Daily Bread for Oct 6, Mt 5-6
Today’s readings are Mt 5-6.
As Malachi ended, we read the prophecy of the coming
Messiah (Mal 4:1-5). As far as inspired Scripture is concerned, we have nothing
for four hundred years following Malachi. Out of that silence, emerges John the
Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets. He was a herald of the
Messiah, proclaiming His arrival and the end of the era of the prophets.
Now, the Messiah has revealed Himself and begins His
ministry. Only, He is not just the Messiah, He is God incarnate, the word
has become flesh and is dwelling among His people. Israel is not only
blessed with a redeemer, but with God in person. What will their reaction be?
At first, it seems things go well (Mt 4:23-5:1), even
though His herald has been imprisoned. As the gospel narrative unfolds, we’ll
see that the Baptist’s incarceration is an ill omen of what is to come. If they
are going to throw the last of the prophets in prison what will they do to the One
he proclaims?
Christ delivers the Sermon on the Mount in Mt 5-7. It is
the greatest sermon in the Bible, the greatest of all time.
Each paragraph is a block in the foundation for Christ's
ministry, each a reflection, in some manner, of His character and nature. Jesus
is laying the groundwork for what He has come to do and what His ministry means
in these three chapters.
When reading the Beatitudes (Mt 5:2-7), rather than seeing
them as different types or groups of people that are to be blessed, we can
learn more by looking at them as the attributes of Christ, meant to become manifest
in each believer. With that premise set in these six verses, Jesus will then
expand upon each of them, setting the tone and standards for how we are to
live out the gospel and be His witnesses. This entire, phenomenal sermon is
based on the opening statements, the Beatitudes.
The expansion begins in Mt 5:13-17 where we see that we,
as believers, are to be living evidence of Christ on earth, giving glory to God
in our behavior and how we live.
Mt 5:17-20 tells us that the Law is fulfilled in Christ.
This is frequently misinterpreted as saying the law has been abolished and no
longer applies to believers. Mt 5:18 succinctly says that the law is not
abrogated by the arrival of Christ; there is still the demand for perfect
righteousness. That level of righteousness can only be found in Christ. So, the
lesson of the law in vs 17-20 must be coupled with the one of how we live in vs
13-17. Our desire for the righteousness described in 17-20 should be on display
in our behavior and our abhorrence of sin.
This desire for righteousness should temper any anger or
contempt we have for others (Mt 5:21-26). Likewise, lustful tendencies to
satisfy ourselves should be replaced with a desire to please God in how we live
(Mt 5:27-30. This extends to the marriage relationship (Mt 5:31-32) which is
intended to be a portrayal of Christ’s faithfulness to the church (Eph
5:20-33). Christ, not our mother’s grave, the lives of our children or even
“all that is in me or my heart,” is the standard for any oath or vow we may
utter (Mt 5:33-36). Because we are being molded into His image, believers
should not retaliate when attacked (Mt 5:38-39). They are to be chained neither
to their pride nor their possessions (Mt 5:40-41) but yoked fully and
without reservation to Christ. This attitude will show in how they approach
their enemies (Mt 5:43-48), loving them and praying for them rather than
allowing conflict to rule over how we interact with them.
None of this behavior is to be the object of pride or
self-admiration (Mt 6:1-4). We are to live in this manner to bring glory to God
and be living evidence of His presence among His people.
Because of this new mindset, our prayers are to be
God-centric, not self-focused (Mt 6:5-15), exalting God (Mt 6:9), asking that
His kingdom become manifest in our lives (Mt 6:10), trusting God for our daily
needs (Mt 6:11) and repenting from our daily sin as well (Mt 6:12). We are to
pray that God’s Spirit will lead us away from temptation and deliver us from
evil when we stumble (Mt 6:13).
We will be forgiven from our daily sins, but only to the
extent that we are forgiving of those who sin against us (Mt 6:14-15). As
believers, our lack of forgiveness does not condemn us to hell (Ro 8:1). But,
as we’ve seen in the history of Israel, while they remained His children, their
sin separated them from His fullest blessing, provision and protection.
Similarly, our daily sin, even though we are saved, will prevent us from
walking in the fullness of His blessing.
All we do, including our service, sacrifice and devotion to
our Father, should reflect the grace and blessing we have received (Mt
6:16-24). We should always be heavenly minded, keeping our eyes on our eternal
home rather than being distracted by temporal circumstances (Mt 6:25-34).
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