Genesis 12, 13, 14 * Matthew 5 * Psalm 5

Genesis 12, 13, 14 Reflections

Today’s Old Testament reading did not leave a large impact on me today. It seems like it was written as a good lesson and introduction into the type of life Abram (Abraham) would have led.

Questions to follow up:
It seems as if Moses must have written this part of Genesis after Sodom and Gomorah was destroyed. Genesis 13:10 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Q - Does it seem as if Moses wrote Genesis while reflecting back on years gone past?

Matthew 5 Reflections

The Beatitudes, what was the intent, what do they all mean to us as Christians and non-Christians, what happens if we do not follow any one of the criteria Jesus talks about in his sermon on the mountain? Reading the Beatitudes, Matthew 5, you find yourself in a state of shock. You find yourself in awe and in a certain way scared. Matthew 5:19 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. At first glance, you would think Jesus’ words are telling us no one will be able to make it into heaven. Honestly, many Christians live their lives thinking of themselves as less sinful than others, and tend to point out the flaws of other individuals. We say, but, I have never committed adultery,…Matthew 5:28 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:31 – 32 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

We say, but, I have never killed…Matthew 5:22 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. We say, but, I am right in wanting deathly justice if I lose someone to murder…Matthew 5:38 – 39 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. We say, but, I do not live my life unjustly hating someone or these people of this faith, I have good reasons too…Matthew 5:43 – 44 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 4 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

As Christians, we are no more perfect than the adulterer, murderer, homosexual, or any other stereotype we conjure up. I have at one time or another fallen victim to my sinful heart and committed adultery and murder and probably many more sins. I will not hide behind my Christian persona and pretend as if I am perfect. But take a light heart, because Jesus knows we are not perfect. He may list in the Beatitudes some characteristics of individuals who will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and it may scare us when we first read his sermon, but Jesus wholeheartedly knows everyone of us have fallen under the sinful bus of one of the sins Jesus has listed in the Beatitudes. Remember from a previous reading, Genesis 8:21 21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. Jesus knew of our imperfections before he was even born. He knew we were all sinful, before he came down to this earth as human flesh. Because of imperfections, because of our sinful selves, because of the wickedness in our heart, God sent his son Jesus Christ to earth to teach, counsel, die, and save us from eternal death. I say, be not afraid, be open hearted to God and Jesus Christ of your sinful self. Recognize that you are no more perfect than anyone else. Do not point the finger at others and condemn them to eternal death, point the finger at yourself and ask God for guidance to forgiveness. On the day in which Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, was born, we were all given a view into God’s love for us, and a chance to turn away from our sinful self and be baptized with the Holy Spirit and receives God’s covenant with us and spend eternity with Him paradise, heaven.

Questions to follow up:

Q - This is purely a question; I am wondering, concerning the sermon on the mount, what you would do with Matthew 5:48 48 Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Its a phrase I struggle to respond to faithfully. - Pastor Jason from Faith Lutheran

As I give my opinion, the true answer can be found in opening your ears and heart to God. Easier said than done, right? It is hard when you have fellow Christians and or non-Christians come to you with difficult questions, we always answer with a question first, have you prayed about it? Have you opened your ears and heart to God? As I reflect on Matthew 5:48, my first approach was to practice what I wrote in my journal concerning my Psalm 5 Refelections: Psalm 5:1 - 3 1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. 2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my Kng, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. 3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. It is useful to meditate on certain versus, but sometimes, the answers to a verse can be found in the collective word of God. As I reflected on the answer to this questions, God brings me to other areas within His word. Luke 10:26 - 29 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou has answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? With these versus from Luke 10, I find the sermon on the mount to be summarized perfectly, and the answer to your question a little clearer. And, who is thy neighbor? According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, a neighbor is defined as the following: 1: One living or located near another, and 2: FELLOW MAN. We see Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Jew, Hindu, Muslim, straight, gay, Hispanic, African American, prostitute, child molester, murderer, and the list could go on and on, as separated. But, there are two VERY important things that all these have in common. One, they all are our neighbors. All of those that fall under different religions, sects, beliefs, stereotypes, ethnicities, and law breakers are our neighbors, no matter who they are, what they do, or what they have done, does not change this fact. Because Catholics, Lutherans and Baptists hold different interpretations, we all point fingers and condemn one another, because we are "different." Christians point at Jews and Muslims, and because they are a world away from our thoughts and beliefs, they are condemned by us, and we do not include them in our larger family, and we do not treat them with the respect or love that the Beatitudes teach us to do to thy neighbor. Before the end of Matthew 5, Jesus says, "And if ye salute your brethren only, what do yea more than others? do not even the publicans so?" We are not justified in pointing fingers, having hateful thoughts, lusting after another, or thinking someone condemned, just because everyone does it. We must put all of our stereotypes, differences, and prejudices aside, and treat everyone with respect and love, and apply forgiveness to all of our neighbors. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father." Do not be like everyone else and choose when you follow the laws that are stated within the Beatitudes. All of God's law, or the law written in the Beatitudes on the mountain, are summarized with, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all they mind: and thy neighbor as thyself." Because Catholics, Lutherans, and Baptists hold different interpretations, we all point fingers and condemn one another, because we judge each other as "different." Christians point at Jews and Muslims, and because they are a world away from out thoughts and beliefs, they are condemned by us, and we do include them in our larger family, and we do not treat them as our neighbors. Because a black person talks different, acts different, looks different, we condemn them to a lower status within our society and a lower status with God. Is this how you would like to be treated, do you think the laws and message given to us in books like Matthew and the Beatitudes should be practices towards others, because they are different? These people are our fellow man. Even those that do harm against us, they are still our neighbor. We owe thy neighbor the same love we expect in return, because our perfect Father would. Remember, Jesus showed respect and love to even those who ridiculed Him and put Him to death. Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Matthew 5:44 44 But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. All these are characteristics that make up our perfect Father. Like everything we do, we should strive to be perfect as our Father. It is the times we know that we are not perfect, that we seek the forgiveness from our perfect Father, and He will be just and loving to us. Therefore, strive to be perfect, even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Psalm 5 Reflections

Psalm 5 started off like a joyous symphony, but the middle stands out as a dark play. When I read the first part of Psalm 5, I could not help but find joy in the way David reaches out to God. Psalm 5:1 – 3 1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. 2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. 3 My vooice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. These words are great instructions on how to start and end your day. Meditate on God’s word; ask that he fills your heart and mind with the knowledge of Him, that you become a disciple to His calling. Always direct your prayers to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. He is always listening, and He will always be there.

As I read the second part, it confuses me as to why David would put words into the mouth of God by saying what God will do to the unrighteous. Psalm 5:4 – 6 4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in they sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. It also discomforts me as to why David asks God to destroy the unfaithful. This especially strikes me as discomforting after reading Matthew 5 today, and the message that it provides, telling us to love our enemies and turn thy cheek.

Questions to follow up:

Q – Why do some of the Psalms have some contradicting behavior when it comes to how Jesus asks us to behave in Matthew?

- Through thought, word, and deed, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will be You Lord God, and Your Son Jesus Christ...Amen