Readings for Lent: Matthew 5

Sermon on the Mount

Already on day 3 of my reading, and my blog is only on day 1! There is so much to take in when reading Matthew.

In Matthew 5, Jesus gives a teaching to his followers, which is now called the Sermon on the Mount. 

The Beatitudes

The beatitudes in 5:3-12 are indeed poetic and beautiful, but it takes pulling each sentence apart to really understand the tragic truth that it contains.

Jesus saw the crowds coming to listen to him, and he went to the top of a mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And it says, “he opened his mouth and taught them saying…”

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake.

Rejoice and be very glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in this manner they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Definition of Blessing

According to one definition from this online dictionary, "blessed," means "blissfully happy, contented..." You can find a great description of the meaning of blessing on this webpage.

Those who follow the teachings of Jesus and choose to live a godly life are not perfect, and they are promised a great deal of trouble, as well as their reward from God, in their pursuit of a righteous life.

Descriptors of the Children of God	Their Reward from God
Poor in spirit	The kingdom of heaven is theirs
Will mourn	Will be comforted
Meek (humbly patient, docile, under provocation from others, submissive, compliant)	Will inherit the earth
Will hunger and thirst for righteousness	Will be satisfied
Merciful, yet also in need of mercy	Will receive mercy
Pure in heart	Will see God
Peacemakers	Will be called the sons (children) of God
Persecuted for righteousness’ sake	The kingdom of heaven is theirs
Others will revile, curse, utter evil against them falsely because they follow Jesus’ teachings	Will be rewarded greatly in heaven

And after all this, in Matthew 5:12,

"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Application

We are not promised a life of ease, although in the end we are blessed with favor that comes from God and lasts for eternity.

Readings for Lent: Matthew 1-4

Leading up to Easter, Christians worldwide choose to take a journey of reflection and repentance to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Easter. I confess I do not usually participate in Lent, it is usually more of a pledge I enjoy talking about, similar to a new year’s resolution. But, I was inspired yesterday (yes, yesterday!) to make my own journey of reflection and remembrance of my Christian faith for this Easter season. I will be reading and summarizing what I learn from my YouVersion mobile app., Bible Plan, 40-Day New Testament Challenge, the English Standard Version (ESV).

The season of Lent begins today, February 18, and ends on Easter Sunday, April 5^th this year. There are 7 Sundays leading up to Easter, which means 40 days of readings, and 7 Sundays for rest. To accomplish a summary of these daily readings, my posts may be rather lengthy…but, enjoy!

Matthew 1

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ – we see how important it is in the Old Testament and New Testament to trace the family lineage of the Son of God. In brief, there are 42 generations, as defined by Matthew, whereas Luke (later) gives the maternal line geneaology. I found these graphics to give a visual.

The geneaology of Jesus through Solomon (on the paternal side)

The Geneaology of Jesus through Nathan (on the maternal side)

And in verse 1:16, “and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.”

There are fourteen generations from Abraham to David the king, from David to the deportation of Jews from the ancient kingdom of Judah to Babylon, and 14 generations until the promise of a Messiah was fulfilled in Jesus. I found this table and history illustrated at this page. Click on the link to read more.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Mary and Joseph were engaged, but Mary “was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (v. 1:18). Joseph was a just man and honorable. He was not the father of this child and resolved to divorce her quietly rather than put her to shame for her situation. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream saying,

Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

This happening fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 (read it here).

Joseph woke from his sleep and did as the angel commanded him. He married Mary, but he did not have relations with her until the son was born, and he named him Jesus, “Immanuel, God with us.”

The Visit of the Wise Men

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod. Wise men came from the east following a star and asking where they could find this born king of the Jews. King Herod was troubled and threatened by this and inquired about its meaning. The chief priests and scribes explained its prediction in the Old Testament (1 Chronicles 5:2) 

King Herod told them to find this child and report back to him so that he could also worship this king of the Jews. But the wise men were warned in a dream to not return to King Herod. After finding the child with Mary his mother, they fell down and worshiped him and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then they departed to their home land another way to avoid King Herod.

 

gold is a precious metal worthy to give to a king on this earth

frankincense (incense) was a luxurious ingredient used in anointing oils or perfumes

myrrh (an embalming oil) reminds of mortality and eventual death

King Herod was furious and ordered the murder of all male children two years old or under in Bethlehem and that region. Joseph was warned in a dream to take Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt; they stayed in Egypt until Herod died. Then they returned to Israel, but not to Judea where Herod’s son was reigning, instead they withdrew to Galilee, in the city Nazareth. This fulfilled an O.T. prophecy that the Messiah would be a Nazarene.

John the Baptist

John the Baptist was a man preaching in the wilderness of Judea. He wore clothing of camel’s hair and a leather belt. His food was locusts and wild honey. He warned everyone who would listen in the region of Judea to repent, confess sins, and be baptized in water. He explained that relying on their trust in Abraham’s faith was no longer enough; true repentance brings about a changed person who lives a life that demonstrates righteousness, or lives “as a tree that produces good fruit.” He said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me [Jesus] is mightier than I…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire…but the chaff [trees that do not bear good fruit], he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River to John the Baptist, to be baptized by him. John argued that it was he who should be baptized by Jesus, but Jesus answered, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

When Jesus was baptized in water, immediately he saw the [Holy] Spirit of God descending on him in the form of a dove, and a voice from Heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

Jesus was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. For 40 days and nights, he fasted and was very hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Jesus answered, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Then the devil took him to the pinnacle of the temple in the holy city and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On  their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone’” (4:6). Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (4:7). Finally, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He promised, “All these I will give to you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve’” (v. 10). Then the devil left him, and angels came to minister to Jesus.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

Jesus left Nazereth and traveled throughout the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali and lived in Capernaum by the sea (vv. 15-16). He began to preach and call his first disciples while walking by the sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, fishermen. He called to them and said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately, they left their nets and followed them. From there, he called two other brothers, James and John. They left the boat and their father, Zebedee, and followed Jesus.

                      

Jesus taught repentance throughout all of Galilee, teaching in synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God, healing every disease and affliction among the people. His fame spread and people came from all over Syria, bringing those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them! (Matthew 4:24). The crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

This was just the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. His parables and teachings can be found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament. Continue your own journey online at www.biblegateway.com.

Christian Maturity: A Change of Heart

Inspired by GU’s Christian Service course, Christian Maturity.

 

Do you remember when you were a child and you wanted to have the best toy or the newest game? Or, you set a goal of trying all the flavors of sweet or sour candy, just to say you did? Adults had no time for that. And I remember thinking, “Why don’t they like it?” At some point, they outgrew childhood. They “put away childish things.” Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” (1 Corinthians 13:11 New International Version).

 

This transition from being a child to becoming an adult goes against what we want when we are young. We want to be forever young and to experience life at its fullest. To have to wait for any “need” or “want” to be met is intolerable. Patience is not fully understood. Not getting that new toy, game, or candy is unimaginable! Disappointing. Even embarrassing, in comparison to other kids who get what they want.

 

Yet for all the indulgence and impatience that children are often accused of, what DO they do right? Their inexperience on this earth causes them to be overly trusting, overly innocent, overly humble. They are by no means perfect, but they are teachable and they follow. Whether an adult guides them to good or to bad, they trust and obey. It is for this reason that Jesus commended little children. Not for their outward actions, but for the condition of their heart.

 

In Matthew 18:2, Jesus called a little child over and said to the disciples, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

 

Can an adult become a child again? Unfortunately, no. But an adult can have a change of heart. Despite his or her experiences on this earth, an adult can become trusting, innocent, and humble.

 

The psalmist wrote:
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 NIV)

 

King Solomon advised:
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)

 

And Paul encouraged the church members in Philippi by writing:
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 NIV)

 

Christian [adults] are often accused of being “other-worldly,” thinking more in terms of faith and heaven, rather than focusing on the “here and now.” The other extreme is to be overly “worldly,” focused on the temporal, often self-centered, or childish. The biblical ideal is to reach a balance—to have confidence in our faith and the reality of heaven, to fulfill our present-day purpose here on earth, and to be aware of our future reward in heaven.

 

Spiritual growth comes only after believing in God as Heavenly Father. To recognize  God as our spiritual Father would mean we are spiritual children. Thus, all believers become members of a spiritual family. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Does that mean we are literally “family”? No! But, we do have a not-of-this-world opportunity (dare I say, responsibility) to treat one another with kindness, compassion, and brotherly love out of a sincere heart.

 

If we all were to treat one another with civility and spiritual maturity and “put away childish things” of this world, imagine what could be accomplished for good! The book of 1 John expresses this theme. If we say we believe in God and know God, but we do not love God or others, then we do not know God, for God is love.

 

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son [Jesus] as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:9–11 NIV)

 

Esau Loses the Blessing

Genesis 27

When Esau was 40, he married two women: Judith and Basemath (both Hittites), and as described in Genesis 26:35, "They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah."

Issac came to be old and blind. Not knowing the day of his death, he wanted to make preparation for passing on his blessing to his older son, Esau. He called for Esau and asked him to go out and hunt wild game and prepare it for him. Then he would be able to give Esau his blessing. Esau's mother, Rebekah, was listening and hoped that her other son, Jacob, would receive the blessing. While Esau was out hunting, she told Jacob to go out to the flock of goats and get one. She would prepare it and have Jacob appear before Isaac to get the blessing.

Now Jacob didn't say something like, "It wouldn't be right", or "That's dishonest". He says, "But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I'm a man with smooth skin. What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing." His mother said, "My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me."

She put some of Esau's best clothes on Jacob, and covered his hands and bare neck with goatskins so he would appear hairy. While obeying his dishonest mother, he is now entering a series of soon-to-be lies before his father.

Jacob presented the food to Isaac. Isaac asks, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" Jacob lies, "The Lord your God gave me success." When Isaac hears the voice as being his other son, Jacob, not Esau, Isaac instructs him to come closer so he can touch him and know whether or not he is Esau. He asks, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob says, "I am" (v. 24).

Isaac eats and Jacob waits for his blessing. He obeys his father's request to come closer and kiss him. His father now can smell the clothes of Esau. His senses of touch (v. 22), taste (v. 25), and smell (v. 27) override his sense of hearing (Jacob's voice). He gives a blessing to Jacob:

Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord had blessed.
May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness--
an abundance of grain and new wine.

May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. [Insert Esau here]

May those who curse you be cursed
and those who bless you be blessed.

Ultimately, Esau returned from hunting, prepared the meat, and appeared before his father to receive his blessing. When Isaac realizes he was deceived by Jacob, he "trembled violently" (v. 33). He said to Esau, "Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.", and "he will be blessed indeed!" (v. 33).

Esau wept and said he was rightfully named Jacob "deceiver". He had stolen his birthright and now his blessing. Isaac warned that the opposite would be the future for Esau; so, Esau held a grudge against Jacob and planned to kill him. Rebekah warned Jacob to flee to her brother Laban's lands in Haran.

When I read this story, I am just so infuriated at Rebekah! What kind of mother is this?! And apparently her role in helping Jacob deceive Isaac goes unnoticed. She begins complaining about "these Hittite women" that Esau has married. She says that if she has to live with any more of them, her life will not be worth living.

Isaac instructs Jacob to go back to Paddan-Aram (Mesopotamia) to his mother's homeland to find a wife. And then blesses him again!

When Esau hears about this second blessing (rubbing salt in the wound), and realizes how displeasing the Canaanite women are to his father, he goes to Ishmael's family to find a third wife. Remember Abraham's son, Ishmael, was not part of the Abrahamic covenant (the blessing Abraham's descendents would receive by God) since Ishmael was born not by Abraham and his wife Sarah, but by Hagar, Sarah's maid. (See earlier blog.)

Ishmael had already died 14 years earlier, so Esau met Ishmael's son (Nebaioth). He married Nebaioth's sister, Mahalath. He now had 3 unblessed unions with "non-Abrahamic covenant" women: 2 Hittites and 1 Canaanite.

Esau and Jacob part ways until years later. We find in Genesis 33:4, there is an emotional reunion between Jacob and Esau. Esau astonishes Jacob by forgiving him! The two brothers weep and this is an important story in Genesis on the theme of grace.

Isaac in the Valley of Gerar

Genesis 26

Now there was a famine (again) in the land and Isaac went to King Abimilech of the Philistines in Gerar. The distinction Abimelech was a title similar to Pharaoh, so this was not the same king Abimelech of Genesis 20, 97 years later. I found this map to show where Issac's journeys are with references to chapters in Genesis :)

The Lord appeared to Isaac and told him to stay in Gerar, and to not go down to Egypt for a while. Isaac feared that if the Philistines wanted to have his wife, Rebekah (she was beautiful), then they would kill him and take her. So, he told Abimelech that she was his sister. Some time passed, and one day, the king saw Isaac (from a window) caressing his wife. He became furious! He summoned Isaac and questioned why he lied to them, realizing that if he or one of his men had taken advantage of her, then guilt would have been put on the whole house. So Abimelech gave orders that anyone who bothered Isaac or Rebekah would be put to death.

Isaac set himself to work planting crops and was blessed one hundred fold that year. He became rich, even wealthy, with flocks, herds, and servants. The Philistines envied him and began to fill up his wells with dirt. King Abimelech ordered him to move away to the valley of Gerar. There, he built wells again, but the first one (Esek), and the second (Sitnah), were filled with dirt again by quarreling herdsmen. Finally, he moved far enough away from all the herdsmen that he had plenty of room, and there they flourished. The Lord appeared to Isaac, and so he built an altar to the Lord and worshipped, which was in keeping with the Abrahamic covenant of his father and the Lord. This happened at Beersheba (see above map).

King Abimelech came to visit, with his personal adviser, Ahuzzath, and the commander of his forces, Phicol. Isaac questioned why they came to visit since recently he was sent away. Abimelech feared the power of Isaac and wanted to make a peace treaty with him. They stayed until the next day and feasted. Then left in peace. After their departure, Isaac's servants came to him and announced finding water in the well. They named the well "Shibah", which means "oath". The city of Beersheba is named from Shibah.

Jacob, Esau, and that Red Lentil Stew!

Genesis 25:19-34

Abraham’s son, Isaac, was 40 when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel and sister of Laban. Isaac prayed for his wife Rebekah since she was barren, and in Genesis 25:21, “the Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.”  There were two babies jostling around inside her, so she prayed to the Lord about what was happening. The Lord said, “Two nations are in your womb and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” The first boy to come out was hairy and red, so they named him Esau. Edom also means red, so Esau is at times referred to as Edom. The second boy came out with his hand grasping Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob “he grasps the heel”, or, “he deceives”. Isaac was 60 when Rebekah gave birth to them; this was 20 years after he married Rebekah.

Esau became a skillful hunter, while Jacob was a quiet man and preferred to stay home among the tents. Their father, Isaac, had a taste for wild game, so he loved Esau; but, their mother Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau came in from the open country famished and asked Jacob for a bowl of red stew. Jacob asked for Esau’s birthright in return. Esau said, “Look! I am about to die [of hunger]…what good is the birthright to me?” Jacob made him swear an oath. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and red lentil stew. He ate and drank, then got up and left, despising his birthright.

My summary wouldn’t be complete without finding a recipe for Jacob’s red lentil stew! I came across this fascinating website, “The History Kitchen”. The author gives a wonderful history of ancient Israelite cooking, including step-by-step photos and instructions on how to prepare a historically similar red lentil stew. The lentils are red, but they turn a light brown when cooked. If the above link gives you trouble, click here. Now, if my family only enjoyed lentils, we could have a feast worthy of stealing a birthright!

Abraham in Genesis 21-25:18

My journey through Genesis continues! These are the characters and situations I encountered in Genesis 21-25:18. And so I can continue with my trek through the Old Testament, and the REST of the Bible, a brief summary of the stories.

This online summary primarily serves as an academic exercise for me, but it may serve a purpose to others who are interested in Old Testament Literature, or at least, in seeing the lessons learned from these biblical accounts. Originally, I was going to post a more thorough discussion of these chapters, but my recap will have to do for now.

GENESIS 21-25:18

Genesis 21 – Abraham and Sarah have their promised son (Isaac). Sarah’s maidservant, Hagar, and Abraham’s other son (by Hagar), Ishmael, are sent away to wander in the desert of Beersheba.

It was recorded in Genesis 21:18 that God told Hagar to not worry; He heard the cries of the boy in the desert, and He would be with him and make him into a great nation.

Genesis 22 – God requires Abraham to offer a sacrifice; but requires the sacrifice to be his only son, Isaac. At the point of taking Isaac’s life, God provides a scapegoat as the sacrifice and Isaac is spared.

The lesson in this story is that God wants to see if Abraham fully trusts him. God does not really intend to harm the boy; this is an early foreshadowing of how God would send His one and only Son, Jesus, to be sacrificed on the Cross as the penalty for the sins of the world.

Genesis 23 – Abraham’s wife (Sarah) dies and Abraham purchases land in Canaan to bury her, which would also later be the burial place for himself, Isaac and Rebekah, Leah (not Rachel—she died on a journey), and Jacob.

Genesis 24 – Abraham requests his chief servant (in charge of his household) to go and find a wife for Isaac, not "from the daughters of the Canaanites...but...go to my country and my own relatives..."(v. 4). The servant prays and is led by God to find Rebekah, the granddaughter of Abraham's brother. The servant and Rebekah's family discuss if Rebekah should go, but then ask her what she thinks, and in the end, she decides to go with the servant to marry Isaac. In verse 67, we read that Isaac loved Rebekah, and he brought her into the (former) tent of his mother, Sarah (who had recently died), and he was comforted by having Rebekah as a companion and wife.

Genesis 25 – Abraham dies at the age of 175. Ishmael dies at the age of 137. It is recorded that he had 12 sons, which became 12 tribes; his descendants settled “from Havilah to Shur”, near the Egypt border. His sons are: Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. In 25:18, “And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.” Or, the NIV reads, “And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them.”

Ishmael’s Sons (Genesis 25:12-18)
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen.25.12-Gen.25.18

Despite the previous resentment and jealousy between Sarah and Hagar, and consequently, Isaac and Ishmael, we find in Genesis 25:9, “His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him [together]…”. He was buried on the land which he purchased for Sarah’s burial, which would serve as a family burial ground again later.

Even after Abraham's death, a lesson is learned in the peaceful assembly of Isaac and Ishmael out of respect and custom to bury their father (25:9).

Asbury Bible Commentary on Genesis Patriarchal History:

http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/asbury-bible-commentary/Patriarchal-History