Matthew 6:19-33

Every Christian needs larger doses of this text, especially in a recession. This is the application of what it means to have God for your Father.

• You don't have to worry.
• You don't have to treasure or love things that are fragile.
• You are free to pursue eternal things which gives life substantial purpose and meaning.
• Your Father knows what you need before you ask.
• You can be free from the tyranny of money.
• You can seek first the kingdom of God and be confident that God will take care of the details.
• You can take lessons in God's care from birds and flowers.

Matthew 6:1-18

Why is secrecy such a value here in prayer and fasting? It must be because God wants to contrast the inward nature of true spirituality with the external show of false spirituality. Jesus is not advocating the neglect of spiritual disciplines; they are still done. They are just done differently. He is advocating care about our motives as we do the spiritual disciplines.

The advice about prayer is, "Don't. . . Don't. . . Do. . ." Don't be like the religous. Don't be like the pagan. Do pray like this, "Our Father..."

The Lord's prayer has interesting form in the Greek language, one we don't have in English, third person imperative. That's where the translations of "LET your will be done." It is different than "Do your will." It shifts to second person imperatives, which you would expect, at "Give us this day..."

Interesting, too, that the bread is for today, not for later.

Matthew 5:21-48

Here Jesus begins a formula that redefines righteousness. The formula is a variation on this theme, "You have heard from old, but I say to you." Jesus drills deeper on righteousness. None of us can say that we've done the law, even the ten commandments, if we've just kept them on the outside.

Some unrelated observations:

• It is more important to be reconciled to your brother than it is to go to worship. (Matthew 5:23-24).
• The heart-level standard for adultery is desire. If I desire someone I am not married to, so that they meet a need, real or imagined, in my heart I am crossing the line. If I am looking or thinking in such a way that it will be about me, then I am committing adultery. God made marriage for the satisfaction of my needs and desires. My contemplation of someone else in connection with those desires is sin.
• It is hard to believe the rabbis taught that it was fine to hate your enemies (Matthew 8:43-44), but Jesus elevated that teaching by requiring love even for those we consider enemies. We are to love those we don't like.
• If the law was not a high enough standard, Jesus wants us to be perfect, like our Father in heaven is perfect.
• God's perfection is seen here in the context of loving enemies!
  

Matthew 5:17-20

The relationship of Jesus to the law is very important, as is the relationship of the law to the believer. What does it mean to fulfill the law? In what respects does he fulfill it? Does that mean it is no longer binding, or that it is? I think their are few hints:

• The law endures, down to the smallest penstroke.
  
• The law makes some difference still because if you break it and teach others to break it, you are, shall we say, demoted. And if you keep it and teach others to keep it you will be great in the kingdom.
• The law is ineffective for establishing righteousness (Galatians 2:21; Galatians 5:4). You cannot acquire a righteous standing before God by keeping the law. . .unless you outdo the Pharisees and Scribes. . .which won't happen.

I think Jesus fulfilled the law in that he kept it perfectly and met it's moral demands. He was perfectly righteous. He, then, can declare righteous, or pass on his righteousness, to those who believe in him (Romans 3:28). So, the law cannot establish righteousness in a person (Romans 8:3; Galatians 3:11), though it is the perfect revelation of God's righteousness (Romans 7:12-16). As God's perfect revelation, the law makes known sin (Romans 5:13; Romans 5:20). When a believer is identified with Christ in his death, we die to the law and its authority as the benchmark for our righteousness is ended (Romans 7:1-4). The result is not antinomianism, but spiritual fruit.

I think Jesus fulfilled the law in that he was the perfect sacrifice for sin which was prefigured in the sacrifices demanded in the law (Hebrews 9:19-28). Thus, as a fulfillment of the law, Jesus was the one who could forgive sin and establish righteousness.

This was more than I bargained for. While there may be more to say about the role of the law in convicting sinners of sin (Romans 3:19-20), I hope this discussion was helpful.

Matthew 5:1-16

The sermon the mount is the first sermon recorded by Matthew and it begins with the word, "Blessed". It can rightly be translated, "Happy." His ambition in coming is not to make life harder, or less happy, but maximally happy. The irony of this happiness is that it comes in the opposite way that people naturally pursue it. That is evident from the first line, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Happy are those people who do not make much of themselves or feel they need to stand up for themselves, but who are gentle and humble.

Next he tells them they ARE the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This is not primarily an exhortation to behave a certain way. It is a statement of fact. It is the explanation for God's plan of lighting and preserving the world. And, then that fact must result in lights shining and salt being salty, otherwise God's program for this world is not going to work.

Matthew 4

I noticed four things about the temptation temptation of Jesus:

• Satan assumes it is within his power to turn stones to bread with a word! Otherwise, it wasn't much of a temptation.
  
• Satan transported Jesus to two unique, physically challenging places, in order to perform his temptation. The physical changes necessary for those temptations would have been very unusual.
  
• The first two temptations were identity temptations, "If you are the son of God. . ."
  
• Satan believed the glory of the world was his to give Jesus, if Jesus would worship him. Jesus did not challenge him on that point.

Jesus' move to Galilee (Matt. 4:13), prompted by John's imprisonment, was well into his ministry. One of the evidences is the calling of the disciples. What person in their right mind would leave their family, leave their job, and follow a perfect stranger? Probably not even disciples. They must have known him and had some kind of experience with him before he asked them to become fishers of men. There is no substitute for experience with Jesus.

Kerri Wins!

Thank you to those who signed up as followers. I drew straws for the planner give-away. Kerri Corbett was the winner. Congratulations!

For the rest of you, if you don't have something to write in that will record your thoughts, I strongly recommend stopping by Borders or Barnes and Noble and buying a Daily Planner. They'll be 50 - 75% off this time of year.

Here is a picture of how I use the journal. The first section is notes from my reading. The second is my attempt to be observant of my soul and my prayer life, and the third is a record of the day before (since my Quiet Time is first thing in the morning).

Matthew 3

Matthew does not waste any words flattering John. John does not waste any words flattering the pharisees. His simple message is, "Flee the wrath to come." Would anyone today stick around for that message? Was it a better message then than it would be today?

"This is my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased." What would those words have meant to Jesus, or to any son, on the eve of his great trial in the wilderness? Was that phrase the subject of some of the spiritual meditation that he did in those 40 days? Did his being approved by God have anything to do with his eagerness to resist the enemy of God? What if I believed God accepted me, would that make any difference in my willingness to resist His enemy? Is resistance to temptation strengthened more by the knowledge of approval or by the hope that one can earn approval if he resists?

Matthew 2

One of the great things about reading the New Testament through in a year is that the Bible celebrates Christmas in January. . . just like New Life Church.

Two things stood out to me this time through. First, while Herod had good reason to be suspicious and agitated at the birth of a new king, a rival, the text says the whole town was stirred up. The news of the birth affected the citizens the same way it affected the king. I suspect, however, that they were stirred up for different reasons than Herod. No matter what, the news of a baby king was not quiet news. It leaked out and was one of the factors that led Herod to take such violent action.

Second, the angel told Joseph, twice, take "the child and his mother." This is not the normal way you would refer to a wife and baby. It clearly highlights the child and fades the mother into the background. This is a far cry from the exalted place Mary receives in Catholicism.

Matthew 1

I was struck that the New Testament would begin with a genealogy. Establishing the lineage of Jesus must be important to Matthew. I suspect it is somewhat like the importance of Barack Obama being a U.S. citizen. Does he have a right to his office?

I was also impressed with the rogues who were present in the genealogy. Why didn't God want a squeaky clean pedigree for His Son?

No two names in all the Bible bring more comfort than the two names mentioned in Joseph's vision, Jesus and Immanuel. This boy will save his people from their sins and he will be God with us!

Matthew's Genealogy

I know I wasn't going to start posting until tomorrow, but maybe this will get us off to a rolling start with the first chapter of Matthew.

How To Read

One of the reasons for reading the New Testament slowly in 2009 is to read it with fresh eyes, to read it thoughtfully, to take time time to reflect on what God is saying in the text. The simplest way to read with freshness is to ask questions as you read. Questions reading the Bible fall in three categories:

• Observation: What is there? For instance, I notice Matthew starts with a genealogy. Are there any important people in it? Who does he start with? What patterns are there in the genealogy? What are the breaks in the pattern? Observation is the key to getting the most out of your reading. The better the your observation, the more enjoyment you will have in your reading. Just like driving to work, reading the New Testament can grow so familiar you don't notice things any more. Slow down. Pay Attention. Observe what is there.
• Interpretation: What do those things I observed mean? It is very important to consider what they mean before I consider what they mean to me! Many interpretation questions begin with "Why?" For instance, Why would Matthew start the entire New Testament with a genealogy? Why is it structured in sections of 14s? Why does he mention women in it? What is the significance of the introduction to the genealogy?
• Application: What does this mean to me? Once you notice things, you can find out what they mean and then, and only then, you can ask questions about what they mean to you. For instance, if the genealogy has something to do with establishing Jesus' right to the throne of Israel. Application questions might go like this, In what ways does Jesus exercise his kingly right in my life? How should he be king, where he isn't yet? Or, I might apply this another way. If some of the characters in the genealogy were unsavory, yet were shown sufficient grace to have been redeemed into the family line of Jesus, can I expect my unsavoriness to be redeemed, too?
  

I don't have high expectations for this blog post. I only hope it will slow you down as you read. If you'll slow down and ask questions, you'll enjoy it so much more. . . We start in earnest on Monday!

Here's the Plan

Beginning next Monday, January 12, I will begin posting each day some thoughts, questions, insights or thoughts from each chapter. I am currently reading very slowly, so I can catch up with a one-chapter-per-day post. I would love you to share comments on each chapter, or on one verse in each chapter, with the rest of us.

In the meantime, what can you do?

• Read slowly like I am. Begin to develop the habit of sitting down each day at a certain time in a designated place and spending time with the Lord. Take notes so you can share them.
  
• Plan to receive blog updates with some RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader. You can keep checking back here to see if it has been updated (the hard way) or you can have a service notify you if it's been updated (the easy way, RSS). Here are my suggestions:
• Sign up as a "follower" of this blog. (Point of clarification -- this is what enters you in the drawing for the daily planner. Though several people have indicated an interest in reading the NT, only a couple have signed up to follow). Simply click the link on the left.
  
• If you are on Facebook, go to my profile and find the "Notes" tab and subscribe to notes from me.
  
• Use the buttons to the left called Subscribe. These buttons will create an RSS feed for you. I'm not sure what "follower" does, other than help build a community of Bible readers.

Please let me know how the alternatives work for you. Thank you. I'm looking forward to reading together.

Getting Started, Part 2

What do you need to get started? Well. . . a New Testament. I also recommend that you purchase a daily planner.

A daily planner serves two purposes. It gives you a place to write prayer requests and observations from your reading. More importantly, though, I've found that a daily planner holds me accountable for reading every day. Otherwise, I have a blank page each time I miss.

I have one daily planner I will give in a drawing to one of the first ten people to sign up as followers of this blog. If we don't have 10 sign-ups before next Sunday, I'll draw from those who are signed up by then.

I'll post more on becoming follower and RSS feeds next week.

Getting Started with Bible Reading

My plan this year is to read through the New Testament again. I hope to recruit as many people to join me as will be helped by the experience. Why would we read through the New Testament and use this blog as a tool? Here are a few reasons:

• The Bible was meant to be read in a community. A blog is a way of developing a community and reading at home at the same time! I wonder if God had this in mind . . . Comments will be an easy way for everyone to contribute to the discussion.
  
• The pace should be easy enough. There are 260 chapters and still 360 more days in the year. A chapter a day will more than cover the New Testament with lots of grace for missing. It will take only 22 verses per day to read through the whole thing. More New Testament stats are here.
  
• There is no substitute for reading the Bible. God promises great things to those who read, meditate on and obey His word. No promises are sweeter than Psalm 1:2.
  

I hope you will join me for this journey.

What Motivates Someone To Be A Missionary?

I've often wondered why people become missionaries. What is it that prompts someone to leave the familiar, change their lives, learn languages, put up with inconveniences, and endure hardship?

I don't have the final answer, but I've asked some missionaries what moved them to do what they do. I am interested, in part, because understanding motivations will be the key to recruiting the next generation of cross-cultural ambassadors for Jesus. So, here are a few of my ideas about why people might choose to be missionaries:

1. God told them to go. Almost everyone I talked with cited some sort of call of God on their life as formative in their decision to go on the mission field. Several didn't even know where they wanted to go, but that God wanted them to go.
2. Expectation of a heightened walk with God. (i.e. – John Paton, Hudson Taylor, David Brainerd or Jim Elliot). Read one biography of the men listed above and you are ready to sign up. Read more than one and someone will have to restrain you from going because of the dynamic nature of their spiritual experience.
3. Opportunity to invest your life in a way that will make a difference. I remember stories of missionaries who have gone for a variety of reasons, and God used them to open up entire countries to the gospel. Others left a legacy of hundreds of churches. Others have given their lives to fields that required sacrifice and their blood, sweat and tears won only a handful of converts in a hard field.
4. Be part of the action. This is closely akin to #3. It’s more fruitful in some places than it is at home. There is more opportunity for service in places no one wants to go than there is at home. Missions offers opportunities to be in the fray where it may feel more like the sidelines at home.
5. Love for a certain group of people motivates missionary service. Some missionaries speak of an overwhelming compassion for the plight of a certain people group. Others find themselves mysteriously drawn to the lifestyle in a culture not their own.
6. Ability to relate unusually to a certain group of people. For some it is similar to #5. They have an unusual ability to identify needs and speak to spiritual issues in a group of people. This and #5 are often ways that the call of God (#1) looks to people when they are in the process of decision making.
   

I am hopeful that this will be a start to help someone think about giving their lives so that the nations might be glad (Psalm 68).

A Grand Finale

Taylor played his final basketball game of his high school career. It was senior night where the parents walk out with the kids and are recognized. He sang the national anthem. The only downside was that they lost the game in overtime.

Middle Ground

Peter entered the courtyard of the chief priest expecting to stay close to Jesus. . . sort of. He didn't want to be too close, right by Jesus' side, but give him some credit, he didn't stay away like the rest of disciples.

He took the middle ground, the place that appeared safe. Close enough to count, far enough away to be safe. He couldn't forsake Jesus all the way, but he couldn't follow him all the way either.

An interesting thing happened to Peter in the middle ground. It happens to everyone. He was forced out of it. "You were with Jesus." Even on the middle ground you need to identify yourself. Peter couldn't appear neutral and have the satisfaction of following Jesus. It doesn't work that way. It didn't for him and it won't for us.

I am amazed at how often this is tried still. Even though it has always been unsuccessful. A high school student join her parents in church without much of a fuss, but is a totally different person on Friday night. The end for her will be the same as the end for Peter. This strategy leads to denying Jesus.

In Revelation, Jesus tells the church to be either hot or cold, but don't choose the lukewarm middle ground. The irony is that the middle ground appears safe, but it is the most dangerous. So, choose to be either hot or cold, go all the way in with Jesus or stay away, but don't settle for the courtyard and think you'll be safe. You will get called out. . . and it won't be pretty.

He Went Away Sad. . .

This video reminds me of reading Jesus' encounter with a rich young man in Matthew 19. Tom, I'm sorry about the loss in the Superbowl last Sunday, but I hope it helps you figure this out!

Winter in Oregon