Those Pesky Red Letters - Book of Matthew - Part 4

   Thank you for reading part four of my series, Those Pesky Red Letters.  Writing it has been more involved than I thought it would be.  It would probably do you well to go back and check them out.  You can find the start of the series here.  From there you will find links to the various posts in the series.

   In the last post I wrote on the Jesus and his proclamation about obeying the law.  I have been giving it a fair amount of thought and I personally feel that he was referring to the commandments of God and not all of the detailed Law and ritual of the Jews.  Lets take the first section of examples of Law, murder.  You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.'(NIV Matt 5:21)  Here Jesus gives a couple of examples about treating people with respect as well as murder.  This section could really have been titled "Respecting People", but murder is such a vicious subject I think that it clouds the meaning behind this text.  Don't forget that Christ also talks about insulting people here as well.

   When Christ said, When anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement (NIV Matt 5:22) wasn't he telling us to guard the spiritual part of us that compels us to commit crimes?  It is also worth noting that some texts add without cause after brother which is quite important.  When you synthesize it all together you find that Jesus was warning us that our heart controls our actions and that we are in danger when we let that happen.  However, in his infinite wisdom he also concluded that there are times when anger is justified and right.  For us today we have to use the teachings of the Bible to determine the path to follow.  When it doubt open your Bible to Exodus 20 and read.  If what you are planning or thinking are covered anywhere in those commandments then you risk sinning.


   Next Jesus speaks to us about divorce and adultery which are separated in the NIV and I don't think they should be.  In my opinion they are of the same vein and refer to the Seventh Commandment, do not commit adultery.  Again he uses language that shows us that temptation is paramount to action.  If we let our lusts run rampant then they will begin to taint the rest of our lives.  I'm sure we all have stories that illustrate the dangers here.  The issue of divorce is very important as well, and I feel that there is a lot more to that verse than can be literally interpreted.  It goes into woman's rights as children of God and that marriage is a union before Him that isn't to be taken lightly.  When a man signs a piece of paper divorcing his wife God does not acknowledge it and considers the couple to still be wed unless there was sexual infidelity.  When those people find other partners they are adulterating because their union is before God and not the law of men.   I think there is a whole post here that I will get back to one day as God guides my words.


   Now we get to oaths.  Jesus tells us that we are not supposed to swear by things and that to do so comes from Satan.  Simply put, we shouldn't have to boast oaths to be honest and upright.  There should never be a need to swear on anything and if you do they are not yours to use as collateral.  All things belong to God, even the hair on our heads.  I have also read that Jews used the various oaths listed here so that they could break them at will since any oath that didn't carry the name of God wasn't binding.  I am sure that had a part in the teachings as well.  In the end it is simple, really, as long as we are honest and true then everything we say is just and oaths are simply not needed.


   Part five will involve the final concepts and teachings in Matthew 5.  I hope to have it up soon.  Thank you again for reading!  I hope it helps you to find your way in God and if you know anyone else that could use it, please feel free to share!


Part 3 <-Previous Next-> Part 5

Those Pesky Red Letters - Book of Matthew - Part 3

   Sorry it has been  couple days since I posted but I needed a little time to clear my thoughts and refocus.  Call it writer's block if you will.  Anyway, lets start where we left off, the parable of salt and light (Matthew 5:13).  This is one of those verses where context is huge.  In the age of Christ salt was very valuable.  In fact there were times that Roman soldiers were likely even paid in the mineral!  Therefore, first and foremost, people are the wealth of the earth.  But wait, there is more, isn't there?  Salt is essential for life and the people of Biblical times would have known that.  That is one the reasons it was valuable in the first place.  It also enhances food and makes it taste better.  It isn't hard to see that Jesus was telling the crowd in Matt 5:13 that mankind is important to the world and makes it a better and richer place.

   The other half of this parable is one of my personal favorite verses of the Bible, especially 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (NIV)  Doesn't that phrase read volumes to you?  As a people we aren't supposed to hide in a corner, we are supposed to get out and help people.  In fact, if it wasn't for that verse this blog probably wouldn't be here.  When another person looks at what you are doing they should be able to say, "wow, I wish I were that selfless and kind.  I wish I could do good things for people like that."  When you put the two together you get the big picture, don't you.  The first paragraph (5:13) lets us know how important what we do really is.  The second (5:14-16) tells us that people pay attention.  When we do things our actions are shown to the world.  It is important that we make the right choices and show how happy and healthy that lifestyle is.

   Verses 5:17-20 are a bit of a conundrum for me.  There is a commandment here that Jesus himself breaks.  The other issue is that there are parts of the Law of Moses that are hard to apply to society today.  Women aren't likely to sacrifice doves after they menstruate and we probably shouldn't stone a woman if she was raped.  As I understand it, church leaders commonly accept that we are no longer bound by Law.  Even Jesus talks about how the laws given to Moses were written as they were because the people were "hard-hearted".  This section is one of those areas that I think we should pray on.  It would be fun to get some discussion on it going as well.  It might not seem like much, but some of the arguments that are forefront in the media today are really tied to the concept that is written here.  Do we give the people around us grace, forgiveness and a little latitude or do we hold them fast to very strict Biblical Law.  Right now the church is in a grey area somewhere in the middle with different sects leaning more or less towards one extreme.  I think there is a lot of fear of change and that our faith can and will adapt.  Maybe we should quit fighting God and let him guide that change?  My personal feeling is that we should error on the side of hope and compassion and not condemnation.  The next two or three posts will still be in chapter five of Matthew.  As always, thank you for reading and God bless!

Part 2 <-Previous Next-> Part 4

Those Pesky Red Letters - Book of Matthew - Part 2

  Okay, do me a favor.  Head over to your bookshelf and grab that dusty old tome.  You know, the one with the cross on it?  Once you do flip forward to a book called Matthew and read chapters five, six and seven.  Take your time with them, read them over and over.  Don't worry, I'll wait up for you.  You might also want to catch read the earlier part of this series found, here.

   Done?  Good.  Now it's time to dive into them a little bit.   I don't think that the importance of these scriptures can be overstated.  This is our first true introduction to the teachings of Jesus.  These three chapters will give you context and inspiration for everything else in the Bible.  If you are wondering where you should start.  This is as good of place as any.

   The Beatitudes.  Quoting our friends over at Wikipedia we learn,

  The term Beatitude comes from the Latin adjective beatus which means happy, fortunate, or blissful.

and it really fits.  Verses 3 through 12 give you a great primer regarding what faith in Christ is supposed to be all about.   

   5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit,

     for theirs in the kingdom of heaven. (NIV)

   5:4 Blessed are those who mourn,

      for they will be comforted. (NIV)

   5:5 Blessed are the meek,

      for they will inherit the earth. (NIV)

   5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

      for they will be filled. (NIV)

   5:7 Blessed are the pure in heart,

      for they will see God. (NIV)

   5:8 Blessed are the peacemakers,

      for they will be called sons of God. (NIV)

  5:9  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness

      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (NIV)

   You know, I hate to say it but some of those don't sound like our current old-school Christian leaders, do they?  First and foremost I want to mention that Jesus liked to teach in parables, basically meaning metaphors.  However, this reads more like a prayer to me and I think it is pretty easy to take it as it reads.  The poor in spirit are all of us, really, but I think that it can be made a case that these are sinners.  People who really need God are blessed by him.   People who mourn and are meek, let's rejoice in them.  They mourning need our love and the meek need shelter.   Righteousness is a word that has been corrupted, in my opinion.  From the Biblestudytools lexicon we can get a better feel for the context of the word.  Dikaiosune in the Greek of the Bible means integrity and purity, it goes right into the next verse but it is bigger and more powerful and all encompassing.  I think that it is mentionable that Christ brought this up twice, really emphasizing the part about being pure of heart.  If you can clean your heart of it's sins then the rest of your actions will naturally follow suit.  However, I think it should be said that righteousness isn't self-righteousness nor is it a justification for oppression and violence as it has been used by Western culture for 1800 years.  It is a state of mind and a state of accepting God and trying, to the best of your ability, to emulate Him and His teachings through Christ and the prophets.  The last one, I think we have all felt or done.  I have been on both ends of the spectrum.   

   I was hoping to do the Sermon on the Mount all as one post but it is obvious to me now that it is going to be too big for that.  If this small section of it took up this much space then I think God is telling me that there is much more here to say.   The gist of this little section comes down to blessing all of those around you, whether or not you want to.  Give grace to people and try to be a wholesome and upright person.   This is extremely hard to do and you will fail, just as I do, but the more we try the better life is for us and those around us.

Part 1 <-Previous Next-> Part 3 

Those Pesky Red Letters: Book of Matthew - Part 1

   To make each part more easy to digest I am going to try and keep the articles to around 500-800 words or so.  There is no more logical place to start in the New Testament than the Book of Matthew.  Keep in mind that I am going to be quoting from the NIV and though they are generous with allowing quoted material, I would likely be breaking their agreements if I posted every red phrase in the Bible.  I will instead be listing verses for you to look up on your own unless I feel they are really important and then I will post the verse in full.

   The first time we see any red letters in the New Testament is during the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist.  John was very humble in the face of Jesus but the Messiah insisted on being baptized anyway.  This verse is Matt 3:15 and is a reference to Jewish law and custom.  Personally I think that it was a way for Jesus to be "credible" to non believers.

   Moving forward to Matt 4:4 Jesus quotes from the Old Testament (Deut 8:3) when he is being tempted to create food by Satan Matt 4:7 (see Deut 6:16) and Matt 4:10 (see Deut 6:13) also fit the same vein.  When I read this I think it is likely a parable about the temptations within ourselves and the importance in denying the lusts of the flesh when coming to God.  The final verse, Matt 4:10 I think is important enough to actually quote Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"  Now keep in mind that the word Satan originally meant enemy or adversary.  When I read that verse I really think the the adversary is myself and I am constantly struggling to keep myself clean and pure in the face of God, which my sinful animistic nature is trying to prevent.  To me it is all about denying that primal side so that we can be good people and make proper, intelligent and Godly decisions.

   4:17 is an interesting verse and one that I can feel will hold much more meaning for me in the time to come.  For now, however, it is like trying to grasp water.  I can feel it but I can never hold it.  On face value, though, it means that heaven is for the repentant and not the proud.  If nothing else, we can take that from it.  4:19 Is the call for Simon-Peter and Andrew to follow Jesus.  I don't think it can be stressed enough that these men gave up their entire lively hood to follow Jesus.  It is a testament to sacrifice that would be a good lesson for us all.  The next time you can't make it to church because of some prior engagement ask yourself if you are living up to the example of the teachers before you.  I don't think you are going to burn in hell if you miss service but it is always wise to self reflect when things come between you and God.  Make sure his Will accepts that and it isn't your will that is driving you.

Introduction <-Previous Next-> Part 2

   Matt 5 is where the teachings really start to come.  The next three chapters are nothing but red letters so I think that they will deserve more words than I have left here.  Now that we are primed to study the words of Jesus Christ lets read our Bibles and pray for the wisdom and guidance that they contain.  God Bless you everyone, I'll be writing part 2 soon!

Those Pesky Read Letters: Introduction

   In the debates I have been reading and watching unfold online lately I have noticed one thing.  People don't like those red letters in their Bible.  Now, maybe you have a version that doesn't have any of those strange red letters so let me tell you what they are.
 

   You see, over 100 years ago a man by the name of Louis Klopsch (who was also the editor for The Christian Herald) who was inspired by the book of Luke 22:20 "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (NIV)  The first Bible was published in 1900 and it was a success.  Ever since you will find many Bibles labeled "Red-Letter Edition" or some similar vein of semantics.  

   In this series, which I have no idea how long it will be, we are going to explore those Pesky Red Letters and how they pertain to my life and my learning to follow Christ.  I debated if I wanted to do the four Gospels in parallel or one at a time and I finally decided that each book is of such phenomenal importance that they truly deserve their own place.  Again I want to remind everyone that I am in no way a Rabbi, I am just a simple student exploring God's Holy Word.  Please don't take anything I say as an exhaustive treatise on the subject, instead let it inspire you to open your Bibles and read for yourself.  Read those passages, then take notes.  If you would like to debate on my interpretations then please comment!  I hope this series enlightens both myself and anyone who happens upon this blog.

Next -> Part 1