JANUARY 5, 2015

GENESIS 12-15

Abram is called to leave his country and go to the land of canaan.  He takes his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot and all their possessions.  There is a famine in the land so Abram and Lot go to Egypt.  He lies to Pharaoh and tells him Sarai is his sister so that he would bless him.

"When the Egyptians see you, they will say,  'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."(12:12-13)

Pharaoh rewards Abram well and gives him possessions and servants making him rich.  However, God inflicts plagues on Pharoah's household.  He discovers Sarai is Abram's wife and rebukes Abram and orders him to leave, but let's him keep everything.

Abram travels to Bethel but his and Lot's possessions are so great that the land can't support them so they separate.  Lot goes to the land of the Jordan (Sodom and Gomorrah).  A war breaks out in this land and Lot and his household are carried off.  Word gets back to Abram and he takes 318 of his men and attacks and steals them back along with the possessions of several kings.  The kings are thankful, they bless Abram allowing him to keep most of the possessions, one of which is Melchizadek, King of Salem.

"Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.  And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand."(14:19-20)

The King of Sodom asks for his people but says that Abram can keep the goods, but Abram refuses so that he will not be indebted to an ungodly king.

"I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the throng of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.'  

MATTHEW 5:1-26

Large crowds are now following Jesus and so he goes up on a mountainside and begins to teach his disciples. His teaching is the well-known beatitudes, his elaboration is to further explain that the obedience to the law demonstrated by the pharisees is not enough.  His teachings go far beyond the letter of the law to distinguish those that are his followers from the teachers of the law. 

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven...let your light shine among men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven...

He then begins to actually define the difference between obedience to the law and actual Kingdom obedience.

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. 

...it was said...'Do not murder...but I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement.

...if you are offering your gift...and remember your brother has something against you, leave your gift...First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while your are still with him on the way...(5:20-26)

JOURNAL:

There is a ton to take in this morning.  From Abram and his acquisition of wealth to the Sermon on the Mount.  The thing that really strikes me is how Jesus is deliberately defining that obedience is not just about obedience. Although it may look the same on the outside, inside it has an entirely different motive. Righteousness is not just about observing the law, it is far greater in that it is about a changed heart, one that is not consumed with self but with loving others. 

Righteousness then goes beyond obedience to motive and the inner workings of the individual.  Jesus is setting up a standard that no man can ever fully attain.  It will allow him to be distinguished as the only true path, while identifying the true motive of the Pharisees.

Jesus is exposing selfishness and hate, in essence pulling the curtain to reveal the heart of pride and evil. His target is not the Romans, it is the teachers themselves. Brilliant...but also a certain death sentence.  He has set his target to Calvary.

“Love, not anger, brought Jesus to the cross. Golgotha came as a result of God's great desire to forgive, not his reluctance. Jesus knew that by his vicarious suffering he could actually absorb all the evil of humanity and so heal it, forgive it, redeem it.”  Richard Foster