Crazy Love=Crazy Life

Day 5 of Crazy Love readings!

Readings for today are Matthew 5, Luke 5, and John 5.

Today I find myself still dealing with the tough words of Jesus.  I am still pondering what it means to "die to myself, and live for God."  I decided to read today's lessons from the "Authorized Version"  the King James Version.  It will make some of you happy as I have gotten emails asking why I don't use it and teach from it, but that is not my intent.  I am reading it because that's what my browser in www.youversion.com defaulted to and as I read it in the KJV, I actually had to think about what I was reading as some of the words are so different than the words we use today, so I actually have to think about what I am reading.  

See, it seems to me that the words Jesus says and teaches are easily read over and heads nod but the reality of them rarely sink in.  I have to confess the same is true for me quite often I wander over words that I have read several times, agree that they are good, but rarely do much more about them then that.  But check out these words again:

2 and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.

Jesus opens His mouth and says these 9 blessings-we call them the Beatitudes.  These are NOT easy words.  We may nod our heads but do we realize the implications of them?  How counter intuitive they really are to us and our human nature.  That I, GREG, am blessed when I mourn(for the spiritually poor), I am blessed when people talk bad about me to my face and behind my back?  That I, GREG, am suppose to be meek and poor in spirit(when I realize I am morally bankrupt by my own efforts)?  That I am blessed when I make peace.  I'm blessed when I have a pure heart, I'm blessed when I am hungry and thirsty for righteousness.  What does that even mean?  See, most of the time I can't even get the meaning of this it's so foreign and counter to our Western Culture.  

Then I have to deal with these words:

43 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy:44 but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;45 that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.46 For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same?48 Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Love my enemy?  Pray for them blessings?  Be perfect?  See, most of the time I really want my enemy to suffer.  Most of the time if I could be really honest before God and myself I want my enemy to learn a harsh lesson.  I don't want to forgive them, it's easier to hold on to that anger and let if fuel my being and take over my heart.  Motivate for revenge.  But to extend grace or pray for them that they would be blessed-WHAT?  I do good to forgive them, truly forgive from my heart and empty the content that I have been holding on to-not lip service " forgive!"  I think that's really the struggle, to do what Jesus calls us to do we really have to look into our heart.  If there is a hint of malice, lust, content, it has the capacity to condemn us.  We often justify our actions by saying, "I'm pretty good, I'm not doing one of the big three-Killing, Adultery, Stealing.  When in fact when we just think about these things it is as if we did them.  Again-this is tough.  Then Jesus ends with a call to perfection?  How can we be perfect?  Are you kidding me Jesus?  Seriously...

Our perfection is in Jesus.  The perfection of His life and the perfect sacrifice He lays down by dying our death, then resurrection fulfills our gap of our brokenness for all who believe.  When we talk about the grace that God has extended to us through Jesus we see it in the gift of Jesus body and blood.  We receive it in communion and the words of Paul (1 Corinthians 11)

23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

We have a new covenant, a new promise, a promise of forgiveness of sins through the body and blood of Jesus.  We cannot keep the words of Matthew 5, when we "examine" ourselves we see that we have already broken them and we ask for forgiveness.  We are restored through Jesus and forgiven and we turn away from the sin in our life and turn to Him for our righteousness-restoring the "right" relationship between us and God.  It's out of these words we get to live a life striving to live for Jesus, doing things His way opposed to our own way.  We have a life of "practice" living as God would have us live knowing for all who believe in Jesus will be saved and on that day our perfection will be realized.  So now let us fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12) and look forward to that day.  Until that day may we be the "light and salt" of the world living lives counter cultural and bringing honor and glory to our Father in heaven by all we say and all that we do in Jesus name--