Devotions, Week of July 1

The devotions this week include fewer direct questions, but more to think about and more to pray about. Please enter these devotions each day with an open heart. Allow God to speak to you through these words, as I have prayed that they be His words to share. I hope that you are blessed as you study the words of our Savior this week. 

Love and Blessings, Friends. 

-James

DAY 1

Read: Matthew 5:17-20

Consider:  People like to prioritize things in their lives. What things matter the most, what things are urgent as opposed to important, which things are not important at all. We like to find the bottom line. What few things do we need to focus on in order to get the results we are after? Apparently, this isn’t just true of our present culture, but was also relevant when Jesus spoke on the Mount.

No part of the Law is less important to God than another. Therefore, when Jesus says, “the smallest letter,” and, “least of these commands,” he is not suggesting that God has ranked them. He is speaking to man’s desire to do that himself. Since we would all prioritize the Law differently (given the opportunity) Jesus covers all the bases by saying that NOTHING in the Law will “by any means disappear until everything is accomplished.”

Jesus did not come to tear down, undo, or change the Law (of Moses) or what the Prophets had foretold. By his own words, we know he had come to fulfill both the Law and the Prophets…to the fullest extent possible. Jesus gives a strong command in these verses. We are to adhere to the Law, even the parts we humans may deem mere details or “the least” in value. Moreover, we are to do so with an authenticity that penetrates all areas of our lives. We are to be clean inside and out, unlike the Pharisees who Jesus himself likened to coffins, beautiful on the outside and full of rotting flesh on the inside.

Pray: Jesus gave us a new command that covered the Law and the Prophets. Love God. Love others. That is not to blot out the old covenant, but to fulfill it. We are to be filled with love for God so much that it bleeds out in our love for others. The Lord’s Prayer calls us to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth, not to hold out for the Kingdom when we leave Earth.

Ask God for thorough adherence to Jesus’ teachings and ministry. Ask Him to enable you to teach others through your words and your example. With sincerity, pray that God makes you a “light to shine before men.”

DAY 2

Read: Matthew 5:21-26

Consider: Verse 23 begins with one of those all-important conjunctions, “therefore.” This signals connection between the preceding verses and the ones to come. If you read right over that word without it jumping out at you (which I have often done), stop here. Go back and read this passage again, focusing on the connection between 5:21-22 and 5:23-26.

The tendency when we hear those first two verses is to think, I should not be angry with anyone because it is the same in Jesus’ eyes as murder. However, I don’t think that was the intention here. Jesus says, “therefore,” and follows with a call to action. This call is not for repentance. He doesn’t say, “Don’t be angry, for you will be subject to judgment.” He says, “Anyone who is angry with his brother” and then he calls us to go forgive anyone who is angry with us before we come to the Lord and make our offering. We are to extend grace and thusly play a part in freeing others from judgment so that we can bring our best to God. If we are the cause for someone’s anger, whether we feel it is justified or not, it is our responsibility to release them from the judgment to which they are captive at that time. God does not want us bringing an offering to him that is tainted because we have not presented the key to someone else’s freedom.

I do not mean to suggest that we have the power to release anyone from judgment, as this happens purely through the power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We do have the power to release others from anger, though, which creates an avenue for Christ to do his work.

Pray: Spend some time meditating on this perspective of Jesus’ words. Thank Christ for the opportunity to be his vessel. Thank him for the opportunity to help save people from judgment by extending Christ-like forgiveness. Then, ask God for the strength, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, to deliver on this forgiveness when push comes to shove.

DAY 3

Read: Matthew 5:38-48, Luke 27-42

Verse 27 in the Gospel of Luke marks a transition in Jesus’ audience. When he says, “I tell you who hear me,” it indicates, according to John Wesley, that Jesus is now speaking to a general audience, whereas he had previously been speaking to a specific group (as we had discussed at our last meeting).

Consider: Everything Jesus is saying here is rooted in love. First, he speaks of love in restraint. Returning evil for evil would be to deny acts of love in the face of adversity. Then he speaks of love in giving. Give more than is expected. Withholding giving or simply giving only what is expected would hide love. Though it wouldn’t be denied, it would not be obviously visible. Christ’s love is obviously visible.

Jesus speaks of hard love. Love that goes against our sin nature. Loving everyone, even those who you would call your enemies.

What connection does this message of love have to Jesus words from Matthew 5:21-26?

If we consider someone our enemy, how does that go against what Jesus teaches us about hatred?

Jesus’ message of love in Luke 6:37-42 speaks of love through authenticity and honesty. It speaks of love through a lens of humility. It can be difficult to see our own failings, especially when someone else points them out to us. Ironically, the things that bother us most about other people are often things that we struggle with ourselves.

Pray: Ask God to reveal the plank(s) in your eye by recalling the piece(s) of sawdust you have seen in others’ eye(s). Ask first for God’s forgiveness if any judgment was passed. Then ask for his guiding hand as you work to remove the plank from your own eye. After all, it has to be hard to see with a plank in your eye.  

DAY 4

Read: Luke 6:43-45

Consider: So much of what Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount is about inside-out change. This is the only change that will last. It is the only change that will enable us to be the salt of the earth, drawing people to him through authentically following the Master.

Outside-in change, by contrast, breeds contradiction and hypocrisy. Trying to bear good fruit when our tree is bad just won’t work. We aren’t fooling anyone, except maybe ourselves. “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

So, how do we nurture our roots in order to make our tree good? What does it take to ensure our tree is planted in fertile soil?

Pray: Pray for honest revelation. How is your soil? How is your tree? How is your fruit? Ask God to speak boldly to you and, where it is needed, pray for conviction. Pray for the courage to share where you are when we meet on Sunday. This is where our group can bring love, support, and accountability for spiritual growth to one another. This is where we get to nurture each other’s soil and trees.

DAY 5

Read: Luke 6:46-49, 40 & Matthew 5:48

Consider: We know that we are not meant to be “perfect” in the sense that we are completely without flaw. Our sin nature makes that impossible. The translation of the word from the original language means, “finished, complete, pure, holy.” Think of what Jesus says about being a student and following his teachings. Then consider our call to be perfect.

What does Jesus mean when he calls us to be “perfect”?

Pray: “Our Father in Heaven: Holy, Holy, Holy is Your name. Ignite in us the devotion and authenticity to bring about your Kingdom and your will here in this land. Give us the physical and spiritual nurturing we need to live fully for you each day. Keep us burning brightly for you, not allowing darkness to crowd out your light. Strengthen us in your amazing love, grace, and the example you gave us in your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.”