Matthew 5-7
A Series of Devotions by Pastor Randy Moll
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’” Matthew 5:1-3
We might expect it to be those who live by a certain religious code of ethics who will partake of the kingdom of heaven, but Jesus said otherwise: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
It is not the haughty and self-righteous who will inherit the kingdom of God, but the one who humbly acknowledges before God his spiritual poverty and sinfulness in thought, word and deed. Do you remember Jesus’ parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector? Who was it who went home from the temple justified before God? It was the tax collector who wouldn’t even raise his eyes toward heaven and who said, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Luke 18:9-14).
In Isaiah 66:2, God says, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Cf. Psalm 34:18 and 51:16-17.
God desires that we humble ourselves before Him, confess our utter sinfulness and spiritual poverty and receive His rich and abundant pardon and forgiveness for the sake His Son, Jesus Christ, and Christ’s innocent sufferings and death upon the cross for the sins of the world.
Are you “poor in spirit”? Turn to Jesus and His shed blood and be blessed with a place in His eternal kingdom!
O Dearest Jesus, I am a sinner and fail to measure up to the righteous demands of Your holy Word. I have sinned in my thoughts, desires, words and deeds. But you kept God’s commandments for me, and You went to the cross and suffered my punishment. Forgive me for the sake of Your shed blood, and receive me into Your everlasting kingdom. Amen.
Blessed are those who Mourn
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted….” Matthew 5:4
Many think Jesus here refers to blessing and comfort for those who are sad now and cry much in life due to hardship and tragedy. But a study of the Scriptures will reveal that Jesus speaks of mourning over one’s sin and disobedience to God’s holy commandments. He speaks of sadness over our failures to love the LORD our God with all our hearts and souls and to live holy and God-pleasing lives.
In Joel, chapter 2, God warned His people of His impending judgment upon them for turning away from Him in their hearts. Verses 12-13 say: “‘Now, therefore,’ says the LORD, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.’“
Those who are truly sorry for their sins and lament their rebellion and disobedience to the LORD and His Word will find comfort in the good news of forgiveness and life in God’s Son, Jesus Christ (cf. Isaiah 61:1-3). “Jesus Christ the righteous … is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1, 2). Jesus fulfilled all righteousness in our stead and then bore the full punishment for our sins when He was crucified and died upon the cross. His resurrection proves that a full atonement has been made (cf. Romans 4:25).
With David, we pray, “Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You” (Psalm 86:3-5).
Indeed, it is true: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
My dear Lord Jesus, I have sinned and failed to love You and keep Your commandments. For the sake of Your holy life and innocent sufferings and death upon the cross for my sins, forgive me and cleanse my heart that I might love You and serve You always. Amen.
Blessed are the meek
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth….” Matthew 5:5
In this world it appears that it is the forceful, outgoing and sometimes unscrupulous who are blessed, and the humble and meek get nowhere. But Jesus says just the opposite. It is the meek and humble who are blessed, “for they shall inherit the earth.”
Psalm 37 (verses 1-11) says the same thing: “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret – it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
Why does Jesus say these words? To warn us against the folly of thinking that we are blessed and do well for ourselves by being self-assertive, less than honest and meek in our dealings with others, and unwilling to trust in the LORD and live our lives in accord with His Word. Jesus would have us repent of our wickedness and turn to Him for forgiveness, and He would have us live our lives in accord with His Word, trusting and relying upon Him for blessing.
And those who do so will be blessed – if not now in this life, when Jesus returns to establish His eternal kingdom. Then, indeed, the meek shall inherit the earth!
Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me for being envious of the wealthy and powerful and for seeking to get ahead in this life by being selfish, deceitful and less than honest and considerate in my dealings with others. Give me faith to trust in You and live my life in accord with Your holy Word. Amen.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6
Those who honestly look upon themselves in the mirror of God’s law will see that they are unrighteous and unholy by God’s standard. The Bible tells us that “all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). But, for the sake of the shed blood of Messiah Jesus, we sinners are made acceptable in God’s eyes – all our sins are washed away in Jesus’ blood and God counts us righteous through faith in Him! Cf. Ephesians 1:6-7; Colossians 1:19-23; Romans 3:21-28; 4:5.
One of the marks of a true believer in Christ Jesus is the desire to be like Him. John writes: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). A true believer trusts in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of his sins and to be counted righteous in God’s eyes; but a fruit of such faith is the desire to live a righteous and holy life for Jesus while awaiting His return (cf. Romans 6:1ff.; 2 Corinthians 5:15-17; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 3:1-21). Indeed, one who knows of his own sinfulness and utter failing to live according to God’s holy will and who also knows and trusts in Jesus Christ as His Savior will also hunger and thirst after righteousness.
And such are blessed because “they shall be filled.” Through faith in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross, they are already accounted perfectly righteous and holy in God’s eyes. And, during this earthly life, the Holy Spirit is at work transforming those who trust in Christ into His image, giving them a desire to live for Christ Jesus and keep His commandments (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 3:4ff.). But, as true believers also know, we will not be entirely free of sin until we are with our Savior in heaven. Then, we will finally be like Him and see Him as He is.
As the Scriptures say, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness” (Psalm 17:15). Then, indeed, we “shall be filled.”
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for bearing upon the cross the full and just punishment for my sins and winning for me God’s pardon and peace. Thank You for counting me to be righteous in Your sight for the sake of Jesus’ shed blood. By Your gracious Spirit, give me also a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and grant that this hunger and thirst be satisfied both now and hereafter in eternity. Amen.
Blessed are the merciful
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7
One who knows God and has received of His mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus will also show mercy unto others. That is why Jesus teaches us to pray: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). He also adds the explanation: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).
In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21ff.), the king’s servant who was forgiven an enormous debt but would not then show mercy to a fellow servant who owed him only a small debt in comparison showed his lack of appreciation for the mercy shown him and forfeited that mercy. He was delivered to the torturers until he paid his debt in full. And Jesus says, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (Matthew 18:35).
Whether we realize it or not, God has shown great mercy to each of us. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve (cf. Psalm 103:8-12), but instead laid the guilt and punishment for all our sins upon His own Son, Jesus Christ (cf. Isaiah 53:6). Jesus took our punishment and suffered and died in our place that God might be merciful to us, forgive our sins and give us a place with Him in heaven. Even now, God is patient with us, desiring that all would repent and turn to Him for mercy and forgiveness in His Son (cf. 2 Peter 3:9).
When we are graciously brought to faith in Jesus and receive of God’s mercy and forgiveness, we will also be merciful and forgiving toward others, desiring that they too would be saved. Thus, the Scriptures urge us to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Then, on the Last Day, when Jesus returns in judgment, those who have received God’s mercy in Christ Jesus and, as a result, also show mercy to others will receive mercy from the LORD God. But those who have not received God’s mercy and forgiveness through faith in His Son – and thus were not merciful unto others – will not receive mercy of the Lord but suffer the tortures of hell to pay in full for their sins!
Dear Father in heaven, thank You for being gracious and merciful to me and sending Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to bear my sins, die in my stead and rise in victory. Graciously grant that I receive Your mercy and forgiveness by faith and also show mercy unto others. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Blessed are the pure in heart
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God….” Matthew 5:8
Psalm 24 asks the question: “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully” (verses 3-4). Who is it that will be privileged to stand in God’s presence and see His face? Jesus says that it is “the pure in heart.”
Being pure in heart is more than just outward obedience to God’s commandments; it is loving God with all the heart, mind, and soul, and having nothing but holy thoughts and desires as well! The problem is: Whose heart is pure? Jesus said of the most religious people of His day, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me….” (Matthew 15:8, quoting from Isaiah 29:13). He also said, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man….” (Matthew 15:19, 20).
How can we have a clean and pure heart? Only through faith in the shed blood of Jesus, for the Bible tells us that it is His blood that “cleanses us from all sin” and makes us acceptable in God’s sight (1 John 1:7; Ephesians 1:6, 7; Colossians 1:12-14, 19-23)! For the sake of Jesus, God reckons those who trust in Him to be righteous and holy.
Of course, those who trust in Jesus’ blood and righteousness for pardon and acceptance in God’s eyes also desire to be “pure in heart.” After confessing His sin and turning to the LORD for forgiveness, David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God….” (Psalm 51:10). And so, we also, who trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, desire that God would create in us pure and undivided hearts to love and serve Him and keep His commandments, for it is our desire to see our Savior when He appears and to be like Him (cf. 1 John 3:2-3; Psalm 119:1ff.).
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, my heart is evil and defiled by sin. Forgive my sin for the sake of Your blood shed for me upon the cross, and create in me a clean heart that I might love You and serve You all of my days. Amen.
Blessed are the peacemakers
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9
Though God will not tolerate our sin and rebellion against Him and does not mince words in telling us the truth about our sinfulness and His condemnation of sin, God is a God of peace. He does not desire our condemnation and so sent His own Son to bear the punishment for our sins, and He calls upon all of us to repent and turn to Him for full pardon and peace.
When speaking about the coming day of judgment, the Bible tells us: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9; cf. Ezekiel 33:11). The Bible also says that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).
As children of God through faith in Christ Jesus (cf. Galatians 3:26), we who now have peace with God for the sake of Jesus’ shed blood also seek to live in peace with others. Like our heavenly Father, we desire that others repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness and peace with God. Like our heavenly Father, we cannot tolerate sin and rebellion against God and we must not hesitate to speak the truth of God’s Word; but we do so in love, desiring that our fellow sinners also repent and return to their Father in heaven for pardon and peace (cf. Ephesians 4:15). As Paul writes, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Though some who claim to follow Christ are quick to stir up contention and strife; that is not what Jesus would have us do. The Bible tells us: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18; cf. Hebrews 12:14; Psalm 34:14; Mark 9:50). While we must hold fast to, and contend for, the true teaching of God’s Word; we are not to become involved in foolish arguments over things not clearly laid out in the Scriptures (cf. 2 Timothy 2:22-26; 3:1-17). Who is won for the truth through bitter strife and arguments anyway! Rather, all we can do is bear witness to the truth with a kind and humble spirit and let God’s Spirit do the rest.
Paul writes to the church in Ephesus: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us….” (Ephesians 4:31 – 5:2).
Remember Jesus’ words: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, Prince of peace, so often my ways are not set on peace, but on strife and contention. Graciously forgive me for the sake of Your holy and precious blood shed on my behalf and give me a heart like that of our heavenly Father – a heart that holds fast to the truth but also seeks peace through humble submission to God’s truth. Amen.
Blessed are the persecuted
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10
Paul wrote to Timothy: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
It is a fruit of saving faith in Jesus Christ to desire to live for Him and keep His Word. Those who repent of their rebellious and sinful ways and trust in Jesus for forgiveness and life do not desire to continue in sin and opposition to God and His ways. Rather, they desire to be more and more like Jesus who died for them and rose again.
The Bible says: “He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15; cf. Romans 6:1ff.).
They continually acknowledge and confess their sins and failures to the LORD God, receive His forgiveness for the sake of Jesus’ shed blood, and seek God’s help and strength to amend their lives and live for Him (cf. Psalm 51; 1 John 1:7 – 2:2).
However, in a world which is becoming more and more evil (cf. 2 Timothy 3:13), those who go against the flow and seek to keep God’s commandments are not well received. They suffer persecution. But those who are persecuted in this world for seeking to live righteous and holy lives for Jesus their Savior are indeed blessed of God and can even rejoice in their suffering, for they have a place in God’s eternal kingdom (cf. 1 Peter 3:14).
This does not mean they have a place in God’s eternal kingdom because of their suffering here in this world. Rather, they are blessed, even in the midst of their suffering, because they have a place in God’s eternal kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ, their Savior!
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, give me a steadfast heart, a heart which trusts in You alone for forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation, a heart which loves You and seeks to live for You even in the midst of suffering and persecution in this world, and a heart which rejoices because You have granted me a place in Your eternal kingdom. Amen.
Blessed are the reviled
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12
Before His crucifixion and death, Jesus told His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me” (John 15:18-21).
Followers of Jesus do not seek persecution, but it is a fact that those who follow Him and hold fast to His Word will suffer persecution (cf. 2 Timothy 3:12). The world does not like to be reminded of its sinfulness and the coming judgment of God, nor do worldly people like it when one turns from his former evil ways to Jesus for forgiveness and life. Followers of Jesus are a constant reminder to the people of this world that they are on the wrong path and will soon be judged by God.
The Old Testament prophets, too, were a reminder to those whose hearts had turned away from the LORD that they were turned aside from the truth and headed for God’s judgment. And, from the blood of Abel to Zechariah, many of these true prophets of God suffered great persecution and even death for their testimony to the truth (cf. Matthew 23:31-39). Those who thought they were righteous by their own practice of religious rites did not want to hear of their sin and need for repentance.
Many might see the suffering and persecution which comes upon followers of Jesus even today and think that surely they are not blessed of God, but Jesus says, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Those who follow Jesus are blessed, even if persecuted here in this world, for they have the blessings of heaven for the sake of Jesus’ innocent sufferings and death in their stead and will also be greatly rewarded for their faithfulness to the Savior!
Dear Lord Jesus, grant that I not shrink back from faithfulness to You, but trust you, follow You, live for You and proclaim Your Word to those around me in the world. If persecution comes, grant me the strength to endure and a faith which looks forward to the eternal rewards of heaven. Amen.
You are the salt of the earth
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5:13
How salty are you? No, I am not inquiring concerning your sodium content, but of your Jesus content.
Jesus tells us as believers that we are the salt of the earth. How is this so?
We are the savor of Jesus in this world. In other terms, we are reflections of Jesus in a world that does not know Him. People should be able to see and taste and smell, so to speak, Jesus and His teaching in us!
How can we lose our flavor? By not being faithful followers of Jesus!
If we do not abide in Jesus by trusting in Him for forgiveness and life, and walk close to Him by continuing in His Word, how can we taste like Jesus in this world? If we compromise the truth and conform to the ways of the world, if we don’t live the truth or keep it hidden away in our hearts, we are like salt which has lost its flavor. What good is it? It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. How can you be a witness for Christ if you do not taste like Him, smell like Him, sound like Him, and live like Him in this world?
Jesus tells us: “You are the salt of the earth….” Walk closely with Jesus so that you can be a savor of Him in this world! Let your words and your life be a testimony to Jesus and the salvation He has won for all by His innocent sufferings and death upon the cross!
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer from sin and death, grant that I walk closely with You and abide in Your Word that I might also be a savor of You in this world. Amen.
You are the light of the world
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they 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 so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
Jesus tells us, as His disciples, that we are the light of the world. Note that He does not say we should be or could be – we are! As disciples of Jesus, we are lights in this world because we know Jesus and are being changed into His glorious image (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29). In fact, we are the only reflection of Jesus that many will ever see – the only light shining in their dark and sinful world!
In the same way as one would not light a lamp and hide it under a bushel basket but put it on a lampstand to give light to all who are in the house, so also a Christian, who walks in fellowship with God through faith in Jesus’ shed blood upon the cross for our sins, will not want to hide his faith and devotion to Christ Jesus, but let the light of God’s grace and mercy to us in His Son shine that others too might come to that light and see.
As Jesus says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Rather than hiding our faith in Jesus and His blood shed for our salvation, we are to live for Him who died for us and rose again (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:15). We are to let the true Light of the world, Jesus the Savior, shine through us in this dark and dying world.
Note, too, that Jesus does not tell us to do good works that men may see and glorify us. Rather we should let our lights shine in such a way that men see the working of God in us and glorify Him! After all, it is only by God’s grace and mercy in Messiah Jesus that any of us can know God the Father or walk in His ways. Jesus, God’s Son and true man, shed His blood to redeem all of us and pay the just penalty for the sins of the world that we might have pardon and peace with God our Father. And Jesus poured out His Holy Spirit upon us to enlighten and regenerate us, bringing us to know and trust in Christ Jesus and giving us new life in Him. Indeed, Jesus is Himself that Light that we who trust in Him and follow Him are to reflect openly in this world.
O dearest Jesus, the Light of this dark and dying world, enlighten our hearts with the good news of forgiveness and life through faith in Your name and shine upon us and through us, making us lights in this world, that others too may see and come to You for life everlasting! Amen.
Jesus came to fulfill the law, not destroy it!
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-20
Some in Jesus’ day misunderstood and thought that Jesus was trying to throw out all that is taught in the Old Testament Scriptures because He offered forgiveness and life though faith in His name. Unfortunately, some today assume that Jesus’ teaching does away with the Old Testament and makes these Scriptures obsolete and unnecessary for Christians. Many even believe and teach that one can be a Christian and disregard some or all of what the Bible teaches. This couldn’t be further from the truth!
It is as Jesus said: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Jesus, the long promised Messiah and Savior, came to fulfill all that is taught in the Old Testament, not to destroy it. Not the smallest letter (jot) of the Law or the smallest part of a letter (tittle) in the Scriptures would pass away until all is fulfilled.
Thus, Jesus went on to say: “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus came to keep every commandment of the Scriptures perfectly for us. He regarded the Scriptures as the very Word of God and was obedient to every teaching of the Law and the Prophets! He fulfilled all and regarded all as absolute truth. And Jesus, as prophesied by the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament Scriptures), took our place under God’s law and took the guilt and punishment of our sins upon Himself, that we might have forgiveness and life through faith in Him and His blood shed for us upon the cross.
Thus, it is a grave offense to break even the smallest commandment in the Scriptures and teach others so. How can one who follows Jesus disregard what He lived and died to fulfill! And, as a study of the Scriptures will reveal, the righteousness which God demands is far greater than the outward righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. In fact, it far exceeds the righteousness of those churchgoers of our day who depend on their own righteous works and deeds. The Scriptures demand perfect righteousness of heart, soul and mind. The Scriptures demand a holy life in thought, word and action. Jesus fulfilled the righteous demands of the Scriptures for us, and these same Scriptures offer to us the imputed, perfect righteousness of Messiah Jesus – they declare Christ’s full atonement for our sins and the acceptance and pardon of a merciful God for Jesus’ sake!
Dear LORD Jesus, holy Son of God and true man, our Savior, thank You for fulfilling for us the perfect righteousness taught and demanded in the Holy Scriptures, and thank You for bearing upon the cross the full and just punishment for all our sins and then rising again to grant us forgiveness and life – perfect righteousness – through faith in You. Amen.
You shall not murder
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” Matthew 5:21-22
Are you guilty of murder? Most of us would answer that question with a resounding, “No!” But, as we see from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, God’s commandment, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), encompasses more than just the act of killing another human being without just cause; it has bearing upon our words as well as upon the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts! If we are angry with another human being without just cause, we are in danger of God’s judgment. If we call our fellow man, “Empty headed,” or “Fool,” we are in danger of judgment and the eternal fires of hell!
In his first epistle, the Apostle John tells us, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (3:15). Thus, the Scriptures make clear that murder is not only a sin of action, as Cain killed Abel; it is a sin of the heart, a sin of not loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.
And so, are we guilty of murder? Which one of us could honestly answer that question with a “No,” even though we may not have actually physically taken the life of another? From Jesus’ own teaching, we see clearly that he did not come to minimize or “destroy” the Old Testament Scriptures. His teaching regarding the law requires even more from us than the strictest teachers of His day, and very likely our day too.
Since God’s law – His commandment – condemns us all of sin in thought, word, and deed, how thankful we can be that Jesus fulfilled the righteous and holy demands of God’s law for us! And we can give thanks and rejoice in the fact that He bore our punishment when He suffered and died upon the cross for the sins of the world. As the Scriptures say, “We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation [atoning sacrifice] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1, 2).
Through faith in Messiah Jesus, we who have come so far short of the righteous demands of God’s holy law are comforted with the assurance that Jesus bore our sins and rose again – that in Him we have forgiveness for our sins and everlasting life!
O dearest Jesus, forgive me for breaking Your commandment against murder by my sinful thoughts, words, and actions. Wash away my sins in Your shed blood, and cleanse my heart that I might love You and love my brother. Amen.
First be reconciled to your brother
“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.” Matthew 5:23-26
Since the commandment against murder not only forbids the unjust taking of human life, but also forbids us to do or say anything which would unjustly cause hurt or harm to another, Jesus points out that true worship and service toward God is not just to come before Him with our worship and our gifts, or even with empty words of repentance. Rather, God would have us first make right the wrongs we have done to others and be reconciled with those we have offended. If we are unwilling to repent of the evil that we have done and seek reconciliation with those we have hurt and harmed, neither will God be pleased with our offerings and worship.
Jesus goes on to say: “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.” While this is certainly sound advice for one about to be taken to court, it has far greater import. The LORD God will be our judge on the Last Day, and everyone is on his way to this final judgment. The Scriptures say that “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
Since we are all on our way to God’s final judgment, would we want to have another pleading to God for righteous judgment against us because of the wrongs that we have done? And, who will be our judge on the Last Day? The Scriptures clearly tell us that it will be the crucified and risen Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God (cf. Romans 8:34; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Would we not also be wise to agree with Him along the way, acknowledge our utter sinfulness, and seek His mercy and forgiveness now before it is too late? After all, Christ Jesus came into the world and went to the cross to pay in full for our sins.
The Bible tells us: “If we confess our sins [the Greek word translated “confess” literally means to “say the thing” with God, or agree with His judgment concerning our sin and guilt], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
“Delay not, delay not, O sinner draw near, the waters of life are now flowing for thee. No price is demanded; the Savior is here; redemption is purchased, salvation is free…Delay not, delay not! The hour is at hand; the earth shall dissolve, and the heavens shall fade. The dead, small and great, in the Judgment shall stand; what pow’r, then, O sinner, shall lend thee its aid?” (TLH, #278).
O gracious and merciful Father, forgive all my sins for the sake of Jesus and His blood shed for me on Calvary’s cross. Help me also to go to those I have hurt and wronged, seek their forgiveness, and be reconciled. Amen.
You shall not commit adultery
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:27-30
God’s Word forbids us to adulterate or pervert God’s intent and design in creation when He made woman to be a helper and companion to man and instituted marriage (Genesis 1-2). Thus, we become guilty of adultery not only when we engage in any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman; we become guilty even when sinful thoughts and desires arise in our hearts. It is adultery – a perversion of God’s intent and design in creation – when a man looks at a woman to lust after her. Of course, the same is also true if a woman lusts after a man not her husband.
The commandments demand more than outward purity; they demand purity of heart – pure and holy thoughts and desires. How far short we have all fallen! Even if we have outwardly obeyed the commandment against adultery, inwardly, in our thoughts and minds, we have all come short! That is why we so need a Savior – one to fulfill the righteous demands of God’s law and to bear our punishment that we might receive God’s mercy and forgiveness! And that is why God sent His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. He fulfilled all righteousness for us and He suffered and died for all our sins. Messiah Jesus died for us and rose again that we might have God’s pardon and peace!
This, or course, does not make it a light thing to disregard God’s commandments. The wages of sin is still death – spiritual and eternal – and to turn away from our Savior and back into the sin from which we have been redeemed is a grave danger to our soul (cf. Romans 6:1ff.; 2 Peter 2:20-22; Hebrews 10:26-31).
Jesus says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”
Jesus is not advocating that we literally pluck out our eyes or cut off our hands, but He is telling us to remove from us those things which lead us into temptation and sin. Thus, in our struggle against the temptations of the devil, the world around us and the sinful desires of our own flesh, it would be better for us to cut off and do away with those things in life which are a temptation to us than to allow such things to lead us back into sin and to spiritual and eternal death. We may need to avoid certain places, turn off television programs and limit Internet use to avoid temptation and sin. And we will certainly need to pray constantly for the help and strength of God to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
O merciful God, for the sake of Christ Jesus, Your Son, forgive us for our sins in thought, word and deed. Cleanse our hearts and minds and lead us to follow You whole-heartedly. Amen.
Divorce is adultery
“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.” Matthew 5:31-32
Jesus further explains the true meaning of the commandment against adultery. It not only applies to sexual desires and sexual relationships outside of the marriage union; it applies to breaking the marriage union by divorce. Though Moses, because of the hardness of men’s hearts, permitted a man to divorce his wife by writing her a certificate of divorce and sending her away (Deuteronomy 24:1ff.), such was never God’s intent when He created the woman for the man and brought her to him (Genesis 2; cf. Matthew 19:3-9).
The words of Jesus are unquestionably clear: “I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”
It is as Jesus said in Matthew 19:4-6: “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Even though God made provision for divorce because of man’s sinfulness – as do civil governments yet today – it was never God’s intent that a marriage end in divorce. In fact, God says He hates divorce and warns against such treachery (Malachi 2:14-16). And since God’s original design and intent in creation was for one man and one woman to be and remain one flesh – one family unit – one who divorces his or her spouse not only commits adultery, but causes his spouse to commit adultery by not continuing in the marriage union. Even the one who marries a divorced spouse commits adultery because he or she takes one whom God intended to continue in a marriage to another (cf. Mark 10:11-12).
God’s command against adultery, therefore, requires much more of us than outward sexual fidelity to our marriage partner. It forbids evil thoughts and desires and divorce as well. God’s provisions for divorce (cf. Matthew 19:3-9; 1 Corinthians 7:15) are there only because of human sinfulness – as a way to clean up the mess we make of our lives by our own sinfulness.
How far short we have come! Who has kept this commandment as God intends and requires?
How thankful we can be that God sent His Son to fulfill all righteousness for us! That Christ Jesus suffered and died for our sins and rose again! How thankful we can be that God is merciful to us sinners and grants us forgiveness, pardon and peace! And that He has made provision for us to pick up the pieces and live our lives anew for Him!
O almighty God, our Creator and our Redeemer, forgive our sin and wickedness for Jesus’ sake, create in us clean and undivided hearts to seek after You and Your perfect will, trusting always in the shed blood of our Savior for eternal salvation. Amen.
You shall not swear falsely
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:33-37
The Old Testament Scriptures forbid swearing falsely and not keeping one’s oaths or vows to the LORD.
Leviticus 19:12 says: “And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.” Numbers 30:2 says: “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”
Jesus, however, gets to the heart of these commands when He tells us that it would be better not to swear at all. Nor should we think that if we swear by heaven, by the earth, by Jerusalem, or by our own head, that we can escape responsibility for not keeping our word. After all, heaven is “God’s throne,” earth is “His footstool,” Jerusalem is the “city of the Great King,” and even our own head is God’s creation and under His control.
Rather, Jesus urges us to let our “‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and [our] ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Though there may be times that an oath is required, even without an oath, our word should be true. Our “Yes” should mean “Yes,” and our “No” mean “No.” Indeed, the necessity of oaths to get us to tell the truth or keep our word is the working of the devil and the corruption he has bought upon us all.
Since God expects us not only to keep the oaths we take in His name, but every oath and word, we ought be careful what we say and pledge and promise; for many times we make promises and vows which we are uncertain we will be able to keep. While one may be able to promise to give to the LORD a percentage of what he gains, how can he promise to give a certain amount when he doesn’t know what tomorrow will bring? A person may promise to complete this work or do that thing, but how can he make such a promise, not even knowing for certain that he will live another hour or day. That is why James cautions believers to say: “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that” (James 4:15).
As we consider the full content of Jesus’ teaching, we quickly see again our failures to measure up to the perfect righteousness of God. We have broken vows, failed to keep our promises, and oft times been less than honest in our speech. And, for this, we deserve God’s everlasting wrath and punishment; for the Scripture says, “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4), and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This is also why we ought to be so thankful for Christ Jesus, God the Son in human flesh! He not only taught the Word of God in truth, but fulfilled the righteous demands of God’s law for us and suffered our punishment when He went to the cross. The Bible tells us: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6); and, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures … He was buried, and … He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4).
O dearest Jesus, for the sake of Your holy and precious blood, shed for us upon the cross, forgive us for failing to keep our words and promises. We thank you for being true to Your word and granting us pardon, peace and life everlasting. Amen.
Love is doing more than demanded
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” Matthew 5:38-42
Old Testament civil laws required just punishments for wrongs done: “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (cf. Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:19-20; and Deuteronomy 19:21). Thus, the people of Jesus’ day heard it said. Yet God’s holy law demands more, for we are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39; Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18).
We may have a legal right to defend ourselves and seek justice when we are wronged, but God desires that we be like Him and deal with those who fight against us in love and mercy. Thus, instead of striking back when we are struck, we are urged to turn the other cheek. When we are sued for a certain part of our property, we are urged to freely give more than demanded. And if compelled to carry someone’s burden for a mile, we are urged to do even more and carry it for two.
In other words, instead of doing only what is demanded and required of us in dealing with others, love urges and demands that we do more – that we resist the opportunity to strike back and that we give more and do more than what is demanded of us.
Sad to say, our shortcomings and failures to live up to God’s holy will quickly become evident. We fail to love those who have wronged us and seek revenge rather than turning the other cheek. Instead of going the extra mile and giving more than demanded of us, we seek to give the minimum do the least required of us. How is this love for God or neighbor? We see sin’s corruption in our own thoughts, words and deeds – it permeates our lives.
But Jesus fulfilled God’s holy law for us. He was mistreated, struck and crucified; but He did not even open His mouth against His enemies. He willingly took upon Himself the guilt and burden of our sins, carried it to the cross and suffered our punishment – all that we might be reconciled, have forgiveness and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Indeed, that is love!
O Lord Jesus, God’s Son and our Savior, forgive us for our sinfulness and our failures to love You and our neighbor as Your holy law requires. For the sake of Your blood shed for us upon the cross, pardon and forgive and grant us everlasting life with You in heaven. Amen.
God demands perfect love
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48
As human beings, we would seek to water down God’s commandments to make them fit our own way of thinking, but Jesus holds up to us a higher model: God the Father in heaven.
As the saying cited by Jesus goes, we too have heard it said that we should love our neighbor, but that it is OK to hate our enemies. But is that what God’s law says? Consider the example of our Father in heaven. What does He do? As Jesus said, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Even though God would be perfectly just in judging and condemning all who reject Him and rebel against Him, what does He do? He causes His sun to rise even on the evil. He sends rains to water the crops of both the believer and the unbeliever. In fact, instead of dealing with all of us as we deserve for our rebelliousness and disobedience, He sent His only-begotten Son into the world to die for the sins of all people (cf. 1 John 2:1-2). And, the LORD God is patient with us, not wanting any of us to be lost but desiring that all of us repent and turn to Him for forgiveness and life everlasting (cf. 2 Peter 3:9). He puts up with our disrespect and disregard and patiently calls us back to Him through His Word.
If we desire to be like our heavenly Father, our love cannot only be for a select few we like; it should be for all for whom Christ died – yes, even our enemies, those who curse us, hate us, spitefully use us and persecute us. If we love only those who love us, we are no different than anybody else. God’s Word, His commandments, demand more; they demand perfection – that we be perfect just like our Father in heaven is perfect.
Quite obviously, we all fall short of such perfect obedience. How thankful we can be that God’s love is perfect and pure!
As the Bible says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Because God loved us and sent His Son to die for our sins – for the sins of all people – and rise again, we who come so far short can have forgiveness and a place in God’s everlasting kingdom.
The Bible also says: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:9-11).
Dear Father in heaven, we have failed to love as You have loved. Yet, You have loved us and have given Your only-begotten Son to suffer and die for our sins and the sins of all. Forgive us and cleanse our hearts that we might love as You have loved. We come before You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Charitable deeds: To honor God or to honor self?
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” Matthew 6:1-4
People like to be recognized for their charitable deeds. Though they may not literally sound a trumpet, people and businesses do tend to toot their own horns, so to speak, when they give a gift to the poor or to the community so that all will see their goodness and generosity. They like to be honored before men and have their acts of kindness published abroad for all to note and see.
But what does Jesus say about doing charitable deeds? “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
If we do charitable deeds to be seen and recognized by men, that is our only reward. Why? Because deeds done for the glory of God the Father are not motivated by the desire to glorify ourselves. Deeds done for the glory of God are motivated by love for God and the desire to please Him and do His will – they flow from faith in God’s mercy, forgiveness and acceptance of us for the sake of Christ Jesus and His innocent sufferings and death upon the cross in our stead.
If we do good to be seen and glorified by men, we have our reward but not from God. If, on the other hand, we seek the glory and praise of God who created us and sent His only-begotten Son to redeem us, our works will be done for Him.
Thus Jesus says, “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
Christians are not to give to be recognized by men, but for the glory of God. They do not give to gain a tax deduction or a prominent position in the church or community; they give because they love Him who first loved them and sent His Son to die for them. They do not make a show of their gifts and donations – not even letting their left hand know what the right is doing – they do their charitable deeds quietly and often anonymously, seeking no reward from men. But God the Father, who sees and knows all secrets, the Bible says, will reward them openly.
And so, we ask ourselves, “Has our giving been right? Have we given and worked to be seen and recognized by others? Or, have we given and done charitable deeds solely for the glory of God, motivated by love for Him and thankfulness for His grace and mercy toward us in Christ Jesus?”
Dear Father in heaven, forgive us for our self-centeredness and our desire to be seen and recognized for our good works. Forgive our sinful hearts and cleanse us for the sake of Christ Jesus, who loved us and willingly went to the cross to glorify Your name and accomplish our redemption. Fill our hearts with love for You and the desire to glorify Your name in all that we say and do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
When you pray
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:5-8
Prayer is not to be a show of religious piety but the sincere communication of the heart and soul to God the Father. Jesus urges His followers to quietly and, in the privacy of their own homes, pour out their hearts before the LORD God, trusting in Him to mercifully hear and answer their prayers. Those who make a show of their prayers to be seen by men have their only reward, but those who pray to God in secret will be heard by God in secret and rewarded openly.
Nor are Christians to use vain or empty repetitions in their prayers, as the heathen do, thinking that God will hear and answer their prayers because of their many words. Jesus teaches us that God desires the prayers of our heart and not empty words uttered by our lips. Thus the mere repetition of prayers will merit us nothing before God and are not really even prayer at all! Rather, Christians are invited by God to come before Him with their petitions and thanksgiving, trusting that He indeed will hear and answer us for the sake of Jesus and His atoning sacrifice upon the cross for the sins of the world (cf. 1 John 5:11-15).
It is not our many words or our religious piety which persuade God to hear and answer our prayers. Rather, it is His love and mercy toward us for Jesus’ sake that moves Him to reach out to us and invite us to come humbly before Him with our prayers and petitions, knowing and believing that He will hear us and grant what is best for us as His dear children through faith in Christ Jesus. And, as Jesus says, our Father knows the things we need before we even ask them of Him.
Dear Father in heaven, we thank You for Your grace and mercy toward us for Jesus’ sake, and we thank You for the privilege of coming before You in prayer. Move us to come before You in humility, trusting that You will hear and receive us for the sake of Jesus and His blood shed for us on Calvary. Amen.
God, our Father
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” Matthew 6:9
The Lord’s Prayer is perhaps the most misused prayer in all the world. People recite its words – sometimes repeatedly – with little or no thought as to what the prayer really asks of God. Instead of being a sincere prayer of the heart, it is often only empty words uttered from the lips.
When we remember that Jesus tells us, when we pray, to “not use vain repetitions as the heathen do” (Matthew 6:7), we would do well to consider the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer and take the time to pray through it with our hearts and minds and not just recite its words thoughtlessly.
We pray to “our Father in heaven.”
What a privilege it is for us to address the Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth, as “our Father”! But that is what He is to us – our Father. Not only did He create each and every one of us, He also redeemed each and every one of us from our own sin and rebellion by sending His only-begotten Son to fulfill all righteousness for us and to suffer and die for all our sins.
As believers in Christ Jesus, we sinners have the privilege of addressing God as “our Father” and can be assured that He has forgiven us and will both hear and answer our prayers for Jesus’ sake.
The Bible tells us in Galatians 3:26-27: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Hebrews 10:19-22 says, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
In 1 John 5:13-15, we also read: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Because Christ Jesus suffered and died upon the cross for the sins of all and then rose again and ascended to the right hand of God the Father to intercede for us with His blood and be our Advocate before the Father, we can come boldly before the holy LORD God and He will hear us!
Is any petition too large when coming before the Maker of all things? Is any request too small for a God who has given such great attention to even the most minute detail?
What a privilege we have to be able to call God, the Maker of heaven and earth, our Father! And we can call Him just that and know that He, as our loving Father in heaven, will hear and answer all our prayers for the sake of His Son, Christ Jesus, who suffered and died for all our sins and rose again.
Dear Father in heaven, we thank You for Your love and mercy toward us and for the gift of Your Son to redeem us and make us Your own children through faith in Him. We thank You for the privilege of calling You “our Father” and for Your promise to hear and answer our prayers for Jesus’ sake. In His name we pray. Amen.
God’s holy name
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” Matthew 6:9
And what should be our first request, as Jesus here teaches us to pray? “Hallowed be Your name.”
Hallowed means to keep holy and set apart. We might ask, “Isn’t God’s name already holy?” And, most certainly it is. What then do we ask of the LORD God when we ask that His name be kept holy?
We ask that His name be kept holy among us and in our lives. In this petition we ask God to let all we think, say and do bring glory and honor to His holy name. We ask that we would live in such a way that we do not dishonor His holy name and drag it down with us into the mud of sin.
It brings God glory and hallows His name when we humbly believe His Word, acknowledge our sinfulness and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior. (cf. Ephesians 1:3-14).
Isaiah the prophet wrote (Isaiah 8:13): “The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.”
Instead of looking to ourselves, other gods and other people or things for help, we are to look to the LORD God and place our trust in Him.
God Himself says to us in Psalm 50:15: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 23:28, 31: “‘The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?’ says the LORD… ‘Behold, I am against the prophets,’ says the LORD, who use their tongues and say, He says.’“
Thus, we learn that it brings honor to the name of the LORD God when we are faithful to His holy Word in our teaching, preaching and in our witness for Him. It dishonors the LORD when we preach our own words, ideas and opinions and attribute it to Him.
We pray in this petition of the Lord’s prayer that all we think, speak and do may bring glory to our Father in heaven – that His name would indeed be kept holy among us.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” May we bring Him glory!
Our dear Father in heaven, Your name is indeed holy of itself. Grant that we would keep it holy among us also and not misuse it. Let us bring glory to You and Your holy name by acknowledging our sin and trusting in Your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, for forgiveness and life everlasting. And grant that we might live for You here in this world until we join You in heaven in Christ’s eternal kingdom. Amen.
God’s kingdom
“Your kingdom come.” Matthew 6:10a
Even though God is patient and long suffering with the people of this world, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:9), He already rules over all things and the day is coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Ephesians 1:19-23; Philippians 2:10-11). And so, we might wonder, why does Jesus direct us to pray to the Father: “Your kingdom come”?
Jesus here directs us to pray that His kingdom of mercy and grace would come to each of us and to people all over the world. Messiah Jesus was lifted up on the cross and crucified to pay the full penalty for our sins against God the Father – He died for the sins of the whole world and rose again from the dead on the third day. But, in spite of that fact, we would go on our merry way in ignorance of the import and meaning of what took place on that Roman cross outside of Jerusalem.
Of ourselves, we cannot enter God’s kingdom or be a part of it. As Jesus says, we must be born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3ff.). And so Jesus directs His followers to pray for God’s kingdom to come – for God the Holy Spirit to graciously regenerate us through water and the Word and keep us trusting in Jesus and His shed blood for forgiveness and life everlasting. In this way, with childlike faith in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice, we are God’s children and a part of His eternal kingdom. The Bible tells us: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26, 27).
Not only do we pray that God’s gracious kingdom would come to us, but that it would come to others also. We pray that people, both near and far, would hear the good news of salvation through faith in God’s Son and that they would turn from their sinful and rebellious ways and trust in Jesus and His shed blood for forgiveness and life.
Jesus Himself was moved with compassion on the multitudes of people around Him because they were weary and scattered abroad as sheep without a shepherd. He tells us: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).
Finally, we are directed to pray for Jesus’ coming and the establishment of God’s everlasting kingdom. As the Scriptures teach us, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21). We look forward to the day of Jesus’ return in hope and longing for the blessings of His eternal kingdom (cf. Romans 8:22-23), and so we pray: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:21).
Dear Father in heaven, graciously grant that Your kingdom would come to us – that we might have a place in Your kingdom for the sake of the Son, Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice upon the cross for our sins. Grant that others too, both near and far, may learn of Your mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus and trust in Him. And, dear Father, as You have promised, come and reign over us forever through Your only begotten Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. In His name, we pray. Amen.
God’s will
“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10b
In heaven, all live in accord with God’s perfect and holy will.
The psalmist writes: “Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure” (Psalm 103:20-21).
On earth, since the fall of mankind into sin which is recorded in Genesis 3, it is not so; but man, as he is by nature, rebels against God’s perfect will and seeks to go his own way. Again, the Bible tells us: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6).
Jesus, in the prayer which He has taught us to pray, directs us to pray that God’s will be done on earth – in our own lives – as it is in heaven! And what is God’s will? We find His perfect will recorded for us in the Holy Scriptures; and so, God would have us faithfully believe and teach God’s Word and live according to it, submitting our will to His perfect will for us.
Though Jesus, God’s Son, faithfully carried out the will of His Father in heaven, even praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42), and being “obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8), we, on the other hand, so often say with our words and actions, “Not Your will, but mine be done!”
Christ Jesus died for our sins and rose again from the grave, and He would have all of us repent of our rebellion against God and His will and submit to Him, trusting in His shed blood for forgiveness and life, and, as a fruit of faith in Him, seek to conform our lives to His. This He desires for all mankind (cf. 1 Timothy 2:3-6).
Thus we pray: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Dear Father in heaven, I am by nature sinful and rebellious. I have not lived in accord with Your holy and perfect will. Forgive my sin for Jesus’ sake. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and grant me both the desire and the strength to live in accord with Your perfect will. “Not my will, but Yours, be done”! “Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Amen.
Our daily bread
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11
Though the LORD God provides for the needs of both believer and unbeliever, God desires that we look to Him and trust in Him to provide us with food, clothing, and all we need day by day. As the Gospel of Luke says, “Give us day by day our daily bread” (11:3).
God taught His children that very thing when He led them out of Egypt and into the wilderness. When they needed food, He provided them with manna from heaven, sufficient for all to eat. But He also commanded them to gather only enough for each day.
When some disobeyed His commandment and gathered more than needed for a single day, the leftover manna bred worms and stunk on the next morning. On the day preceding the Sabbath, God commanded that they gather enough for two days; and it did not spoil as on other days. Again, when some did not listen and went out on the Sabbath to gather manna, there was none. Cf. Exodus 16.
Thus, God taught His people, who had grumbled and complained because they needed food in the wilderness, to trust Him each day for their daily bread.
Moses told the people: “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
God even let His people suffer hunger that He might teach them to look to Him for their daily bread, and to His Word for their very life!
The Bible teaches us that we should be satisfied if we have the food and clothing needed for each day. Paul wrote to Timothy: “And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (1 Timothy 6:8).
Yet we are often fearful if we do not have our needs supplied for months, or even years, in advance. Jesus would have us trust our heavenly Father and look to Him to meet all our needs each and every day of our lives. He would not have us worry about what we will eat, what we will drink, or what we will wear. Rather, He would have us, in faith, turn to Him who knows our every need and so graciously provides (cf. Matthew 6:25-34).
Indeed, He may even let the cupboards be bare and the closets be empty to teach us to trust Him day by day. God would have us cast all our care upon Him, for He cares for us (cf. 1 Peter 5:7).
And thus, Jesus teaches us to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Dear Father in heaven, we look to You to provide each day our daily bread. Keep us from worry or complaint and teach us to trust You to care for our every need, day by day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Forgiveness of sins
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12
The Bible teaches us that “there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin” (Ecclesiastes 7:20); and that even our best “righteousnesses are like filthy rags” in His sight (Isaiah 64:6). Therefore, our greatest need from God the Father is His mercy and forgiveness; and so we ask that He would not look upon our sins and failures to keep His commandments but forgive our sins for the sake of Christ Jesus and His innocent sufferings and death for us upon the cross. Like the tax collector who knew his own sinfulness and shortcomings and would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, we also say, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Luke 18:13).
Because God’s own dear Son, Messiah Jesus, took our sins upon Himself and bore our punishment when He suffered and died upon the cross in our stead, God is merciful and forgiving toward us.
The Bible tells us: “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You” (Psalm 86:5); “If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (Psalm 130:3, 4); and, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness … And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 1:8-9; 2:1, 2). It is because of Jesus, who suffered and died for our sins and rose again, that we can confidently come before God the Father and seek His mercy and forgiveness, saying, “Forgive us our sins” (Luke 11:4).
God has graciously provided atonement for our sins and the sins of the whole world in His Son. “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:10-12).
Because God has been merciful to us and has forgiven us all our sins for the sake of His Son, we also promise to forgive those who have sinned against us. We pray that God would forgive us “as we forgive our debtors.”
The Bible calls upon us to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). When we consider and remember our own unworthiness to be shown mercy, and the great debt of sin which our heavenly Father has forgiven each of us for Jesus’ sake, certainly we can also share and extend that mercy and kindness toward others who have sinned against us!
When Peter asked Jesus how often he should forgive his brother who sins against him, suggesting up to seven times, Jesus said to Peter: “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21, 22; cf. verses 23ff.). Jesus also said, “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).
Dear Father in heaven, graciously forgive us all our sins against You for the sake of Jesus and His blood shed for us upon the cross, and move us also to extend Your grace and mercy to others by forgiving those who have trespassed against us. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Keep us from sin and evil
“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:13a
The Bible clearly tells us: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:13-14). Therefore, we are not, in this petition of the prayer which the Lord Jesus has taught us, asking God not to tempt us; for He “cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”
Rather, since we are tempted when we are drawn away by our own sinful longings and desires, we ask our Father in heaven to lead us in such a way through our daily lives that we are not tempted – to be lead on such a path where we are kept safe and protected from our own sinful longings as well as from the enticements which the devil and the world put before us.
The Bible also assures us: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Though God does not send temptation to evil, he does permit temptations to come. Yet, He limits the temptations and provides us a way out so that we may be able to endure and overcome them. Thus, we ask our heavenly Father to lead us in such a way that, when temptation does come, He would lead us safely through it and give us the victory.
Connected with this petition to our heavenly Father is the prayer that He would also deliver us from the evil one.
Again, the Bible tells us that we are to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
The devil – or Satan – is the father of lies and the deceiver. He seeks to keep us from God and His truth (cf. John 8:44). Like the roaring lion who stalks his prey and seeks out one that is weak or straying, so the devil watches for our weaknesses and attacks us when and where we are most vulnerable to his ploys. He seeks to keep us from God our Father and life everlasting through faith in Christ Jesus by causing us to doubt God’s Word and by leading us into a life of disobedience and sin.
Therefore, we are in constant need for the protection and deliverance of our Father in heaven; and we humbly pray: “deliver us from the evil one.”
And included in this petition, we pray that, when we do fall into sin and disobedience, God would graciously, for Christ’s sake, deliver us from the grasp of the devil and bring us to repentance. We pray that we would acknowledge our sin and disobedience and turn to the LORD God for His mercy and forgiveness for the sake of Christ Jesus and His innocent sufferings and death in our stead.
The Bible says, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2).
When we repent of our sin and turn to the LORD for His mercy and forgiveness in Messiah Jesus, He delivers us from the grip of the evil one and brings us back into His eternal kingdom for Jesus’ sake.
As believers, we take heart in the words of St. Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:18): “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”
Dear Father in heaven, lead me through life in such a way that I do not fall into temptation and sin; and deliver me from the attacks of the evil one upon my soul and upon my salvation in Your Son, Jesus Christ. And, Father, when I do fall, mercifully bring me to sincere repentance and faith, and preserve me for Your eternal kingdom. I ask this for the sake of Jesus’ blood shed for me. Amen.
Why we ask these things of the Father
“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Matthew 6:13b
The Lord Jesus teaches us to pray to the Father and say, “Your kingdom come.” Indeed, the kingdom belongs to the LORD God, our heavenly Father; for He not only created all things, He is building and establishing His kingdom of grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. Though all other kingdoms of this world will pass away, His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom that will never end (cf. Daniel 2:44; Revelation 7:9-17; 19:16; 21:1ff.).
God the Father established this kingdom by sending His only begotten Son to suffer and die for the sins of the world and rise again. And, by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit, He calls His elect children to faith in Christ Jesus and gives them life in Jesus’ name, thus rescuing them from the kingdom of darkness and bringing them into the kingdom of His own dear Son, in whom there is forgiveness of sins through His shed blood.
It is as the Bible says, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
Thus, we pray to God the Father and trust that He can and will hear and answer our prayers because His is the kingdom and His is the power.
In His grace and mercy, God the Father has brought us to repent of our sinful ways and trust in His Son, and so He has brought us into His kingdom. By His gracious power and working, He has called us from spiritual darkness and death to life through faith in Christ Jesus. And, of course, He continually rules over all and works for the good of His children. He can and will provide us with our daily bread. He can and does lead us safely through this life, and He will deliver us from every temptation and attack of the devil, the world and our own sinful flesh upon us and bring us safely into His eternal and heavenly kingdom of glory.
And, His is the glory. He has done it all. He created us by His almighty Word. He redeemed us by the innocent sufferings and death of the Son, Jesus Christ. As He raised up Christ from the dead, so He, by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit through His Word, calls us from death to life through faith in Christ Jesus. He preserves His children in the faith and keeps them in His kingdom and He shall bring them to glory. All the glory is His!
The Bible tells us, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our salvation is entirely “to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:14).
Dear Father in heaven, we laud and praise Your holy name for creating us, redeeming us and making us Your own dear children through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers. “Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
The forgiven forgive
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15
Clearly connected to the petition, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” Jesus points out a truth we often are ready to forget: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Does our heavenly Father forgive our sins because we forgive others? No, but rather, we forgive others because He forgives us; and, if we are unwilling to forgive those who have sinned against us, it indicates that we have not really accepted and grasped God’s mercy toward us in Christ Jesus – His pardon and forgiveness won for us by the shed blood of His own dear Son. A refusal to forgive another who has offended us in some way, after God Himself so loved us that He sent His only begotten son into the world to suffer and die upon the cross for our sins and the sins of the world that we might be forgiven, is really a refusal to take hold of God’s mercy toward us in Christ Jesus.
In Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 18, verses 21 through 35, Jesus speaks of this further, illustrating with the parable of the servant who was forgiven a great, great debt by his master but who then would show no mercy and forgiveness toward a fellow servant who owed him a very small debt in comparison. Since the servant who had been forgiven so much was unwilling to show mercy to his fellow servant, he was delivered to the torturers until he paid all that was owed to his lord. Jesus concludes by saying: “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (v. 35).
Clearly, Jesus’ words are to us a warning against refusing to pardon and forgive others as we have been pardoned and forgiven by our heavenly Father for the sake of His Son, the crucified and risen Messiah and Savior. Rather than being without mercy and love in our dealings with others, the Scriptures encourage us to: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
And how can we do this? Consider your own sinfulness according to God’s law, and consider the great debt of sin God has forgiven you because He sent His only-begotten Son and punished Him in our stead. When we consider and receive God’s forgiveness in Christ Jesus, forgiving others for their sins against us will suddenly grow easier.
Dear Father in heaven, I have deserved nothing but Your wrath and punishment and am undeserving of the loving kindness and mercy which You have shown to me for the sake of the innocent sufferings and death of Your beloved Son in my stead. Thank You for graciously forgiving and pardoning my great debt of sin against You. Grant to me also a merciful and forgiving heart toward others who sin against me, that I may be like You and show mercy and loving kindness for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
What about fasting?
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:16-18
By our very nature, we desire and seek the praise of men. We seek recognition and acceptance and desire to be acknowledged for the things we have done.
This also creeps into our service for and worship of God. We want others to see our good works and to hold us in high regard.
For this very reason, Jesus warned His followers not to do their works to be seen and honored by men but for the glory of God, who created and redeemed all mankind.
Thus, when we fast, it should not be that others might see and acknowledge our religious service and work. Rather, it should be done in secret, for the purpose of devoting ourselves to the LORD God and His service. And, as Jesus says, our heavenly Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward us openly.
A believer in Christ Jesus – one who acknowledges his own sin and unworthiness before God and trusts in Jesus’ holy life and innocent sufferings and death upon the cross for salvation – serves the LORD God, not for his own glory, but for the glory of the God who has saved and redeemed him. He lives, not for Himself, but for Him who died for him and rose again (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:15).
Thus, if a believer chooses to fast, whether associated with repentance or devoting himself to prayer or some other good work which is in accord with God’s Word, it should be done before God and for His glory and not to be seen by men and to receive glory from men.
God will glorify those who through faith in Messiah Jesus glorify Him. He will humble those who seek their own glory and praise.
O dearest Jesus, forgive me for my selfish pride and ambition, for the sake of Your innocent sufferings and death in my stead, and cleanse my heart and soul that I might serve You with a pure heart and a right motive. To You be the glory and praise, now and forever. Amen.
Where is your heart?
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
Where is your heart? Is it in this world, or in the next? If you want to find out where your heart is, look at where your treasures are! If we live and work to amass things and riches here in this world, our hearts too are in the world.
But what does Jesus say? “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
When our treasures are in this world, we are filled with care and concern about maintaining them, preventing loss or damage, and even insuring them against theft and destruction. Earthly treasures are temporary. Things wear out. Property is stolen. Moths and rust corrupt. When we die, we leave everything behind; and ultimately all will be destroyed by fire at Christ’s return on the Last Day.
How much wiser to have our treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust can corrupt and where thieves cannot break in and steal! Then, when this world comes to a close, we will have treasures in heaven which will never be taken away from us.
How can we do this? By using the goods of this world which the LORD God entrusts to us to do His work and bring Him glory! Why treasure what we cannot keep, when we could use the temporal to gain treasures which are eternal? Indeed, God has given us all that we have that we might use it in a way which brings Him glory and honor and which furthers the work of His eternal kingdom here in this world. It dishonors Him when we selfishly treasure up this world’s goods for ourselves and our own sinful goals and ambitions.
The Lord Jesus laid down His very life in this world that He might win for us forgiveness of sins and the everlasting joys of heaven. As children of God through faith in Jesus Christ and citizens of heaven, our faith and hope will move us to part with our earthly treasures that we might have eternal treasures awaiting us when we join our Savior in the mansions of His Father’s house. In fact, if we cling tightly to the goods of this world, it is evidence that we are not clinging tightly to Christ our Savior; for He bids us walk with Him, serve the needs of our fellowman and lay down all for His kingdom.
Dear Lord Jesus, in mercy and compassion, You gave up the goods of this world to help those in need; and You willingly laid down Your life to bear the punishment for my sins and make me Your own. Forgive me for clinging too tightly to the goods of this world instead of clinging tightly to You and following in Your steps. Lead me in the way everlasting for the sake of Your holy and precious blood shed for my salvation. Amen.
How well do you see?
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23
If one’s eyes are good and he can see that which is illumined by the light, his whole body and life are full of light. That person can see what is around him and where he is going. But, on the other hand, if one’s eyes are bad and he cannot see the light, his whole body is full of darkness. That person cannot see where he is going and he gropes in endless darkness.
With this simple parable or illustration, Jesus is teaching about much more than the effects of good vision and blindness; He is speaking of spiritual sight and understanding. If one’s eyes are opened so that he can see and understand the message of Scripture – if he can see himself as God sees him and see Jesus for who He really is, his life will be full of light. He will acknowledge and agree with God about his utter sinfulness and look to Jesus, God’s own dear Son, and to His sufferings, death and resurrection for life and eternal salvation! Then he will see and know the pathway of life and will not grope about in spiritual darkness.
But if one’s eye is bad – if he cannot grasp and understand the message of the Holy Scriptures and does not see and acknowledge his utter sinfulness and look to Jesus and His innocent sufferings and death for forgiveness and life everlasting – his whole life is full of darkness. He may live a normal life here in this world; but he doesn’t really see and know why he’s here, nor does he have any assurance about the hereafter!
Often it happens that “the light that is in you is darkness.” A person thinks he knows and understands the way to heaven; but he doesn’t because he has gotten his ideas from some other source than the Scriptures. Thus, people assume that they can get into God’s kingdom by their own works and deeds, that God will accept them if they try or that there is some other way to be saved apart from faith in Jesus Christ and His blood shed upon the cross for mankind’s sin.
As Jesus says, “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness.” Those who think they know the way – who perhaps go to church and are active in various works – are often the hardest to reach with the truth of God’s Word. They see no need of it, for they are convinced that everything is OK with them. Thus they live their lives in darkness and don’t even realize it!
How can one’s eyes be opened that he might see? Only God can open the eyes of the blind. As Jesus opened the eyes of blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46ff.), so He can open our eyes and give us light; for He Himself is “the Light of the World.” Those who follow Him “shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).
God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). Through the hearing, reading and studying of God’s Word – the Bible – the Holy Spirit teaches us and opens our eyes that we might see the truth about ourselves and trust in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and life everlasting. Through the Scriptures, the Spirit leads and guides us to see and know the way of God in truth!
Open our eyes, dear Lord Jesus, that we might see and know the truth and trust in You, and You alone, for life and salvation. Amen.
[Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 (read 24-34)
It is easy for us to be overly concerned about earthly things such as what we will eat and what we will wear. Even in our affluent society where the thought of going without food or clothing is far from our minds, we still devote a great deal of time and energy into gathering and keeping an ample store of food, clothing and other things we deem necessary for our life and enjoyment.
Jesus tells us not to filled with worry and concern over such things as having enough food to eat, or enough clothing to wear. Using the examples of the birds whom God feeds even though they do not plant, reap or garner their food, and of the lilies of the field which are clothed in fairer dress than Solomon in all his glory though they quickly whither and are used as fuel for the fire, Jesus illustrates that God our Maker can and will care for our daily needs; for, indeed, we are of more value than the grass of the field or the birds of the air. And what good will worry do us? We cannot, by worrying, add to our stature or to the length of our lives!
Rather than being filled with worry and concern over our earthly wants and needs, Jesus would have us devote ourselves first and foremost to seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Jesus says: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Our first concern ought be seeking a place in God’s eternal kingdom and to be righteous in His eyes through faith in the Son, Jesus Christ!
As sinful human beings, we focus our attention on having the things we need and desire in this life instead of seeking after our greatest need, to have God’s forgiveness for all our sins for the sake of Jesus’ sufferings and death on the cross in our stead. We seek to cover our bodies and make them appealing to others instead of having God cover the guilt and shame of our sins with the perfect righteousness of His Son, Jesus. We seek to store up the goods of this world so that we will never be in need, and we neglect to nourish our souls with God’s life-giving Word that we might be preserved in the faith unto life everlasting.
Jesus tells us to focus on what is really important first—to follow after Him that we might have a place in His kingdom and be clothed in His righteousness. And He adds the promise that our heavenly Father will supply all our earthly needs as well.
And so, don’t be worried and overly concerned for tomorrow—each day has enough trouble of its own. Rather, follow Messiah Jesus that He might wash away your sins in His own blood, clothe you with His perfect righteousness and give you a place in His eternal kingdom!
Dear Father in heaven, forgive me for worrying about the needs of this life and neglecting my greatest need, forgiveness and life in Your only-begotten Son. Grant me a place in Your eternal kingdom and clothe me in Jesus’ righteousness. And, dear Lord, give me faith to seek after You first and to trust You to care for all my daily needs. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
