Wednesday March 20 2013

Read: Matthew 5:38-42, Romans 12:14-21

“FIRST MAN: We should defend ourselves. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

TEVYE: Very good. And that way, the whole world will be blind and toothless.”

The Fiddler on the Roof

 

It is terrible to imagine the sorry state our world would be in if there was no grace. If the God given principal of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is taken to its extreme the consequences would be disastrous. Imagine nations endlessly in war, personal relationships constantly broken and strained and people taking the law into their own hands. The world might truly be blind and toothless.

 

Jesus gives us the antidote to this kind of extremism in today’s reading; a life of radical generosity in the face of conflict and attack. What a radical notion! When we are faced with a co-worker who mocks us for our faith we are called to be generous to them. When a person would seek to take advantage of us for their own gain, we are to show kindness. When a person would seek to insult and offend us we react with grace.

 

By establishing this new standard of behaviour for his disciples Jesus is not implying that the original principal given by God was incorrect or no longer applies. God’s standard of justice is perfect and stands forever. Rather Jesus is correcting an extreme view of this principal and calling his disciples to grace and forgiveness. This doesn’t mean that followers of Jesus cannot defend themselves if they are in a dangerous, unsafe situation. We see Jesus escaping dangerous situations and the apostles defending themselves where necessary.

 

We are not called to be unwise, rather we are called to radical generosity in the face of conflict and attack. How can you show radical generosity to those in your life?

 

Prayer:

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

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

Pray for the Warwick Presbyterian Church as they do not currently have a full time minister. Pray that God would give the elders wisdom as they

¥ seek to make decisions about the church and as they seek to minister to His people. Pray that the gospel would be faithfully and boldly preached and that people might come to faith in Jesus through it.

¥ Pray for the many other Presbyterian churches throughout Queensland which do not currently have full time ministers. Pray that God would use the elders of the churches to strengthen and encourage His people and that God would raise up men to lead the church and to preach the gospel.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

1/.

 

2/.