SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/7/2020 9:19 AM
My Worship Time Focus: “Exceed Your
Fellow Men”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
5:46-47
Message of the verses: “46 “For if you
love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do
the same? 47 “And if you
greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not
even the Gentiles do the same?”
“46
If you love only those who love you,
what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.
47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?
Even pagans do that” (NLT).
We
have been looking at the scribes and the Pharisees for some time now and one of
the conclusions that we can come up with is that they thought that they were
better than everyone else, and they were not as Jesus is showing them. I see the same things with some of the politicians
in our country today, but one day, unless they repent they will see the wrath
of God at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Jesus shows them that there kind of love was similar to that of the tax
collectors and the Gentiles, and these are the ones that they thought they were
superior than.
One
thing must happen before a person becomes a believer in Jesus Christ and that
is that they must realize that they are sinners, and what Jesus said to this
crowd was showing them that they had missed the mark. One of my early pastors used to say “if the
shoe fits, put it on.” The problem with
the scribes and Pharisees was that their pride would not let them put it on, as
they were probably enraged with what Jesus was saying.
In
verse 47 Jesus is telling them that their love was no better than the ones that
they thought they were so superior to.
MacArthur
concludes this short section: “The
citizens of God’s kingdom are to have a much higher standard of love, and of
every other aspect of righteousness, than does the resto for the world. Christians should be noticed on the job
because they are more honest and more considerate. Christians should be noticed in their
communities because they are more helpful and caring. Christians should be noticed anywhere in
society they happen tobe because the love they exhibit is a divine love. ‘Let your light shine before men,’ Jesus had
already said, ‘in shuch a way that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father who is in heaven’ (Matt. 5:16).
As J. Oswald Sanders comments, ‘The Master expects from His disciples
such conduct as can be explained only in terms of the supernatural.’”
Some
of us, including me, may have been wondering if we would ever get through the
fifth chapter of Matthew, but Lord willing we will finish it tomorrow.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I never want to think that I am better than
others, as all I have and have been given to me came from the Lord and He does
it through His marvelous grace.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I trust and pray that the Lord will continue
to work on my heart to love like He loves.
10/7/2020 9:39 AM
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