reflection].
The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline. Pr. 1:1 – 7. AMP
Solomon shifts to warn us to be wise enough to stay away from those who are not:
My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck. My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! Pr. 1:8 – 10. NLT
My child don’t go along with them! Stay far away from their paths. They rush to commit evil deeds. Pr. 1:15. NLT
But these people set an ambush for themselves… Pr. 1: 18 NLT
God readily offers wisdom, but most of the people reject it:
Wisdom shouts in the street, she raises her voice in the markets; she calls out at the head of the noisy streets [where large crowds gather]; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words:
“How long, O naive ones [you who are easily misled], will you love being simple-minded and undiscerning? How long will scoffers [who ridicule and deride] delight in scoffing, how long will fools [who obstinately mock truth] hate knowledge?” Pr. 1:20 – 22. AMP
“Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer; they will seek me eagerly, but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord [that is, obeying Him with reverence and awe-filled respect] …” Pr. 1:28, 29. AMP
“But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust and will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil.” Pr. 1:33 AMP
Wisdom brings you closer to God and His protection:
My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.
Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! Pr. 2:1 – 6. NLT
He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. Pr. 2:8 – 11. NLT
God always rewards His children when they align with Him. The acquisition of wisdom is no exception:
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
for length of days and years of life [worth living] and tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life’s blessings] they will add to you.
Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; bind them [securely] around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Pr. 3:1 – 3. AMP
Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]. Pr. 3:5, 6. AMP
If you stay within your wise godly parameters, you will be able to resist sin, e.g., the sin of lust:
My son, be attentive to my wisdom [godly wisdom learned by costly experience],
Incline your ear to my understanding; that you may exercise discrimination and discretion (good judgment), and your lips may reserve knowledge and answer wisely [to temptation].
For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey [like a honeycomb] and her speech is smoother than oil;
but in the end she is bitter like [the extract of] wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) … Pr. 51 – 5. AMP
Even laziness is an anathema to wisdom:
Go to the ant, O lazy one; observe her ways and be wise,which, having no chief,
overseer or ruler, she prepares her food in the summer and brings in her provisions [of food for the winter] in the harvest.
How long will you lie down, O lazy one? When will you arise from your sleep [and learn self-discipline]? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to lie down and rest”— so your poverty will come like an approaching prowler who walks [slowly, but surely] and your need [will come] like an armed man [making you helpless]. Pr. 6:6 – 11. AMP
In the end, God’s wisdom is the answer to all things – when you apply it.
Goodnight and God Bless.
