SERMON ON THE MOUNT (Part 4)    MATTHEW 6 v19 to 7 v12 `

The righteous of the Kingdom of heaven works out in the details of one’s personal life. Jesus calls His followers to choose their Master, either God or wealth, and to choose their outlook on life, either faith or worry.

W are told this implies a choice, between activities that lead to greater earthly reward at the present, or those who store up greater future reward in heaven.  The consequences of making the wrong decision, can be shown to be disastrous. In one ordinary day of life it is simple; wisdom to get for oneself those things which will  last, and to buy that which is made by good craftsmen. 

Throughout Scripture, he heart is the center of our being, with emotions, reason and will.  The eye is like a lamp which shows the quality of a person’s life; a healthy life with clear vision suggests devotion to God.

Jesus tells to avoid things which rust and destroy. so things are cast away. In the East, a man’s wealth, is in the corn and grain that he has stored in barns, but worms and rats could pollute it.  In such case there was no permanence.  He tells them to be careful in heavenly treasures, which can be stolen.  Often men would bury precious goods in a field or garden, but thieves dig through and take away.

In Palestine houses were very small with only a small window and. glass could easily be broken. Anyone whose happiness depends on things like these, are doomed to disappointment.   The reference in these examples, is not to store precious goods which are at the mercy of thieves.

The Jews were familiar wit the phrase treasure in heaven.  They said that deeds of kindness which people did upon earth, became a treasure in heaven.  The Christian Church embraced that saying when it first began.  The early Church lovingly helped the poor, the sick, the distressed and helpless and for those who had no one care for them.  The Roman authorities broke into the Church, to take the treasures they believed the Church possessed.  The Roman prefect demanded from the man in leadership, that he should show the treasures the Church held, and was shown the widows and orphans being fed, the sick being nursed, the poor being helped. These he was told were the treasures of the Church.  This has always been the practice of the Church.

The Jews always connected treasure in heaven with character. He only thing  a man can take out f this world is a finer self.

Jesus ends this section by stating the truth that where a man’s treasure is, the  heart is in that place.  The  heart is there also of everything that a man values, and sets his heart on earth, when he will have no interest in any world but this world. If through a person’s life eyes are upon eternity, then those will be of no value.  The eyes ought to be fixed on the land beyond.

  ;The idea behind this passage is one of simplicity.  The eye is regarded as the window by which the light gets into the whole body.  The color and state of the window, decide that light gets into a room,  If the window is clear , the light flooding into the room illuminates every part.  If the window is dirty or obscure, the light will be hindered. So then, says Jesus the light moves into a man’s heart and soul and being depends on the spiritual stated of the eye through which it has to pass, for the eye is the window of the whole body .

Jesus states there  cannot be two masters.  To fully understand this, we have to remember in the ancient world there were slaves, who were not identified as people, but things. They had no rights whatsoever, they were just a living tool.

A master could sell, beat, cast out, even kill a slave if he had not time for him.  The slave had no time of his own.   Today a person can work in the day, and for most people, the rest is their own time.

In our relationship to God, we have to consider what God wishes us to do, and cannot say I will do as I like.  The Christian has to be prepared to do as God requests. Jesus goes on to say you cannot serve God and Mammon. This is Hebrew for material possession.  The Rabbis had a saying, let the Mammon of thy neighbor be  as dear  to thine own. This word shows vividly how natural possessions take up a place that was not meant to be.  In the last analysis, all things belong to God.  Scripture makes this claim, the ‘earth is the fulness of the Lord.’

There are two great questions about possessions.  Were they obtained in good faith? Were they received in a manner that had no cause for concern? Possessions may be judged a the expense of honesty. 

Jesus moved on to birds and flowers.  There is no worry in their lives of birds, there is no point in worrying when there is nothing that can be achieved.  He goes on  to speak of flowers as one who has loved them, and in their being a life, have a beauty as better than the best of things

If God gives such beauty to short-lived flowers, how much more will He care for men and women,  Jesus goes on to  say we hope to be in the Kingdom of God, and to do the will of God,  To concentrate on doing  and the acceptance of God’s will, is the way to defeat worry.  In a persons’ life, such a love can inspire and justify the life and command our whole being.  He said live one day at a time.

Lastly He turned to the subject of judgment.  Time after time people have made serious  misjudgments, and so caused antagonism and sadness. We can never truly know the facts of another person unless perhaps, you lived with them for a long time.  A Rabbi once said do not judge a man until you yourself have come into his circumstances or situation  A person can be someone brought up in a good home ,will not understand a person brought up in a poor home .It is almost impossible for a man to be strictly impartial. But it was Jesus who stated the supreme reason why we should not rushing to judging, one is good enough to judge another.  Jesus lays down reasons why no person can judge another.

In every association, every Church. there are people prepared to criticize. There are some who even wander from the truth in the process.  Clergy victims have false facts placed against them.  There are people who think all clergy are rich men and they get upset when they don’t get handouts as freely as they ask,

We move on to the subject of giving; Christians  should come to God in humility and awareness of need.  Seek connects one’s prayer with responsible action in pursuing the will of God. Knock suggests perseverance.  Christians are to persist in prayer. Confident their heavenly Father will provide whatever is best for them, according to His sovereign will.

The Rabbis spoke lovely words about prayer. A man who prays should know the God he is praying to.  Is he praying by asking for something? So many people think God exists to answer all they ask for.  God will never refuse our prayers, and God will not mock our praying. God will always answer prayer in the best of ways for us.

God in this sermon, showed how we should respond to various subjects.  He spoke about judgment, but He doesn’t mean you are not pass judgment in all things.  We must  refrain to comment on the fairness of others.  He is against people looking for one making minor discretions. We should make bold judgment on any person. Male or female, who deliberately produce doctrine contrary to the Word of God.

A second lesson is to take care when speaking about another person’s religion. It is not wise to engage with people we don’t know much about.  People can become really aggressive and unpleasant. And you are both upset.

The closing verse of this sermon is the golden rule, whatever you wish that others would do to you, you do to them for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The next sermon will be the close of the Sermon on the Mount

 

W praise God’s Holy Name. MayHe be Glorified