Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-style-parent:””; font-size:10.0pt;”Times New Roman”;} In Mathew 6.5–15, Jesus teaches his followers about the spiritual discipline of prayer. As we read that passage, four questions arise: How often should we pray? Where should we pray? Should we use patterned prayers? And what should we pray for? First, how often should we pray? Jesus does not say. In Matthew 6.5, he begins, “And when you pray…,” then talks about where to pray. Jesus assumes we will pray; he does not tell us how often. Jesus’ own life suggests an answer, … Continue reading When You Pray (Matthew 6.5–15), Part 1

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-style-parent:””; font-size:10.0pt;”Times New Roman”;} “When you give to the needy,” Jesus tells us, “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matt. 6.3–4). Obviously, Jesus is speaking facetiously here. The ability to keep a secret from yourself is not a moral virtue; it’s a mental disorder. Jesus’ point is that our motivation to give should be a desire for … Continue reading When You Give to the Needy (Matthew 6.1–4), Part 2

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-style-parent:””; font-size:10.0pt;”Times New Roman”;} Several Christmases ago, my wife (then fiancée) and I took in a play at South Coast Repertory Theater in Costa Mesa. It was opening night for the theater’s twenty-fifth annual staging of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” Even though I knew the story line backward and forward, I still thrilled at Ebenezer Scrooge’s moment of conversion—when he wakes up, realizes it’s Christmas day, and trades in his miserly ways for a joyful generosity. During intermission, I got another glimpse of generosity in action. Like … Continue reading When You Give to the Needy (Matthew 6.1–4), Part 1

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-style-parent:””; font-size:10.0pt;”Times New Roman”;} If we want to follow Jesus Christ, we must practice a righteousness that “surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law” (Matt. 5.20). Such righteousness is not a legalistic obedience to the letter of the law; it is a wholehearted desire to live out the spirit of the law (5.21–48). It also entails practicing an authentic spirituality. As Jesus says, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you … Continue reading Be Careful (Matthew 6.1)

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-style-parent:””; font-size:10.0pt;”Times New Roman”;} Do you have enemies? If you don’t, consider yourself lucky. If you do, loving them probably isn’t an urgent item in your daily agenda, but it should be. Consider Jesus’ commandment: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5.44–45). How do we love our enemies? First, tell the truth about them—they exist, they have harmed us, and they are morally responsible for their actions. Loving our enemies does not … Continue reading Love Your Enemies (Matthew 5.43–48), Part 2

Aristotle defined justice as treating equals equally and unequals unequally. On his definition, God is unjust, for he treats unequals equally. And he expects us to do the same.  Consider Jesus’ words: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward … Continue reading Love Your Enemies (Matthew 5:43-48), Part 1

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-style-parent:””; font-size:10.0pt;”Times New Roman”;} Yesterday, I drew a distinction between the way of justice and the way of mercy, between the state punishing sin (Rom. 13.4) and the church reforming sinners (2 Cor. 5.18–19). Each way accomplishes God’s purposes, although for the Christian, the way of mercy must take precedence at the present time because Christ came to call sinners to repentance (Luke 5.32). But how should we practice the way of mercy? Jesus offers several examples: “Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you … Continue reading Do Not Resist an Evil Person (Matthew 5.38–42), Part 2

How should we respond to a person who hurts us?   There are two ways: the way of justice and the way of mercy. In Matthew 5.38–42, Jesus instructs his disciples to follow the way of mercy:   “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do no resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right check, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go … Continue reading Do Not Resist an Evil Person (Matthew 5.38–42)