Thursday, September 24, 2020

Intro to Matthew 5:43-48 "Love Your Enemies"

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/24/2020 8:55 AM

 

My Worship Time                                         Focus:  Intro to Matt. 5:43-48 “Love your Enemies”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                Reference:  Matthew 5:43-48

 

            Message of the verses:  43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 “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, 45 “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. 46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

 

            We have been looking at five illustrations that contrast the false righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees with the true righteousness of God, and as we begin looking at Matthew 5:43-48 we will be looking at the sixth as Jesus contrast their [scribes and Pharisees] kind of love with God’s.  There is no where found a greater difference from the scribes and Pharisees self-system of religion than from God’s divine standards when it comes to love.  MacArthur writes “Nowhere had God’s standard been so corrupted as in the way the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees viewed themselves in relation to others.  Nowhere was it more evident that they lacked the humility, mourning over their own sin, meekness, yearning for true righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, and peacemaking spirit that are to belong to God’s kingdom citizens.

 

            “As with the previous illustrations, we will look at the teaching of the Old Testament, the perversion of rabbinic tradition, and the perspective of Jesus Christ.”

 

            I want to say that this chapter that is found in MacArthur’s commentary is a long chapter and so it will take us a fairly long time to go over the important things that are found in these six verses, and as already mentioned this will be the last time we will be looking at chapter five, a chapter we began back in mid-March.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As mentioned we have been looking at five sections in which Jesus is comparing the scribes and Pharisees system of religion with what God desires of His people who are living in His kingdom.  Sometimes it is easy to go along with the scribes and Pharisees, but I must not do that.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Follow the way of the Lord for living in His wonderful kingdom.

 

9/24/2020 9:09 AM

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