2.01 Reading Notes on Matthew 9:1-8

Matthew 9

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

9 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man,lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

Jesus crossed over the Jordan heading westward from Gadara, in the Decapolis, to Nazareth.

The teachers of the law, meaning scribes (professionals trained in writing and reading and thus matters pertaining to the written laws) and/or Pharisees (laymen who took up the task of maintaining and teaching the law from the time of the Babylonian captivity onward, after the temple was obliterated).  This may exclude the Sadduccees in this case as a group.  It's possible some scribes were Sadduccees.  The latter group derives from the priesthood but one didn't need to be priest apparently to be a Sadduccee.  This group took a liberal approach to the Torah and was viewed by the Pharisees as having sold out to materialism and secularism.  The esteem of Pharisees by the people as keeping the traditions and laws is now in stark contrast to the party of the priests.

These teachers accuse Jesus of blasphemy in forgiving sins (cf. Luke 5:17-26 "Only God can forgive sins").  Evidently they are either close enough to the healing to have heard this, or others repeated it.  Rather than confront Jesus openly, they grumble to each other.  Jesus doesn't hear it yet knows what they are thinking.

"Which is easier to say?"  Here the question is rhetorical since "your sins are forgiven" has no obvious, physical proof for display.  One can say it casually, without fear of discovery if false.  On the other hand the efficacy of "Get up and walk" can be easily proven or disproven.  Beyond a more passive "you are healed and can walk" it is a command begging a demonstration.  Jesus doesn't say he is healed, he orders him to demonstrate what is only possible if he already is.  This is dramatic, then, and a direct response to the teachers of the law.

Technically, from the divine standpoint this is not a logical argument, since forgiving sins (as the teachers have noted) is entirely God's domain, whereas human prophets have healed through God's delegated power.  Lesser to the greater is not a conclusive form of argument.  But from a man's standpoint, from what can be verified by human observation, the "get up and walk" statement is a reasonable start for Jesus asserting his credibility.

"So you know the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" Jesus orders the man to take up his mat and walk home, which he promptly did.

The crowd understood.  Again, not a solid demonstration or reception that he is properly God in nature, or even an absolute proof the God has delegated what cannot be verified by human observation (forgiveness of sins).  They still see him as a man but recognize that his authority at least to heal has come from God.  That establishes credibility in teaching. It doesn't even say specifically that they accepted his authority to forgive sins.  The authority that amazed them was that to heal, despite Jesus' aim to establish authority for something greater.  But maybe some believed.

Analyzed this way, this language, sparse in outlining the miracle's effect on the people in terms of forgiveness of sins, feels somewhat anticlimactic when compared to Jesus' other miracles in other parts of Israel. But then this is Nazareth.  At the end of Matt 13 (by then he has circled from Nazareth around the Galilee and returned to teach at his hometown's synagogue) he confirms this to us with "a prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home".  He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Matt 13:58)

2.01 Reading Notes on Matthew 8

Matthew 8

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

8 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

The Faith of the Centurion

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

vv.1-8

Jesus often told people not to tell anyone about his miracles.  Why?

In Luke 5:14 he tells the man he healed about leprosy to show himself to the priest (to be declared clean) but not to tell anyone.  “Yet the news about him spread all the more…so that… people came… to hear him and to be healed…”  Apparently either others simply found out or the man directly told them.

In Mk 1:44 I think this is the same story.  Here we find out the man did immediately spread the word and talked freely.  One result was that Jesus was so mobbed in towns that he had to stay outside, and people still came to him.

The same thing happens in Matt 9:31 after Jesus heals two blind men and mute who can’t stop talking about it.  Probably elsewhere too.

This could simply have been a practical matter; that knowing about his healing prevented preaching.

Yet, there was another thing.  In Matt 16, v20, after Peter confesses that he is the Christ/Anointed, Jesus tells him not to tell this to anyone.

In Mark 1:25 Jesus tells the demons to be quiet after they recognized him as the Holy One of God.

Some theologians expect that Jesus, far from attempting to defend his incarnate deity outright took pains to hide the obvious conclusion that he was far above any angel or human being.  They suggest that this is because if the disciples and others knew who he was, he would never have been crucified, and if he was there the people might have at least superficially followed him.  As long as they mistook him for a man, even a great man, he could have a relationship with his disciples and be a simple threat to be crucified and bear sins before God.

vv.5-13

When the centurion comes to Jesus to heal his servant, his logic is very interesting.  First, as a Gentile, he’s not too proud to be angry that Jews did not enter Gentile homes, but he even accepts it.  He calls Jesus “Lord” and admits he doesn’t deserve Him under his roof, debasing a normal Roman where the subjugated Jews are concerned. The centurion himself appeared in person to Jesus, rather than attempting to summon Him using a servant, highlighting Jesus’ superiority.

He also is comfortable with authority, ordering people around, but he understands that Jesus has a transcendent authority over things normal people can’t command.  Somehow ordering people around translates into a belief that Jesus’ orders apply as easily and naturally to nature itself.

Typically, where miracles and healings are concerned, this is a local effect where the healer is in proximity with the healed.  Most of the Jesus’ healings were like this, with the woman touching the hem of his robe, Jesus putting salve into a man’s eyes, telling a man lowered into the same house to rise, or simply commanding demons to come out of the possessed Gadarene man.  Elijah and Elisha had similar healings.  So did Paul.  So did Paul’s healer, Ananias.  Jesus even asked if the centurion wished Him to come to his house.

In such case, because proximity is common, we become familiar with the idea of healing being commonly a transferring of power, of life essence, something entirely specific and localized.  God deals locally.

The centurion, however, assumes that Jesus has the power to command the same effects from a distance.  This is an admission that Jesus isn’t simply lord over this specific life or illness, but that he is lord over all life, all illnesses.  The centurion acknowledges this in his statement that, effectively, Jesus can do from afar then same as he has done in person.  This is something that is unparalleled in Jewish history to date, and even in Jesus’ ministry.  The centurion realizes his lack of limitation and thus a greater mastery of life than others believe.

Unsurprisingly, Jesus is impressed by the man’s faith and reveals that the “sons of the Kingdom” will be thrown out, and people from all over the world will sit next to the Jewish patriarchs.  In fact, though the word is literally “sons” of the Kingdom, it is often translated instead as subjects.  Sons (used elsewhere) implies a descent from someone and an inheritance.  Subjects refers to being under someone.  The subjects of the Kingdom (Israel) were subject officially to God even then, or at least they prided themselves in being subject to God, but of course they weren’t.  This is in contrast with a Gentile centurion who came to Jesus in humility, acknowledging his superiority in behavior, and then in words, recognizing him as a higher authority.  As much as “son” is the right word, the translations reflect also a theme of subjection, in contrast that of the Gentile with those natural born sons of Abraham.

Here, we also get a picture of hell: outside, outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth.  The outer darkness is often a description of the region outside a house, or city.  Houses in those days weren’t like ours in the States, but in some cases more like some of the better ones in your country and the Middle East and Asia, where you have small compound walls and courtyards and windows face inwardly. The inner darkness, where there is still light from the building, is in the courtyard.  Outer darkness is outside the walls, where there would be little light shining out.  Further, there is no mention of an end to the “weeping and gnashing/grinding of teeth”, something associated with great sorrow and destitution.  This doesn’t prove hell is eternal, but it’s weird if Jesus believed in an end to punishment when the surrounding society didn’t.

So he orders the Centurion to go and tells him it’s already taken care of, the way a man of authority would and the way a man with authority would understand.

Jesus Heals Many

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities
    and bore our diseases.”[b]

vv.14-17

We see Isaiah 53’s prophecy fulfilled partly with Jesus healing tons and tons of people.  In fact, if you go through the Gospels, it’s not a hard stretch to say that he pretty much banished sickness and disease from all Israel.

When John the Baptist was in prison (in Matt 11), discouraged, wondering if Jesus really was the Messiah, Jesus doesn’t directly answer him, but tells him that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the Gospel is preached, all this is according to the prophecies of Messiah and John is reassured without need for Jesus to say yes and defend himself.  The evidence is obvious.

The Cost of Following Jesus

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

vv.18-22

Unlike many, Jesus didn’t have to encourage and convince others to follow him.  By the time he called the Twelve they knew him and pretty much came without question.  Many others followed (John 6).  Jesus told them the truth about following him.  When a teacher of the law (respected; if a Pharisee, probably moderately well off if he could afford time to study; if a scribe, he had a lucrative profession; perhaps a priest, but the priests weren’t very spiritual) asks to follow him, Jesus tells him that he doesn’t even have what the animals have: a modest home or place to lay his head.

Another disciple wants to go home and bury his father.  It’s possible his father had just died.  Then again, if his father had died and burial was so important, he would likely already be burying his father, taking care of the estate and family, etc.  Jesus probably could wait a day for that.

More likely his father is old but alive, and the man is waiting to finish his son’s duties or maybe for the inheritance.  Jesus can thus respond let the (living) dead bury the (living) dead, and tell the man to follow him.  He turns a statement about expectant physical death into a metaphor for spiritual death.  Adam died the day he ate the fruit – God didn’t lie – but it took him many years more to get to the grave.  We make it so complicated trying to simplify the texts so that all death is really physical death.

But if we’re to fear God who can destroy the body and soul in hell (Matt 10:28, above the man who can destroy the body but cannot kill the soul, then there’s something God can kill that man can’t.  Even my dad grudgingly admits that something continues to exist though he strips it of any thought, will or consciousness.  It’s not as simple as a loss of “breath” means a loss of that same life breathed in.

Jesus Calms the Storm

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

vv.23-27

The interesting thing is that the disciples, most of them trained sailors who’d seen the worst the weather could offer to a boat, were afraid of such a storm.  Yet, when the storm was instantly calmed by Jesus, Luke 8:24 records that, beyond amazement they were afraid! They were now less afraid of that great storm than they were of a man who controlled such weather as if it were an easy thing.

And we often forget that when the disciples are rebuked for lack of faith, it’s not necessarily a lack of faith in themselves (as many like to speculate; as if simply by believing we won’t be touched by any danger, we won’t be).  Was it Peter’s lack of faith in his ability to walk on water, or that (as Matt 14:28-29 reads) he’d boldly placed his belief in Christ telling him to walk on water and when he saw the water he doubted?

Matt 17’s “faith the size of a mustard seed” doesn’t refer to some Zen-like command over mountains.  The disciples asked why they couldn’t drive out a demon, surprised because they likely expected and believed they could.  Jesus called them, the disciples, an unbelieving and perverse generation.  How long will he stay around (how long had he already been with them)?  In fact they’d been with him a few years already.

Mark 9 gives a more detailed account of the exorcism.  When the disciples ask Jesus, Jesus tells them that this demon only comes out by prayer.  You’re praying to God.  God is the source of the exorcism.  If they thought somehow that suddenly they had the power to do such things, they’d missed the point all along.  The power isn’t transferred; it is always coming from God.  The faith they were to have wasn’t in themselves but a faith in God.  And if they had even the smallest bit of it, they could move mountains.  Nothing will be impossible.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also and GREATER works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.  And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye ask anything in My Name I will do it. (John 14:15)

At that day ye shall ask in MY  NAME: and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from Him. (John 16:27)

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men

28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,[c] two demon-possessedmen coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

vv.28-34

It’s interesting that the demons recognized exactly who Jesus was, unlike most people.  It’s also interesting, their view of eschatology.  They expected “torture” at “the appointed time”.  They also expected Jesus was the one who’d be doing the torturing.  They knew it was coming and they also knew that this time wasn’t it, so they were surprised that Jesus was there.

They begged Jesus to be sent into a herd of pigs.  This is reminiscent of Jesus’s words in Luke 8 and Matt 12.  When a demon is exorcised (why else would he leave? And when else did one leave in the Bible?) it roams about, discontent, remembers “home”, returns and finds it put in order (i.e. the man’s life is back together).  He then brings seven other demons more wicked and the man’s condition is worse than in the beginning.  Jesus says that is how it will be with this wicked generation (the same that keeps asking for a sign).  In a sense, Jesus has been performing an exorcism on a large scale throughout the nation of Israel, ridding it of illness, disease, lies about God, false religion.  Who in their right mind asks for still more signs?  But he didn’t conform to the image they had of the Messiah and they didn’t want to believe his miracles because it would force them to believe him.  Israel’s condition would be worse after Jesus (and it was) than before.  They would lose their nation and their temple.  The house that had been swept in order by Jesus recently, that had for hundreds of years been reconstituted as a nation, had only 40 years more life left in it.

Tragically, but fittingly, the inhabitants of the nearby town were more afraid of Jesus, that he cast out the demons than the man who had been so horribly violent while possessed that no one could pass in his area, that they begged him to leave.  Nevermind that he is the Son of God come to rescue sinners, they want him gone.

Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there.  The man, after the exorcism, got dressed and had sat down with Jesus and apparently was conversant enough with him to be recognized as being “in his right mind”.  He begged Jesus to be allowed to follow him but Jesus sent him away to proclaim how much God did for him.  Interestingly enough, he returns home and tells how much Jesus did for him.  According to Mark 5 he told more than his family, and began preaching to the Decapolis (Ten Cities region east of the Jordan) so in a sense, he’s Jesus’ first Gentile evangelist.

2.01 Reading Notes on Matthew 7

Vv.1-6

What I notice here is not so much a prohibition to judge, period, but a definition of how judgment works and how we should judge others.  In the first verses, we are warned not to judge based on the predisposition of people to judge harsher than they would want to be judged; and God will apply your standards to yourself.  Mercy is logical, then, because we want mercy.  Lack of mercy is suicidal.  But it’s not saying judgment itself is bad.

Then judgment is given a focus of helping people, likely because we often claim we are judging people so we can help them.  Of course, secretly we don’t really expect them to want to change nor do we tailor our criticisms or condemnations with grace to encourage them.  We just suggest we didn’t mean the offense and it’s their fault for “taking it wrong”.

The model is to clean up our life so that we can help others with their lives.  If we’re going to judge, we better have the right motives as well as the right life.

And just in case we get overzealous about “helping people”, criticize people judiciously.  You don’t walk into a strip-joint and start preaching moralism.  Holy living is sacred; preach it to people who want it.  Else they may react badly, tearing up both your words and then you.

Vv. 7-12

Related to the previous part, when we ask for good gifts, our Heavenly Father gives good gifts.  Because we receive the goodness of God, we should do to others the way we want others to do to us, keeping in mind that what we want ultimately is what God brings.  Which means, expecting and wanting the good things of God, we want similar good things from people – we want that level of goodness.  So in keeping with what we want, we are commanded to do that same good to others.

Which is the sum of the Old Testament commandments.  It removes the possible exception of someone saying “well I don’t really expect much from people” implying they won’t give much either, by fixing our expecting and desire for goodness on God’s level of giving, which exceeds the goodness that evil people do to those they love.

Vv. 13-14

Speaking of hard things to do, hard things to obey God in, we have the command to enter the narrow gate.  Maybe Jesus used this illustration a lot when he preached something hard to do, warning that many would take an easier way, and reiterating that only the harder way leads to life.  Here we simply know that only a few find the small gate and narrow road while many enter on the broad road.

Many people got the message.  In Luke 13:23 someone asked him to confirm that only a few people will be saved.  Here, Jesus tells us many will actually try to enter the narrow way and not be able.  So this is why they get on the easier way, hoping it will take them to the same place.  Now we know many are at least looking for the narrow way and to a superficial degree find it.  Further, the narrow way will close and there will still be people trying to get on it, who will be turned away.  People are looking for it.  These aren’t atheists, these are people who are actively looking for a way to heaven, but they are unwilling to let go of what prevents them from getting on that narrow way.

In Luke their claim to admission is their association with Jesus: they ate and drank with him (they went to the same parties) and Jesus taught in their streets (which says nothing of their belief in him).  But he doesn’t know them and calls them evil doers.  So the narrow way here is associated with righteousness.  Evil is turned away.

Vv.15-23

Maybe linked to this is that among the same large group of people looking for the narrow way, of those who settle on the broad road there will be false prophets.  You recognize them by their works; what they do; how they live.

These are professing Christians, people who will use their supposed similar attachment to Christ to influence you.  They don’t just call Jesus “Lord”, but “Lord, Lord” which implies a pleading, an insistence, and a familiarity with Jesus.  It’s not just an honorific term to them.  Without any doubt of who he is, they will not hesitate to use the term often to remove doubt from Jesus or anyone else.  Only those who do God’s will go to heaven.  The amazing thing is what some of these people do: prophesying, miracles, even driving out demons?  All in Jesus’ name.  Yet it has nothing to do with God.  So it’s not the miracles or prophecies or other extraordinary, amazing deeds that can be taken as evidence, but simply doing God’s will.  Here, unlike in Luke, they did great, awesome things, but are revealed as people “who practice lawlessness” or “who work iniquity/sin”.  So despite the miracles, their lives are categorized by consistent practice of sin.

I’m reminded of Matt 19, where Jesus after asking the one thing the pious, zealous rich man wouldn’t give up, says that it is easier for the camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to be saved, the disciples ask “who, then, can be saved?”  Which, of course implies that this is not some camel going through the “Needle Gate” by kneeling, but something that’s impossible.  And Jesus admits that it’s impossible for man to make himself saved, but even such an impossibility is possible for God.

Vv. 24-28

In keeping with those who do the will of God going to heaven, Jesus remarks that doing what he says, practicing it, is like a wise man who builds a house on rock.  Here, it’s an issue of foundations.  If you hear Jesus’ words, but don’t practice them, it’s like building on sand.  The weather will tear it down.

It’s different from 1 Cor 3 where Paul uses a similar comparison, talking about two people who build their houses on rock, but in building with different materials, only one house stands.  There the foundation stands, it’s the same Christ, and both people are saved, but their works stand and fall; one is saved to great reward (in the context of his life’s ministry) and the other is saved but loses a lot.  Taking the two together, you can practice the things Jesus commands, God’s will, and be saved, but you can give the wrong message to others by short-selling the Gospel and your entire life’s ministry will be worthless.  As much as we may want to go out to everyone and preach that God loves them and leave it at that, if we’re not calling for repentance, and warning of judgment if necessary, they leave with a wrong view of God and of the immediate necessity of change.

The last thing is that it doesn’t say that the people actually responded to Jesus by doing those things, just that they were amazed; his preaching with authority wasn’t like the teachers of the law.  And there’s truth to that.  Listen to a lot of liberals, whether secular or (especially) religious.  They like ambiguities.  It makes them seem smart that they are able to live with all these questions and complexities and not need to answer them.  You know the people who are comfortable saying “ya, I’m not really sure where I’m going after I die…” and don’t bother to try to figure it out.  Drives me nuts!  But it makes them seem stronger than all the little people who have to have answers.   Listen to Richard Dawkins preach an a-theistic evolution, how he looks down at those poor, pitiful creatures who aren't strong enough to live in a world without a God whose existence  solves many of their questions; it's a stronger thing to live in a world with more questions than answers and not go crazy.

Liberals feed off of attacking and breaking down accepted traditions.  When conservatives often argue, it's about which paradigm is right.  They both have plans; they both ought to recognize that plans have real-world consequences and be careful about moving to rashly and quickly and impulsively. 

Liberals don’t need to have plans that are as well defined Their power is in attacking the status quo, breaking tradition, and thus seeming above those traditions; not tied to them.  They don't have to be so much about building, clarifying, simplifying something so it can be useful.

So Jesus taught with authority.  He got no power from drawing fine, impractical distinctions in his language, or being unclear at all.  And people responded to him, especially the poor people who probably looked up to the teachers of the law, but because they could rarely understand exactly what they were saying or meaning, gave up trying to understand why it was so important.

Jesus’ power was in saying exactly the truth and what was important.  And he could say it with certainties no man could because he was the eternal Son of God, who long ago made the same laws he now found himself obeying.

2.01 Reading Notes on Matthew 6

Matt 6:1-4

The Pharisees had subtle and not-so-subtle ways of calling attention to their good deeds to help the public acknowledge their good works.  May some of them deluded themselves that this was to provide a good example to follow so, even if it was a little gauche, they humbled themselves by not being modest, which helped others understand the better path.

I’ve gotten to see a lot of this at church.  Keep in mind, this becomes a big issue when the theology is good, when you at least understand that technically good works don’t buy your way to heaven.  But maybe it doesn’t matter if other’s see?  It is kind of anticlimactic if a good work doesn’t accomplish anything… that is, aside from the work itself.  It’s a matter of efficiency, right…?

So you don’t go out of your way to hide your goodness.  Maybe you put it a little on display?  Maybe you realize that, when everyone’s talking about godly people, it’s a good idea to appear godly.  It’s a good idea to appear as godly as you really are.  Why should it matter if people just discover that you’re godly?

That was my justification.  Subtle.  Gradual.  I still feel that way sometimes.  Now, more than ever, knowing that good works are simply the sign of sanctification (they’re a proof of a condition, but otherwise useless since God doesn’t choose according to works), there are points when, feeling like more credit is given to others, I find it very hard to not tell people about some of the things I’m most proud of.  It’s insidious, really; it eats at me that other people might not know how good I am.  And at the same time I have that knowledge that there are many more things I hope no one knows; the things I’d rather not know that prove how rotten I am before God.  And maybe my good works can help me forget the rest, and help others forget too.

I find it’s hard to have that personal relationship with God; no one blows trumpets, but to do good works entirely in secret, just between you and God?  I found how much I’m a sinner simply processing that concept in my own heart.  It really is counter intuitive.  After all, I have a reputation to keep with people.

Matt 6:5-18

Prayer became easier when I first converted and I spent my day in the Bible, researching and debating.  But once I was stable and solid, I didn’t study much, and my prayer life suffered.  I hated so many of the Bible Student prayers that just seemed like more, dry, stale preaching to the crowd rather than talking with God.  Following my old boss’ example, I started praying from the heart.  And discovered that many Bible Student friends appreciated such a heartfelt prayer.  And I found, because I thought and felt deeply, that when I came to Grace other’s appreciated it too.  And despite that I had started from the heart, I found I prayed much better in public because I now, using the heart’s words, could craft an appropriate prayer, but I couldn’t with God because God knows my words and heart.  Prayer is about relationship, and as mine deteriorated, even praying a “heartfelt” prayer became empty.  And yet, I found it became easier to pray publicly.  Sometimes, good public prayer because your own mask to hide what your prayer life really is like.  No wonder the Pharisees got good at it; they were trying to impress themselves as well as others; if others thought them holy, maybe they were and they could put aside their secret doubts.

A lot of people pray by repetition.  Even if not pagan, maybe they say “Hail Mary” twenty times or maybe they use the same stock phrases.  Bible Students are good at that, often using the same language Russell used a century ago.  That’s why we as kids wondered when we might consecrate, because we figured we’d have to learn an incredible amount of vocabulary, believing also that such vocabulary coincided with an incredible understanding of the Bible.  If consecrated people talk like that, it’s way beyond our experience.  A lot of groups do that.  Repetition means determination and endurance; others can admire the effort; maybe God can too.  Esoteric phrases simply sound impressive to others, and if the lesser people are awed by it, maybe it means you’ve achieved something.  And maybe, the finer you talk, the less most people understand you; and maybe they may never find out that you stand below them.  The same things that convince others we’re farther than they are help blind them to how far behind me might be.  It’s a tactic.

It’s interesting the pattern Jesus gives: true prayer begins with an acknowledgement of who God is, that he’s in heaven, and a desire that his name be exalted, separate; that people keep it holy.  It begins with a desire for the things closest to God’s heart, which he desires: that his promised kingdom will come, and that his will may be done on Earth also.  And only then, do we ask God, not to provide for the specific desires of today, but for the things he always provides, which we’re most likely to take for granted.  Things like food.  Like v.8 tells us, God already knows what we want and need.  We don’t need to repeat our desires for the specifics, but rather we need to not forget the things he always provides, remembering that even the most basic things we’ve come to rely on and expect, come by his provision.

There’s also a subtle threat in this prayer as well as an implication.  God, forgive our sins.  Not just my own, but yours too.  We’re all in this together.  But not just yours but mine too.  It’s my sin, and it’s Adams, and we all need the same forgiveness.  God, forgive our sins as we forgive others implies that we are forgiving as well.  But God, forgive our sins as we forgive others reminds us that God help us if we, hoping for forgiveness, are not forgiving, lest God forgive us in the same way we really forgive others.

And finally, lead us away from temptation; don’t let us yield to it; keep us from it; don’t lead us anywhere near it.  God isn’t the author of evil, but he does allow trials in our lives, and maybe we pray that he doesn’t let us go to close to where we secretly know our greatest, most damning temptations are.  We spend our lives racing from our greatest demons, not necessarily to God, but at least hoping to stay just a little ahead of what we know will drag us under.  Often we see others dragged under and while we’re eager to share with friends that apparent weakness of others we wonder deep down what our price is; what would cause our demise.  God, don’t let us get close to our temptations, keep us away, and rescue us from the evil one; we, if offered the right things, may fall into our temptation, but the devil is there to help us along, gloating, setting us up.  Our natural weaknesses would be enough to damn us eventually, but he’s there to make it worse and quicker.  God, rescue us from ourselves and from him.

When we fast, it’s a noble thing for God, something we rarely do now.  Maybe it cleanses us, maybe it’s a reset button for our lives, weakening and slowing us, maybe it helps us think more clearly, not being able to take advantage of the things we usually do.  But it becomes easy for us, especially Christians, to glorify suffering and persecution, and sometimes you can get to the point where you start to think you’re as holy as people think you are.  You start to look like those pitiful Catholic paintings of the suffering saints lifting their pious heads.  It doesn’t have to be obvious, just subtle enough and noticeable enough.  We ought to keep our good works secret and our suffering secret.  Sometimes, the only friend who’s opinion matters is God’s, and to let others in who can do nothing else but watch and admire, damages that sacred trust and bond.

Matt 6:19-34

In keeping with that, we’re encouraged to keep our sufferings and our noble efforts in God’s hands, in heaven.  Our treasures on earth, our efforts here, if we do them for our own ambitions or to impress mere men; it all vanishes in time.  People forget; maybe they never cared.  Everything changes and we could devote our lives simply to maintaining what we already have, let alone gaining more; and it’s not ours once we die.  Only God awaits us.

Your eye, your ability to see is quite literally a way of taking in light to your body, of processing it; a metaphor for our spiritual condition.  When our conscience is good we experience the glories that are God and God’s life in the Spirit.  But if we’re hardened to it, that life doesn’t come it.  Yet, a delusion is far worse.  If we’re hardened to spiritual life, at least we may feel empty; maybe the sinner feels in his soul that he’s running.  I feel this when I’m sinning; like speeding on the freeway, something I find I’m doing more of, not less; and in those moments I’m painfully aware of rebellion, of not wanting God there!  I grip myself with resolve and determination, push my foot farther down and my car is flying, almost… like I’m running from God.  And I know it.  There must be moments in your life when you are pushing yourself, and you know you are doing it so you won’t have to face God, as if we could run far enough away that we could live our lives the way we want.  It’s childish, but at least it’s so obvious that we mind understand it while there’s still time to slow down.

But maybe this becomes the pattern of a life, and when confronted by another, we’ll put up our strongest defense and finally make the critic look foolish.  Never mind that he’s right, but he has no right to judge us.  Look at his life.  What about the log brother?  So really, at least I’m not the hypocrite.  At least… and in the space of years, maybe you can just silence that conscience enough, maybe you can convince yourself that you’re spiritual, maybe you will find any religion, any philosophy, to prop up your self-determined way of living.  Your peace with God will be on your terms.  You will control how far he comes in your life, and in what form, and maybe then you can believe that, while God might rule space, you are sovereign over your own life.  A good Christian can become an even better pagan with just a little effort and a refusal to find himself really guilty.

But if we think the darkness coming into our darkened eye is really light, how much greater that darkness is, because believing you have the light, you have no clue that you still need it and will no longer seek it.  And the years will go by until there are no more left.

So don’t be deceived.  You can’t serve two masters.  You have your treasures in heaven, or those on earth, but it’s an either-or.  You can’t serve both God and money.  Nor God and sin of any kind.  Nor God and yourself.  If you only pay lip-service to God, but spend your life really serving yourself, no matter what others think, you hate God by hating the things and commands of God in those limited years he’s given you.  You could spend your life hoarding everything, especially everything material given to you, jealously guarding it all, but that’s no use to God who gave it to you freely and easily.

From plants to birds, insignificant things God took great care to create and design and even maintain and feed, it should be obvious we’re of a much higher order; we’re much more valuable, and if God takes care of such little things, isn’t it a leap of logic to fear he won’t bother with us?  That we have to spend our lives keeping ourselves provisioned stubbornly refusing to believe that we actually can rely on God?  That it isn’t every man for himself?

But I suppose to really trust implies that we have such a relationship with God as most of us are afraid we don’t have.  If I’m a sinner, and if I refuse to really repent (I can come crying, sure, but it doesn’t mean I’m willing to give up my sinning), my conscience carries a very fundamental doubt that the God I’m disobeying really will help me.  After all, I wouldn’t do that for someone so blatantly turning their back on me.  Ingrained in us, we have a sense of cosmic justice and even now it damns us.  Yet we could just let go of that sin…  But while we might let go of one or another, there’s still others that we want to retain.  But maybe if we can take care of our lives properly we don’t need God.  So we push for independence, hoping the God who controls everything, even if he won’t help us, will just ignore us and not bring the calamity we know he could easily bring.  You have an entire world of people keeping their heads down, hoping God will just ignore them and let them go about their lives.  Let us keep our own destinies…

What will we eat or drink?  What are we going to wear?  How are we going to get it?  Unbelievers are dominated by this thinking.  They have nothing else because they allow nothing else.  Real trust is built on a relationship that we know is built on a real repentance that our hearts instinctively refuse.

Ironic, because God knows our needs.  We’re told trust him and seek his kingdom first, same as in the prayer, and then recognize that he is the source even of the mundane, ignoble, daily things of our life; live righteously, rightly before God; walk humbly with your God as Micah 6:6-8 says, and he will give you everything you need.  It’s not even a blind hope: if I force myself to trust, or say that I trust God, maybe he’ll give it to me.  No, he will, just as he has in the past, just as he provides for things and creatures far less valuable than you.  All of God’s promises are always grounded in what he already does and has done.  We just have to remember.  And repent.  And seek the things of God’s heart.

So stop worrying.  If you really understood God’s heart, you’d understand worry to be sin, because in that moment you stop trusting God again and set your mind trying to figure out how things can possibly work out according to everything you see around you or can do yourself, and forget that God is sovereign over everything.  Today has enough trouble, and God has enough grace for it.  Let God worry about tomorrow.  Today is for action, and trust in the same God who is eternal, even declaring the end of everything from the very beginning of it all.

2.01 Reading Notes on Matthew 5

Chapter 5

vv.1-12

We probably grew up the same, with the idea that these blessings were each separately targeted to people in the world and the saints.  You have “Kingdom of Heaven” and “children of God” vs. inheriting the earth, etc.  I don’t think that’s right, primarily because the way Jesus teaches each blessing in succession it’s hard to know why he’d alternate talking with different groups, and he doesn’t give any indication of doing so.  Despite the people there, in v2 it says he began to teach them, and the preceding subject is the disciples.  Explaining v11, Jesus says that being persecuted gains great reward in heaven.  In the same way the ancient prophets were persecuted.  Like Heb 11, there is no suggestion that the ancient prophets and patriarchs expected anything different than heaven and a very different reward.  My cousin in the Bible Students was the first to point that out to me: that Old Testament saints expected heaven.

Too, this brings out a big “last days” question about how Saints inherit both the earth and the Kingdom of Heaven and what exactly is the Kingdom of Heaven, which isn’t well described in Scripture.  We assume many things but don’t exactly know what it will be like beyond eternal worship of God.

In any case, if the blessings are targeted at the saints, it makes sense.  Phrases like “poor in spirit” don’t mean simply the downtrodden, especially since the Kingdom of Heaven (remember that Matt often substitutes “Kingdom of Heaven” for the “Kingdom of God” found in other books, since “God” wasn’t a word used lightly by a Jew) is given to them, but this may be a condition of realizing that one is poor with regards to God’s spirit (many translations have this).  All the other conditions easily apply to the saints, to what Christian living ought to be.

vv.13-16

It’s not surprising that Jesus speaks directly to them as “the salt of the Earth” and “lights to the world” which underscores that he’s not likely talking to the masses but to his people.  MacArthur suggested that in ancient times the value of salt was as a preserving agent, meant to keep food from spoiling by absorbing the water which cultivates rot.  This was what it was used for and it was valuable.  If it lost its flavor, there was no other use for it and you’d dump it out on streets or ground.   In keeping with the next metaphor it’s a sort of preserving agent via good works.  Think of the value of honest men, even in pagan governments like Daniel.  Good people, whether saints or not, keep the system going, else things would fall entirely into corruption and violence where the most ruthless man wins.  Similarly, saints as the light of the world with their good deeds are meant to be seen, something apart from the rest, as a beacon pointing invariably to God.  But here, it’s good deeds that define the saints.  Separation, isolation, for separations sake isn’t preached.  What sets us apart in God’s eyes is the goodness of our lives, and not differences in tradition and ritual or in simply keeping apart so as to remain somehow “holy”.  True holiness only comes from reflecting God’s character.

vv.17-20

There was a question in Jesus’ day regarding this.  Does that mean that the Law of Moses (and by extension in the minds of the Pharisees, their more complex system of laws and traditions) doesn’t matter?  That it’s simply some undefined “good works” rather than strict traditions which kept the Jews separate from the other nations, and kept the Pharisees separate from other Jews?  Are we breaking down the separation?

Jesus points out a critical thing, that he came to fulfill the Law and not to destroy it.  Moreover, that Law of Moses would stand until the world was finally destroyed and made new (which happens after the Kingdom with the new heavens and new earth, Rev. 21-22).  Which means Jesus isn’t removing the requirements of Moses’ law.  (This itself is an subject of great debate: what part of Moses’ law do we keep? because obviously Paul did not command Gentiles to observe the festivals and Sabbaths in Col 2:16, nor did the Jerusalem council in Acts admonish more beyond keeping from meat sacrificed to idols and blood, when the question of Gentile circumcision came to them.)

Jesus also refers to the Law’s purpose.  Paul in Romans 2-3 and 2 Cor 3:9 refers to the Law as a ministry of condemnation, designed to bring people to an understanding of their sin, perhaps so they recognize the poverty of their spirit (v.3) and they can yearn for righteousness (v6) and be filled, causing all those other conditions in the blessing.

So Jesus upholds the Law, setting the Pharisees anxieties to rest, and then immediately blasts them for not being righteous enough despite that they followed a stricter set of rules than Moses brought, or at least they thought they did.

vv.21-26

To prove his point Jesus points to various accepted practices in their religion.  Obviously, murder is wrong and punishable by law.  But Jesus reveals the full intent of God’s law; that if you are angry with your brother, you have murder in your heart which is equally offensive to God.  Jesus hits the core of the Pharisee’s hypocrisy in believing it’s only the external behavior that matters (which is a common belief to day; it doesn’t matter what I think or feel as long as I don’t act on it!).

The Jews had elaborate definitions of what could and could not be said.  Call someone an “idiot/fool” and you can be taken to an earthly court, but you could curse someone.  In fact, before God, you’ll be taken before a heavenly court and left to the fires of hell.  In fact, cursing someone effectively puts you in the role of deity, in God’s place.  In Jude 8-9 and 2 Pet 11 we read that while unholy people come, mocking and scoffing at even angelic glory far above their own, even the angels, even Michael the greatest, didn’t dare accuse even the devil but left the rebuking to God.  Hell is therefore not an unjust punishment, and yet these Jews treated it so lightly.

Jesus shows that a true sacrifice comes from the heart: that if you have an issue with your brother, far better to leave your sacrifice on the altar and go and be reconciled first.  This was nothing new.  Mic 6:6-8 said the same, that sacrifices were far out weighed by good works and humbly walking with God.  But like any pagan, after centuries of sacrifice and temple, it became convenient to think of winning over God with those bulls he likes so much.

Jesus uses another analogy: that of a man going to court with his enemy and encouraged to settle out of court.  Assuming he’s at fault, if he’s arrogant enough to get to the court, the judge may find that he owes and put him in prison where he will rot until every last cent is paid.  This is a subtle metaphor for hell, because we’ll suffer for every our sin as a result of our arrogant conviction that “we’re ok” and “we’re right”.  Unlike this prison, if you haven’t made your peace with God by the peace he’s given us, you will never emerge from hell.  There’s no reason to think your hatred of God will abate once in hell, once you are faced with a perfect conscience that you can no longer silence and a sense of perfect holiness.  God will likely be the last person you will want to see there.

vv.27-30

Adultery was a horrific sin in ancient times.  It’s kind of strange that when Jesus in John 8 (though this account may not be part of the original Scripture) is faced with an adulteress the people want to stone, contrary to the prescription of the law, the man she committed adultery with (supposedly) is never produced.  If God condemns adultery, Jesus attacks the heart of the hypocrite.  And normal, red-blooded man has lusted after women probably more times than he can count.  It’s a silent sin, likely one you never talk about it, but it’s their.  The feeling at my church is that it’s adultery whether you’re single or married, being unfaithful to the spouse you will have for whom you are to keep yourself pure, or to the spouse you already have to whom you belong.

It’s interesting that the development of the Pharisee’s code came as a natural progression of trying to ensure that they don’t break Moses’ law.  If you’re not supposed to work on the Sabbath, find everything that could possibly be constituted as work and don’t do it.  That’s where much of the tradition came from; a pious attempt to prevent any break of Moses’ law, adding law after law to accomplish this.  Of course, in terms of behavior, Jesus condemns them since (Luke 14:5) they would of course rescue their donkey on the Sabbath if it fell into a ditch.  It’s not behavior.  Jesus metaphorically takes the same reasoning but applies it to the heart.  Rather than prohibiting behaviors, if some body part of yours facilitates sin, remove it.  Better to lose a part of yourself, than be damned because you kept sinning.  Of course, since sin is a heart condition, he’s not advocating castration or removing an eye or a hand.  That won’t stop sin anyway.  But the point is the same.  Rom 13:4 says “make no provision for the flesh”.  If this is where you sin, keep yourself far away from it, as far as you have to.

vv.31-32

Undoubtedly there were divorcés among these Pharisees.  The prevailing feeling at the time was that divorce was permitted for any reason.  Even Judaism today (based on ancient laws) holds that divorce is permissible for any reason, though technically only the man can initiate.  The rabbis before Jesus had developed some provision to make it easier for the wife though.  In Matt 19 the Pharisees, knowing what Jesus taught, confronted him with the question of divorce against this tradition, especially since Moses permitted it.  But Jesus reveals this tolerance accommodated the people’s hard hearts but God’s intent was always against divorce.  Unfaithfulness is the only reason, and adultery was punishable by death (though a righteous man like Joseph opted for mercy).  The disciples got Jesus’ point: if they couldn’t divorce, maybe it’s better not to marry and Jesus confirms that not everyone can accept this.  Some opt to not marry in first place.  But if you can accept that marriage is permanent, you ought to accept it.

Here, Jesus as always affirms the Law of Moses by restating God’s intent for marriage, something that was written from the beginning.  The Pharisees had read about God’s institution of marriage with Adam and Eve as permanent.  Here, Jesus rips open another pocket of sin in their lives; that following their law regarding the freedom of divorce, still violated God’s law.

vv.33-37

Vows were important in this society.  It was taught that vows are binding, but some vows are more binding than others.  If you swore “by the earth!” and didn’t keep your word to the person who assumed you would, ok.  But if you swore “by heaven” you must keep it.  It’s like little kids who cross their fingers behind their back and everyone smiles and nods, knowing they were kidding.  Jesus laid it out for them that it’s deception; such vows are useless.  Rather than a complex system of which vows were binding and which could permit deception, let your yes be yes and your no be no, and be a person of integrity.  Besides, what can you swear by that makes a bit of difference.  You swear by heaven which is God’s home, or by earth which is his footstool.  Swear by Jerusalem?  That’s still a sacred place.  And can you even swear by the hairs of your head which God created and you have no control over?

This isn’t a prohibition of vows of service, as in “don’t make any commitments” but rather it’s a command for integrity, something that probably hit the Pharisees hard because, in keeping their ridiculous system, they convinced themselves they were doing God’s will while they were doing their own also.  Hypocrites loves choosing which laws they’ll follow and which they won’t, so they can convince themselves they’re following the law.

vv.38-42

Worst, revenge was a perversion of the Mosaic Law.  The Old Testament “eye for an eye” law wasn’t designed to prescribe worse punishments for weak systems, but to limit it so a man doesn’t lose his head for stealing bread.  But it in this day, it had become the motto for the sort of people who wanted control over their lives and who proudly wouldn’t crap from anyone.  You see the same people today.  Don’t mess with me since I’ll do worse to you.  This was not a prescription for how to deal with sins, however, especially not given the hypocrisy of a sinful human being demanding justice from another masked the desperate desire we all have for God to not deal with us according to our own sins.  Judge not lest you be judged.

Rather, learn to be merciful and generous and to endure all sorts of indignities.  Why?

vv.43-48

…Because it’s a reflection of God’s character.  The prevailing sentiment among the Jews was to be good to your friends and hate your enemies.  This was especially true in how Jews dealt with the horrible Gentiles.  Even Jonah hated the idea of preaching to Nineveh because he hated the possibility that they might actually repent and be saved, after all Assyria had done to Israel.  Gentiles were scum.  Salvation was only given to Israel.  That’s what most Jews found so hard to accept when the Gospel was opened up to the Gentiles.  “We’re God’s people, not them!”  Like in many societies, the motto is favor your family and friends.  God’s law taught that you should love God with all your heart, and then love your neighbor as yourself.  As for those not your neighbors?  The Jews were convinced this excluded love of everyone who was not their neighbor or friend.

But here we understand how God can be the savior of the world.  If he was only justice, Adam should have vanished into hell after the first sin.  Even those not saved by Christ continue living.  God gives the good and the bad the same sun and rain.  He is consistently good even to the wicked.  It’s easy to love the people who do you good – even the pagans know how to do that – but if you want to reflect God’s character you need to love and do good even to those who hate you.

Finally, the statement that encompasses everything already said: be perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect. Outlined above we see the divine standard of perfection and holy living.  Jesus confronts the Pharisees with it, and encourages his disciples to adopt it.