Apicontent

“You have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says ‘Fool’ will be sent to fiery hell.” —Matthew 5:21–22

Here our Lord takes the sixth commandment (“You shall not murder.” [Deuteronomy 5:17]), and without adding anything to it, He limits and expands it! He restrains the adherence of it in order to expose our motivation and to prevent our abuse, while at the same time expanding the breadth, strictness, and spiritual nature of the command according to its true intent.

Jesus was neither doing away with the Law nor adding His own belief to it. He was simply giving a fuller understanding of the Law and exposing the depth of purpose behind it. The laws of God are eternal; they never change or become obsolete. Murder has always been and always will be forbidden by God.

Jesus’ teaching here extends the Law beyond the mere act of murder. What is the motivation behind anger or hatred so strong as to manifest itself in killing? What are the inward lusts from which fights and quarrels come? It is a fundamental error to teach a divine prohibition of an act without delving into the sinful thoughts lurking behind the action. Jesus tells us not only are we are not to murder, but we are not even to be angry to the point of wanting to murder.

The Pharisees felt righteous because they had not literally committed murder, yet they were angry enough at Jesus to plot His death. They thought they were not guilty because they did not dirty their own hands with the actual deed. It is easy to miss the intent of the law.

The Law of God is to be a hedge of protection around our lives. When we are “walled in” with this hedge we are able to lie down in green pastures with peaceful souls (Psalm 23:2–3). God desires for each one of us to be an example of His love to one another and the world.

The Apostle John writes:

“For this is the gospel message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another, not like Cain who was of the evil one and brutally murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous. Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates his fellow Christian is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.” —1 John 3:11–15

Jesus tells us we are not to slander our brothers and sisters in Christ. However light we may make of our gossip, one day we will answer for it. Slanderers and those who critically rebuke others have poison under their tongues. Jesus tells us out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks:

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart.” —Luke 6:45

Become More

“Though salvation is not by the works of the law, yet the blessings which are promised to obedience are not denied to the faithful servants of God. The curses our Lord took away when He was made a curse for us, but no clause of blessing has been abrogated. We are to note and listen to the revealed will of the Lord, giving our attention not to portions of it but to ‘all these words.’ There must be no picking and choosing but an impartial respect to all that God has commanded. This is the road of blessedness for the Father and for His children. The Lord’s blessing is upon His chosen to the third and fourth generation. If they walk uprightly before Him, He will make all men know that they are a seed which the Lord has blessed.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

Further Reflection

“Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value. Doctrines held as a matter of creed are like bread in the hand, which ministers no nourishment to the frame, but doctrine accepted by the heart, is as food digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up the body.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

“So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!” —Matthew 5:19–20

The righteousness Jesus demands from His followers is unlike that of the Pharisees. The Jewish leaders were simply into externals. Externals represent only what man can observe, not what God sees.

Jesus taught quite the opposite! It is obedience at the core, at the heart level, that God desires. When cleansing takes place internally, the external will follow!

Jesus always aimed at the heart. He was looking for true inner righteousness based on faith in God. In Scripture, the heart is the term used to describe the seat of all our affections and desires. Our actions and words come from the overflow of our hearts. That is why Jesus told us the fruit of our lives is a good indicator of what lies within us. Are we full of selfish ambitions, vain conceits, greed, anger, and the like? Or are we full of love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness? 

What is in our hearts will always eventually manifest itself in our behavior and words. We may be able to mask it for a while, but ultimately what is at our core will come forth. It is God’s desire for us to get rid of the evil that lies hidden within our hearts. We are pros at justifying our poor behaviors by blaming them on past situations, experiences, dysfunctions, and other people. Our hearts are prone to delude us and they frequently lead us astray and take us down the wrong path. We are often ignorant of the depravity that remains within us.

“Christians are rapidly losing sight of sin as the root of all human woes. And many Christians are explicitly denying that their own sin can be the cause of personal anguish. More and more are attempting to explain the human dilemma in wholly unbiblical terms: temperament, addiction, dysfunctional families, the child within, codependency, and a host of other irresponsible escape mechanisms promoted by secular psychology. The potential impact of such a drift is frightening. Remove the reality of sin, and you take away the possibility of repentance. Abolish the doctrine of human depravity and you void the divine plan of salvation. Erase the notion of personal guilt and you eliminate the need for a Savior.” —John MacArthur

It is God alone who knows the true condition of the heart of man. Scripture tells us:

“The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad. Who can understand it? I, the LORD, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.” —Jeremiah 17:9–10

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:5–6

“Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life.” —Proverbs 4:23

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world by holding on to the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.” —Philippians 2:14–16

Become More

“The grace of God is love freely shown towards guilty sinners, contrary to their merit and indeed in defiance of their demerit. It is God showing goodness to persons who deserve only severity, and had no reason to expect anything but severity. We have seen why the thought of grace means so little to some church people–namely, because they do not share the beliefs about God and man which it presupposes. Now we have to ask: why should this thought mean so much to others? The answer is not far to seek; indeed, it is evident from what has already been said. It is surely clear that, once a man is convinced that his state and need are as described, the New Testament gospel of grace cannot but sweep him off his feet with wonder and joy. For it tells how our Judge has become our Saviour.” —J.I. Packer

Further Reflections

“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!” —Matthew 23:25–26

“But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as dung!—that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.” —Philippians 3:7–9

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.” —Matthew 5:17–18

The Lord Jesus came to fulfill all righteousness.

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River. But John tried to prevent him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?’ So Jesus replied to him, ‘Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John yielded to him.” —Matthew 3:13–15

God made His own perfect Son take on our sin so that we might have a restored relationship with God the Father. Paul tells us:

“God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” —2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus did not come into the world He created to present a new system that rivaled the Law. He came to fulfill the Law—perfectly! Perfect and fully obedient, Christ ushered in and established a kingdom that is in total agreement with the Old Testament Scriptures. He neither canceled nor weakened the Law; He completed and transcended it.

The Savior sent from heaven to save the souls of all people destroyed nothing of the dictates from God or of Moses and the prophets. He lived a perfect life that He might be the perfect sacrifice, once and for all, for my sin and yours! He saved us that we might believe in Him and live our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to live supernatural lives propelled and guided by the Spirit. Undiscerning eyes who live only for what they see cannot comprehend God’s amazing plan.

Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law extends to the smallest letter—the “jot”—as well as the least stroke of a pen—the “tittle.” The “jot” corresponds to our dot above the letter “i,” and the “tittle” compares to the difference between a P and an R, simply a small angled line! This is important because letters make up words and even a slight change of a letter in a word can change its meaning. God’s Word does not change. Jesus did not come to change God’s Word; he came as the fulfillment of it.

“O LORD, your instructions endure; they stand secure in heaven.” —Psalm 119:89

“Your instructions are totally reliable; all your just regulations endure.” —Psalm 119:160

“The grass dries up, the flowers wither, but the decree of our God is forever reliable.” —Isaiah 40:8

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” —Matthew 24:35

Become More

“The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations—it is a picture of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is having His unhindered way with us.” —Oswald Chambers

Further Reflection

“Nearness to Christ, intimacy with Him, assimilation to His character—these are the elements of a ministry of power.” —Horatius Bonar

“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.” —Matthew 5:14–16

We are to let the light of Jesus within us shine forth! That light needs to shine first for our own households and then for whatever world is around us. We are to be both illustrious and conspicuous; signs and symbols from God to the lost and perishing. The treasure within us should light up our countenance; we are to be known as a light-radiating people. Jesus came as the light of the world so that those who would believe in Him would never walk in darkness, but have the light of life. His light within us gives direction to others—pointing them to Jesus.

We must endeavor to walk as wise not as foolish people because those around us are watching. It is important how we live our lives! Sadly, many Christians live no differently than the unbelievers Jesus desires for us to reach. If the Lord Jesus makes no difference in our lives, why would anyone else be interested? Are we a reflection of God’s goodness and mercy and humility and kindness and gentleness and patience? Are we drawing others to Him or repelling them by our words and deeds? The candle lit by the Lord Jesus should never be hidden but should shine forth to all those around us. We must be shining lights in the way we live, not muffling the message with obscurity and privacy. Paul tells us:

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.” —1 Corinthians 6:19–20

Peter adds:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” —1 Peter 2:9

And John wrote: “The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked.” —1 John 2:6

It is for our Father’s glory and for our good that we let our light shine, showing ourselves to be the Lord Jesus’ disciples. Jesus says in our verses for today that our deeds must be evident so that those who observe us will praise our Father in heaven. God’s glory is what we aim for in all that we say or do.

Become More

“Though salvation is not by the works of the law, yet the blessings which are promised to obedience are not denied to the faithful servants of God. The curses our Lord took away when He was made a curse for us, but no clause of blessing has been abrogated. We are to note and listen to the revealed will of the Lord, giving our attention not to portions of it but to ‘all these words.’ There must be no picking and choosing but an impartial respect to all that God has commanded. This is the road of blessedness for the Father and for His children. The Lord’s blessing is upon His chosen to the third and fourth generation. If they walk uprightly before Him, He will make all men know that they are a seed which the Lord has blessed.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

Further Reflections

“Then Jesus spoke out again, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” —John 8:12

“Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. —John 14:6

“To be like Christ. That is our goal, plain and simple.” —Charles Swindoll

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people!” —Matthew 5:13

Salt—the Hebrew symbol of the everlasting covenant between God and man. All sacrifices the Hebrews made were to be sprinkled with salt; grain, incense, and animal sacrifices alike carried with them the same savor. We discover in both Leviticus and Ezekiel:

“Moreover, you must season every one of your grain offerings with salt; you must not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be missing from your grain offering—on every one of your grain offerings you must present salt.” —Leviticus 2:13

“When you have finished purifying it, you will offer an unblemished young bull and an unblemished ram from the flock. You will present them before the LORD, and the priests will scatter salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.” —Ezekiel 43:23–24

Hebrew newborns in ancient times were rubbed with salt to symbolize that they were children of the covenant. It is not too surprising that the disciples, being reborn into the new covenant, are called “the salt of the earth.”

Salt is a versatile seasoning agent. Jesus’ disciples were and are to be cleansing, flavoring, and preserving agents to a world which lies in an unsavory heap rotting. Disciples of Jesus, led and equipped by the power of the Holy Spirit, are to take on the same characteristics as salt. Salt is a necessity of life.

In the time of the original disciples, salt was scarce, precious, and valuable. The Good News of Jesus Christ is highly valuable as well. As bearers of this Good News, we bring salt to all the world!

Salt also halts decay. Disciples are to be the preservative on earth to keep their society from raging rot. Because of this, it is of ultimate importance that we do not blend with the world. When the world looks upon us, they should see something different, and that something is Jesus Christ! Again and again in Scripture God relents from sending judgment because of the righteous in the land. Believers are to be the preserving agents in our age as well. We are to be the voice that stands for the hard right against the easy wrong, the voice that speaks up for justice for the oppressed and the weak and helpless. We are to love mercy and our words are to be full of grace seasoned with salt.

Finally, salt melts ice. Even the hardest hearts are not beyond Christ’s reach. As salt, we must continue to touch the lives of those whose hearts seem frozen to the message of God’s love.

Our Lord tells us here as well that flavorless salt is worthless salt. We must maintain our saltiness to be of use to our heavenly Father. God’s way is always the best and most profitable, and yet it often seems the hardest. However, the easy way often ends in waste and unprofitability. Jesus tells us there is no remedy for tasteless salt.

Become More

“The true Christian cannot be hid, he cannot escape notice. A man truly living and functioning as a Christian will stand out. He will be like salt; he will be like a city set on a hill, a candle set upon a candlestick. But we can also add this further word. The true Christian does not even desire to hide his light. He sees how ridiculous it is to claim to be a Christian and yet deliberately to try to hide the fact. A man who truly realizes what it means to be a Christian, who realizes all that the grace of God has meant to him and done for him, and understands that, ultimately, God has done this in order that he may influence others, is a man who cannot conceal it. Not only that; he does not desire to conceal it, because he argues thus, ‘Ultimately the object and purpose of it all is that I might be functioning in this way.’” —Martin Lloyd-Jones

Further Reflection

Disciples of Jesus are to be a primary seasoning. Do your actions point others to Jesus or do they prevent others from tasting and seeing that the Lord is good?

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.” —Matthew 5:10–12

Ever been in the midst of persecution, insults, false accusations, or evil because of righteousness’ sake—Christ’s sake? We are not talking here about consequences from our own foolish actions, rather consequences of our actions motivated by honoring our Lord Jesus. Not only are we to take heart when we experience persecution, but we are also to “rejoice and the glad.” It is certain, Jesus said, that blessedness will follow.

The Bible is filled with stories of those who stayed faithful to God even though hunted, pursued, run down, abandoned, insulted, falsely accused, and treated as the scum of the earth. It’s important to remember that these people were rarely credited by those around them, yet were ever elevated by God. In the great “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews we are told that faith is being certain of what we do not see and it is our faith that pleases God:

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.” —Hebrews 11:1–2

“Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” —Hebrews 11:6

“By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” —Hebrews 11:7

“Never dread any consequence resulting from absolute obedience to His command. Never fear the rough waters ahead, which through their proud contempt impede your progress. God is greater than the roar of raging water and the mighty waves of the sea. ‘The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever’ (Psalm 29:10). A storm is simply the hem of His robe, the sign of His coming, and the evidence of His presence. Dare to trust Him! Dare to follow Him! Then discover that the forces that blocked your progress and threatened your life become at His command the very materials He uses to build your street of freedom.” —F. B. Meyer

“By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy. So in fact children were fathered by one man—and this one as good as dead—like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand on the seashore. These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” —Hebrews 11:13–16

“So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And every day both in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus was the Christ.” —Acts 5:41–42

Become More

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.” —Hebrews 12:1–3

Further Reflections

“Canst thou answer this, believer? Canst thou find any reason why thou art so often mourning instead of rejoicing? Why yield to gloomy anticipations? Who told thee that the night would never end in day? Who told thee that the winter of thy discontent would proceed from frost to frost, from snow and ice, and hail, to deeper snow, and yet more heavy tempest of despair? Knowest thou not that day follows night, that flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter? Hope thou then! Hope thou ever! For God fails thee not!” —Charles H. Spurgeon

“Show the world that thy God is worth ten thousand worlds to thee … Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord thy God shall certainly, as surely as He built the heavens and the earth, glorify Himself in thy weakness, and magnify His might in the midst of thy distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven would be spoiled if the sky were supported by a single visible column, and your faith would lose its glory if it rested on anything discernible by the carnal eye.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” —Matthew 5:8–9

Being “pure in heart” is the most comprehensive of all the beatitudes. Those who are pure in heart are inwardly clean from sin through faith in the Lord Jesus.

David writes:

“The one whose deeds are blameless and whose motives are pure, who does not lie, or make promises with no intention of keeping them. Such godly people are rewarded by the LORD, and vindicated by the God who delivers them.” —Psalm 24:4–5

Pure motives are what we lift up to God. We have a proper attitude and will. True Christianity lies within the heart—in the purity of a heart that is cleansed from evil. The heart is used figuratively in Scripture as the seat of our desires, feelings, affections, and passions. Those “whose motives are pure” are those individuals whose lives inwardly conform to God’s Law in motive, desire, and thought. It is into the heart of the believer that God sends the Spirit of His Son. Scripture confirms this in the following verses:

“Oh people of Jerusalem, purify your hearts from evil so that you may yet be delivered. How long will you continue to harbor up wicked schemes within you?” —Jeremiah 4:14

“And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls ‘Abba! Father!’” —Galatians 4:6

The life of the heart is a hidden life, although Scripture tells us that one’s actions are typically very good indicators of what is one’s heart. God alone is the perfect discerner of the hearts of all people. He searches the private and concealed. We never fool Him. We are told in Scripture:

“Certainly the LORD watches the whole earth carefully and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.” —2 Chronicles 16:9

“I, the LORD, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.” — Jeremiah 17:10

“And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” —Hebrews 4:13

Jesus tells us the pure in heart will have the benefit of seeing God—seeing His hand in circumstances, seeing His Spirit move for His child’s benefit. We see with spiritual eyesight. It is the perfection of the soul’s happiness to see God.

Jesus tells us that “peacemakers” are blessed as well. Those whose lives breathe peace into circumstances, rather than contention, aggression, hostility, or assertiveness. The peacemakers delight in love and peace. Peacemakers preserve peace as well as seek to recover it when it is broken. Those who are “peacemakers,” Jesus tells us, will be called “sons of God.” Paul tells us we are to seek to live at peace with everyone:

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.” —Romans 12:18

Become More

“Peacemakers are people who breathe grace. They draw continually on the goodness and power of Jesus Christ, and then they bring His love, mercy, forgiveness, strength and wisdom to the conflicts of daily life. God delights to breathe His grace through peacemakers and use them to dissipate anger, improve understanding, promote justice and encourage repentance and restoration.” —Ken Sande

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical. And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace among those who make peace.” —James 3:17–18

Further Reflections

“Let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.” —Hebrews 10:22

“This knowledge [of our own sinfulness], though it strikes man with terror and overwhelms him with despair, is nevertheless necessary for us in order that, stripped of our own righteousness, cast down from confidence in our own power, deprived of all expectation of life, we may learn through the knowledge of our own poverty, misery and disgrace to prostrate ourselves before the Lord, and by the awareness of our own wickedness, powerlessness, and ruin may give all credit for holiness, power and salvation to him.” —John Calvin

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” —Matthew 5:6–7

God is waiting to satisfy our hunger for Him and puts no limitations of quantity when we seek Him. He always gives to complete satisfaction—never sending us away. He alone fills and satisfies our soul. Scripture tells us:

“I am the LORD, your God, the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!’ —Psalm 81:10

God gives the same promise to us through the prophet Jeremiah:

“When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul.” —Jeremiah 29:13

It is important for each one of us to personally apply the truths we learn from God’s Word. God never intended for us to remain “as is.” Holiness and righteousness must be pursued. “Hunger” and “thirst” are appetites that occur frequently, calling for fresh satisfaction. The souls stirred by the Lord Jesus call for constant meals of righteousness as well:

Paul tells Timothy to pursue righteousness, encouraging him to conform his life to the claims of Christ, conditioning his life to a standard that is not his but God’s:

“But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called for and made your good confession for in the presence of many witnesses.” —1 Timothy 6:11–12

“But keep away from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace, in company with others who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” —2 Timothy 2:22

This should be a goal for us as well. We pursue righteousness when we know and apply God’s Word to our lives. Head knowledge only makes us spiritually prideful. 

Jesus also tells us that the merciful are blessed. Mercy is the expression of compassion. It seeks to relieve affliction, alleviate suffering or distress, and ease the misery. When we are merciful, God shows us His mercy. Paul tells us in Colossians to clothe ourselves with compassion. We are to demonstrate God’s mercy:

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond.” —Colossians 3:12–14

Become More

“Praise the LORD, O my soul! With all that is within me, praise his holy name! Praise the LORD, O my soul! Do not forget all his kind deeds! He is the one who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, who delivers your life from the Pit, who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion, who satisfies your life with good things, so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.” —Psalm 103:1–5

“We must have compassion on the souls of others, and help them; pity the ignorant, and instruct them; the careless, and warn them; those who are in a state of sin, and snatch them as brands out of the burning. Indeed, a good man is merciful to his beast.” —Matthew Henry

Further Reflections

“Something happens when we come to God for His grace and mercy—something that is so radical and so amazing that it can only be described as death to our old selves. It is the overwhelming desire to please the One who has loved us with such amazing and unconditional love … I may not get better overnight; I may not be the fine, upstanding, and wonderful Christian I thought I was, but I now have a desire to please the One who loved me (and gave Himself for me). That desire is the soil in which goodness grows–not perfectly, by any means, but it does grow.” —Steve Brown“And have mercy on those who waver; save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh. Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, without blemish before his glorious presence, to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.” —Jude 22–25

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” —Matthew 5:4–5

When we consider those who mourn, as well as those who are meek, our first thoughts seem to be that they are anything but “blessed.” Most of the time, those who are mourning and those who are considered meek are not in enviable positions. No one is competing for their spots or for their places on the ladder of life. They seem to invoke both our empathy and sympathy, yet Jesus tells us here that “blessed” is exactly what they are. Hmmm … isn’t that interesting? Could it be that Jesus knows it is most merciful of our loving God to allow us to be at the end of ourselves? 

When we are at the end of our ropes, reaching the very edge of our need, we are forced to realize our limitations. We end up with nothing left to cling to. We realize that we have foolishly put our trust in something other than Him. Could it be that this is where abundance truly begins—humbled and broken and falling facedown at Jesus’s feet? Broken and empty? 

Blessedness begins with the brokenness of self. When we recognize our needs and bring them to the only One who is able to meet them, Jesus says we are “blessed”—possessing the favor of God. King David says:

“The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit—O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.” —Psalm 51:17

The prophet Isaiah said:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has chosen me. He has commissioned me to encourage the poor, to help the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives, and the freeing of prisoners, to announce the year when the LORD will show his favor, the day when our God will seek vengeance, to console all who mourn, to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the LORD to reveal his splendor.” —Isaiah 61:1–3

Our Lord comforts us in our mourning in order for us to comfort others with the comfort we have received.

“The believer is in spiritual danger if he allows himself to go for any length of time without tasting the love of Christ and savoring the felt comforts of a Savior’s presence. When Christ ceases to fill the heart with satisfaction, our souls will go in silent search of other lovers … By the enjoyment of the love of Christ in the heart of a believer, we mean an experience of the ‘love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us’ (Romans 5:5) … because the Lord has made himself accessible to us in the means of grace, it is our duty and privilege to seek this experience from Him in these means till we are made the joyful partakers of it.” —John Flavel

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize the world needs comforting. A casual glance around our spheres of influence makes it clear that if we are simply willing to take our eyes off ourselves and our own agendas, we will see masses of hurting people everywhere. Since the fall of humankind way back in the Garden of Eden, there has been no shortage of pain on this earth. Nobody has more problems than people!

Meekness is anything but weakness. It is a condition of mind and heart which demonstrates gentleness, not in weakness but in power. It is a balance born in strength of character. It is power under control. It is Jesus on the cross.

Paul reminds us:

“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” —2 Corinthians 1:3–4

In mercy, God allows things in our lives to drive us back to Him, to get us to return to our point of departure, for our good and His glory.

Become More

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” —Matthew 11:28–30

“God comforts us not to make us comfortable but to make us comforters.” —John Henry Jowett

Further Reflections

“The teachings of Jesus are all out of proportion when compared to our natural way of looking at things, and they come to us initially with astonishing discomfort. We gradually have to conform our walk and conversation to the precepts of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit applies them to our circumstances. The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations—it is a picture of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is having His unhindered way with us.” —Oswald Chambers

“The Lord sometimes suffers His people to be driven into a corner that they may experimentally know how necessary He is to them … Jesus can soon remove our sorrow, He delights to comfort us. Let us hasten to Him while He waits to meet us.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

“When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them by saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.’” —Matthew 5:1–3

Jesus begins this famous sermon with the praise that one is fortunate and fully satisfied who has the realization and understanding of their own poverty of spirit. It is important that we fully grasp the fact that in and of ourselves we possess no inward ability to please God. This poverty of spirit is ranked first among the Christian graces. Indeed, God’s kingdom of glory is prepared for such as these. The kingdom of earth is for the high and lofty, but the kingdom of heaven is for the humble.

The foundational principle of Christ’s kingdom is poverty of spirit. Anything else will always come up short. We must possess an absolute sense of certainty that our “flesh” cannot even begin to experience any type of holiness. Those who embrace the knowledge that in and of themselves they are hopeless and helpless to stand before a Holy God, rightly have the understanding that they lack the power within to do anything to change their predicament. It makes no difference whether one is rich, poor, famous, gifted, intellectual, or whatever, the doorway into the kingdom of heaven is poverty of spirit. It is by our humility that Christ accomplishes His work. I am reminded of Paul’s words to the Church in Ephesus:

“That you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” —Ephesians 2:12–13

Those who consciously and fully depend upon Jesus and His redemptive work on the cross on their behalf are blessed. We all fall short of God’s standard of holiness—there are no exceptions. Paul tells us in Romans:

“What then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin, just as it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; here is no one who shows kindness, not even one.” —Romans 3:9–12

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23

Apart from belonging to Christ and being filled with His Spirit, we are unable to stand before a Holy God. We are lost without a Savior. And that is precisely what Jesus is—our Savior! We like to focus on a person’s determination, or the beauty of their character, or their gifting—things easily noticed and applauded by others. This, however, puts the emphasis on flesh rather than on Jesus. We can never enter the kingdom of heaven based on the virtue of our own goodness! One can only enter as a pauper. Jesus is the One who produces the inspiring in the commonplace. It is His treasure in our “jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). As believers in Christ, we have been rescued by God from the dominion of darkness through the blood of Jesus. We have been brought into His kingdom by the Son He loves and in whom we have redemption. Praise Him!

Paul tells us:

“God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” —2 Corinthians 5:21

Become More

“We comfort the afflicted sinner in this manner; Brother you can never be perfect in this life, but you can be holy. He will say, ‘How can I be holy when I feel my sins?’ I answer, ‘You feel sin? That is a good sign. To realize that one is ill is a step and a very necessary step, toward recovery.’ ‘But how will I get rid of my sin?’ he will ask. I answer: ‘See the heavenly Physician, Christ, who heals the broken-hearted. Do not consult the Quack doctor, Reason. Believe in Christ and your sins will be pardoned. His righteousness will become your righteousness.’” —Martin Luther

Further Reflections

“The fact of the matter is that we cannot cast off restraint, run riot, please ourselves and be completely hedonistic without a price having to be paid. The human price is the destruction of relationships; the spiritual price is a breach with God.” —John Blanchardte

“To be lowly in our own eyes is to have humble thoughts of ourselves, of what we are, and have, and do; it is to be as little children in our opinion of ourselves … It is to be willing to make ourselves little, to do good … It is to acknowledge that God is great, and we are small; that He is holy and we are sinful; that He is all and we are nothing. To shun all confidence in our righteousness and strength, that we may depend only on the merit of Christ and the spirit and grace of Christ.” —Matthew Henry