Read Matthew 6:1-4

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

“Hypocrites originally referred to Greek actors who wore different masks to play various roles. Jesus criticizes the religious leaders, most notably the Pharisees, for a particular form of hypocrisy: doing the right things for the wrong reasons. To give to the needy was one of the pillars of piety, but the religious leaders gave to the needy in order to be praised by others.” (ESV Study Bible)

We can do good things with bad motives. We can do wrong even as we’re doing right. In other words, we can be doing good things, religious things to be noticed by our friends, neighbors, even pastors and not for an audience of One. In our giving and our living if we are more concerned with how we appear to others, than we are concerned with obedience and delight unto the LORD, we may be doing the very thing Jesus warns us about in this passage.

We may be practicing our righteousness to be seen. Jesus again is warning us that our heart motives matter more than the action of our hands. If we are trying to earn God’s favor, or approval of others, by what we do, than we’re missing the entire point of the Gospel. We work with our hands because God has done a work in our hearts.

If we only read our bibles to post a picture of it on Instagram, we may be missing it.
If we serve the poor to get a pat on the back, we may be missing it.
If our service to the church is so our pastor will thank us, we may be missing it.

We live for an audience of One. We serve and give out of an overflow of God’s grace His given to us. We don’t work for earthly reward, we work for heavenly reward. If we are still trying to impress others and receive their approval, we need to sink deeply into our identity in Christ and remember we are already approved because of His work on the Cross.

We give because He gave first. We do for others, because Jesus has done for us.

We live for an audience of One.

1.  List some of the ways Jesus tells us to give and serve according to this passage.

2.  What are some ways you may seek approval from others or give in order to be seen others?

3.  Jesus is not saying we are never to give, but to pay attention to the motive of our hearts.  What are some ways you can give to others with right motives?  Take some time to pray about how God might have you give your time, talent, and treasure to those around you this week.

Read Matthew 5:33-37

Keep your word.
Don’t swear.
Let your yes be yes and your no be no.

Remember when you were little, and your friends from the neighborhood would tell you an outlandish story and you wouldn’t believe them until they “swore to God” that it happened? Or you’d promise to do something for your friend if they’d give you their last Oreo cookie and they’d make you “swear to God” that you’d really do it? I can remember being little and hearing “Swear to God?” or even worse “Swear on your mom?” (How awful!) so often it didn’t even faze me.

It was our way in the neighborhood of making sure they weren’t just making things up; they couldn’t just give their word, they had to swear or promise on top of that.

In other words, we assumed everything was a lie until you “swore to God.”

That’s kind of what Jesus is saying here. If you keep your word, why would there need to be an additional promise or oath given?

Your yes should be enough.
Your no should be enough.

Your word should be taken seriously at face value because you live with integrity. Anything less would be dishonest.

There should be no reason to have to take an additional oath; your word should be an oath. If you commit to something, show up. If you say one thing to a person’s face, make sure it’s the same thing you’d say behind their back. Keep your word.

Even worse than just telling a fib or being flaky, is saying things like “The LORD told me to _________”.

In fact, when you see “You shall not take the LORD’s name in vain” as one of the 10 commandments, that’s what this is referring to. This is saying God is leading you to do something or promising in His name, but in reality, God has nothing to do with it.

The Lord told me to quit my job.
The LORD said I need to break up with you.
I feel like the LORD is calling me to move to Hawaii.

Maybe the LORD is leading you to do those things, but if He’s not, and you’re over spiritualizing life decisions, you may be taking the LORD’s name in vain.

Taking the LORD’s name in vain is making an oath in the name of God that God never intended for you. Letting your yes be yes, and your no be no is living with integrity and cultivating trust in your relationships. Living in such a way helps you grow in your trust and obedience to the LORD as well.

Let’s live with integrity in all we say and do.

 

1. Read James 5:12. What happens when we don’t keep our word?

2. Are you known for keeping word? Why or why not?

3. What are some ways you can you grow in integrity by letting your “yes be yes” and your “no be no”?

 

Wedged in between Jesus’ teaching on adultery/lust and oaths, are 2 verses on divorce.

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’  But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:31-32)

Remember who was present during Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount? The disciples and the crowds, and part of the crowds were the religious elite, the Pharisees. According to one of my commentaries, at this point in Jesus ministry John had been put in prison and killed, at least in part for his public opinions on marriage and divorce, so the Pharisees had hoped to trap Jesus, too. They were trying to trick Jesus by having him choose sides in a theological issue.

In a time when women had little to no rights, men were divorcing their wives for just about any reason. And the Pharisees were no different. If the law was giving an inch, they were taking a mile. In Moses’ day and Jesus’ day, marriage was falling short of what God intended.

One man, one woman, in covenant together, for life.

While there was grace even within the law of divorce, it was being abused. There were times divorce was permissible, but much like in our current society, marriage was being entered into without a reverence for God’s design. Men in biblical times were breaking marriage vows with ease, rather than upholding their covenant with their wives.

And this not only belittled God’s design for marriage, it belittled God’s design for how women were to be treated.

Jesus was doing two things here:

1. Protecting the marriage covenant.
2. Protecting the wives who had little to no say in their own marriage.

Jesus was standing up for God’s original design, and he was standing up for women who would be tossed aside like someone’s property when divorced.

These 2 short verses on divorce are a rebuke to the men of that day who were flippant with God’s laws and marriage vows.

Divorce is devastating. For women in biblical times, and for some even today, the way society would’ve treated a divorced woman would have been worse than the way they treated a widow, for they would’ve been vulnerable and possibly shamed. Jesus was defending the outcast by proclaiming God’s word.

Marriage is complicated, divorce is messy, and I love the way Jesus, in just 2 short verses, can speak to the heart of the issue and come in defense of the weak.

1. Read Matthew 19:1-9. List some of the things Jesus says about divorce.

2. Read Deuteronomy 24:1-4. How do these verses relate to Jesus teaching on divorce?

3. Have you personally, or do you know someone who’s been affected by divorce? If so, stop and pray for them now.

 

For more on marriage, divorce, and remarriage, visit The Well’s position paper on these issues.

 

Read Matthew 5:14-16

While working at a public school, I had started a prayer group that met before school once a week to pray for our coworkers, students, community, etc. I had asked another teacher to join because I knew he was a Christian. He responded he wasn’t sure if he would and he said “I never tell people I’m a Christian, that way, if I mess up, it doesn’t make God look bad.”

As I’ve been thinking about what it means to be salt and light, I can’t help but realize in these passages Jesus says:

You are the salt of the earth . . .
You are the light of the world . . .

As Christians, we get no choice to be salt or light, we are. The only choice we have is whether our salt will be savory or tasteless; whether we hide our lights or shine.

There’s no choice in being salt & light, there’s only duty . . . delightful duty to share who we are and whose we are.

To sprinkle and shine for Christ.

We don’t need to hide our lights from others. It is this light that illuminates and helps guide them through darkness. We do however need to make sure our light isn’t dim and doesn’t flicker.

Perhaps that’s why Jesus words here tell us to shine, to go out and tell AND to make sure our deeds reflect what we say. Our lives should shine as much light as our words.We are to preach Christ to people in word and deed.

If we mingle with darkness, walk in the ways of the world, how can we help others see their way out? Our light is no brighter than theirs!

If we hide our lights, if we’re too afraid to share, how will others ever see? Imagine being in a dark room and trying to help others find their way out, holding your flashlight and never using it! What good is that? How is keeping your light hidden helping others see Christ and His way of life . . . the path that leads to fullness of JOY? (Psalm 16:11)

Don’t you see why it’s so important to “flesh out” our message to the world? Others are walking in pain, darkness, sin, destruction, and death and we have the lamp to light the path to the Way out.

Go! Shine! Live brightly that others might see . . . see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

{Matthew 5:9-12}
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Do you wonder why verse 9 says blessed are the peacemakers and the next 3 verses have to do with persecution?  Why would God call peacemakers blessed and then give 3 verses following about persecution?

We often think peacemaking is one who quiets conflict, or perhaps avoids it all together, to “keep the peace”.  Sort of like my sweet Grandma Lynn who would never raise her voice and simple hush us up with some Koolaid and grilled cheese sandwich when we were misbehaving or fighting with one another.  But is that the kind of peacemaking referred to here?  The kind that avoids conflict by saying nothing, and just comforting with a little extra butter on the bread?  Why would that lead to persecution?

Because Gospel peacemaking is different.  Gospel peacemaking speaks up. 

Could it be that when you’re a peacemaker, you aren’t seeking peace the way we understand it to be? Perhaps peace doesn’t come from silence and people pleasing, but from speaking up and speaking truth?

Tim Keller said of this passage, as an ambassador for Christ you should be “both attracting people and repelling people”. There were times when Jesus was mocked, ridiculed, harassed. He warned His disciples that they will be hated by the world, just as He was.  But, there were also times when it says He grew in favor with men. Same with the New Testament church, they grew in favor, the LORD was adding to their number daily.

So this peacemaker can’t mean someone who just gets along with everyone, stays silent, and is a people pleaser. If the peace talked about here is peace between one another, than why would He give warning not to lose heart as we are reviled and persecuted by others? If we’re making peace why would we be persecuted?

This peacemaker must be preaching a message of peace that is beyond this world.

True peace comes from reconciliation to the Father. Peace in our broken relationship, our sin, our hostility toward God. That is the GOSPEL. It’s a GOSPEL of peace between us and God.

Real peacemakers tell others this message of peace.

Some will hear this message of peace and jump with joy, knowing they can have a peace beyond understanding. This peace comes from a right standing with God, righteousness. Others will hear it and think it’s ridiculous, judgmental, naive. . . and they will persecute.

Persecuted for sharing the Gospel of peace. But blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.

So we are to be peacemakers. To be a peacemaker means we must be willing to ruffle some feathers, say hard things, and be bold for Christ. It’s a deeper peace beyond “staying civil” and “not wanting to offend anyone.” It’s a peace that points others to Christ, that stands for Him even in the face of persecution, because the love is stronger. It’s a peace that comes from reconciliation.

Are you willing to be a peacemaker? Even if it’s rejecting the peace that comes from “people pleasing”?

For too long, we’ve thought peace comes from staying with crowd and not speaking up.  Perhaps this isn’t the symbol for peace:

But this is:

“What are you after? Approval of the people OR favor from the King?” -Tim Keller

 

 

1.  List some of the contrasts between peacemaking and persecution.

2.  Do you consider yourself a people pleaser?  Why or why not?  

3.  Are there areas in your life where you’re seeking worldly peace as opposed to the Gospel of peace?

Read Matthew 5:5

We tend to think of meekness as being soft-spoken, passive, or gentle.  Often if someone is strong and bold, we wouldn’t also categorize them as meek.  Meekness is not a characteristic of leader for most of us.  However, Jesus was meek.  He tells us “blessed are the meek”.  How can you be strong and meek?  Gentle and yet lead?  Meekness really has to do with character more than it does about personality.  It is more about humility than passivity.  Meekness has to do with seeing yourself for who you truly are, and seeing God for who He truly is.

Kevin DeYoung, an author and pastor, wrote about meekness at The Gospel Coalition Blog last week.  Here’s his insight on meekness:

Meekness is hard to define. It is not a subservient groveling. It is not a spineless acquiescence. The Greeks had no respect for meekness because they equated it with servility–people taking advantage of you, people walking all over you, people punching you in the gut as you thank them for the pleasure of being hit, that sort of thing.

But that’s not what the Bible means by meekness.

Meekness is a combination of patience, gentleness, and a complete submission to the will of God. Meekness is learning to be self-controlled instead of needing to be in control. Meekness is opening your heart instead of clenching your fist. Meekness is the firm resolve that it is always better to suffer than to sin.

Meekness is one of the great virtues of the Christian (Col. 3:12). The world may have no place for it, but the Bible does.

Moses was the meekest man on the earth (Number 12:3). And if you know anything about Moses, you know he wasn’t born with a meek personality. He killed somebody! We are not talking about a personality trait. You can be soft or loud, introverted or extroverted and still have meekness. Moses had to have meekness pressed into him by life and by the Lord.

Or think of Paul. There were big time issues in Corinth, and Paul wasn’t afraid to talk tough. But his first approach was to plead with the saints by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (2 Cor. 10:1).

If you think meekness is for losers, then you think Jesus is a loser. The Son of Man was a meek man (Matt. 11:29). Of course, that’s not the only thing to say about Jesus, but it’s one thing we can say.

When you are confronted, when you are wronged, when you get all hot and bothered and you’re tightening up inside, what does meekness look like? When you come after your adversaries is it with a whip or with a weep? Who’s sins upset you more, the sins of your neighbors or your own? Meekness is not about being a doormat. It’s about being dignified, even in the face of confusion, anxiety, and injustice.

Blessed are the meek, for they–of all people!–shall inherit the whole wide world (Matt. 5:5).

 

1.  Write out the definition for meek.

2.  How does the correct definition of meek compare to what you may have thought beforehand?

3.  Would you have considered meekness a value or a virtue prior to reading this?  Why or why not?

 

 

 

I did not grow up in church. I grew up in a wonderful family, who was very close, I had parents who loved each other, and we believed in God, we just didn’t go to church.

I can remember friends in elementary school asking what religion I was. I answered, “Well, I think I’m Christian.” I mean I was American after all, right?! As I got older, I can remember many people who were Christian telling me two things that were very confusing.

“You’re a sinner”
“Don’t you know Jesus died for you?”

Neither of these made sense to me. First of all a sinner? That felt a little judgmental, how could someone possibly call me a sinner? I was a good person. And Jesus died for me? What does that even mean? I didn’t even know Him and why would he die for me??

This was all so offensive to me. Really, think about it for a moment. When you call someone a sinner it means you’re telling them you’re going to hell. No one wants to hear or believe that!

It wasn’t until I was 21 years old did I understand what sin and Jesus death on the Cross truly meant. I lost my father unexpectedly when I was 19 to a heart attack. Our whole world shattered and everything I thought I knew about life, and death, and time on earth flipped upside down.

This led me to start asking question and truly seeking answers. I needed to know what happens after you die, who is control of your time on earth, and why people were always telling me about Jesus.

My now husband patiently began to answer these questions. One evening, we sat down to watch the Passion of the Christ. I still did not truly understand sin and Jesus’ death on the Cross-, but I was seeking and my heart was warm towards God.

There is a scene in the movie based on scripture in which a woman is caught in the act of adultery. In biblical times, the penalty for being caught in adultery was death. This woman committed a sin that deserved death according to the law. So the religious leaders dragged her out to be stoned to death.

With their stones in hand, ready to do justice and kill this woman, Jesus walks up and enters in. He stands in front of her, as she is scared, filthy and bloody from already being dragged out to face death. You see her reaching out her shaking, filthy hand toward His feet. He kneels down and draws a line in the sand.

She knew she deserved death; she was filled with shame and guilt, covered in dirt and blood and Jesus stands in front of her, as her Defender as if to say, “Her sin deserves death, but I will stand before her. My grace is sufficient and my death will satisfy.” The religious leaders drop their stones.

In this moment, I realized I was that woman. While I though of myself as “not too bad, a good person, certainly not a sinner”, this visual of God’s grace made me see my sin for what it was. My sin earned me death, and Jesus by His grace, stood in the gap to defend me and rescue me. My eyes were opened, I saw my sin, and I mourned.

I grieved deeply over how sinful I was. I cried. I confessed. I repented. And I thanked God for the gift of His son and His death on the Cross.

This beatitude “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” is not something to quote when a loved one passes. While God will comfort you in your mourning, this mourning mentioned here is referring to our sin. When we truly see our sin for what it is, when we truly understand how deeply embedded sin is in our lives, it should lead us to mourn and grieve.

And, it should lead us to gratitude that Jesus would reach out His hand to defend and rescue sinners like us.

 

1.  What does it mean to mourn?

2.  How is mourning your sin different from feeling guilty over your sin?

3.  Have you mourned your sin?  Ask God to reveal your sin to you, to see it for what it is, and then remind you of His grace.

Read Matthew 5:3

I can remember a time when I was a waitress and I was serving a young family of four. The mother was clearly exhausted and her two young kids were, well, being kids and playing at the restaurant. As I walked up to take their order, her son who was probably around 4 years old picked up his glass of water, and poured it into her glass of water, which was already full.

Water went everywhere.
I gasped.
Dad tried to stop it.
Mom yelled: “Son, what are you doing?? Why would you dump your glass of water in mine? Mommy already has enough water!”
She said I’m sorry. I said I’m sorry. And the son didn’t quite know what he had just done and just stared at the mess.

I think about this scenario probably more than I should. This boy trying to fill up a glass that was already full. And maybe it’s a cheesy illustration, but hold that picture for a moment.

How can you fill up a glass with more water if it’s already full?
You can’t. It has to be empty.

When Jesus starts the Sermon on the Mount, he doesn’t start with “Blessed are the ones who have it all together. Blessed are the ones who are filled with their good works. Blessed are the ones who are full of self-righteousness. Blessed are the ones who are full of their legalistic lists of do’s and don’ts. He starts with . . .

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
 
Blessed are the ones who are empty, the ones who have come to the end of their rope, the ones who are spiritually bankrupt, the ones who have nothing left to offer.  Blessed are the ones who see their need for God.

Arthur Pink said “To be “poor in spirit” is to realize that I have nothing, am nothing, and can do nothing, and have need of all things. It issues from the painful discovery that all my righteousnesses are as filthy rags. It follows the awakening that my best performances are unacceptable, yea, an abomination to the thrice Holy One. Poverty of spirit evidences itself by its bringing the individual into the dust before God, acknowledging his utter helplessness and deservingness of hell. It is the Spirit emptying the heart of self that Christ may fill it: it is a sense of need and destitution. The one who is poor in spirit is nothing in his own eyes, and feels that his proper place is in the dust before God. {Pink, A.W., An Exposition of The Sermon on The Mount}

As long as we think of ourselves more highly than we ought, we are filled with pride, and have yet to taste of His grace. When we see ourselves as sinful, we see The Cross more clearly. When we see our need for God, we inherit the kingdom.

Seeing our emptiness is seeing our need for God. It’s seeing our need to be filled. It’s a gift of brokenness that leads us to our Healer.

Being poor in spirit is being brought low so that we can be lifted high.
Being poor in spirit leads us to riches in Christ.
Being poor in spirit is seeing our emptiness that leads us to His grace.

 

1.  What does it mean to be poor in spirit?  

2.  Read Isaiah 66:2, Psalm 51:16-17, and James 4:10.  What do all of these verses have in common?

3.  Have you had a moment in your life when you realized you were poor in spirit?  When did you recognize your need for Savior?

If I asked you what it means to be blessed, what would you say? How do you define “blessed”?

Is it being financially stable?
Free from worry?
Healthy?
Loving husband?
Well behaved kids?
A nice home?
Lots of friends and loved ones?

Another way of defining the word blessed, is happy. What is true happiness?

If you wrote out a definition for happiness what would it be? What would your life have to look like in order to be happy?

Read Matthew 5:1-10.

Does your list of “blessing and happiness” look anything like what Jesus listed?

Poor in spirit
Mourning
Meek
Hungry & Thirsty
Merciful
Pure in heart
Peacemakers
Persecuted

I don’t know about you but when I made my list, none of these words were on there. I have always considered blessing and happiness to mean free from trials and suffering. Jesus tells us true happiness comes when we are emptied of our selves, when we’ve come to the end of rope, and we look to God. True happiness comes when we mourn our sin, become humble and see ourselves lowly when compared to God, when we are so desperately hungry and thirsty for Christ and His kind of life, that’s when we find true happiness.

These beatitudes are not new commands or things we force ourselves to do in order to be blessed. Because of the posture of our hearts and our understanding of our sin, God, and his unending grace, we are blessed.

The beginning of blessing is not health, wealth, and prosperity.
It’s poverty, grief, hunger, and thirst.
It’s seeing the Cross clearly and living in light of that.
As a result of living in the light of the Gospel, we get more blessing and more happiness than we can even understand.
Living in right relationship with God leads us into green pastures, life and life abundant with the Most High God.
It leads us to find our happiness in God over earthly treasures, and delight in Him is our treasure ever more.

That’s true happiness, true blessing.

 

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Read Matthew 5:1-2

Jesus was the most gifted teacher to ever walk on this earth.  He had a way of not only teaching those who were listening to learn, but also rebuking those who were listening to critique.

“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying…” (Matthew 5:1-2)

While Jesus was teaching to his disciples, he also knew the crowds were there watching and listening.

He is teaching to His disciples, He knows the crowd is listening, and He is rebuking the religious people. All in the same sermon. He knows His audience. He knows who’s listening, who’s learning, who’s watching from afar, and who’s waiting to pounce.

Crowd: audience

Disciple: A learner, one who follows one’s teaching. A disciple was not only a pupil, but an adherent, hence they are spoken of as imitators of their teacher.

Jesus recognized that there is a difference between those that are devoted followers and those that are there for a show. I would say much is the same today. Though we may not gather on the side of the mountain, we do gather inside of a building. Some to hear and learn as his devoted followers, others coming to consume and catch a show, and others coming to critique and cast stones.

Disciples and crowds still exist today.

Which are you?

Are you like the disciples who came to Him?
Do you come close to God?
Do you follow to glean from His words? To listen, and learn?
Do you imitate Christ out of a grateful heart?

OR

Are you like the crowd?
Watching from a distance?
Watching the show, listening, but never entering in?
Listening for error so you can critique and compare?
Waiting for spectacular but have yet to come close enough to see Jesus face to face?

It’s easy to be a part of the crowd. It’s easier to pretend to follow Christ than it is to actually follow Him. You can blend in, you can seem like you’re a part of the movement, you can play the part.

But, it’s much better and more rewarding to step out of the crowd and into relationship. Let’s become a disciple. Not one who plays church or looks the part, but one who is sold out to following Christ. Complete surrender, complete trust, complete pursuit of our Teacher.

Let people know us not by the crowd we sit in, but by the One we imitate. Let’s come close to our teacher, let His word change us so our lives display what we believe.

1. Write out some of the differences between a crowd and a disciple.

2. Which do you most associate with? Why?

3. Is it a struggle to follow Christ with everything? Why? Why not?

 

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