Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

- Matthew 7:13-21

We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  We began with the Beatitudes, then we read You are the salt of the earth, Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill, Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No," Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, Pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly, Our Father in heaven, You cannot serve God and mammon, and Your heavenly Father knows you need all these things.  Yesterday, we read that Jesus preached, " "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye;'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

  "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  My study bible tells us that the description of "two ways" was widespread in Judaism (see for example Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:17-18, 12:28).  We also find it in early Christian writings such as the Didache and Barnabas.   In Luke's version (Luke 13:24-30), there is a more eschatological focus, as it refers to the end of the age.   My study bible says that because we restle against sins and human weaknesses as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), entering the Kingdom is therefore the more difficult way.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."   Again there is a warning about hypocrisy here, this time a warning to beware of false prophets -- those who put on a show of religion and are inwardly something quite different.  My study bible says that this type of deceit in religious guise is much more dangerous than evil outright.  It invites us to an even deeper caution among those who are outwardly virtuous!    By their fruits you will know them finds a reflection in the teachings of John the Baptist.  In Matthew 3:10, John says exactly the same thing:  "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  Jesus is preparing His disciples for the future, and by their fruits you will know them remains a watchword for us now.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  And here the eschatological emphasis becomes especially clear.  Ultimately, this is all about Judgment, the age which is initiated even by the call of John the Baptist.   It is an explicit kind of call to discipleship, one that relies on a depth of relationship to God, and not with those whose virtue is only outward.  This is also an explicit statement linking Christ to the Lord of the Old Testament, and thus the divine name "Yahweh"  (for which the title the Lord - "adonai" -  was interchangeable).  "The will of My Father" establishes His relationship to God the Father, and also that they share this will.  It is clearly a statement that He is Judge, a place only God can fill.

 The eschatological nature of this reality can't be mistaken in Jesus' statements, which clearly pertain to the Judgment -- the end of the age.  This is the reality initiated even by the call of John the Baptist to "Prepare the way of the Lord."  This is the time of the end, even the time we are in now, the time initiated by the coming of the Lord as human being.  It's important that we understand this focus, and the reality of Christ's life, what it meant and means for the time that we live in now.  "End times" aren't just about what might happen someday.  They happen even as we live our lives now, they unfold in the period in which we live, this "age" that began with Incarnation, the visit of our Lord, "God with us."  As such, this understanding colors the ways we see our lives and the ways in which we live our lives.  Jesus doesn't tell us to follow blindly any leader who seems to be holy.  He tells us something really different.  We are to practice discernment.  He wants rational sheep, not blind obedience to those who are themselves blind.   This is a part of the call to a depth of relationship to God.  It's a part of the call against hypocrisy, Jesus' emphasis on the internal life of the heart, on purity of heart.  All of it fits together, no matter which way we look at it.  It is all a part of the ministry that teaches that God is Spirit and is looking for those who can worship in spirit and in truth.  He's teaching those of us who would be His disciples just what that means for us, how we are to be in this world, how we are to follow His Way.   It is part of the more difficult way.   We must carry light in the world, light in our eyes against the darkness of blindness, as we carry His Kingdom within us.  He calls us to be awake and alert.  This is what it is to do the will of My Father in heaven.  We are in a time of the end, it doesn't come later, it's now, a reality with us.   We are to make His paths straight, as the Baptist said, quoting Isaiah the Prophet.   Jesus teaches us what it is to be on this straight path, this way (the word in Greek means "road") -- His Way.

Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets

 "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye;'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

- Matthew 7:1-12

We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  We began with the Beatitudes, then we read You are the salt of the earth, Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill, Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No," Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, Pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly, Our Father in heaven and You cannot serve God and mammon.   In yesterday's reading, Jesus warned about the high cost of a material outlook, and its toll of anxiety:  "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for to tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

  "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye;'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."   Jesus turns again to the theme of hypocrisy, which has already been touched upon in this Sermon (see Thursday's reading, Pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly).  Here, He emphasizes that with the same level of judgment we use, we will also be judged.  Romans 2:1 cautions that often we condemn ourselves, because we're guilty of the same things that we judge in others.  My study bible reminds us that we all need some type of repentance and to flee from sin.   Jesus repeats His second statement in Mark 4:24, and in Luke 6:38.  Notably, both are used in different contexts to this.  This assures us that Jesus' message was preached in a number of settings, and that this teaching remains applicable in all sorts of situations.  Here, the emphasis is again against hypocrisy.   Let us note, this isn't a blanket command to ignore what's wrong or cover up sin.  Rather, we're to take care of our own flaws -- and only then can we help others (to see their much smaller errors!).

"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."  It may seem a strange juxtaposition if we don't read carefully here:  how can Christ tell us not to judge, and then turn around and tell us not to give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast pearls before swine?   The real answer is that He's teaching us about real discernment, good judgment, and warning us against our own hypocrisy in order that we may be pure in heart enough to do so.  My study bible says that dogs and swine are terms used to refer to heathen peoples and also those who work evil and practice idolatry (Philippians 3:2, Revelation 22:15), but would also include Jews who do not practice virtue.  According to the tradition of Church Fathers, dogs are people so immersed in evil that they show no hope of change, while swine are those who habitually live immoral and impure lives.  The pearls are the inner mysteries of the Christian faith, including Christ's teachings (13:46) and the sacraments.   This is a strong warning to practice discernment.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"   What are these good things Jesus speaks about?  They are the very mysteries of the Kingdom and gifts of the Spirit, the pearls He speaks of above.   My study bible tells us that the verbs ask, seek and knock are present progressives in form.  That is, they tells us to "be asking," "be seeking," "be knocking."  This is a constant process, like prayer is a ceaseless endeavor (see 1 Thessalonians 5:17).   A note tells us to note the synergy here:  our effort is commanded, but never apart from the immediate help of God.  It says, "We ask in prayer; seek by learning Gods' truth; and knock by doing God's will."  When Jesus says "you then, being evil" He's not condemning all human beings, but contrasting our imperfect goodness with the perfect goodness of God (see Matthew 19:16-17).   My study bible says, "If imperfect and even wicked people can do some good, all the more will God work perfect good."

"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  Here is the "Golden Rule."  it fulfills the demands of the Law and the Prophets.  It's a practical application of the commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself (see Matthew 22:39-40).  My study bible calls this a first step in spiritual growth.  In Judaism, it says, the negative form of this statement was well known -- "Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you."  Jesus' form is position; my study bible says that this is the action that begins to draw us toward God.

It's important to think of the "Golden Rule" in terms of focusing on what we want.  If we're messing up, do we want to be told?  How do we want to know these things?   What's our real goal?  It's important to keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to those who would be His disciples.  His focus is always going to be on our own spiritual growth, our growth in the image of God He gives us.  This is not about declaring ourselves or anyone else perfect as we are.  It's about being on a road somewhere.  Jesus teaches us about purity of heart, what we must do to really understand what discernment is, to judge appropriately.  He is teaching us love.  He is telling us what spiritual gifts (pearls) are for, how we might grow in such discipleship.  Hypocrisy is a key negative -- it's something no disciple of Christ can really afford.  What that teaches us is that God's beauty and goodness is always linked to truth, a love for truth.  It furthermore reinforces the idea that we can't do this on our own; there's always the synergy my study bible speaks of.  We work hand in hand -- or rather this is about God at work in us.  We are to grow in love.  Later on, Jesus will give a formula for self-correction in the Church; to remove a speck from the eye of another is to help someone else to see.  We are only going to be good at that with the experience of spiritual growth ourselves, casting out the (much larger!) plank from our own eye.  And we don't waste our time on those who don't want this.  Can we get on board this bandwagon?  Can we follow His commands for discipleship?  What do we really want?

Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things

 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

"So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for to tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

- Matthew 6:25-34

 We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  We began with the Beatitudes, then we read You are the salt of the earth, Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill, Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No," Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, Pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly and Our Father in heaven.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!  No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"  My study bible says that this is a warning against anxiety, not against thoughtful planning.  We are dependent upon God for our well-being, and indirectly on food, drink, and clothing.  Great anxiety over earthly things, it says, demonstrates a lack of faith in God's care.  An excessive anxiety means that concerns about all of these things crowd out everything else, depleting our capacity for life in its fullness and robbing us of joy.

"So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"  Jesus calls our attention to the natural beauty of the world.  In some sense, this is a remedy to excessive worrying, which doesn't really solve problems in and of itself.  Beauty is a kind of antidote to the worry, uplifting us and reminding us that God's hand is in all things.

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things."  My study bible says that Jesus' emphasis is on the idols of the Gentiles -- in serving pagan idols they remained consumed by dependence on earthly things.  To follow God gives us a freedom from that kind of dependence.   This is the second time in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus reminds us that the Father knows what we have need of.  In Friday's reading, in which Jesus gave us the Our Father or the Lord's Prayer, He said, "For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for to tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."   Here is the central theme of Jesus teaching, the kingdom of God.  And the righteousness of God is the subject of the Sermon on the Mount.  My study bible says that Jesus seeks to set us free from anxiety about earthly things so that we may look to heaven, secure in the faith that God will provide needed earthly blessings.  This is all about what we put first, what our real aims and goals are, and our deepest needs.

In Saturday's reading, Jesus taught us that you cannot serve God and mammon.   Here, He's building upon that teaching, and showing us an essential truth about ourselves.  Everything depends on what we put first, what is our goal or focus, and what we choose to serve.  If our first and highest concern is really what we'll wear, and what we'll eat and drink, how we'll do this or that, then what winds up happening is a life filled with anxiety first over these things.  But what Jesus really asks of us is putting one consideration first before all these things, seeking the kingdom of God.  It's not that we're to live such ascetic lives that we think we don't need anything of these things.  No, it's quite the opposite, in fact.  He assures us that God knows we have need of all these things.  What He's asking is that we put everything in perspective by having our priorities straight, and by understanding what we really want to serve in life.  This is all about what comes first as priority and goal in the heart.  How do we live our lives every day, and what do we keep our mind on?  What's the goal?  What do we really want to serve?  Is it just all about the material stuff, and that's it -- an end in itself?  This kind of life is a prescription for anxiety, excessive worrying.  And there's wise advice here:  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.   We really don't need to add up things to worry about -- today's troubles are enough.  Sometimes the shift in focus to the things of God is the one remedy that really helps to put it all in perspective, and to get us to take the time to focus on something beautiful, uplifting, that fills us with a much bigger sense of purpose than just what we're going to eat and drink or what we're going to wear.  Those things may be ends in themselves, but they're not going to fill up the soul with what it needs.  For that kind of depth, we need more, and that's where Jesus is trying to get us to focus.  So think about it.  What do you really want to serve with your life?  What makes life good, and adds blessings of joy to everything else?  Sometimes, forgetting about anxieties and losing oneself in what is more beautiful is just the thing we need to be able to solve a problem!  Anxiety and worry, on the other hand, tend to just get us stuck, staying in the same old loop over and over again.  Let us "seek first the kingdom of God," and remember all the beauty that might hold for us in so many ways, and the creativity that goes with it -- and the God who knows that we have need of all these things.  Ironically, this is often a key to finding a solution to a problem that's been worrying us.  The patience that comes with such a focus, and the detachment it helps us with, the rest we take in this place, always seems to come with its own blessings -- not least of all for our health and well-being!

You cannot serve God and mammon

 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

- Matthew 6:19-24

We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  We began with the Beatitudes, then we read You are the salt of the earth, Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill, Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No," Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, and Pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught more about prayer, and gave us a prayer.  He said, "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  In this manner, therefore, pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.  For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "  My study bible tells us that by attaching themselves to treasures on earth, people cut themselves off from heavenly treasures.  They instead become slaves to earthly things, rather than free in Christ.  Here's the heart of discipleship, it says:  we disentangle ourselves from the chains of earthly things, and attach ourselves to God, the true treasure.  There is a correlation with what we think is essential in the heart -- what we love the best -- and forms of idolatry, where something else takes the place of the Kingdom for us.   This is about what we treasure.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"  My study tells us that the mind (Greek "nous") is the spiritual eye of the soul.  It illuminates the inner person, and governs our will.  So to keep our mind wholesome and pure, to watch and guide our own thoughts, is fundamental to Christian life.   What gives us light?  How do we see?

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  If we serve two masters, we're slaves caught in the middle of a kind of trap, trying to maintain an attachment to both earthly and heavenly things.  Jesus tells us that this is impossible, that both demand full allegiance.  The points of view are poles apart, and everything depends on what illumines us, what gives us light so that we see a certain way.  Jesus calls mammon ("riches") a master, says my study bible, not because wealth is evil by nature, but because of the control it has over people.  He's speaking of a material viewpoint, without benefit of the light of God.

Jesus asks us to make a choice.  Actually, He's trying to get us to notice that life is all about a choice.  We've got a "worldly" point of view (mammon) and a faith point of view.  What this means is that we live in a world created by God, via the Word (who is Christ).  Here He is, as a human being among us, and He's trying to get us to open up our eyes.  That's the point of discipleship.  If we think the world is just strictly material, then we're on the wrong track, and we don't have the light that must illuminate the way that we see.  And it all begins with what we treasure.  That is, what we hold in our hearts as truly precious.  There are things that are intangible, that aren't just materially graspable and measurable, but which live in the light of wisdom and truth.  This is the treasure in heaven. These are things we know and feel in the heart, and carry with us.  They make us truly rich.   They add to who we are.  Moreover, they give value to the whole of the worldly life around us, true value.  That is, if we see our lives and whatever we have in the light that Christ gives us, then we see truly, we understand our world and what we're doing in it better than if we miss out on this light.  But it all comes down to a choice.  It's a world illumined by the light of God, or living in a kind of darkness that takes away and blinds us to layers and layers of meaning, value, treasure, love, richness.  What are the treasures in heaven?  How about learning what love is and practicing it?  Escaping from the so-called law of the jungle to something better, we find ourselves free in ways that are impossible otherwise -- free to make choices for what is better, for what we will truly treasure, what we will choose to love.  "Mammon" -- whether we think of ourselves in full control or not -- demands our allegiance and slavishness.  Isn't it better to choose a loving Master?  One who knows us better than we know ourselves, and always wants what's best for us?  Isn't it better to be unlimited, and on a pathway to growth and wisdom?  What's really to our best advantage?  This is the light of a single, and unconflicted, vision.  It's all about what we choose to serve.  Do we slave to impress others with the stuff we have?   Are we working for a car, a house, an image of ourselves in the eyes of the world?  Or are we going to stick with what will lead us through everything and give us a bigger, broader vision that has some joy in it -- that doesn't depend on "the world" and that limited message of the purely material?  He offers us a choice, His light, His treasure.  With Him, there will always be something more.  It all depends on what we idolize, what we worship -- it's up to us!  If we really think about it, all choices come down to this, no matter what kind of conflict or confusion we seem to find ourselves in the middle of.  The next time you need to make a choice, consider this spiritual paradox, the real dilemma, and see if that doesn't illumine the things you're choosing between.  It may just open up new alternatives you haven't yet seen!

Our Father in heaven

 "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

- Matthew 6:7-15

We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  We began with the Beatitudes, then we read You are the salt of the earth, Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill, Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No." and Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.  And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."  The lectionary then skipped over the reading passage for today, in which Jesus gives us what we call the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father.  Jesus continued afterward, "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance.  For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

  "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."  These are teachings Jesus continued on prayer from yesterday's reading.  We understand that prayer is for a deliberate and personal communion with God.  We are to pray to our Father who is in the secret place.  We are to go into an inner room to pray.  Everything is about intimacy, the personal, the depth of the heart, where the Father sees in secret.  It's the most intimate and true relationship we can have.  The vain repetitions don't help to establish such intimacy.  My study bible says that God does not need our "babble."  Both silence and words are necessary.  So, we pray always (Luke 18:1) and without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  It's not "many words"or even "repetition" that is problematic, but rather vain repetitions.   Below, Jesus gives us specific words to repeat, the Lord's Prayer, or Our Father.  My study bible says that many psalms, prayers, and hymns of the Church have been repeated for countless generations in the worship of God "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  This prayer is found as a centerpiece of worship, and a constant personal prayer all over Christendom.  It is the prayer we are given by Christ, thus "the Lord's Prayer."  First of all, says my study bible, the Father-Son relationship within the Trinity gives us our potential relationship with God.  It tells us, "Christ, Son of God, grants us the privilege of calling God Our Father by the grace of adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  As a 'son of God,' the Christian is called to love, trust, and serve God as Christ does the Father."  It adds that God is not our Father just because He created us -- He's only Father to those who are in a saving and personal relationship with Him, a communion that comes only by the grace of adoption (see John 1:13, Romans 8:14-16).  We can't limit who that's on offer to, but we do know it's realized through our active participation in that relationship.  The first words of the prayer establish that relationship and our part in it.

"Give us this day our daily bread."  What is our daily bread?  The word here in Greek that describes this bread is "epiousios" -- it doesn't mean "daily."  It means literally "above the essence" or "supersubstantial."  This is a "super-bread" so to speak.  Daily bread doesn't just mean food for the day or worldly bread we eat for today.  This is the bread for the eternal day of that Kingdom of God we've just prayed about.  This is the bread for the nourishment of our immortal soul.  The living, supersubstantial bread is Christ Himself ("I am the bread of life" - John 6:35).  So this prayer Jesus teaches doesn't have us praying for just material needs for physical health, but the spiritual bread of eternal life (see John 6:27-58).

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  My study bible notes that this request to be forgiven is in the plural, so we're directed to pray for the forgiveness of others.  This is basically a community prayer, we pray as a community, even alone in a secret place.  And what we do, and what we pray, affects others in ways we don't necessarily know or see.   Within the Body of Christ we have a communion that is always going to be at work whether we realize it or not.  Debts here are spiritual debts (see 18:41-35).

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.   For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen."   God doesn't tempt us to sin (James 1:13) -- that comes from the evil one, the devil.  Temptations are aimed, says my study bible, at the soul's giving in to sinful passions of the flesh (Romans 7:5), characterized by a kind of selfishness or self-centeredness that spiritually harms self and community.  Nobody lives, it says, without encountering temptations.  But we pray that great temptations, tests beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), should not come to us.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."   This is another type of statement like the "Golden Rule."   My study bible says that Jesus insists on mutual forgiveness between people as a precondition of God's forgiveness.  We forgive if we want to be forgiven; if we don't then we do not realize forgiveness for ourselves.  The teaching is found also in the parable of the unforgiving servant (18:21-35), which concludes with the same teaching.  Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has taught, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

It's interesting to think about debts and trespasses.  These are types of sins in the Law, for which offerings are given at the temple.  Debts and trespass involve both community and God the Father, God as Judge.  They both imply "owing" something.  A debt means we've taken something away from someone else.  A trespass teaches that somehow we crossed over the line with what is someone else's.  This is another sense in which Jesus fulfills the Law of "an eye for an eye," which is a kind of exact repayment for debt, in kind.  We recall once again that the Law as Moses gave it was intended to limit retribution, to create justice.  It was merciful in the context of its time.  Jesus speaks of forgiveness, erasing the need for payment in kind.  But above all, we have the Judge.  Forgiveness does not mean we take it upon ourselves to decide what needs to be paid and what doesn't need to be paid.  It doesn't mean that we don't recognize what's wrong, or what's hurt us, or what crosses over the line -- neither does it mean we don't have to know when we've done this!  What it really means is that we don't seek retribution, and furthermore, we give it up to the Judge to decide.  As we pray to God for "Your will be done," we ask what is the best way to go about living our lives.  Have we been harmed?  Is there a debt somewhere?  No doubt there always will be in a world that has not realized God's perfect will.  But how do we handle such things, and how are we disciples who wish to bring about God's kingdom in the world?  This is the key to forgiveness.  We don't waste our time with a kind of retribution or vengeance that's not going to serve our best interest, the best life we can have.  This is not our top priority.  Serving God becomes the top priority, and in that service what we will find is a way in which we seek to serve that which serves our lives best and our community best -- bringing further harm neither to ourselves nor to those whom we love and care about, nor to our community.  Think of all the times we might take things into our own hands and go from the frying pan into the fire.  Now think about prayer, and asking God instead for the wisdom to know the best way to go forward.  This might be the most important lesson we learn, using trauma to steer our lives into the better direction, the best "Way" we can.  Forgiveness is giving up our understanding of justice to God, seeking God's will in prayer, and doing what's best for ourselves and our community, those who are most intimately connected to us.  It doesn't mean we ignore a state justice system, and it doesn't mean we overlook continual harm or fail to protect against it, but it does mean we find the best way.  Think of all the children who might be spared bitterness and harm if parents choose to handle life's crises this way, spouses who are given a measure of peace with such wisdom.  Vengeance is rarely satisfying, no matter how it may be portrayed!   There's always someone or something else to continue the cycle.  And "closure" requires a much deeper recipe than what happens in somebody else's life.  His Way, we will always be on the way to somewhere better and wiser and more peaceful.  And with God, all the things in our lives can be used to work toward such a goal, helping us to grow.

Pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly

 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

* * *

"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance.  For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  We began with the Beatitudes, then we read You are the salt of the earth, Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill, Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No."  Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.  You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."   As we begin chapter 6, the middle chapter of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins to teach about the three most basic aspects of spiritual living:  charity, prayer, and the discipline of fasting.  My study bible says that these three disciplines relate directly to God's righteousness.  The word hypocrite is important, as it denotes a particular way of practicing "spirituality."  Hypocrite meant "actor."   More literally, it is the one beneath a mask, as in the ancient plays actors wore masks to delineate the character they were playing.  Their reward is the applause of other people.

"But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."  My study bible says that God is not impressed with what others think of us, nor by what we think of ourselves.  God will reward good deeds when they are based on pure motives of the heart.

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."   The hypocrites cannot understand the true spirit of prayer.  Prayer is an intimate, personal communion with God, and its root is in the depths of the heart where that union can take place and grow.  My study bible says that this personal communion with God leads to a vision of God's glory (see 1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy, an emphasis purely on the reflection in others' eyes or actions, blocks out this sort of communion and vision.  My study bible says that true prayer isn't telling God what He already knows and then telling Him what to do about it, and it's not appearing pious in front of others.  Rather, prayer in earnest is humble (go into your room), and it's personal (pray to your Father).

"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance.  For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."  Fasting is a practice that has fallen out of use quite a bit in the Western world, and its understanding as a spiritual discipline is something to consider and think about.  Fasting is a kind of practice of forbearance, and the idea is that we focus upon God rather than upon all the things we "want" and "get."  We want to fast from sin, we want to spend time and effort on the things that God calls us toward, and we want to understand that our lives don't just depend on wanting and getting all the things of this world that appeal.  It's ironic to think about it, but with so much cultural emphasis on diet (of course, connected to appearance), we lose the sense of spiritual discipline in fasting, the focus on God.  To show off fasting, as Jesus teaches here, is one more external display, and He rejects its hypocrisy.  The compassion of God is what is supposed to outshine physical discomfort, or making a great show of virtue.  This true fasting is for spiritual growth and the glory of God.  One key to traditional understanding of fasting is simplicity.  And it's not just about food!  This sort of self-denial for spiritual goals is supposed to take place in all areas of life, to escape control of the passions.    My study bible quotes St. John Chrysostom:  "What good is it if we abstain from eating birds and fish, but bite and devour our brothers?"    We can fast from anything that tends to push us off-track.  

Jesus' great emphasis is on the personal, and against hypocrisy.  He draws us toward relationship with God that runs deep within us, deeper even than the reality of the world around us, what others think about us.  John's Gospel tells us that among the religious rulers of Christ's time, many believed in Him.  But they kept silent in their fear of the Pharisees, "for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God"  (John 12:43).  There's a reason why Christ puts the commandment to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength first when He names the two greatest commandments.  This is the focus we need to guide us into what it means to truly love our neighbor.  And this is the focus in today's reading, on spiritual practice and discipline.  The focus is in that depth of relationship to God, to our Father, the One who sees in secret. We pray to our Father who is in the secret place.  We give charitably not so the rest of the world knows it, but in secret, so that the Father who sees in secret will know.  And when we abstain from anything in order to focus on our spiritual needs, our focus is there too, on our Father in the secret place, who sees everything about us in secret.   The emphasis here is on what's truly real.  That particular secret or hidden place is much more real than any appearance, anything that shows.  The word Jesus uses for what hypocrites do is akin to that word, to "show."  It's related to "showing off," or what we do "for show."   In a world in which social and other media takes on the task for so much of our communication and even community, it seems far more the case that we confuse what is "for show" and what is "for real."  So much of our "news" focuses literally on actors or performers.  We do really well to consider the importance of this "secret place" where the Father is, and that He's the one "who sees in secret."  It's going to keep us on a focus beyond the constructed images, and the temptation to believe that whatever shows is who we truly are.   That's a healthy focus, a sane focus, a real focus -- what it truly means to "keep it real."   Who are we in that place, and who does our Father call us to be?  Is it really the opinions of the world that count (like that "audience" out there), or is our worth and truth really found in quite a different, hidden place?  That's the balance we need, the focus we can understand, even when the world wants to tell us something completely different.  

Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven

 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

- Matthew 5:38-48

We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount, in chapters 5 - 7 of Matthew's Gospel.  We began with the Beatitudes, then Jesus taught, "You are the salt of the earth," "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill," and "Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment."  Yesterday, we read that He continued, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.  Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away."   For the Old Testament Law see Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21.  This is a basic description of equal "justice," justice as a debt or trespass to be paid in kind.   And it is important that we know that this was meant to limit vengeance.  If we read the Old Testament carefully, we see that Genesis is filled with problems of human violence and especially retribution to the extreme.  Jesus' fulfillment of the Law comes with a step further, a way out of violence.  My study bible says that Jesus warns us not to resist violence with more violence, and that evil can only be overcome by good.  With such a focus, we stay free from compromise with the devil, it says, and can bring our enemy under the yoke of God's love. 

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?"  Jesus emphasizes positive action that is not merely a knee-jerk response to whatever we find in our own environments.  This is transcendence and choice.  It's also a great emphasis on just who is the true Judge, on prayer.  We can pray for the worst of our enemies, even for their conversion.  And the great crux of all of Jesus' teachings really comes down to love, and just what that is.  This is once again fulfillment by going beyond response in kind, to response that goes directly to serving God and our place as those who would please God.

 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."   My study bible calls this a summary of all that has preceded in Jesus' Sermon.  A Christian can grow in the perfection of the Father (Ephesians 4:13), which is shown by imitating God's love and mercy.  (See Luke 6:36.)

Jesus writes here of a basic choice and disposition for how we are to please God.  It's a kind of perspective that elevates us beyond our environment.  If we understand Mosaic Law as a justice that was designed to limit retribution, then we can see Jesus' emphasis on love as taking us into the fulfillment of that Law.  What does it mean to love?  Does love mean that we condone unjust action, violence, exploitation, or bad behavior of any kind?  No, it doesn't.  In "loving our enemies" we don't say that all things and behaviors are good or desirable or appropriate or acceptable.  What this is about is a positive emphasis on knowing who we are and what we serve, and that we are not limited to our circumstances.  Are we the victims of violence, or injustice?  Our response is not limited to the like, "in kind!"  When we pray for our enemies, what we're doing is bringing God into the picture.  We are asking God for direction and guidance, we're asking God for God's peace and justice.  And we seek the response God would have us make.  Jesus' love, throughout the Gospels, isn't just a warm and fuzzy acceptance of all things.  Love is an active kind of God-likeness, and it includes justice and peace.  But it does call us outside of our own limited environments and understanding.  It calls us beyond the strength we thought we had into a greater transcendence.  And it does ask us to see a bigger picture, to be better than the "tax collectors" of His time.  That is the place where we are called in discipleship, we are called to a freedom beyond what the world would tell us, what everybody else thinks, or what someone else has done to us.  We're called to make the best of the lives we have.  There's really only one way to get there, and that is in a bond, a relationship, to the God who's above everything, to Christ who shows us a way through an imperfect world.  Are we up for the challenge of His discipleship?  Can we find that better Way?  Think about what it really means to be children of God.

 

Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No"

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

"Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."

- Matthew 5:27-37

On Thursday, we began reading the Sermon on the Mount.  We began with the Beatitudes, followed by Jesus' teaching "You are the salt of the earth." Then He told the multitude, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  In yesterday's reading, He continued, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave you gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  My study bible tells us here that lust is not meant to imply natural attraction of one person for another.  This is about something self-centered and selfish.  It says, "Sin does not come out of nature, but out of the distortion of nature for self-indulgence.  Thoughts that enter the mind involuntarily are not sins, but temptations.  They become sins only when they are held or entertained."    

"If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell."  Jesus speaks vividly regarding our own capacities for self-mastery and transcendence.  Are we slaves to selfishness and personal indulgence?  No.  At the same time He recognizes by this metaphor that it's not an easy task, but one worthwhile and necessary.  Better to pluck out an eye, or cut off a hand, rather than lose the whole body.  So it is with our own behaviors and habits, our self-indulgence in things that endanger our souls with selfishness -- a selfish way of looking, a selfish way of having.

"Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery."   Jesus condemns the use of Mosaic Law so as to render divorce meaningless and flippant, and marriage trivial.  There was controversy about it at the time, one faction of the Pharisees also opposing this practice.  In the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (see another reference from Matthew's Gospel, 19:8-9, in which He emphasizes the men's hardness of heart), and emphasizes the eternal and spiritual nature of marriage.  Divorce was unobtainable by a Jewish woman; only a man could initiate divorce and for almost any reason, leaving a woman without support or social status.  My study bible says that divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality shows that marriage can be destroyed by sin.  The early Church would recognize a few basic grounds for divorce, but as corrective measure of compassion when a marriage has been broken.  The emphasis here is on relationship and community.

"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."  My study bible tells us that trust can't be secured by swearing an oath by things not in our possession anyway.  Only simple integrity will do for that.  There is an emphasis on the personal, and the value we create out of our own word.

What does it mean to let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No"?   Jesus constantly emphasizes what we can do to give our own lives more meaning and more depth.  We take our relationships seriously.  We take what we do and what we nurture and cultivate within ourselves seriously.  By our own choices, we give our word meaning and value.  It's not given such by swearing on something else outside of ourselves, over which we have no control.  (For an example of the dangers of oaths, and Jesus' statement that "whatever is more than these is from the evil one," look at this one from the Gospels.)  There's just us here.  We can take our relationships seriously, and in so doing we enrich community, we make our own contribution to the world.  What if marriage has meaning and value in the nurturing and practice of love and loyalty?  What if the fact that we choose to cherish something makes it valuable, and keeps and holds that value?  What I find is important and interesting is that, in contrast to so much we may find around ourselves, Jesus gives us a kind of power, and lets us know what that is.  He unmasks what it is we can do for our own lives that creates dignity and integrity.  We can let our "Yes" be "Yes" and our "No" be "No."  This is up to us.  It's a matter of practice and intention, and of learning along the way.  Will there be things we can't control?  Or times when we intend something we can't produce?  Of course there will.  But in the love and mercy of God, Jesus isn't talking about an impossible standard, or one that holds condemnation over our heads.  Does it take two for a marriage to work?  Yes, it does. But we're encouraged here (and in particular men are encouraged) to take our side of any covenant seriously, to nurture and value the relationships we have.  He strongly emphasizes also a negative action:  we can cut out what goes against integrity, what it is that devalues relationship -- that's also within ourselves, our capacity and responsibility.  And there is truth connected with all of this.  To let our "Yes" be "Yes" and our "No" be "No" teaches us about our own honesty, also a part of integrity.  It tells us, in fact, about purity, as in purity of heart.  The same with relationship, keeping something "true," and cutting out or discarding that which is "false" in ourselves.  Do we get the gist?  Doesn't it tell us that no matter what is going on in life, there are things we can do to shore up our own value in life and of our lives?  What is fulfilling?  What gives us meaning?  The whole story of the Bible is about the value a relationship with God gives us, and what that means for not only how we conduct ourselves, but the great value that's placed on who we are and what we do, and what we're capable of rendering and contributing in the world.  Here's the way.  We're not helpless.  A marriage is something to work at, and so is our own integrity.  No matter what else is going on, we have dignity and value, and an essential goodness to ourselves (good, true, and beautiful) we either support or throw dirt at.  What's it to be?

Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave you gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

- Matthew 5:21-26

We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount, which began with the Beatitudes.  Then Jesus taught, "You are the salt of the earth."  On Saturday, we read that He taught, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'"  Jesus elaborates on what it is to practice a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.  He cites the law against murder, found in Exodus 20:13 and also Deuteronomy 5:17.

"But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire."  We read of calling people names here.  It might surprise us to have linked with an anger that is akin to murder name-calling that isn't the curses we'd expect.  Jesus condemns calling others stupid, unintelligent.  "Raca" is an Aramaic word that means "empty," implying empty-headedness.  Throughout the Near and Middle East it's still common to be called "pumpkin-head" or a word that means any generic type of gourd or squash, implying empty-headedness.  The word for you fool (μωρέ) has come to mean baby or infant in Modern Greek, but just what its translation implies as used in the Gospels.  "Infantile" relates to both.  We derive the English word "moron" from this use.   How often in arguments do we hear people attacking the intelligence or lack of knowledge of others?

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave you gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."  My study bible tells us that peace with other believers is a requirement for worship (Mark 11:25).  The liturgical "kiss of peace," or expression of fellowship at the beginning of the eucharistic prayer is a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness.  This prepares the faithful to offer the holy gifts at the altar (1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Peter 5:14). 

 "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."  My study bible points out that Luke places this teaching of Jesus in the context of the end of the age (see Luke 12:57-59).  But Matthew's Gospel shows Jesus preaching here in the context of reconciliation surrounding the Liturgy.  A note tells us, "Delay in reconciliation allows for the spread of animosity and other evils" (see Ephesians 4:26-27).

How many times do we hear others being called stupid, or ignorant, or unintelligent and uneducated?  It's really a kind of go-to insult particularly in political arguments, I find.  I look out on the internet and social media, rifts between those of different political parties, on one side or another of an issue, and this is what I see most often.  We see comedy played out this way, too, and it's linked to the same dynamic.  What's funny is ridicule, a sort of sneer at the intelligence on the other side of the aisle.  Often, I find, there seems to be a disconnect between certain bodies of information.  That is, one side and the other are working with a different set of facts and experience.  I can't help but think that our disagreements with one another often stem from the same thing, and that listening should at least help to remedy this, even if it doesn't always fix a problem.  But it seems really noteworthy that Jesus' focus is on calling others stupid.  That's a way of avoiding a real argument, in which we debate facts and opinions.  It very simply slices down the whole person, all that they are in their mind and heart.  That's a kind of murder in the heart.  It's also a warning to us that when we provoke another, we're just escalating the violence potential, breaking more bonds.  I must admit, I'm tired of the sneers, often from people with whom I traditionally agree.  The world around us gets more and more violent.  Polarization happens everywhere, on both a macro and micro level.  Jesus here gets us right down to the micro, and specifically speaking, to the level of each one of us, to "I" and what "I" am doing.  Christianity, in following the Gospels, really asks us to focus in on what "I" am doing, as a responsibility in discipleship.  Jesus is addressing the crowd, a multitude of followers from every region, and as such speaks to them in the plural "you."  But the "you shall not murder" is singular, and so is "whoever says to his brother."   So as we begin to get into election season in the US, as we grapple with problems all over this world (and my readers are from all over the world), let's start with "me" and what "I" do.  Watch the language.  Debate facts and opinions, and listen for what we might be missing -- especially when we assume others are just ignorant or foolish.  Beware of ridicule as a tool; often it's a substitute for intelligence, an easy shot to deride and to belittle.  Dialogue makes communion, even when we disagree.  And sometimes, when dialogue isn't possible (because that takes more than "I"), prayer is the best we can do, for everybody.  I must confess, it's often me who needs that prayer more than anyone else!

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

- Matthew 5:17-20

We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount, and began with the Beatitudes.  Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  My study bible tells us that Jesus fulfills the Law in Himself, in His words, and in His actions because He first performs God's will in all its fullness (3:15).  Next does not transgress any of the precepts of the Law (John 8:46; 14:30).  Also, He declares the perfect fulfillment of the Law (which He is about to deliver to His audience of disciples, a multitude who have followed Him from every region, we're told at the beginning of the Sermon).  Finally, Christ grants righteousness, which is the goal of the Law -- to us (Romans 3:31; 8:3-4; 10:4).  Jesus fulfills the Prophets by both being and carrying out what has been foretold by them.

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."  In the Greek text, Jesus says "Amen" for "assuredly."  My study bible says it means "truly," or "confirmed," or "so be it."  When used by Jesus in the Gospels, it's a solemn affirmation of something, a type of an oath.  His use of this word at the beginning of certain proclamations ( rather than at the end) is both unique and authoritative.  Jesus declares that His words are affirmed before they are spoken, calling us to pay attention!  A jot ("iota" in the Greek, from which we derive the letter "i") is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet, while a tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters.  So the whole of the Law is affirmed as the foundation of Christ's new teaching.  My study bible says that all is fulfilled refers to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."  My study bible suggests we understand that righteousness according to the Law is a unified whole; the observance of the least commandments is to observe the whole Law.  A violation of the least commandment is considered a violation of the whole Law.  Jesus' statement also reminds us of other statements He makes.  In Luke 16:10, Jesus tells us "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much."

"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."   My study says that a contrast between the righteousness that leads to salvation and that of the Pharisees must take into account that theirs was an outward, works-based righteousness.  To exceed that in a righteousness of salvation means communion of heart, soul, mind, and body in Christ.

Jesus begins to explain to us what it is to worship God in spirit and in truth.  In John 4:23-24, He says to the Samaritan woman, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."  First He teaches us the Beatitudes, a state of blessedness in discipleship in which we participate in this reality of the Kingdom.  In yesterday's reading, He teaches what it is to hang fast to this new covenant, to be salt and light in the world, to live out discipleship as an active state of being that gives glory to God.  And this is what is linked to the righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees.  It's not just about maintaining outward expression of conforming to commands.  This is the reality of a life lived within a participation in spiritual community, in the Kingdom, and it takes heart, and soul, and mind, and strength (even body as my study bible says).  Of course, Jesus as Incarnate Logos or Word means we've had hints of this through Jewish spiritual tradition all along!  This is perhaps why He specifically names the Pharisees and their approach here.  Psalm 51 declares, "You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;  You do not delight in burnt offering.   The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise."   Jesus Himself quotes two great commandments as those upon which hang all the Law and the Prophets.  The first is  "You shall love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5).  And the other Jesus couples with it is Leviticus 19:18, "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord" (my italics).  In Mark 12:33, Jesus says that to love God "with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  We note that this is a Kingdom of love, and that it has been so through the suggestion we find in both Old and New Testaments, just as the Word has always been the Word, present with God, and through Whom all things were made.  Human beings want, and perhaps need, things to be broken down into things we can follow, things we can do and name, and rote up and claim for others to observe.  But love goes way deeper than that.  To worship in spirit and in truth is akin to love, something that claims all of us far more deeply than an outward observation.  Love is something that keeps us going, pursuing, seeking His way, going further -- finding the things we don't yet know.  Love fuels a kind of constant repentance, it is inseparable from spirit and truth, that search for the things that will help us to grow into discipleship more deeply, to not only dwell within this Kingdom, but to carry it with us as fully as possible, to grow in our ability to shine light, to be salt.    This is the righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees and scribes, and the Gospels will tell us the story of hypocrisy and things done to be seen by others.  To love takes us to a completely different level, and a different kind of obedience, a different "flavor" (as Jesus teaches about salt, in yesterday's reading).  To be in this world but not of it is to be a sojourner, like Moses, to give yet another "flavor" and truth from the Old Testament, but Christ fulfills everything by taking us all into His Kingdom.