Monday February 18, 2013

Weekly Challenge

Every person in every church has fellow parishioners that they don’t like. This week, seek to identify those people and then seek to show each one of these at least one act of selfless love. Seek to share a meal or at least coffee and cake with one of these people that you previously didn’t like.

 

Read Matthew 5:21-26

 

Picture two siblings, young brothers or young sisters arguing, squabbling and pulling hair and perhaps even biting each other. As Dad comes to the rescue, he sternly tells them to be nice to each other. Can you picture those kids going through the motions and simply “pretending” to be nice to each other. As soon as dad turns his back, the siblings are back to the squabbling, arguing and back-biting.

 

This little illustration helps to illustrate the dramatic intention of Jesus’ words throughout the sermon on the mount. As Jesus speaks, he redefines (or fulfils) the law, calling for the law to be kept in its intended way, not in some legalistic, outward fashion. What Jesus calls for is an inner, not merely outer, conformity to the standard God had set.

 

When Jesus spoke the words, ‘You have heard it said…’ he was critiquing the oral tradition that had evolved over the centuries, not the written Torah or

immutable Word of God. The Pharisees wanted total obedience to God and developed the oral tradition to explain and apply the Torah to every facet of life. Several more oral laws developed to allow people to conform their entire life to the Law of God.

 

It’s this oral law that Jesus was speaking of. When he said, ‘You have heard it said…’ followed with ‘but I tell you’ he was raising the bar to new, mind-boggling heights.  If you can imagine that dad telling his kids to love each other from the heart rather than just saying, ‘Be nice to each other’, then you are really beginning to understand the heights of what Jesus is saying.

 

When it comes to murder Jesus just doesn’t say, ‘Do not murder’ but He goes to the heart of the matter and calls us to remove anger completely. Conversely, Jesus calls us to love each from the heart and to forgive, to serve and to give with joy and complete other centeredness. This cannot be mimicked or achieved by a mere going through the motions. This can only be achieved by a heart change, a change that starts deep within and proceeds outwards.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

 

Confession:

 

 

Thanks:

 

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray that the people in your congregation that need to be reconciled because of incidents in the past be completely and honestly reconciled in Christ. Pray that the love of Christ would dispel any anger or bitterness in people in your congregation.

¥ Pray for the work of Straight Talk as they seek to bring the gospel and the choice of abstinence to school students. Pray that God would open doors and provide richly for this ministry to continue.

 

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Is it ok for 1 Christian to hate another? Why? or Why Not?

2. If I don’t like someone in my church, what should I do?

3. Is avoiding people that you don't like in your church a godly option?