Lesson 5 compilation

Continuing His sermon to His disciples, He said:
1. Mt 5:25--Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, in order that your opponent may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison
2. Mt 5:26--Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, until you have paid up the last cent.
3. Mt 5: 27--You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery"
4. Mt 5:28--But I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart
5. Mt 5:29--And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell
6. Mt 5:30--And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go into hell.
7. Mt 5:31--And it was said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of dismissal'

Thoughts: He wants that we be peace-makers by initiating the first move and making friends quickly even with our enemies, rationalizing that a prison sentence could be avoided—in other words, deep and genuine reconciliatory efforts. Then follow teachings with s’mikah—on the seriousness of sin—about the eye and the hand and how it is better to not have them in this life, than to risk a life in hell after this life! Solemn warnings!

As a follower of Him, I should…

1. Seek to make friends quickly with enemies for my own good
2. Seek to carefully guard what my eyes see
3. Seek to carefully guard what my hands do
4. Seek to follow what He commanded, lest I risk a life in hell—HE SAID IT!

Lesson 4 compilation

Continuing His sermon to His disciples, He said--
1. Mt 5:18--For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished
2. Mt 5:19--Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
3. Mt 5:20--For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
4. Mt 5:21--You have heard that the ancients were told, "You shall not commit murder" and whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.
5. Mt 5:22--But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca', shall be guilty before the supreme court, and whoever shall say, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into fiery hell.
6. Mt 5:23--If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
7: Mt 5:24--leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

Thoughts: The words that fell from a man of the text, were that not one of them shall not be fulfilled! What an inspiration to more diligently study and learn the text! The next exhortation (#2)has a pattern and an order that is worthy of attention--Keep and Teach--and that is the order. If I cannot keep the text myself, then I should not teach it to the others! #3 is a warning that as one who came not to abolish the law but fulfill it, He elevated righteousness to a scale much more than just knowing the law! The next few words talk about Anger and how it is a destroyer of relationships. Our Lord exhorted us that it is more important to be reconciled to a brother (a fellow follower of Him) first, instead of offering up a plethora of prayers at the altar! 

As a follower of Him, I should-
1. Seek to be a man of the text--every word (even a jot) is important!
2. Seek to first keep the text myself and then teach it, not the other way around.
3. Seek to control my anger--it is a destroyer of relationships
4. Seek to unite people and not divide them, especially if it is a brother, as the salt of the earth and the light of the world--HE SAID IT!

Lesson 3 compilation

Continuing His sermon to His disciples, He said--
1. Mt 5: 11--Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.
2. Mt 5:12--Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven in great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
3. Mt 5:13--You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
4. Mt 5: 14--You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
5. Mt 5:15--Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the peck measure, but on the lamp stand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.
6: Mt 5:16--Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
7. Mt 5:17--Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.

Thoughts--Notice the response (#2) when men are casting insults and all sorts of false evil (#1) is perpetrated because of my following Him,--the right attitude is to have our focus shifted to the heavenlies, where God, the Judge of all the Earth, is on His throne! By losing this frame of reference, we become tasteless salt (#3) and the result of that will be that men will trample us underfoot (total humiliation!). Then follow daunting reminders that we, as His followers, are the light of the world and men of good works, so that the glory will return to the Father in heaven! Help us, O heavenly Father!

As a follower of Him, I should--
1. Seek, diligently, never to become tasteless salt in the eyes of the world
2. Seek, to be the light of the world
3. Seek, always, to be a man of good works
4. Know that I am only able to do these if I remind myself that there is a Father in Heaven and I always remain poor in the spirit, for to them belongs the Kingdom of Heaven--HE SAID IT!!

Lesson 2 compilation

Continuing His sermon with the disciples, He said
1. Mt 5:4--Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
2. Mt 5:5--Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth
3. Mt 5:6--Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied
4. Mt 5:7--Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy
5. Mt 5:8--Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God
6. Mt 5:9--Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God
7. Mt 5:10--Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Thoughts: One word that overwhelming stands out from these words is the word "Blessed" that fell from His lips on to the listeners' ears. After repentance and beginning to follow Him (cf. Lesson 1), He spills out attitudes to be blessed. However, the standards seem to be completely antithetical to the standards of the world! (eg: how can the gentle inherit the earth? won't they be crushed down immediately as being incapable?).
Attitudes in #1,2,3,4 and 5 are internal attitudes (of the mind). Therein could lie a clue to the meaning of repentance--what does it mean to repent and what should characterize the new heart after it has repented? It is mourning, gentle, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful and poor in heart! The result of this internal reorientation of the moral compass is an external demeanor of being a peace maker! Will the world like it? They shall persecute those that follow them, but He said that to them would belong the Kingdom of Heaven. Does the world need them? Absolutely!!

As a follower of Him, I should.....
1. Seek, always, to be a blessing to the people I come in contact with.
2. Seek to reset my internal moral compass each day and load it with attitudes of mourning (contrition), gentleness, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, merciful and always being "poor" in heart. 
3. Seek, always, to be a "peacemaker"--either at home or at work--only such qualify to be His sons--HE SAID IT!
4. The words of this old Wesleyan hymn have been ringing loud in my ears today...

O Thou Who camest from above,
The pure celestial fire to impart,
Kindle a flame of sacred love
Upon the mean altar of my heart.

There let it for Thy glory burn
With inextinguishable blaze,
And trembling to its source return,
In humble prayer and fervent praise.

Lesson 1 compilation

The words of Jesus, recorded in the first gospel in the NT English Bible, Matthew, are as follows:
1. Mt 3:15--John tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized but He said "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."
2. Mt 4:4--Tempted on an empty stomach to make bread from stones, He said, "Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" quoting Deut 8:3.
3. Mt 4:7-- In response to a skewed version of Psalm 91 He said --"On the other hand it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." Deut 6:16.
4. Mt 4:10--In response to whom to worship He said --"Begone, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." Deut 6:13
5. Mt 4:17--For His first preaching, He said --"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."
6. Mt 4:19--To Peter and Andrew who were casting a net into the sea, He said, --"Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
7. Mt 5:3--Teaching His disciples He said--"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Thoughts: His opening words were like the "great equalizer," wanting to equate Himself with all the others, even though at an infinitely higher plane in many ways (eg: He knew the text well, He had the approval of a voice from the heavens (3:17) etc). The next three show us that He was a "Man of the Text!" His first sermon text was to "repent" rationalizing that it was because there was the Kingdom of Heaven that was drawing neigh. And finally, who can inherit the Kingdom? Those who are poor in spirit, as He practically was (cf. #1) and said.

As a follower of Him, I should...
1. Seek to not elevate myself above the others
2. Seek to be a man of the "text."
3. Seek to "repent" of my ways and
4. Seek to always remain "poor in the spirit" to be blessed......HE SAID IT!



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