Matthew 6:5-7:29
I don't know how to write on this part 2. It is long enough and has enough to think about for two more days of pondering. I don't want to say...what more is there, because I think there is more I can say-not add to what is said but to what I think about what is said. What I think I should do about what is said. Perhaps you will ponder these things as well.
I see the beginning is like where we left off yesterday; don't do things for appearance sake, but rather do them for the sake of your love-relationship with the Lord and with others. And I think it is good news to know that we don't have to be trained orators (talkers) or super-educated to pray. God knows what we need, so just ask for that. If we are hungry-well He knows that, and we can pray simply to be fed, or filled with the Word as we saw Jesus talk about the other day. It is a relief to know that I don't need to be specific, and even sometimes a relief because I know there are times when I think I don't know what I want or what I need or what to say...so this lets me know I don't have to...God already knows. So all I have to say is "You take care of it, will you please?" Your will be done, here, as it is where you are.
Yesterday we read about this paying of debts and holding grudges-today we see that forgiveness is conditional...on us. Do WE forgive, are we generous to others? This is OUR standard, and WE set it. This is what we tell God by our actions how we wish to be treated, and what we think is fair. SO...treat people as we wish to be treated, because that is exactly how we will be treated.
Treasure in heaven and anxiousness.
If I spend my time worrying about my nieces and nephews, and I spend my time worrying about what to look like, what to wear, how to do my hair, how fat/thin/wrinkled... I am this suggests that these things are important to me; they are what I treasure. Alright I do treasure these young people. I also can be anxious about having things and paying for things...this says they too are my treasure. Do I want my worries to be my treasure? I don't want them to be. So what does this say? It says God is in charge of the worry department, and He has the ability and the willingness to take care of the worries. I think He probably has the ability to treat us better than we can treat ourselves; with more love and compassion, and with the knowledge of what we need. SO...why do I make worries my treasure?
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. I can believe that. I can just stay in this day. I don't have to waste my time with yesterday or tomorrow. Today IS. God IS.
The second chapter has an expansion on what we were reading, and these in turn are expansions on what the Law was that Moses gave to the Israelites. These are the WHY for the law. We always ask, "but why?" Today these are some answers to why.
In judging others, remember that you are like these others as well. Just as capable of making the wrong choice, and doing/saying the wrong thing-pay attention to your own issues and let God worry about the other things.
And remember to ask. Asking is not the same as telling, is it? These askings sound like tellings, and above we see that asking is enough. God already knows. Just ask.
Matthew 7:21-23 captured my attention today. This starts by saying "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
Not everyone who says to ME, "Lord Lord " hmmm this Jesus says not everyone who says to ME, "Lord, Lord"
"Lord, Lord did we not"... what is that the royal 'we'? Is this the we of people we knew or heard about? I notice next Jesus says "I." Jesus says "I never knew you." The things going on here are interesting, subtle and not so subtle. First thing I notice is that the "Lord, Lord" is what we call God and Jesus is using it about himself. Jesus says doing the 'will of his father in heaven' so we see we are still reading about the same God as we see elsewhere, but now we have Jesus speaking for Him as well. These generic 'we' speakers who know of God and want a coat-tail ride into heaven get a response from the first person of Jesus. Jesus says "I never knew you."
So next we see that we need to build on a strong foundation. All these readings are a strong foundation. This foundation we are reading about is in the middle of these other things we are reading about. The building on the rock is a visual aid. Yesterday where I live there was a LOT of flooding (maybe not Mississippi flooding, but flooding of towns and lost bridges and houses flooding.) and one report showed a house that had been 50 feet away from the water under normal circumstance, and now it was under water instead. People on these sandy places found little left when the water left...Building on foundations that are sturdier and solid, these are ways to anchor a building, these are ways in which we can anchor our lives.
The reading today ends with the people being astonished at the authority with which Jesus spoke. No kidding.
See you tomorrow.
-maggie
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