Devotion

These Scriptures from the Sermon on the Mount are challenging for us to read. They seem to focus on what we can’t do instead of
sharing a vision of the Kingdom for the World. Does Jesus really mean that we can never experience anger, never commit adultery,
never go through divorce or never swear?

Well—if we take the Bible literally, then the answers are clear. If we take the Bible seriously and not literally, then the answers are not
clear.

In the devotion this week, we’ll move into this tension. I, Pastor Paul, anticipate that some might disagree with some of the teachings
in the devotion. I live by the Core Value of Healthy Disagreement—so please share your comments at: pastor@colpres.org

Monday, March 14
Read Matthew 5:17-20
The teachings in the Sermon on the Mount share the vision of the Kingdom of God that Jesus had for the world. It’s a vision which
already happens in heaven. This vision is aspirational—Jesus wants to see this happen.

The point for us is not to be critical of ourselves because we’re violating a small part of one of the commandments. All of us have
fallen short at one point. Instead Jesus wanted his followers to take God’s laws seriously.

Jesus taught in these verses that he came to fulfill the law. In another place in Matthew he taught that the greatest two
commandments are to love God and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

One purpose of the law is to help us love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

How are you doing in taking the law seriously? Do you get hung up on the small parts of the law? What relationship of the law to
God’s love do you believe exists? Ponder these questions today as you pray to God.

Tuesday, March 15
Read Matthew 5:21-26
In this section of Scripture Jesus took an ancient principle, made it more stringent by applying it to our heart, and then gave examples
of how to live it out.

Again we have to be cautious about taking these Scriptures literally—seriously, yes, but we can condemn ourselves.

Everyone has experienced anger. Even Jesus experienced anger in his ministry—re-read Matthew 21:12-17.
A helpful question for us is this: Does our own anger deepen our relationship with others or does our anger push people away?

It’s easier to understand how anger can push people away. We become so mad at people that we don’t want to be in a relationship
with that person and the other person doesn’t want to be in a relationship with us.

Jesus showed that the response to our anger is reconciliation with the person who caused our anger. He gave some examples in
verses 23-26 from the first century on how to achieve reconciliation with a person. We can apply these verses to our time period. We
could paraphrase this by saying we can achieve reconciliation when we:
• Meet the person face-to-face
• Strive for reconciliation
• Always live by love

With whom are you angry right now? Today as you pray, pray that God can help you achieve forgiveness and reconciliation with that
person.

Wednesday, March 16
Read Matthew 5:27-30
Again, it’s important to take these verses seriously and not literally. If these verses were lived out literally, few men would have
hands and fewer would have eyes in their heads.

One of the scourges of our Internet age is on-line pornography. The statistics are staggering. These readily accessible images can
corrupt a man’s view of women.

One web site that has resources to help men who struggle with pornography and other sexual addictions is:
http://www.sexualrecovery.com/

As you pray today, pray for particular people who you know struggle with pornography; also pray in general that churches can help
both men and women develop healthy, loving, and just understandings of sex and sexuality.

Thursday, March 17
Read Matthew 5:31-32
Again it’s important to take these Scriptures seriously, but not fall into literalism. An easy trap is to take a teaching in the Scriptures
and make it an eternal rule for life.
Jesus wasn’t trying to prohibit divorce in these two verses; however he wanted to do everything possible to see couples stay married.
Jesus wasn’t saying that all men who married divorced women caused that woman to commit adultery; however he wanted to do
everything in his power to stop divorce.

I, Pastor Paul, understand the judgment of taking these verses literally. I married a divorced woman, and I had “Christians” insinuate
that I was causing my wife, Amy, to commit adultery.

Today, as you pray, pray for marriages. Pray for the people who you know who are struggling in marriage. Also pray that the church
can help married couples grow in love and stay together.

Friday, March 18
Read Matthew 5:33-37
This passage has been misinterpreted as a prohibition against swearing. Jesus didn’t want us to use language in an offensive way—to
swear—but this passage can’t be used to substantiate that position.

In these verses Jesus was talking about taking oaths. The principle he was aiming at was that an oath didn’t take precedence over a
person’s relationship with God. Jesus wanted a relationship with God to be the most important relationship in a person’s life. To take
an oath a person was vulnerable to idolatry.

Have you taken any oaths that are more important than your relationship to God? Today as you pray, spend some time talking
through this with God.

Saturday, March 19
Read Matthew 22:34-40
This is a beautiful summary of Jesus’ dream for the world. Some people have taught that every Scripture should be interpreted
through the filter of these verses. That is we should take a verse and ask how it is going to help us love God and love our neighbors
as we love ourselves. The Scriptures we read this week are means to a larger end—love; if taken as an end—that is literally—they can
cause deep problems.

Today as you pray, pray that we at Chain of Lakes can grow in our application of Scripture. Pray that we will take the Scriptures
seriously, but not always literally; and pray that we will always filter the Scripture through the lens of love.