Monday, September 21, 2020

Security Matt. 5:40)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/21/2020 11:14 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                                   Focus:  Security

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 5:40

 

            Message of the verse:  40 “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.”

 

            Some versions of the Bible use the word “shirt” instead of “tunic” which is found in the NASB95, and the shirt is a type of tunic worn as an undergarment and the coat was an outer garment that also served as a blanket at night.  I am not sure that many people today in our country would use a coat as a blanket, but perhaps in the olden day of our country.  In the Mosaic law it was required for the tunic to be returned at the end of the day “before the sun set” as seen in Exodus 22:26-27.

 

            MacArthur writes “Jesus is not speaking of a robbery, in which a person tries to steal your clothes, but of the legitimate claim of ‘anyone who wants to sue you.’  When a person had no money or other possessions, the court often would require the fine or judgment be paid by clothing.  The attitude of a kingdom citizen, one who is truly righteous, should be willingness to surrender even one’s coat, his extremely valuable outer garment, rather than cause offense or hard feelings with an adversary.  The court could not demand the coat, but it could be voluntarily given to meet the required debt.  And that is precisely what Jesus says we should be willing to do.”

 

            It is MacArthur’s feelings that if a person today has a legal judgment against them that they should even do more that what the judgment has against them as this would show the love of Christ and that we are “sons of our Father who is in heaven” as seen in verse 45.  Paul writes about this in 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, something unfortunately I have become all too familiar with in recent years.  “1 Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? 4 So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, 6 but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.”  What Paul is saying among other things is that it is better to be defrauded than to be resentful and spiteful.  In summing up this section MacArthur adds “Paul alter instructs Christians regarding lawsuits in 1 Cor. 6:1-8, emphasizing a similar principle of willingness to forfeit one’s due rather than be vengeful.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Doing what Jesus and what Paul says can only be done by the work of the Holy Spirit living in me.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to give me peace in a very un-peaceful world that I am living in.

 

9/21/2020 11:33 AM

           

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