A portion of scripture and a discipleship prompt
by Rev. Herschel E. Moore
DAY FOURTEENMatthew 6:1-18
‘Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
‘Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Prompt
This "Sermon on The Mount" is packed with teachings of Jesus which deserve our contemplation and obedience. But there is one theme that is consistent throughout today's reading: "Disciple, live your life with God as your audience." Trying to impress people with our righteousness can be very tiring, but, worse, it is certain to distract us from God. Can you see how living with God rather than people as your audience can liberate a person?
DAY THIRTEEN
Matthew 5:17-46
‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool,” you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. ‘It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.” But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one. ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.
‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Prompt
Keeping the Ten Commandments (which has never been done) would be easy compared to living by the ethics of the Kingdom of God which Jesus presents here. This sermon shows me how far short I fall and reminds me how desperately I need a savior in whose righteousness I can trust. Yet I yearn to be the kind of person I am not - the kind that does not insult a sister or brother, the kind that loves his enemies, the kind that would turn the other cheek and give up his cloak and be like his heavenly Father.
Do we not grow in the direction we yearn? The way a tree extends its branches toward the unreachable sky? But wait a minute. I am looking at a tree top right now, and it IS in the sky. The one next to it is even higher, but both are in the sky. Maybe in the "Kingdom of Heaven," as Matthew calls it, there is infinite room for growth. What do you think?
DAY TWELVE
Matthew 5:13-16
‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Prompt
Jesus expects his followers to make a difference in their world. But he does not expect us merely to attract praise to ourselves. Salt is intended to bring out the best flavor of the food to which it is applied; however, if your steak tastes like salt, it may not only be offensive, but also harmful to your health. Likewise, flashing neon signs may grab a lot of attention, but they can actually be disorienting to people making their way down the sidewalk.
Christians and the church, itself, should be more like street lights. Their purpose is not to be gazed at and admired, but to help people see better.
Do you bring out the best in your home, school, church, and workplace?Does the light that comes from you help others find their way to the Father?
DAY ELEVEN
Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Prompt
Can you find yourself in the list of those who are blessed?
We usually do not mention poverty or grief or persecution among our blessings. Jesus, on the other hand does not list any of those things we usually DO mention - nice family, warm house, good job, etc.
What if you earnestly sought to have the spirit of the poor? What if you actually allowed yourself to mourn the loss of friends and loved ones instead of trying to keep yourself so busy and distracted you don't notice they're gone? What if you really stood for peace in this bloodthirsty world? What if you took a stand for Jesus that caused others to criticize you?
DAY TEN
Matthew 4:23-25
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Prompt
The good news Jesus brought was news of the Kingdom of God. No matter what the political realities of your world, you may choose to live with God as your King. From the earliest days of his ministry, this message was heard by Gentiles as well as Jews, as people from Syria and "beyond the Jordan" were included among those liberated from whatever siezed them, paralized them, possessesed them, or oppressed them.
Do you acknowledge God as your king? Do you give other entities power that only God should have? How would your life be different if you lived in the Kingdom of God?
DAY NINE
Matthew 4:18-22
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Prompt
If all we had were Matthew's account of the calling of the disciples, it might seem that these four men dropped everything and followed Jesus the first time they saw him as if he had some kind of mesmerizing effect on them. The gospels of Luke and John, however, indicate that the disciples had heard him preach and had talked to one another about Jesus before. Nevertheless, it is clear that Jesus and his message inspired faith and hope in these fishermen. Would you, with all you know about Jesus, be willing to leave your good, paying day job to follow him?
Jesus does not demand that every Christian abandon his source of livlihood, but he does demand first place in our hearts. In prayer, ask God to help you follow Jesus where you work.
DAY EIGHT
Matthew 4:11-17
Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali; so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
Prompt
We know very little about the life of Jesus before he began his ministry, proclaiming repentance. From these verses, we gather that he had always lived in his childhood home of Nazareth, probably continuing his dad's carpentry business. But the call to ministry demanded that he make a new home in a new place. For Jesus, it was a home by the road. Capernaum was, by no stretch of the imagination, a thriving metropolis, but neither was it cut off from the traffic of the world.
In what ways does your ministry engage people where they go about the business of their lives? Take a moment to contemplate that question.
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