Dear Friends in Christ-
Jesus continues to teach in the Sermon on the Mount in 5:21-37. In this selection, Jesus gives several examples of what the law says, but, like a good rabbi of his day, he expands on those examples to give a deeper instruction on how we ought to live. In 5:21-26, Jesus uses the example of “do not murder” to show that all of us need to work on resolving our conflicts well before they get to that point, and work toward reconciliation with one another before coming to prayer. Verses 27-32 speak of the covenant of marriage and fidelity, speaking of both adultery and divorce as what God does not desire for us. In terms of adultery, we must work on ourselves to be faithful, we cannot blame the other. In terms of divorce, Jesus was speaking in a specific cultural context of the time, especially where women often had no say in the matter and were treated as property. The truth we can choose to hear, is that God does not desire for us to experience the pain of divorce. God would rather we work on ourselves first to avoid that pain. This does not mean divorce isn’t necessary at times to avoid more pain and to bring healing. Verses 33-37 teach of honesty and truth. In this example, Jesus shares that though they were taught “do not swear falsely and fulfill your vows,” they ought to instead just be honest from the beginning, faithful to the truth. Their yes should mean yes, their no should mean no. There is no need to swear or vow when one is consistently honest and true. Jesus desires that his disciples be good, faithful, and honest, without resorting to having to prove that. They live with integrity, work on their anger and desires that might lead them astray into broken relationships, and instead live in faithfulness with one another. Matthew 5:21-37, New International Version Murder 21 “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.’ 22 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. 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. Adultery 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. Divorce 31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Oaths 33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. ♡As I read through this Good News once again, I was reminded of the first commandment, "to love..." I wonder if we worked on a better understanding and put our effort into this, to love with everything we've got, would the world change/improve around us? Maybe then, we'd stop thinking of this as 'do's and don'ts' and begin with a better understanding of 'how very much we are loved by God.' What do you think? What questions will you be bringing to worship? Be blessed, P Jim ♥️⚓️ ♡Special thanks to Rev. Mindi, workingpreacher, Hope for the Broken Hearted and/or Star Bright Angels for their contribution to this effort of Daily Prayer and Study. All scripture is taken from the Revised Common Lectionary and, unless otherwise indicated, from the New International Version of the Bible. The intent of this effort is to inform our faith and grow closer to God, while preparing for next Sunday's Worship. ~James 4:8 <x>< Comments are closed.
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ZOOM WORSHIP SERVICE
SUNDAY @ 11 AM To join by phone, dial (929) 205-6099 and enter the meeting ID and password below: Meeting ID: 876 1875 9099 Password 333 PrayerGracious Loving Lord, please keep all of your children safe in these trying times. Guide us. Open our ears to hear, our eyes to see, our minds to understand and our hearts to know and be your love to others. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Want to support RLUMC and our missions? Donate Today
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September 2023
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