4-minute Devotions - the Podcast

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Let's talk about Sex
Jesus was not afraid to tackle the tough subjects in His Sermon on the Mount. After challenging his listeners to consider the use of their words, particularly when words might hurt or offend others, he moves to their thoughts, specifically in the area of sexual attraction. 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 5:27-30Sexual attraction towards another is one of the most powerful forces that God has created for good (inside marriage), but it is also the most manipulated by our enemy, the devil, for evil. Everybody knows that committing adultery is morally wrong and destructive, but Jesus takes the Old Testament command a step further. He tells us that even if we look at another person (which includes pornography) and allow our imagination to desire adultery, that is no different. It is still morally wrong and destructive. Jesus died on the cross to take the penalty for our sins, providing a way that we might receive forgiveness and freedom. Then He gives us His Spirit to empower us towards living a new and clean life. But the emphasis here in the sermon is on how serious adultery is, even if it is imagined adultery. It is not something to gloss over or take lightly. Jesus’ comments about cutting off parts of the body are obviously not to be taken literally (otherwise there would be a lot of people walking around with missing hands and eyes). Rather, He wants to underline how important it is that we take steps towards guarding our minds, not submitting to temptation. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). Sometimes it is as simple as that – flee the temptation! Delete the webpage; switch to another channel; walk away from person who might lead you astray.I wonder, in which way does the devil tempt you in this area? Is God challenging you about what you watch on TV, or what you browse on your computer? Do you need to take control of any stray thoughts you might have about a person other than your husband or wife? What do you need to do to keep temptation away?
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4:30
The art of reconciliation
Continuing our journey through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, last week we read:“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Matthew 5:21-22We asked the question that as followers of Jesus, how might we encourage an alternative narrative where our words heal and restore rather than hurt and divide? One answer is to ensure that we speak with grace towards each other, being careful what we say. Jesus offers some more answers in the next part of his sermon. He continued, saying:23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” Matthew 5:23-26The reality of life is that sometimes we do hurt and offend others. We may not always mean to, but when we are angry or stressed, we might say things we later regret. We might make a decision we didn’t realise would cause trouble for others. We can try to avoid hurting others by being careful with our words, but if an offense has been caused, what can we do to put it right? Verses 23 – 24 of Matthew 5 reminds us that our relationships with each other are important to God. So much so, Jesus says that we should seek to put them right even before worshipping God or participating in church activities (“offering your gift at the alter” in verse 23). It seems the Lord wants us to make it a top priority to be reconciled with those we might have hurt or offended. Above anything else. We need to go to the person and try to mend the relationship. In verses 25 – 26, the situation described is even worse. Imagine wronging a person so badly that they decide to take you to court. Jesus obviously doesn’t want things to get that far. Again, he encourages us to go to the person and talk to them. Try to find a peaceful solution. Hurts are easily caused by words, but restored relationships can be found through words too. Words have power and God has given us the authority and freedom to wield that power. Let’s resist the urge to divide but lean towards the precious art of reconciliation.
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4:30
The Problem with Anger
Continuing our journey through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Matthew 5:21-22I’m sure we would all agree that, in most cases, to kill a human life is wrong. Jesus reminded us of that in these verses, referring to the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. After quoting the sixth commandment (“You shall not murder”), He then listed 3 examples where emotions and speech will also be held accountable: anger with a brother or sister, an insult to a brother or sister, and an offensive remark to someone. God is not just interested in our outward actions but how we treat each other with our words and what lies within our hearts.Sometimes anger is justified (for example, when we see somebody being bullied, or when we hear of regions of the world that suffer without food or clean water), but “anyone who is angry” refers to unrighteous anger in this case, the sort that comes out of hatred or self-importance.[1] This is the sort of anger that festers in the pool of hurt pride, the kind that is expressed unchecked when we forget to have mercy or compassion. To say “Raca” to a brother or sister is the same as insulting somebody’s intelligence. It is the same as calling a person a moron or stupid, with deliberate intention to belittle them. Even if we do this in jest a humble person will check his motives and be sure that the person on the receiving end truly receives it in good humour. In Jesus’ third example, to say “you fool” goes deeper than “Raca”. It assaults a person’s character, like accusing someone of being corrupt. In a world where verbal barbs are traded without restraint on social media or in the public arena, how might we as children of a new Kingdom demonstrate a different reality? How might we as followers of Jesus encourage an alternative narrative where our words heal and restore rather than hurt and divide? The verses that follow will begin to address that, we will examine these in next week’s devotion. In the meantime, The Bible has much to say in other places about how God wants us to treat people, especially when emotions are running high. Here’s just one example from the Apostle Paul: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6 [1] See 1 John 3: 15
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4:30
Fulfilling the Law
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5: 17 - 20When was the last time you read any of the ‘law’ books in the Bible – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers or Deuteronomy? Some of it can be hard going, but all of it is God’s Word. Not all the commands are practised by Christians today (for example, child circumcision, animal sacrifice), but every instruction tells us something about God and the world we live in. Jesus said he came to fulfill the law. What does that mean?Some have suggested that the whole of the Old Testament (including the law books), can be summarised by Deuteronomy 6: 4 – 5: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”[1] Jesus agreed with this and then added, “Love your neighbour as yourself” in Mark 12:29 - 31. In fact, it can be argued that much of Jesus’ teaching was rooted in quotes or principles found in the Old Testament. We see this in the next section of the Sermon on the Mount. For example, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)Jesus fulfilled the law by teaching a deeper understanding of it. Another way Jesus fulfilled the law was by pointing us to the Father, so that we may obey Him and love Him. We know the law was given to reveal God’s holiness, to set Israel apart from the other nations, define and expose sin, introduce justice and point us to Christ. But it was also given to reveal the heart of God. Every commandment and every principle said something about God’s love, generosity and kindness. And they revealed a holy God who will judge. So for those who never saw past a list of do’s and don’ts, Jesus embodied The Lord’s love and holiness. He fulfilled the law by living it for all to see. No wonder he said that those who practice the commands (those who follow His example) will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Not in a self-righteous way like the Pharisees but like Jesus – motivated by a desire to please His Father in Heaven. [1] E.g. Experiencing God by Henry and Richard Blackaby p 82
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4:43
You are the light of the world
In Matthew 5: 14 – 16, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”Jesus was delivering a message that we call the Sermon on the Mount. He had just told his listeners that they are the “salt of the earth”. Those whose lives will preserve the faith and add the flavour of God to a lost world. Now he is calling them light. On a different occasion Jesus said “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life” (John 8: 12). He said this after refusing to condemn a woman caught in adultery. Instead, Jesus chose to highlight the hypocrisy of her accusers. It is a dark world where condemnation and self-righteousness rule, but Jesus is a different kind of leader. His ministry is one of light. In His kingdom, there is life, hope, love and forgiveness. It was some time before this incident that Jesus sat on a mountain and preached the Sermon on the Mount, teaching new followers that they will be the light of the world. Their lives will reveal a kingdom different to the world around them. A kingdom of life, hope, love and forgiveness. And He speaks that message to us today. We are the light of the world. Our destiny is to shine a light of life, hope, love and forgiveness in the darkness around us. We can do this by the things that we do. Being salty is who we are (Who we are in Jesus); being light is what we doWhat do we do? We let the light shine. We do not cover it up. We don’t hide it. We hold it up. We let it illuminate the house. A light bulb doesn’t create its own light, it is hooked up to a source of power and it shines. Unapologetically. The good it does is seen by others, not to bring glory to itself but to fulfill the purpose for which it was made. So, we too are called to shine. Unapologetically. To be “in Christ”, full of the Holy Spirit, and so hooked up to the source of power. To do good deeds that glorify our Father in HeavenWhat sort of good deeds? What did Jesus mean? Many things have been suggested by followers of Jesus over the years, but let’s start with declaring truth. Light is a word often used in the Bible to describe the revelation of God’s Word. We declare truth. Truth is then accompanied by love – love, with its multifaceted faces of God’s attributes: patience, kindness, generosity, mercy, forgiveness and so much more. As these attributes inspire good deeds, they reveal our Father in Heaven. “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
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4:45