Matthew 5:27-48
A couple verses stand out.
First, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body 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 part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell" (Matthew 5:29-30). What a strong verse. I've always wondered if this is to be taken literally. I mean, in all honesty there is nothing worse than being thrown into hell. If any part of you is doing something that warrants damnation than surely losing a body part is less worse than being thrown into hell. But, is this to be taken as an absolute literal command? I don't know, this is one of those difficult verses.
The part about the eye for an eye is easier to swallow and obviously meant literally. "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you" (Matthew 5:41-42). Give freely of yourself to those who ask. And not just to your friends or brothers. Even the wicked and pagans do that.
Matthew 6
6:1-4 is something that American Christians really need to understand. Don't do your 'righteous acts' in front of people for a reward. Give your gifts in secret, then the Father who sees what you're doing will reward you.
6:5-15 is chalk full of things that are important. Obviously, there is the Lord's prayer. This is well trodden and written about so I'll gloss over it for now. What stands out to me is the words before it.
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think 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" (Matthew 6:5-8).
There is a lot here so bear with me. First, let's use the context of contemporary America. Depending upon where you live, you live in a post-religious society or a still relatively religious society. Here in the south I live where Christianity is still the norm and fairly prevalent in even the secular society. So, men praying on the streets might get some praise and they would have their reward in full. But, in other sections of America, when men pray on the streets they are derided as fools, or crazy. So I think taken in context that matches Jesus' day we have to take these verses in relation to the Christian community. At this point, I must admit I could be extremely wrong and ask for forgiveness if I am. I think some of the religious prayers and babbling that Jesus is condemning here shines through in modern, post-denominational churches that I've visited. These are where people get up in frenzy and pray and pray to be admired by their peers rather than raising a prayer to God. Of course, I'm not in a position to judge a man's heart so, I could be totally off base. But, this is how these verses stick to me at the moment.
I think some of the most pressing verses of this chapter to me come from verses 19-21. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also". I struggle with this. I definitely store treasures here on earth and need to refocus my attention to store treasures in heaven. Verse 21 is so on point when it states where your treasure is, so there too is your heart. I need to take 6:33 to heart "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well".
Matthew 7
What is the meaning of Matthew 7:6?
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces".
7:12 sums up the Law and the Prophets - "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets".
A tree and its fruit is an interesting passage. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit" (7:18). We are known by our fruit. But, if a good tree cannot bear bad fruit what of when Christians mess up? What about me when I screw up and have a disaster fall on my head? Am I a bad tree?
Matthew 8
- Jesus heals a man with leprosy. But, he tells the healed man not to tell anyone.
The Faith of The Centurion:
"When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth". Matthew 8:10-12.
I always think about this story and the story where Jesus will not, initially help the Samaritan woman. He says its not proper to take food from the children to give to the dogs and yet the woman persists. Jesus was definitely Jewish, but he was expanding what it meant to be a part of the kingdom of Heaven with the Centurion and seemingly restricting it initially with the Samaritan woman. I know I've heard that Jesus was testing the woman's faith, or possibly the faith of his disciples. And if that's the case I guess it's consistent. But, it is sometimes strange to see Jesus' logic.
- Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law
- Jesus heals many and drove out the demons of the demon-possessed.
- The story of the pigs is also an odd one. Two demon-possessed men come up to Jesus and the demons ask if the Son of Man has come to torture them before the appointed time. Then Jesus gives the demons their wish and sent them into a herd of pigs, who subsequently died by drowning. The townsfolk came out and pleaded for Jesus to leave their region. What does this story mean? Are the townsfolk to blame for valuing their possessions (the pigs) more than their souls?
Matthew 9
- Jesus heals a paralytic and causing a major controversy by forgiving the sins of the paralyzed man.
- Jesus eats with Matthew, sinners and tax collectors
- Jesus raises a girl from the dead and heals a sick woman
- Jesus heals two blind men and tells them not to tell anyone about it (but they do anyway)
"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). Jesus has compassion for the helpless.
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