Category: A Moment with the Master

In Matthew 5:38-41, Jesus taught against retaliation. Jesus takes this teaching further in the following verses. He says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”[1] It’s one thing not to mistreat someone just because they mistreated you. But to love the person who wronged you? To pray for those who hate you and bless those who are your enemies? That’s another category altogether. And it’s what Jesus calls us to.

Avoiding retaliation is good and necessary—but it’s not enough in and of itself. Jesus commands us to love our enemies; that is, we choose to do good to them. We pray for them; we bless them however we can. And if this seems nigh-impossible, remember, it’s how God has acted towards us. And He wants us to share that type of love with others.

[1] Matthew 5:43-44

Much of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount focuses on our attitudes and behavior toward others. Jesus is emphatic that we must treat others well. Even our attitudes toward others should be controlled. But what if others mistreat us? Do the Lord’s commands still apply?

In Matthew 5:38-40 He says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

The impulse to retaliate comes so naturally to most of us. But Jesus teaches that not only is it wrong to mistreat others—it’s wrong to mistreat others who mistreated us first, also.

In Matthew 5:33-37, Jesus continues His “You have heard it said…But I say to you” mini-series. In this passage, Jesus addresses the issue of honesty. He says, “You have heard it said…‘You shall not swear falsely…’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all…Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

Sometimes, people think swearing an oath is more meaningful than just giving our word. But, if a person is willing to lie without an oath, they are probably willing to lie when they give an oath. Even if some will be honest so long as an oath is involved, Jesus teaches that His disciples shouldn’t need such motivation to be honest. We should always be truthful. We should mean what we say and keep our word. The absence of an oath isn’t an excuse to lie or backtrack on our commitments. Christians should be honest people whose words can be trusted.

In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Similar to Jesus’ words about murder and anger, Jesus teaches that restrained actions aren’t all there is to purity—a transformed heart is also essential.

Sadly, adultery is an oft-committed offense, but it’s also understood to be wrong and evil. But Jesus reminds us that even if we abstain from the actual act of adultery, it doesn’t mean we are pure. If we allow ourselves to lust—if we harbor illicit thoughts and adulterous desires, we are as guilty in God’s eyes as if we committed the act. That doesn’t mean we should go ahead and commit the sin—it means we must be aware of our thoughts and work to purify not only our actions but our hearts and minds as well!

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Jehoiada may not be the most recognizable Bible character, but he was a good man with a great story. When an evil queen sought to secure her position by murdering any potential claimants to the throne, Jehoiada risked his life to rescue and hide the infant Joash from the queen’s murderous plot. Some years later, Jehoiada instigated a rebellion against the false queen and restored the kingship to Joash, who was only 8 years old. Jehoiada was the king’s adviser, and as long as he lived, the king ruled well.

When Jehoiada died, the Bible says, “…they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.”[1] What a eulogy! If, at the end of our lives, it can be said we were good to our family, did good for the church, and were good toward God, then we will have lived an honorable life!

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[1] 2 Chronicles 24:16

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Modern culture often encourages us to be “non-conformist.” Think outside the box; be unique; don’t conform. Well, if you’re against conformity, then Christianity is for you! In Romans 12:2, the Bible says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Ironically, the world calls us to be non-conformists but always wants us to conform to the way of sin. Perhaps different folks appear to take different paths of sinfulness, but in the end, it’s the same broad way that leads to destruction. Every day, people choose to conform to worldliness and sin. Why not choose a different path—a better path? Satan offers conformity disguised as individuality. God offers transformation and renewal. Don’t settle for conformity that will destroy you when God offers transformation that will save you!

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Did you know that your soul is possessed? It is! The question is, by whom?

When we hear about soul possession, we likely think of demonic possession as depicted by Hollywood. But a demon doesn’t have to take over our mind and body for our soul to be endangered. When we follow the way of sin and evil, then our souls belong to destruction. On the other hand, when we believe in and obey the Lord, our souls belong to God and salvation. And the choice is ours!

In Luke 21, Jesus warned His disciples about hardships they would face. But He promised that if they endured, they would be saved. In verse 19, Jesus says, “By your patience possess your souls.”[1] See, our souls aren’t something that can be taken away from us by the enemy. Our souls are our possession, but who will we give our soul to? Will we endure and serve the Lord, or will we yield to the way of sin and Satan?

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[1] NKJV

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Isn’t it amazing how differently people can respond to the same thing? One person will love a movie that another person hates. The same painting may cause some people to be amazed while others mock the item. Well, the same is true of the gospel.

In Acts 2, the Apostle Peter preached a gospel sermon, and towards his conclusion, he rebuked his audience for their rejection of Jesus. Verse 37 says the people were “cut to the heart” and asked Peter what they could do. They were convicted by the gospel and wanted salvation.

In Acts 8, Stephen preached a gospel sermon and rebuked the crowd’s stubborn rebellion. The Bible says this crowd was also “cut to the heart.” They were convicted, but instead of repenting, they got angry—so angry that they murdered Stephen.

How have you responded to the Gospel? Have you let it convict and change you, or do you persist in stubborn rebellion? How has the Gospel cut you to the heart?

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How would you describe a fool? What type of behavior would you classify as “foolish?” We often think foolish people are those who are ignorant, don’t know better, or act silly. But at the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, the Lord provides a simple definition of foolishness. Jesus says, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man…And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man…”

Foolishness is not the same as ignorance—in fact, they’re pretty different. The fool is the person who knows what they should do—they see what Jesus teaches and what Jesus demands—but they choose not to obey. The ignorant person can learn, but the fool acts stubbornly and rebelliously.

Don’t settle for ignorance. Learn what God commands. But once learned, don’t be a fool—let God’s word change and transform you instead of persisting in sin and folly.