Matthew6:1-24  "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men..."

Jesus says we must choose.. to serve God or to serve "mammon"... riches or wealth or any other master.  As God's children, followers of Jesus Christ, we have made that choice.  We are looking at life from a different point of view.. from God's perspective instead of man's.  Our character is being reformed and transformed by the Holy Spirit and even our "righteous" actions will be different than before. 

Jesus gives some examples of ways our religious practices must change to conform to the Father's will. 

The giving of alms is an important part of many religions.  Jesus taught that the right way to give is privately.. .in secret.  It is not something to flaunt before others to be notices and honored.  It is not something to do in order to receive a reward of any kind from others.  We give "alms".. gifts of mercy and compassion and charity.. with a heart of love.. even as our Father in heaven has given to us in our spiritual poverty. 

Prayer is without a doubt a vital part of religious life. But, it is not meant to be a show.  It is not something to do in a proud or pious way.  Jesus teaches us to come humbly before our Father.. in secret. It is a time of sweet communion with the God of peace and comfort, Who has seen our great need and desires to fill our hunger and thirst for  righteousness with His Presence. 

Prayer is not supposed to be just words.. it is meant to be meaningful.  It is a conversation and a connection with Almighty God.. our Father, who is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving.  It is seeking Him and finding Him. It is remembering that He is the Life-giver and all things are in His hands and that He knows what we need.. It is about confession and repentance.. forgiveness and intercession. It is a Father and His child sitting together in a time of intimate fellowship. 

Fasting is another aspect of many religions. And once again we see how it has been and continues to be misused.  Jesus taught that we should fast secretly. No one else needs to be in on this.. it is between us and God . 

In verses 19-24 Jesus speaks about storing up treasures. We don't really consider this a religious  practice, but there are many who think that their blessings.. their wealth.. comes because of their "righteousness".  Jesus says that earthly treasures are corruptible... only treasures in heaven are lasting.  And, even more importantly.. "where your treasure is there will your heart be also." 

So, again we are confronted by the statement He makes in verse 24.. are we serving God.. in our giving, praying, fasting, and storing up of treasures?  Or are we serving ourselves?

Father in heaven, may Your Name be kept holy, may Your kingdom come, and may Your will be done! You are our provider.. of all that we need today. Have compassion on us once again we pray.  We praise and worship You. Amen. 

 Matthew 5:21-   Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law.. "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished."  Jesus Himself will do what we cannot do.. He will perfectly finish or fulfill the Law. It will take a righteousness that " surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees"... it will take a righteousness that only comes by faith in Christ the Lord. 

Jesus illustrates His point with these examples that miss the mark of God's perfect Law. 

The Law forbids murder, of course, but God's perfect will looks at hatred and anger and spite.. and unforgiveness as just as much a sin.  

The Law condemns adultery but God in His holy will desires that no marriage be marred with infidelity of any kind. 

The Law calls for "an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth.."  but what God desires for HIs children is a humble attitude that turns the cheek.. that forgives the persecuted.. that prays for the enemy. 

God's desire for His children is that we are so filled with His Spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord that we think and act and talk.. like Him. He wants us to love like He does. He wants us to be "perfect" as He is. 

Only Jesus can bring us into this perfection. Only His Spirit in us can bring us out of the law of sin and death and into the eternal life that Christ died to make possible.  

Father, once again we confess our poverty of spirit.. our lack of righteousness of our own and our great and desperate need for Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Fill us Spirit of God.. transform not just our minds and wills but our character.. that we  might truly be salt and light to this sin-filled world. We ask for Your power to live in the perfection of our Lord Jesus to the glory of Your holy Name.  amen. 

 Matthew 5: 13-20 As a disciple of Jesus.. a citizen of God's kingdom .. we are meant to  reflect His character more and more as His Spirit changes us from the inside.. out. 

  Jesus teaches us two specific ways we will do this:

"You are the salt of the earth.. "  We have a good purpose as the Lord's salt.. to flavor and preserve this world with His truth.  If we aren't "salty".. if we aren't exhibiting His truth in our lives and with our words.. then we are "tasteless" and "good for nothing" Jesus says. 

"You are the light of the world", Jesus says.  As light we have a purpose and function.. "to shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."  We are light that must not be hidden in order to complete its purpose. 

As Jesus came to fulfill or satisfy the Law and the Prophets.. we are called to shine our lights on the Truth of His Word.. to add the seasoning of God's grace and goodness to our own callings as citizens of the Kingdom of heaven.  To do this, Jesus says we need surpassing righteousness.  We need His righteousness that we receive from Him by faith.. faith that has recognized our spiritual poverty and found blessedness in Christ Jesus our Redeemer.  Faith that has mourned our sin sickness and found comfort in our gracious Savior.  Faith in the One who humbled Himself.. and who has shown us the way to true humility and meekness.  Faith in our Lord who satisfies our hunger and thirst for His righteousness. 

Father in heaven, make my faith complete in Christ Jesus who is the author and the finisher of all faith. Make me salt that seasons my world with grace and truth by the power of Jesus who abides in me.  Let the light of Your salvation shine through my life.. my words and actions.. so that You are glorified!  I ask this in the Name of Jesus, my Lord and King. Amen.

 Matthew 5:8-12 

I see a progression through these pronouncements that Jesus is making.. as He comes to abide in us in our poverty and through our mourning and humbling of ourselves.. as we develop a hunger for Him and His righteousness and experience His mercy.. we become more like Him!  And we are indeed "blessed"!

In verse 8 Jesus tells us that there is a blessedness found in having a pure heart.  The only way we can have such a heart is to have Jesus abiding therein.  When He abides in us to such a degree that our hearts are made clean.. then.. He says... we shall "see God".  There is a wonder.. an awesomeness.. to this new reality. We cannot imagine any other way that this would be possible.. but Jesus blesses us with this privilege.  

Jesus then calls us blessed.. to be peacemakers.. to be called God's children and to reflect His character .. for He is the God of peace.  Jesus came as the "Prince of peace".. He came to make peace between sinful mankind and the Holy One.  He wants us to show others the way of this peace.. the way to Himself. (v9)

Verse 10-12.... Jesus teaches that even persecution "for the sake of righteousness" or because of Him... we find a blessedness. "Rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets before you." 

Father in heaven, You have given to us a perfect Savior who has come to make us new.. to do in us what we can never do on our own. Fill us with all the fullness of the Lord Jesus we ask.. rejoicing with thankful hearts that You are willing and able to perfect in us Your good purpose. Amen. 

 Matthew 5:6-7-   We begin to know Jesus more and more as we take in His words... as the Spirit opens our eyes and hearts to these truths.  Our "blessedness" begins when we confess our poverty of spirit and receive the gift of God's kingdom through Jesus Christ.  We have mourned and we have been humbled as we come into His holy presence and fall on our faces before Him. He begins to transform us as He abides in us and we in Him.. .

In verse 6 Jesus tells us that there is blessedness found in our "hunger and thirst for righteousness".  He has met us in our poverty and sorrow.. He has come into our lives to produce His desires in us..  He gives us an all consuming desire to be righteous before Him.. to please the Father.. to glorify the name that is above all names. It is Christ, Himself, who produces this hunger and who satisfies us with Himself.  He is our righteousness.  Only Jesus can satisfy that daily need.. and He does so with abundance! Praise His name!

Verse 7.. Jesus tells us that there is a blessedness in being merciful.  It is a quality that He has shown over and over again.. indeed His mercies are new every morning!  As He abides in us and we grow in the grace and the knowledge of our merciful Savior.. we reflect this precious characteristic. We receive mercy and we practice mercy.  James 2:12-13 "So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgement will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgement."  Yes, there is a blessedness that can be seen and felt when we have shown mercy as well as when we receive it. 

Father in heaven, let Your name be exalted in all the earth! May Your will be done and Your kingdom come. Father, conform us to the image of Your Beloved Son.. in righteousness and in mercy.  My desire today is to be all that You want me to be.. Have Your own way in me today. Abide in me Jesus as I desire with all my heart to abide in You.  Amen. 

 Matthew 5 This is the sermon that Jesus preached.. probably more than once, I would think.  It is the culmination of every message.. full and complete.. exposing the Truth of what it takes to be God's child. Remembering that Jesus spoke these words to the multitudes and to His disciples.. to "teach" them what they had not learned from the religious leaders of that day..  that I want to hear what He wants to teach me this time.. as I once again mediate on this passage. 

What does it mean to be "blessed"?  Isn't it more than just being happy or satisfied?  Once commentary suggests that it speaks of a "quality of God".. of being indwelt by God with God's nature within...

Therefore we are blessed to be  "poor in spirit".. to know that we are utterly helpless.. and to be completely humbled at our inability to have any spiritual life except for the life of Christ that dwells within us.  That is a blessed state, for then and only then does He give us His kingdom.

We are blessed to be mourners. We have felt the grief of sin, or sorrow, and of death. That grief has led us to the One who comforts us with His Presence. He takes our sin and our sorrows.. our burdens.. our grief...and He bears them Himself.. It is in this precious abiding .. Christ abiding in us and we abiding in Him.. that we experience blessedness as He, Himself, is our Comfort. 

We are blessed to be "meek" or "gentle".. or "humble".  We have come to know the One who is greater, who humbled Himself on a cruel cross, who "although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8)  What a blessedness to be conformed to His likeness!  Jesus says that we will "inherit the earth" as a result of this deep abiding with Him.  As we learn in Romans 8:17 we are "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.." 

Father in heaven,  every spiritual blessing has come from You, our God and Father.  You have chosen us "before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before" You.  In love You have called us, adopted us, bestowed Your grace on us, redeemed us, and have made known the mysteries of Christ and Your eternal kingdom. We confess our poverty, we mourn our sin and failures, and we yield to Your Spirit that we might be gentle and meek as our Lord Jesus was and is.  Oh abide in us sweet Spirit of Christ we pray.. Amen. 

 Matthew 4  Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to a wilderness that was isolated and sparse.. " to be tempted by the devil."  .  There He fasted for 40 days and nights.  When he became hungry "the tempter came.." saying, " If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 

Satan knew that Jesus was the Son of God.. didn't he?  Yet, he still tried to manipulate Him.  Do we doubt that he also tries to manipulate us?  He made Eve doubt in the garden.. but he could not make Jesus doubt in the wilderness! "Is is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." 

Jesus had no need to obey Satan's instructions.. He is the Bread of Life!  He is the Word that became flesh! He would not question His Father's provision. 

Satan tried to get Jesus to test His Father's promises to have the angels protect Him from falling off of the pinnacle of the temple.. but Jesus would not do that either..  Nor would He ever worship any one or any thing besides the Lord God.. especially not the lying devil... even for "all the kingdoms of the world". 

The angels did come to Jesus after the devil failed and left Him.  They ministered to Him there as He prepared to enter into the ministry that He had been born to do.. " and Jesus was going about in all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people." (v23) 

 Jesus came to fulfill prophecy.. to bring salvation.. to rescue us from the deceiver.. and to bring us true life.  He didn't turn stones into bread.. but He became the broken bread.. the true Bread of Heaven.. that provides Life to all who will believe in Him.  Jesus did not throw Himself down from the temple to see if the Father would send the angels to rescue Him.. but He laid down His life on a wooden cross so that He could rescue us from the dominion of darkness!  Jesus did not take from Satan the kingdoms of this world in exchange for worship.. But, God will give Him the nations because they are His.. not Satan's to give.  Jesus is "the appointed heir of all things"! 

Father in heaven, may Your Spirit of wisdom and understanding.. of knowledge and strength.. fill us with the Truth of Who Jesus is.. "the radiance of [Your] glory and the exact representation of [Your nature.]." He upholds all things. He made purification of sins possible. He sits at the right hand of the throne on high. May we behold His majesty and splendor.. may we know His power and grace. Be exalted O God! We praise You, Lord Jesus!  Open our ears, Lord, so that we might hear Your voice and walk in the truth of Your Word. In the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.