SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/15/2020
9:39 AM
My Worship Time Focus: The
Political Context
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matt. 5:1-2
Message of the verses: “1 And when He saw
the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His
disciples came to Him. 2 And opening His mouth He began to teach them,
saying,”
We
have talked earlier about what the Jewish people were expecting in their
Messiah, and also that what they were expecting was not what Jesus was, and yet
there came a time when the crowds wanted to make Jesus their king by force, and
that came after He feed the 5,000. They
thought if He was their King then they could go and fight against the Romans
and defeat them for if they were hungry He would feed them and if they got
killed He would raise them from the dead.
Jesus told Pilate in John 18:36 “"My kingdom is not of this world.
If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I
would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this
realm.’”
John
MacArthur writes “The thrust of the Sermon on the Mount is that the message and
work of the King are first and most importantly internal and not external, and
spiritual and moral rather than physical and political. Here we find no politics or social
reform. His concern is for what men are,
because what they are determines what they do.
“The
ideals and principles in the Sermon on the Mount are utterly contrary to those
of human societies and governments. In
Christ’s kingdom the most exalted persons are those who are the lowliest in the
world’s estimation, and vice versa.
Jesus declared that John the Baptist was the greatest man who had ever
lived until that time. Yet John had no
possessions and no home, lived in the wilderness, dressed in a hair garment,
and ate locusts and wild honey. He was
not a part of the religious system, and he had no financial, military, or
political power. In addition to that, he preached a message that in the world’s
eyes was completely irrelevant and absurd.
By worldly standards he was a misfit and a failure. Yet he received the Lord’s highest praise.”
Yet
as we look at Matthew 11:11 we read of John the Baptist “"Truly I say to
you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than
John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater
than he.” Jesus characterized in this
sermon people of His kingdom as being humble, compassionate, meek, yearning for
righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers—and who will be persecuted
for the sake of the very righteousness that they practice. As we look into what the world thinks of
these people and we can actually see it in our political parties today they are
losers. When people pray who are a part
of our political system they are made fun of.
The world says assert yourself, stand up for yourself, be proud of
yourself, elevate yourself, defend yourself, avenge yourself, serve yourself,
and things like these which is the total opposite of what Jesus teaches in this
sermon He is about to give. John writes
in his first letter “15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If
anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the
Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who
does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Paul writes in Romans 12:1-2 “1 I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. 2 And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: To have my mind transformed by the Word of
God as the Holy Spirit works to make me more like Jesus.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To continue to learn humility and to continue
to seek joy as I study God’s Word each day.
3/15/2020 10:03 AM
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