Do You Have Jesus’ Qualities?
LESSONS FROM THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. Come to this page every Monday for a new article. Scroll down to view all previous articles in this series.
Jesus taught, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). In his “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5-7, Jesus explains what it looks like to be his disciple and to serve as a member of his kingdom.
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Monday, January 8, 2024
(This is the last article in this series on Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”)
Article #28: Reacting to How Jesus Taught
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Matthew records three reactions of the crowd as to how Jesus taught. They felt amazed, they witnessed He taught with authority, and they could see He taught differently than the scribes (Matthew 7:28, 29).
Their emotional response could have been because they were very surprised Jesus would say such things in a speech. They were astonished, maybe even “blown away,” by how direct He was with His information.
Possibly hearing the tone of His voice and observing the confidence displayed by His body language, they could determine He was speaking as one with authority. As the crowd intellectually analyzed His message, they correctly perceived it was different from what they were accustomed to hearing from the scribes. Jesus was not quoting some other scribe, but He was presenting what He received directly from God.
As readers of the Bible, especially the teaching of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament, we need to have the same emotional and intellectual reactions. Amazement needs to feel our hearts when we hear or read the Bible. We need to use our minds to analyze the message presented to see if it is in harmony with the teachings of the Bible.
But, on a more practical level, when we hear a recorded sermon (audio only or video included), a podcast, a radio program, or even a presentation in person, we will react to the message. The question is, how will we react to the message and the messenger?
While the messenger enjoys seeing and hearing the positive responses from the audience to the message presented, the question must be asked, what about the message itself? What will be our reaction to the message?
After we have listened intently with a mindset to understand what is being presented, do we reflect on the message and compare the message with the Bible? While some will say the preacher spoke from the Bible, does His message teach what Jesus and His apostles taught? That is something the listener must determine. If it does, what will the reader do with the message? What will be his reaction to the message?
More importantly, how will we react to what Jesus taught? Everyone will have a reaction. What choice will we make? What type of tree will we be? Which path will we take? What foundation will we use to build our lives?
If our decision is to be a good tree, take the narrow way, and build our lives on a rock foundation, then we will be obedient to the message Jesus taught. Human observers of our lives, as well as God, will be able to testify, we are truly living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, January 1, 2024
Article #27: Rock or Sand?
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As Jesus brings His sermon to a conclusion, He presents two choices to the listener. He illustrates those choices by talking about building a house on a rock or on sand (Matthew 7:24-27).
There are only two choices a person has when it comes to what actions they will take based upon what Jesus has just taught. They will either act upon them or they will not act upon them. Those who act upon them are like a builder constructing a house on a rock. Those who do not act upon them are like a contractor building his house on the sand.
The builder whose foundation is a rock is called wise. The contractor whose foundation is on the sand is call foolish. Solomon uses these two words often in his proverbs. The wise are those who obey God’s word. The foolish are those who do not obey God’s word.
Both houses will encounter the same weather events; rain, floods, and wind. The foundation, not the building, is the focus. Jesus is asking, “Will my teachings be the foundation for your life?” When life is over, the house of the listener who has acted upon the teachings of Jesus, will not fall; it will not be destroyed.
Some have pointed out that this is the third warning Jesus gives to His listeners and they are correct. Jesus spoke of two gates, two trees and now two foundations. He is stating the listener has only two choices. He is encouraging them to continuously follow His teaching because it will bring about eternal life. They will avoid eternal destruction.
Today, we have the same two choices. The message of Jesus is available to everyone in our society. Some will choose not to hear the message at all. Jesus does not address this group in this story.
Some will hear the message of Jesus and will decide to not act upon it. Jesus says, these people will be destroyed.
Some will hear the message of Jesus and will decide to act upon it. Jesus says, these people will live.
One final thought, this passage teaches very plainly that people are going to react to the teachings of Jesus. They are going to either reject them or accept them; not do them or do them. In either case, the hearer has a direct influence upon whether they will be eternally destroyed or live eternally.
Those who are Christians need to encourage those who are not a Christian to hear the message and act upon the message. Christians also need to continue to do what the message says because they want their house to stand; they want to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, December 18, 2023
Article #26: Obedience Is More Important Than Confession
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Jesus makes a rather frightening statement in His sermon when addressing those who claim He is their Lord (Matthew 7:21-23). He states there will be people who think they are serving Him, but at the judgment day Jesus will say to them “depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Why? Because they had not obeyed the will of the Father.
Attempting to show high esteem and respect for Jesus, many people will address Him as, “Lord, Lord.” They will tell Jesus all the things they have done “in [His] name.” Thinking they will “enter the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus says they will not enter. Jesus is emphasizing that obedience is more important than confessing Jesus as Lord.
Many observing these people will conclude, along with the people themselves, that they were doing the will of God. However, unlike us, Jesus knows the true intentions of a person’s heart. He is able to see that they are only masquerading to be followers of Jesus, but in reality they never belonged to Him.
From the outward appearance it appears these people were among the most religious of all people. After all, they were prophesying, casting out demons and performing many miracles. But notice, “I never knew you” is what Jesus will “declare to them.” What a shock that will be!
Also in these verses Jesus tells the listener how to avoid this catastrophe. He says that by doing “the will of My Father who is in heaven [the obedient person] will enter” the kingdom of heaven. It is important to observe from this passage that the will of God can be known because it can be obeyed. If the will of God is not knowable, then one cannot be obedient to this will of God.
Appearing to be doing things in harmony with the will of God is not what is important. Confessing that one is doing the will of God is not what is important. The primary point of this message is that obedience is most important. The supreme idea is that we must be obedient. Our righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, as Jesus stated earlier.
Rather than be frightened by this statement, the Christian should be focused on doing the will of God and not doing things in an effort to appear to be righteous. Our obedience to the Father is more important than what we confess with our mouth to other people. Doing the will of the Father is mandatory for one to enter the kingdom of heaven. Confession is important; however, obedience to the will of the Father is more important and demonstrates we are living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, December 11, 2023
Article #25: Identifying the False Prophet
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Which prophet should we believe? Which prophet is telling the truth? Which prophet is leading people astray? These questions were asked in the days of Jesus and are still being asked today. In His sermon, Jesus informs His listeners how to identify the false prophet (Matthew 7:15-20).
Jesus says false prophets dress “in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Outwardly they appear to be harmless and gentle, but inwardly their intention is to destroy. Pretending to be part of the community of believers, they are genuine impostors.
Jesus says the listener must use reason and examination to decide. While reasoning with them, Jesus states where grapes and figs are not gathered. After examining the fruit of the tree, they can apply the rule. Good trees produce only good fruit and never bad fruit. Bad trees produce only bad fruit and never good fruit.
Jesus specifies which tree will be “cut down and thrown into the fire.” He says it is the “tree that does not bear good fruit.” This indicates that the “tree” must be producing something worthy of human ingestion, not just any type of fruit. The purpose of fruit trees is to produce something good to eat.
Fruit that is not good does not strengthen a person. Likewise, a false prophet will be proclaiming something that will not strengthen a person nor help them to be living the Christian life.
Some think Jesus is talking about the lifestyle of the false prophet and whether or not it is harmonious with his preaching. However, it seems more likely that Jesus is talking about the message proclaimed and not the lifestyle lived.
By using the words, “false prophet” Jesus is speaking of someone who is telling something that sounds like the truth with the intent of building a person up, but in reality they are speaking something false and therefore tearing a person down. The false prophet is not helping the person be godlier, but rather is promoting an evil lifestyle. Every generation has had false prophets.
Jesus says the listener must examine the impostors. The listener must decide if the “tree” is a thorn bush, or a thistle. Do they want to eat from this “bad tree”? Or, do they want to refuse the fruit from this tree, which eventually will be cast into the fire and destroyed.
Just listening to a preacher is not sufficient. One must listen with the intention of understanding the message and then verifying it using the word of God. After identifying the speaker as a true prophet, one declaring God’s message, then the listener will eat from this “good tree,” giving him stamina to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, December 4, 2023
Article #24: Choosing Between Two Gates
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Most people do not like having only two choices about anything. When it comes to one’s lifestyle, Jesus says there are only two options, two gates from which to choose. He encourages His listeners to choose the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13, 14).
Wanting His listeners to make an informed decision about what lifestyle they will choose, Jesus tells them the two choices and the respective consequences. The listener must decide his own lifestyle.
In describing the “wide” gate, the “broad” way, Jesus says it “leads to destruction, and there will be many who enter through it.” In describing the “small” gate, the “narrow” way, He says it “leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Again, there are only two choices; destruction and life.
One of the things to consider about these two choices is that they represent one’s eternal destination. The wide gate, the broad way, leads to destruction. When we see that the small gate, the narrow way, leads to life, we must conclude that the destruction means “death.” In other places Jesus will teach that this “destruction” is an eternal, total separation from God.
One of the disturbing things about this passage is that Jesus says “many” will travel through the “wide” gate” and along the “broad” way. He seems to be indicating that the majority of the people will suffer this destruction.
Why might this be? Why are the majority of people not going to choose the “small gate” and “narrow way” that will lead to life?
Jesus indicates that the “small gate,” the “narrow way,” is the way He wants His followers to travel. However, when one considers the things Jesus has mentioned in this sermon, and the difficulty it will be to do these things, it is understandable why most people would not want to live this type of lifestyle.
What is so sad about following the “broad way” is not only the eternal consequences but the rejection of a better lifestyle today. The things Jesus has mentioned, as difficult as they may be to do, will lead to a lifestyle that is approved by God; the lifestyle God wants for everyone.
Jesus allows the individual to choose the lifestyle they want to live. He allows the individual to choose their eternal destiny by letting them choose the gate they will enter.
As hard as it may be for us to accept, Jesus says there are only two choices. His disciples will follow His recommendation by entering into the “small gate” and having the lifestyle of walking the “narrow way.” By doing so, and by following the way that leads to life, they will be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, November 27, 2023
Article #23: The Ultimate Standard in Personal Conduct
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How would you summarize the teachings of the Law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets on the subject of personal conduct? Jesus states, in a positive way, that individuals are to treat other human beings the way they want to be treated (Matthew 7:12).
Others have expressed the thought negatively. Other religions use different words to express the same concept. The lesson to be learned is, it is a common maxim dealing with our personal conduct toward others.
When one considers the writings of the Law, there are many details given about treating one’s neighbor; their fellow citizen. They are not to steal from, covet, murder, lie to, or commit adultery, among other things. In all of these areas, the follower of God is to think of how he would want to be treated and then treat his comrade the same way.
When Jesus says, “in everything,” there is no exception. He is saying that in all of our actions toward a neighbor we are to treat them like we would want to be treated.
In addition to not wanting someone to steal from us, lie to us, or commit adultery with our spouse, there are other areas in our relationships where we want people to treat us in a certain way. We want them to love us, to respect us, to honor us and to treat us fairly. These are basic elements that must exist in every relationship; it is how everyone wants to be treated.
If this principle had been followed throughout the years, wars between nations could have been avoided. Personal conflicts between individuals could have been prevented. Relationships of all kinds would have been better, simply by practicing this principle.
A focal point of this statement by Jesus is that it is proactive. The literal translation of the word “treat,” is “you, too, do so for them.” It is how the Christian is to be treating other people and not how they are to be reacting to how they have been treated. It is what one person will do to another person.
In order for Christians to apply this verse, they must think about how they want to be treated when they are considering how they will treat another person. This passage is not limited to how Christians treat Christians, but how Christians will treat everyone.
The Law and the Prophets, also known as the Old Testament, gives some great examples of how a follower of Jesus is to conduct their life. This summary statement by Jesus presents the ultimate standard the followers of Jesus are to have if they truly are going to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, November 20, 2023
Article #22: Inquirer Receives God’s Information
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Jesus, in His sermon, is speaking to the individual about their priorities. He has said they must judge themselves before judging others. He has given a warning about handling the gospel with wisdom. He now instructs the believer to set as a priority the inquiring of information from God who will provide. (Matthew 7:7-11).
Jesus gives three methods for inquiring: asking, seeking and knocking. He gives the response to each method: askers will receive, seekers will find, and knockers will have good things opened for him. With each method, the process begins with the individual. They must do something before God will do something.
It is amazing to me that God wants people to inquire. He wants to share His information, but He is waiting for individuals to take the initiative. God may be waiting to “see” how interested we are in His information.
The two examples Jesus gives show a contrast to what a human father will do and what the heavenly father will do. Sometimes the human father will do something unethical, or evil, which will hurt the child. The heavenly father will always do what is ethically correct. He will never give the son a “stone” or a “snake.”
This “Father who is in heaven,” as opposed to the human (sometimes “evil”) father, will always “give what is good to those who ask Him!” Jesus acknowledges the “evil” father “know[s] how to give good gifts to his children” but he does not always do it. By contrast, the heavenly Father will always do what is good.
What the inquirer can rely on is that God will always give “good” information, do “good” deeds, and it will always be “good” for the individual. The inquirer must ask, “Am I willing to put my trust into this statement of God?”
When Jesus inquired of His Father through prayer, He always got good information. I feel very confident Jesus did a lot of “asking, seeking and knocking.”
If this conclusion is correct, then Jesus lived what He was teaching. While this statement is made early in the ministry of Jesus, the biblical text records many examples of Jesus inquiring of God, especially on the more important matters.
To use a phrase from earlier in His sermon, Jesus said His true followers, those who are truly blessed, would have a “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” The intensity of our commitment to God will be demonstrated in how frequently and fervently we are “asking, seeking and knocking” for God’s information. For the Christian, it is “second nature” to be an inquirer because we want to have God’s information which will help us daily to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, November 13, 2023
Article #21: Give Holy Things and Pearls Wisely
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After talking about how a person should judge themselves before judging others, Jesus gives a warning using a metaphor. Using a proverbial format, Jesus says holy things should not be given to dogs, and pearls should not be given to swine (Matthew 7:6).
It is very intriguing how this statement necessitates a person to make a judgment about another person. Jesus is stating the consequences for giving holy things and pearls to people who do not value them.
Dogs and swine are being used metaphorically to describe people with whom these valuable things should not be shared. The dogs, often seen as wild scavengers, are people showing improper respect for holy things and are extremely rude to the gospel messenger. They are people who would “turn and tear [the Christian] to pieces” by speaking insulting words and by considering these holy things to be of no importance.
Swine, an unclean animal according to the Jews, also is a word used metaphorically to describe people. For the Jew, it would be the Gentiles who have no regard for the pearls, which are the sacred writings and teachings of God. The Gentiles would spurn the efforts of the messenger and would have only disdain for their attempt to share the gospel with them.
Jesus is saying one should be wise when making a decision as to whom they will share holy things and pearls, things which have spiritual value. Do not share them with “dogs and swine.”
By way of application, Jesus wants everyone to have the opportunity to hear the gospel message, to put their trust in the message and to practice it in their lives. However, He recognizes that some people will not see the value in the gospel and will persecute the one making the presentation. Jesus is telling His followers to make a judgment about these types of people and to avoid them.
For the person who places great value upon the gospel message, it would be very hard for them to avoid sharing the message with “dogs and swine.” However, Jesus is telling His followers to be wise when they are sharing the gospel message. Christians need to be prudent in their analysis of people and only spend their time giving the gospel to those who will place immense value upon it, who appreciate the information.
Every evangelistic Christian will encounter “dogs and swine” in their ministry. They must accurately decide when it is time to no longer share “holy things and pearls” with these types of people. As hard as it may be, the Christian must realize there are some people who have no aspiration to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, November 6, 2023
Article #20: Judge Yourself Before Judging Others
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Jesus shifts topics in His sermon from teaching about our priorities to teaching about how we judge people. Jesus is not saying we should not judge other people, but rather He is pointing out that we need to judge ourselves before we judge others (Matthew 7:1-5).
Many use this passage to say that one person should not “judge” another person. They emphasize the first three words, “do not judge,” but then ignore the remainder of the verse and the context of the following verses.
The word “judge” in the original language (and ours also) is an action word, meaning the reader is to do something. The statements in verse two expound upon what is said in verse one; the first, “For in the way you judge, you will be judged,” and the second, “By your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” The first part is emphasizing our method and attitude, while the second part is emphasizing the standard which will be used to judge us.
If Jesus were saying it is wrong for us to “judge” others, then it would be inappropriate for Him to talk about the speck and the log. However, if Jesus is talking about our method, attitude, and standard when we are judging others, then it is very appropriate. He is saying we must be “judging” ourselves before we judge others. Jesus does not want to call us a hypocrite. He wants us to make sure we are taking care of the “log” sins in our lives before we begin to judge others about their “speck” sins in their life.
Every person, and especially Christians, must remember it is impossible for us to not “form a conclusion or opinion about” a person or subject. Even when someone reads this article they are coming to a conclusion or opinion. Even if they were to say, “I have no conclusion or opinion about this article,” they have made a decision about the article.
When making decisions about people or things, we must remember that God will judge us by the standard we are judging other people. Keeping this thought in mind should cause us to be less judgmental about the microscopic sins in the lives of others. It might cause us to be more gentle and humble when we are talking to them about their sin.
We must have the goal (for others and ourselves) that we want both of us to be righteous before God and go to heaven. Let us remember to start with ourselves first before we approach others. By following this reminder, then we will be practicing what Jesus taught and will be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, October 30, 2023
Article #19: Trust Must Replace Worry
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Jesus continues His sermon about the placement of priorities in His followers’ life. He instructs the crowd to “not worry about your life” as it relates to eating, drinking and the clothes you will wear, but rather to “seek first [God’s] kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:25-34).
After giving the crowd a warning about doing religious activities to be seen by men, where their heart (their treasure) is located, and one can only serve one master; Jesus speaks to them about trusting God to provide the necessities of life. By not worrying about these issues of life, they can focus more on God’s kingdom and His righteousness.
Jesus states the principle in the form of a question, “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” To illustrate, He uses the “birds of the air,” adding a “single hour” to one’s life, the “lilies of the field,” and “the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace.”
Jesus asks a rhetorical question, “Are you not worth much more than [the birds of the air]?” Jesus says God has clothed the “lilies” with garments greater than what Solomon could provide and so the Christian should trust that God will clothe them.
Jesus says those worrying about the necessities of life have “little faith.” They do not trust God. They are just like the Gentiles. He says God knows Christians need “all these things.” Jesus concludes by saying that one should not be worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have “enough trouble of its own.”
Nowhere in this portion of the sermon is Jesus saying the Christian should not be concerned about the future, their job or the everyday cares of the world. Nowhere does He indicate the Christian should not be working or planning for the future. Jesus is emphasizing that Christians should trust that God is going to take care of them and so they can be focused on God’s kingdom, God’s work, and not be allowing their mind to overly dwell on any actual or potential problems in their life.
Having anxiety about one’s problems will not solve any problem. Anxiety leads to stress in one’s life, causing more problems. When one is worrying about the things in their life, they are usually thinking about their situation in a negative, uncontrollable manner.
Christians must learn to trust God (which is hard to do), accept His help and not try to take care of ourselves all by ourselves. Having confidence in and trusting God is a must if one is going to be truly living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, October 23, 2023
Article #18: God Or Wealth
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In His sermon, when talking about our life’s priorities, Jesus states a principle His followers must keep in mind. Jesus says a person cannot have two masters; they must choose their priority between God and wealth (Matthew 6:24).
Jesus is stating a fundamental truth concerning our attitude about our wealth or possessions. This statement has a dual purpose; it concludes the section about our priorities and it introduces His next topic about worrying and being anxious related to the necessities of life.
The word wealth in this passage is an abundance of money or valuable possessions. Jesus is not saying one cannot be wealthy. If He were then He would be saying righteous people like Abraham, King David, Barnabas, Lydia and others should not have become wealthy.
What Jesus is saying is that the accumulation of wealth cannot be the “master” whom we will serve. Our only “master” must be God.
Under normal circumstances, during the days of Jesus, a slave was totally devoted to just one master. The slave did not have two masters.
Jesus emphasizes the concept by using two contrasting statements – “hate the one and love the other” and “will be devoted to one and despised by the other.” Both statements are opposites and therefore, by their contrast, show how far apart serving God and serving wealth really is.
In our society the striving after wealth is very prevalent. It is constantly around us and is daily promoted as the major reason for our existence. However, Jesus says it should not be. Serving God is the major reason for our existence.
If because of our work and labor skills we are able to acquire wealth, that would be very good. But, the objective is not to make it our top priority in our life. Our wealth should be used to help promote God’s message and His cause.
Jesus is not teaching we should be poor people, that we should not have nice things, or that we should not have expensive possessions. He is stating it should not be the most important thing in our life. Our focus in life should not be upon how much wealth we can acquire.
When we consider this statement as being the last of three comments Jesus makes about our priorities in life, we can see how it is connected to storing up treasures and keeping our eyes focused. Our priority in life should be God and not our wealth.
So as we go about serving, receiving wages from our jobs or profits from our business, let us all remember that God must come first. When He is our master we will serve Him always by living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, October 16, 2023
Article #17: Focusing Our Eye
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Using a metaphor, Jesus uses our physical eye to make a point about where our focus is in life. (Matthew 6:22, 23). He says, “The eye is the lamp of the body” and He wants us to consider what our “light” source is, in other words, what is the focus of our life.
As Jesus continues talking about the priorities His followers are to have, He uses this illustration to point to the fact that the things upon which we focus determine the type of “body” we will have. By using this metaphor, Jesus is saying there are two options; a “clear” eye or a “bad” eye.
Jesus may be saying that His followers must have a clear vision of what they want their life to be. Are they wanting to focus on making their body a source of light, or are they wanting to focus on making their body a source of darkness?
Our eyes allow an enormous amount of information to enter our minds. The things which we see have a huge impact on the formation of our thinking and our actions. Using the word “focus” in a figurative way, one can see how their life will be based upon whether or not their focus is “clear,” or “bad” or blurry.
When Jesus talked about our “treasures on earth,” He was focusing on our possessions. When He talks about serving two masters, He is focusing on the priority of our allegiance concerning our service. In using this metaphor, Jesus wants His followers to visualize where their priorities are in life; where their focus is.
As we consider this point, which may be difficult to comprehend, we must focus on what our eyes are seeing. Are we seeing (in a literal sense) things which will make us better? What are we reading? What are we viewing on TV? What about the videos we are streaming? Who is the individual we are watching, because they are our role model?
In a figurative sense, what visions do we have in our mind relating to our character? What goals in life do we see ourselves achieving? What kind of person do we see ourselves becoming?
The focus of our eyes will have a tremendous influence on the type of people we are and will become. As the little kids Vacation Bible School song says, “Be careful little eyes what you see.”
The words in this song, and the words of Jesus, apply not only to young kids, but also to adults. We grownups need to be careful where our “eyes” are focusing. They need to be focusing on what will help us to be better at living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, October 9, 2023
Article #16: Our Treasure Locates Our Heart
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As an introduction to talking about trusting God, Jesus speaks about our material possessions and how much value we place upon them. He says “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). In this sense, the treasure we value and work for will serve as a locator of what is important to our heart.
Everyone saves things they consider valuable. Everyone puts forth an extreme amount of effort to collect the things they consider to be of great worth or a great deal of money. However, Jesus gives us a warning.
He states, what we all know, that over time, moths will eat expensive or valuable clothing; rust will consume precious metals we may accumulate; and thieves will “break in and steal” our personal property we have worked so hard to acquire. While knowing these truths, we often ignore them because we think it will not happen to us.
However, Jesus reassures us that these things will take place and that our “treasure” should not be the earthly things we possess, but rather our focus should be on “storing up for [ourselves] treasures in heaven” where they cannot be destroyed or taken falsely by someone.
Jesus is not saying collecting material things is wrong, but rather He is instructing His followers to not make it the top priority in their lives. He is stating that our focus should be upon the things in heaven and not the things on earth.
So we must ask the question to ourselves, how important are the things which are in heaven to us? Probably all of us would say, “Very important!” However, what do our actions say about what we consider to be important?
Collecting material possessions is a natural consequence of working. But, how many spiritual possessions are we trying to collect? For example, how much Bible knowledge? Or, how many opportunities are we seeking to help someone become a Christian? What about opportunities to learn more about the Bible? How much of the Bible are we seeking to store up in our memory?
Solomon’s discussion of the vanity of working to acquire gold and silver, material possessions, in the book of Ecclesiastes is very important for us to consider. His major thesis for the book supports what Jesus is saying in His sermon, building a treasure house “under the sun” is not what is important. Our focus should be building a “treasure” above the sun.
Those who chase earthly treasures will acquire them because they work for them. Likewise, those who pursue a heavenly treasure will obtain it. The reason is because of their diligent and persistent seeking to be living God’s way!
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, October 2, 2023
Article #15: Smiley Face Hides Fasting Face
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Continuing His sermon, Jesus speaks to the crowd about their bodily appearance when they are fasting (Matthew 6:16-18). He says this pious action of fasting should be done in secret in order to hide their fasting. These comments are the third example Jesus gives of people doing things to be seen of men.
Fasting was a religious practice observed by the Jews in the days of Jesus. It was considered by many to be a religious exercise where one would abstain from food or drink for a period of time. Jesus is not discussing the action, but rather people’s public facial and clothing appearance while fasting.
Jesus portrays those who are fasting as one who puts “on a gloomy face.” They are people who “neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men.” They are trying to draw attention to their fasting. They want people to see them as being very religious, humble and godly. Jesus calls them hypocrites.
Jesus says when a worshipper acts in such a way as to be seen by men, they receive their reward from men, but God will not give them a reward. Like giving to the poor and praying, Jesus says it must be done in secret and then the Father will reward them.
The proper way a person should handle their fasting, is that it is to be done in secret; where no one can observe the fasting. They are to do it without boasting about it because they do not want to draw attention to themselves.
Jesus says, “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret.” By anointing their head and washing their face, we might say they were putting on a smiley face.
Just like the comments Jesus made about giving to the poor and one’s prayers, our service to God should be to impress God and not to impress the people around us. We need to be seeking God’s praises and not the praises of our friends and fellow church members.
All of us want to be recognized, whether we will openly admit it or not. But, our focus needs to be our sincerity and desire to please God. For many, this will require a change in their thinking; a change in their attitude. However, if they really want to have God’s reward, then they must make this adjustment in their daily living.
When we make these changes, then in everything we do, our face will always be smiling. We can truly be happy because we know we are living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, September 25, 2023
Article #14: Forgive to Be Forgiven
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Concluding the portion of the Sermon on the Mount dealing with prayer, Jesus makes a very vital, but intriguing statement. In summary He says, if a believer wants to be forgiven by the Father they must be willing to forgive others (Matthew 6:14, 15).
The word forgive in the original language has the idea of letting something go. In this case it is letting go of your feelings that are a result of something harmful or hurtful that has been done to you by another person.
Our definition means that we will “stop feeling angry or resentful for an offense, flaw or mistake” that is done. It includes “to not punish someone for an offensive action they have done.”
Every person must realize that they have not only trespassed against others, but they have also committed an offense against God. Each individual must understand that this “offense” causes hurt and often produces anger inside a person. Likewise, God is hurt and becomes angry when we trespass His commandments.
Often it is very difficult, and may take some time, to let go of those hurt, angry, resentful feelings. We want to see the other person “hurt.” Mistakenly, we think it will make us feel better, but it does not. The only way we can truly remove these feelings is to forgive, to let it go. We must forgive others if we want God to forgive us.
In order for us to fully understand what being forgiven by God means, we must understand the “wrath of God.” For many people it seems incomprehensible that God would demonstrate His wrath upon humanity. A “loving God” ‘would never do something like that. However, there are many places in the Bible where the wrath of God is demonstrated upon the sons of disobedience.
Jesus said the person who does not “obey the Son … the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). Paul says the “wrath of God has been revealed from heaven against all ungodliness” (Romans 1:18). To the Ephesians (5:6) and the Colossians (3:6), Paul said, “the wrath of God comes upon all the sons of disobedience.”
Being forgiven by God is the only way people are going to be saved from this “wrath of God.” Meeting His conditions for forgiveness is essential. One of those conditions Jesus states simply in this sermon, “Forgive others.”
As difficult as it may be, having the ability to forgive others is a characteristic the Christian must develop, and its practice is mandatory if we want God to forgive us; it is not optional. Developing this characteristic will make us like God. Continuously practicing forgiving others demonstrates we are living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, September 18, 2023
Article #13: The Content of Our Prayers
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Continuing the subject of prayer in His sermon, Jesus gives a model for how people should pray (Matthew 6:9-12). After instructing the crowd about not praying to be seen of men and not using repetitious words, Jesus now gives information to them about the content of their prayers.
People often recite these verses to say a rote prayer either individually or collectively in their worship services. However, when Jesus says, “pray, then, in this way,” He is meaning to use this as a model for the content of one’s prayers.
One or more of the four components of this model prayer should be used in each prayer. The parts consist of praising God, talking to God about His kingdom, requesting our physical needs and our spiritual needs.
A prayer could be limited solely to praising God, which would include thanksgiving. There are many examples, especially in the psalms, of faithful people expressing their praise to God for who He is and what He has done.
When praying about God’s kingdom, there can be a multitude of things for which to pray. Christians can pray for the growth of the kingdom as well as for the growth of the individual members of the kingdom. Making a request for God’s help with the kingdom is vital. The words of Jesus, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” covers many subjects for which Christians can pray.
When asking God to give us our “daily bread,” we could be talking about actual bread or using a metaphor for all the physical necessities of life. In addition to groceries, the prayer might include asking for a house, a car, a job, clothes or even improved health for ourselves or others. Christians can talk to God about problems occurring at work, in the community or in the family. The requests can be endless.
Jesus concludes this model prayer by talking about a person’s spiritual needs. Of utmost importance is the forgiveness of one’s sins, which is necessary for a person to have a true relationship with God. Equally important is the request for God’s help when it comes to our personal temptations. A Christian should be seeking God’s way to avoid any temptations to do evil. With this help from God, a person would be in a right relationship with God.
If Christians keep these different topics in mind when praying, their prayers will always be acceptable to God. Christians should be thankful and grateful for the opportunity to pray to God. When Christians utilize this model for the content of their prayers, it will demonstrate that even in their prayer life they are living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, September 11, 2023
Article #12: Praying To Impress God, Not People
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Jesus addresses people praying as another example of doing religious things to impress people (Matthew 6:5-8). He talks to the crowd about praying in secret (in the closet); praying using meaningful words and phrases (not repetitious words); and God’s knowledge of knowing the needs of His people.
The Bible has many examples of people praying. When taken as a whole, how would someone summarize these prayers and their purpose? Simply stated, it is people speaking to God about various thoughts they have, which might include thanksgiving, any request especially for forgiveness, or praising God for who He is, what He has done and His various characteristics.
Jesus instructs the crowd to not be like the “hypocrites,” who “love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners.” He says their desire is “so that they may be seen by men.” These people want the “applause” or the “compliment.” Jesus says they will receive their reward “in full,” but it will not be a reward given by God.
Jesus says prayer should be done in a private place, one’s closet. He is emphasizing that prayer should be a private matter; something between God and the one praying. This does not exclude one praying publicly, but rather it is to emphasize that these types of prayers should be focused on “talking to God” and not trying to impress people.
The Christian understands there is only one God, and so when they are praying, they do not need to make repetitious statements as if trying to connect to the correct god. This does not exclude a person from praying multiple times for the same thing. Jesus praying three times in the Garden gives an approved example Christians can follow.
It is very intriguing when Jesus says, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” One might think, “Why pray?” “Why should I tell God anything?” “Why did Jesus pray?” “Why did faithful people in the Bible pray?” The only answer I can give, for all of these questions is, “God wants to hear from His people.”
It appears God’s omniscience is not under consideration here, even though it might be. However, the practical way of looking at the statement is that God is “aware” of our need for certain things and those who are Christians should be asking Him for them.
The Christian’s prayer can be short or long; in public or in private. But in all cases, our prayers should be motivated by wanting to talk to God and not to impress people. Christians are not focused on living humanity’s way, but by a strong desire to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, September 4, 2023
Article #11: A Motive for Charitable Giving
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In His first illustration of people practicing their righteousness to be seen of men, Jesus talks about giving to the poor (Matthew 6:2-4). He describes both the correct and incorrect motive for showing mercy upon another individual.
Describing the incorrect motive first, Jesus says “do not sound a trumpet before you.” Those with the incorrect motive do their giving “in the synagogue and in the streets.” These outward actions are covering up the unseen reason for doing this – “to be honored by men” – thereby receiving “their reward in full.” Jesus uses a very strong, negative word (according to the people of His day and ours as well) to describe a person with the wrong motive. He says they are “hypocrites.”
The hypocrite wants their associates to know “how good they are.” They want people in their community to know that they have the ability to give to those who are struggling to live to the community’s or society’s standards.
A hypocrite is one who is a “pretender.” It is a person who is “putting on a show;” a “pretense” to their true motives or actions.
In the illustration, Jesus is saying those who are giving to or showing mercy to the poor, are doing it to get the recognition from their peers. They are not being sincere. They are not “really” wanting to help the “poor” but rather they are either only wanting to maintain their status in society or impress someone in the community. Jesus says they have their reward, but it is not a reward from God.
In the second part of His illustration, Jesus speaks of the contrasting, correct motive for giving to the poor. Jesus uses the metaphor of not letting “your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” While we understand this is impossible to do, Jesus uses something “very close” to emphasize the secrecy in which the giving is to be done. Jesus is saying it should be so secret that only “your Father” will see what you have done and “will reward you.”
So what should be the correct motive for our charitable giving? The secrecy is not what is important but the sincere, benevolent heart behind the giving. The correct motive is having the desire to help, to show mercy to those who are living below the community’s standards.
When Christians do things for the poor, their actions will be known. However, to be seen by men should not be their motive; it should be because they truly want to help people. Christians want to imitate the motive God has when He shows mercy to people, because followers of Jesus want to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, August 28, 2023
Article #10: A Righteousness to Be Seen by God
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As Jesus makes a topical transition in His sermon on the mount, He now informs His listeners that they are not to “practice [their] righteousness before men to be noticed by them” (Matthew 6:1). He tells them that if they do, then they “have no reward with [their] Father who is in heaven.”
In the verses which follow, Jesus gives three examples of righteous deeds which should not be done to be seen by men. They are contributions to the poor, praying, and fasting. Jesus is telling the crowd that all three of these, along with other deeds of righteousness, should not be done for public show, but rather should be done “in secret.”
Earlier in this sermon Jesus said His followers are to be a “light.” If they are to be a “light” then their actions must be done where they can be seen by men. However, their purpose for being a “light” is so that God will be glorified. In the current passage under consideration, the emphasis seems to be that people are doing their righteous deeds to be seen by men or honored by men and Jesus says this is the wrong motivation.
So, what makes the difference? Our inward motivation. Our personal reasons for why we are doing what we are doing.
What should be the true motivation? Our motivation should be so that God is pleased and we are seeking His reward. We are not seeking some temporary reward, but rather an eternal reward.
While all would agree that the reward from men is “today” and the reward from God is “tomorrow,” Christians should always keep in mind that man’s reward is fleeting while God’s reward is not short-lived. Man’s reward is quickly passing away, but God’s reward is permanent.
If a Christian focuses on pleasing God, then they will have a satisfaction that will last. With this type of attitude, the Christian is seeking the honor and praise of God and not that of his fellow human beings.
God wants to honor and praise those who are truly doing deeds of righteousness. He wants to reward them for their behavior that surpasses the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. He wants to recompense them for their properly motivated righteous behavior.
May all Christians have, as their motivation for doing any righteous deed, the desire to receive what God wants to give them. While their righteous deeds will be seen by men, it is not man’s approval that should be sought, but rather God’s. When Christians have this attitude, then their actions will be correctly motivated, and they will receive God’s reward because they are living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, August 14, 2023
Article #9: Living Like the Heavenly Father
If one is to have a righteousness that surpasses the righteousness of the “scribes and Pharisees,” then they must use “the heavenly Father” as their example. This is the conclusion Jesus reaches after expounding upon six different “you have heard” practices (Matthew 5:48).
Customarily the Jews looked to the “scribes and Pharisees” as their example and source of instruction when it came to living a righteous life. While it is good to seek out men who are imitating Jesus and God so that we might emulate them, our true focus should be upon God and the “life” He has lived.
Jesus tells the crowd that they are “to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Based upon the language used by Jesus, this is not optional, but rather is a command. Jesus is telling the crowd this is something they must be doing, beginning now and for the remainder of their life; a quality the follower of Jesus must be constantly striving to obtain.
The word “perfect” in this verse is not an action word, but rather a descriptive word, an adjective. The word does not have the meaning of “without fault, or faultless,” but rather to be “brought to its end, finished.” The word has the idea of completeness or the ultimate goal of an endeavor.
Jesus knew that mankind could not live a life without committing a violation of God’s law. Therefore, Jesus is not telling the crowd to do something He knows they cannot do. However, with this statement, Jesus is setting a standard to which He wants His followers to achieve, thereby surpassing the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.
By telling His audience to focus on “the heavenly Father,” Jesus has changed the basis upon which one is to live their life. It is not based upon what man is telling or showing us how to live, but rather our lives should be based upon what God is telling and showing us.
His conclusion, based upon the preceding verses, is that if one follows His instructions then they will be “sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Every Christian should want to be “sons of your Father who is in heaven.”
With this as a goal, it gives the Christian a lifetime ambition or aim. It should be their constant endeavor. They should be thinking, “How can I be more like God, my heavenly Father?”
Christians do not need to focus on not meeting this standard, but rather the followers of Jesus need to be focusing on having the characteristics of the heavenly Father. With this mindset, with this ambition, the Christian will naturally be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, August 7, 2023
Article #8: Loving Both Friend and Foe
In His sixth “You have heard it said,” quotation, Jesus is telling the crowd that they must love not only their friends, relatives and fellow citizens; but, they must also love their enemies, their foes (Matthew 5:47). Jesus is setting a new standard for His followers to help them to surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).
The first half of His quotation probably comes from the book of Leviticus and possibly the second from some other source. Regardless of its origin, it was something the people had “heard” and were practicing.
All agree it is easy, and the normal thing to do, to love those who love us. Here Jesus is telling His followers that they must go beyond what is normal and become “sons of your Father who is in heaven.” The followers of Jesus must strive to be like God, even when it comes to loving one’s enemies.
In addition to telling His followers to love their enemies, Jesus tells them they must “pray for those who persecute you” and to greet not only your “brothers” but to also greet “the Gentiles.” The idea of praying for them could take on several different subjects about which Jesus will address in future speeches. The idea of “greeting” someone was to “salute” them, “wish well to” them, “draw to one’s self,” “receive joyfully,” “embrace” them.
Imagine how radical this would have sounded to the Jew on the street; how contrary to their culture. To do this would have required a complete transformation in their thinking and practice.
To illustrate His point, Jesus says God “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” In this regard, God has no “friends” or “enemies;” He is providing for all humanity.
If the followers of Jesus are truly going to be “sons of God,” then they must exemplify this godly practice. The follower must be willing to do what is best not only for his friends, but also his enemies. In practical terms, this is the love Jesus is describing. It is an intellectual action, not based on one’s emotions. It says, “I wish them well.”
In His sermon about having a righteousness which surpasses that of the Jewish leaders, this teaching may be the hardest of all to practice. It requires developing a quality contrary to one’s own desires and natural to practice.
As difficult as this may be, Jesus expects His followers to exhibit this trait. He wants them to strive to develop this characteristic of loving both one’s friends and their foes. He wants Christians to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, July 31, 2023
Article #7: Giving Lovingkindness When Wronged
Continuing His teachings to the crowd about having a righteousness that surpasses the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus turns to people’s attitude about retaliating when wronged. He says they should be giving lovingkindness to those who have insulted them, taken them to court, and made them be their servant. He even comments on how His followers are to treat those who want to borrow from them (Matthew 5:38-42).
Again, Jesus quotes what the people have heard, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” followed by four situations. He speaks about how one is to respond when they are slapped on the cheek, when they are sued in court, when they are forced (probably by the Roman military) to go a mile, or when they want something from you.
He may be giving the answer to all four of these situations when He says, “Do not turn away from him.” Jesus seems to be saying His followers are to give lovingkindness even when they are wronged.
These passages have often been misused and misinterpreted. Some believe Christians should be passive, letting someone “walk all over them,” never retaliating. To have this attitude seems contrary to the overall theme of this segment of the sermon. Jesus is not promoting that one should not defend themselves, but rather they should not retaliate when wronged. They should not individually be retaliating.
Being struck on your “right cheek” meant that someone had struck you with the back of their left hand. This was considered a very serious insult. Most people would retaliate by striking back. He seems to be saying Christians should be willing to be insulted rather than retaliate. We should respond by giving lovingkindness. We should want to serve and not “pay them back.”
In our world, “standing up for our rights and not letting anyone mistreat us” is a common philosophy. When this ideology is acted upon, it does not promote harmony and peace; it generates strife and conflict.
Christians can see this teaching put into action when they observe the statement Jesus gives about forgiving those who put Him on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)? What about the followers of Jesus today? We should have the same attitude when being mistreated for doing a good thing.
This new teaching of Jesus, of giving lovingkindness when one is wronged, is contrary to what our world “preaches.” However, if Christians are to have this characteristic of a follower of Jesus, they must work at it. Giving one’s best effort to treat people in this way, is truly a display of their desire to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, July 24, 2023
Article #6: Speak With Integrity
For the third time Jesus quotes what “the ancients were told” to the crowd. This time it is about making vows and making oaths (Matthew 5:33:37). He tells them that if their righteousness is to surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, then they need to speak with integrity.
Jesus is saying that His followers should be speaking so that when they say, “Yes, yes” or “No, no” people will have confidence in what they are saying. The speaker does not need to make a vow or an oath in order for their message to be believable and for people to put their trust in it.
Heaven, earth, and Jerusalem do not belong to man, but rather belong to God. Heaven is the “throne of God.” Earth is the “footstool” of God. Jerusalem is “the city of the Great King” or God.
Jesus includes our own heads in this list. He states we “cannot make one hair white or black.” Man does not have the wisdom (white hair) or the strength of youth (black hair) to make things happen in life.
As Christians, we should speak in such a manner as to always reveal to people the truth. It is the truth, not because we stated it, but rather because what we stated is true. There is no need to bring God in as a guarantee to our words. Christians should have the reputation that when they speak, the listener knows they have integrity; they are honest and have strong moral principles.
The reputation of the Christian should be that they will always tell the truth and not exaggerate the facts. They will be people who do not try to slant it to their benefit. They are people who can always be counted on to give someone the truth, the simple facts of the situation.
In this portion of the sermon Jesus is giving on the mount, Jesus is teaching that if one always speaks with integrity, then their simple words are all that is needed. They do not need to make vows or oaths. They do not need to make elaborate statements for the purpose of impressing upon people that they are telling the truth.
The longer someone knows a Christian, the more the Christian is tried and proven to be honest in his speech. Their life demonstrates this characteristic of speaking with integrity.
Christians who want to have a righteousness which surpasses that of the religious leaders of the days of Jesus, need to have the characteristic of speaking with integrity. Their speech should be filled with “Yes, yes” and “No, no” statements because they are followers of Jesus and they are living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, July 17, 2023
Article #5: Drastic Measures to Avoid Sin
Early in His ministry, Jesus is sitting on a mountainside talking to the crowds giving them examples of how their righteousness must surpass that of the “scribes and Pharisees.” After talking to them about resolving conflicts to avoid murder, Jesus now talks about taking drastic measures to avoid committing the sin of adultery (Matthew 5:27-30).
Reminding them they “have heard it was said,” He now wants to give them His comments about the law, “You shall not commit adultery.” He tells them two things; one, they should not look “at a woman with lust for her,” and two, do whatever one must do to avoid committing this sin. Jesus is not speaking of literally cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye, but He is using language to show how drastic one’s actions should be to avoid this sin.
When Jesus is speaking about looking at a woman, He is speaking of having a strong desire or longing for a sexual encounter with a woman. He is not talking about admiring her beauty, but rather He is describing how a man would be craving a more intimate relationship with this person. Just like in His illustrations concerning anger and how one’s anger needs to be controlled, Jesus is saying here that a man should be controlling his thoughts or he will eventually commit the physical act of adultery.
Jesus uses two hyperbolic statements to illustrate the extent a person should go to avoid this sin, and any other sin. Jesus is wanting the listener to be shocked by the illustration. He is wanting the hearer to really consider the seriousness of this unlawful behavior.
Jesus says if figurative amputation is not taken, then the alternative is the “whole body [will] be thrown into hell.” With this statement Jesus has intensified the consequences of being disobedient to God’s commands and laws. Jesus is giving a warning and an exhortation that sin needs to be avoided at all cost or it will cost us everything.
We in society, and especially Christians, need to comprehend the seriousness of sin. Without this comprehension, we will not take the drastic measures to avoid sin. By continuing in our sin, then our punishment will be like us being cast into the Gehenna fire which was outside of Jerusalem, a hyperbolic statement meaning never ending.
As Christians, we need to spend time thinking about the seriousness of sin and what radical actions needed to be taken to avoid every sin. We need to encourage ourselves, and others who would be followers of Jesus, to develop this mindset. Christians will implement drastic measures to avoid sin because they crave living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, July 10, 2023
Article #4: Resolve the Conflict
After Jesus told His disciples their righteousness must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, He discusses six different aspects dealing with relationships. The first topic He discusses is His expectation that His disciples resolve any conflict they have with people rather than letting it elevate to murder (Matthew 5:21-26).
Jesus begins by quoting what the disciples had heard from “the ancients” and then makes His comments on the subject. He says the disciple needs to resolve the conflict between himself and a spiritual brother before he comes to the altar and offers his sacrifice. He instructs the disciple to resolve the conflict between himself and his friend to keep from dealing with the legal system and possibly going to jail.
The major point here may be that Jesus is saying that conflicts between a disciple and another person should be resolved quickly before they lead to something worse. The most drastic consequence to an unresolved conflict may be that it results in someone being murdered.
Jesus knows conflicts are going to arise between two people. He wants His disciples to take the initiative, take the first step, to resolve the conflict in a certain manner. He wants them to have a good relationship with everyone, especially those with whom the disciple would call their spiritual “brother.”
Jesus places a high priority on this if one should not worship until the conflict is resolved. Things must be serious if there is a possibility of being incarcerated because the conflict is not resolved. The conflict should be resolved quickly if the relationship is going to be restored and prevent things from getting worse.
Jesus does not explain how to resolve the conflict, but there may be some very simple ways to resolve the conflict and restore the relationship. There must be the desire to resolve the conflict and restore the relationship. There must be a sense of urgency to get the conflict resolved so that the relationship can continue as before the conflict.
By implementing these two strategies for resolving conflict, Jesus has told us how to keep from committing murder. If our anger over a conflict does not escalate, then one will never commit murder. Unresolved conflicts could possibly intensify to the point that one takes the life of his brother or friend.
The question for Christians today is, when it comes to their anger, are they willing to surpass the righteousness of the religious leaders and resolve the conflict before it gets out of hand? Resolving the conflict, quickly, in the proper manner and not letting it lead to murder, is a characteristic of a follower of Jesus and one who is living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, July 3, 2023
Article #3: Our Righteousness Must Surpass
While sitting down on a side of a mountain, Jesus speaks to a large crowd about being righteous. He says, “That unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
The scribes and Pharisees were religious leaders among the Jewish community. They were a group of people who believed in following the laws of God very strictly. They were very diligent in their efforts to keep the commandments of God.
In most cases Jesus does not complement them. However, in this passage He is using them as a standard. He tells His disciples they must exceed the righteousness of these people.
While on many occasions Jesus condemns them, on this occasion He acknowledges they have some righteous behaviors. They were people who would pray, fast, and try to get others to be followers of God. They were people who studied and knew very well the Law of Moses along with the writings of the prophets. On another occasion Jesus recommends to His disciples that they do and observe “all that they tell you” (Matthew 23:3).
However, in this sermon on the mountain, Jesus tells the listeners that they must surpass the righteousness of these groups of people if they are going to “enter the kingdom of heaven.” The following verses give examples of how the disciples are to exceed the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus points out that not only do their actions need to be right, but their attitude (or heart) must also be right.
While much emphasis is placed upon having the right “heart,” let’s not forget that without the right actions, one cannot be pleasing to God. The works of a person are just as important as having the right disposition when doing something.
Jesus loved and was concerned about the scribes and Pharisees. He wanted both them and His disciples to “enter the kingdom of heaven.” Likewise, He wants Christians today to be righteous people and to enter the kingdom of heaven.
As we look to how we as Christians can apply this statement by Jesus in our lives, we might look at the scribes and Pharisees and see the good they were doing and then try to exceed their righteous acts, for we must surpass their righteousness.
If Christians will focus on their actions as much as they are told to focus on their attitude, then we will surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. It will be our actions that will determine whether we enter the kingdom of heaven. Our actions must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees if we are going to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, June 26, 2023
Article #2: One’s Attitude toward the Bible
In the days of Jesus, the Law and the Prophets were considered a major portion of the “Bible” used by the Jews. In one of His first sermons, Jesus expresses the correct attitude one should have toward the Bible (Matthew 5:17-19).
Jesus said His intent was not to abolish, destroy or annul any of the things contained in the Law and the Prophets. He said His purpose was to fulfill it, to bring it to completion, to accomplish all the things stated within these writings. Jesus in His lifetime not only kept all of these laws and commandments, but He also fulfilled all the predictions contained within the Law and the Prophets.
By using the phrase “until heaven and earth pass away,” Jesus is pointing out these scriptures are not going anywhere until everything contained in them has been accomplished; adding emphasize He says not “the smallest letter or stroke” shall pass from the Law.
Jesus gives a warning to teachers that they are not to “annul” any of these commandments, otherwise they will be considered “least in the kingdom.” To those who will “keep and teach” these commandments, Jesus encourages them by saying they will be “great in the kingdom of heaven.”
At the time of His crucifixion, Jesus did “fulfill” everything mentioned in the Law and the Prophets. This is possibly one meaning behind the statement Jesus made just before he died, when He said, “It is finished.”
As Christians consider this sermon and its application to their lives as a follower of Jesus, several things need to be considered. One, the word of God is not going away. Even when there is no more “heaven and earth,” the word of God will still be in existence, “every single letter.”
Another thing to consider is that if someone declares the word of God to be invalid, they will be considered “small” in the kingdom. If on the other hand, a person keeps the commandments of God, teaches them to others, and encourages the keeping of them, then they will be considered “great in the kingdom of heaven.”
In this opening message found in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is stating very plainly His viewpoint concerning God’s word. Jesus came to fulfill what God had said to previous generations. He warned people about teaching others to not practice God’s word. He encouraged His followers to “keep and teach” God’s word.
This warning and encouragement should be taken very seriously by today’s Christian. We need to be careful about what we practice and what we teach. We want God to consider us “great” in His kingdom. He will only do this if we are living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak
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Monday, June 19, 2023
Article #1: Christians are to be Light
As Jesus begins His ministry, He delivers a sermon which very possibly outlines some major components of the message He will preach during His ministry. One such component is the influence His followers will have upon those around them. He uses light to illustrate this concept (Matthew 5:14-16).
Jesus uses several metaphors in these verses. His followers will be “the light of the world;” “a city set on a hill [that] cannot be hidden;” a lamp placed on a table where it will give “light to all who are in the house.”
Jesus gives two reasons why they must “let [their] light shine before men.” One is so the world will see “your good works” and the other is so the world will “glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Considering these metaphors, it seems obvious Jesus wants His followers to be in the world where people will see them. He wants the actions of His followers to be considered the example of how one should be living their lives. As a result of Christians letting their light shine in the world, those who are not Christians may say “they are godly,” therefore praising God.
Considering our own lives, can a person (believer or non-believer) recognize that our actions are different from the majority of the people in our community? What about the words we use? What about the places we go to for recreation and entertainment? What about the clothes we wear when we are seen by the general public?
Jesus is stating that His followers will be different. They will be expected to live up to a higher standard. They are to be the “leaders” for people who are not believers and not to be “following” the non-believers.
It is a universal human characteristic to want to “fit in” with the crowd and not be “different.” However, Christians should be “trend setters;” demonstrating how God wants people to live.
Maybe the most prominent reason for not being a “light” as Jesus instructs is because we do not want to be “made fun of,” or ridiculed. When a person first becomes a Christian, they may be very sensitive to these hurtful words. But, as the Christian develops and matures, these words should not affect them as they realize it is just part of living as a Christian.
The question may be, whose approval are we seeking? Our fellowman or God?
A light will always shine unless someone prevents it from shining. The Christian must work hard at not allowing others to “put it under a basket.” By shining their light, everyday all day, the Christian demonstrates to others how to be living God’s way.
We invite you to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about God’s word. – Carlton G. McPeak