[Friday's Devotional] - Anger and Reconciliation

5     Anger and Reconciliation     Jesus has been speaking to his disciples about how hate and anger fall short of God's standards.  In today's reading, he offers two illustrations.   In the first, someone comes to offer a sacrifice in the Temple, but remembers that he is guilty of some sin against a brother.  Jesus comments,   Leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled with your brother; then come and offer your gift.   Matthew 5: 24 [NIV]   For a Galilean, going to the Temple involved an 80-mile journey.  It was a significant act of worship.  But Jesus says that putting matters right with your friend is a prerequisite.  God will not be pleased with your worship if your heart is full of bitterness against someone else.   In the second illustration (verses 25, 26), an adversary is taking you to court for debt.  Jesus advises settling up as soon as possible, so that you don't end up in prison:   I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.   Matthew 5: 26 [NIV]   While this is good advice on a human level, Jesus is thinking in terms of our relationship with God.  We are debtors to God; the Lord's prayer invites us to pray Forgive us our debts.  We are on our way to judgement, and the time is short.    Now is the time to settle things with God.  He calls on us to repent and to believe.  Only when we have surrendered to his liberating authority will we be free from the consequences of our sins.   Repentance, in the sense of a complete change of allegiance, lifestyle and direction, is no easy thing - but nothing else will do.  [Steve Motyer]   Lord Jesus, thank you that you have paid the price for my sins, and that hell is no longer something I need fear.  Amen.   David Long   Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Thursday's Devotional] - Do not Murder

4     Do not Murder     Yesterday we saw how Jesus viewed the teaching of the Old Testament.  He said that he had not come to abolish it, but to fulfil it.  Today we see the far-reaching implications of what he meant.   You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement'.  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement.  Matthew 5: 21 [NIV]   Here, and in five other places later on in the chapter, Jesus quotes what the Jews had been told by their teachers and then adds, '... but I tell you'.  His authority is clear.   The Old Testament law forbade murder.  It was the sixth commandment.  Jesus adds his weight to the commandment, but he makes it far more comprehensive and demanding.  He addresses the root cause of murder: anger.  Of course not all anger leads to murder, but anger is what lies behind murder, and so Jesus condemns it.  There is some exaggeration here, but we understand Jesus' point.  Our thoughts and attitudes matter as well as our deeds.   Jesus then goes on (verse 22) to illustrate what he means in three short statements.  Even abusive language is condemned strongly:   Anyone who says 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.   All of this simply reminds us that in everything we do, whether in thought, word or deed, we are answerable to God.  And his standards are very high.   I decided to stick with love.  Hate is too great a burden to bear.  [Martin Luther-King]   Lord Jesus, forgive me when I have harboured hate or anger.  Fill me with your Spirit and give me strength to live my life as you would wish.  Amen.   David Long Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Wednesday's Devotional] - The Fulfilment of the Law

3     The Fulfilment of the Law       Speaking to his disciples, Jesus said,   Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.  Matthew 5: 17 [NIV]   As Christians, how are we to view the rules and regulations of the Old Testament?  Jesus sees every part pointing to him as the Messiah, the one who would deliver Israel.  And now he has come to fulfil or complete the Scriptures.   What does that mean for us?  It does not mean that we can just disregard all that the Old Testament teaches.  The Law is still an expression of the mind of God and needs to be taken seriously.    But Jesus goes further than this.  He says   Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5: 20 [NIV]   This ought to make us sit up and take notice.  The Pharisees were well known for their commitment to following every detail of the Law.  How can we do better than they?  As Jesus will show later on in chapter 5, while the Pharisees followed the letter of the law, they did not have a deep commitment to spirit of the Law.   No-one can obey every commandment of the Law; so we are all sinners, alienated from God.  The purpose of the Law is to lead us to seek Christ who alone can save us.   The law is given not to deliver us, but to show up sin in its true character and so to drive us to grace.  [Leslie Newbigin]   Lord Jesus, thank you that you are our righteousness.  Thank you that because of your crucifixion and resurrection we have been forgiven and put right with God.  Amen.   David Long   Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Tuesday's Devotional] - You are the Light of the World

2     You are the Light of the World     In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus continues speaking to his disciples.    You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  Matthew 5: 14, 15 [NIV]   It seems strange that Jesus, who calls himself the light of the world (John 8: 12), should give that title to his disciples.  But what he is saying is that whatever light we shine ultimately comes from him.   Light, of course is meant to be visible.  That's the whole point of it – to guide, to warn, to illuminate.  In Jesus' time, houses were completely dark at night and going out after dark was a dangerous undertaking.    So Jesus calls on his disciples to be visible.  Just as a town built on a hill is seen by everybody, so Christians should be visible to a watching world.  There is no place for the secret believer who keeps his faith to himself.   Shine!  Jesus says to us.  As disciples, be visible in the world.  Shine your light into the dark places of the world, bringing hope and guidance, exposing all that is rotten.  And let the way you live your lives, your good deeds, point people to God, so that they glorify him.   If the house is dark at night, there is no sense in blaming the house for its darkness.  That is what happens when the sun goes down.  The question to ask is: Where is the light?  [John Stott]   Lord Jesus, we live in dark times.  Help my love for you to be visible to those around me.  Guide me in how I live my life, so it brings glory to you.  Amen.   David Long   Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Monday's Devotional] - You are the salt of the earth

1     You are the salt of the earth     Following the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks about how those who follow him should behave.   Today he speaks of his disciples as salt.    You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Matthew 5: 13 [NIV]   Salt is used to flavour and to preserve.  A little salt will go a long way.  And salt in the Bible is used a metaphor for wisdom (see Colossians 4: 6).    Jesus, speaking to his little band of disciples, tells them that they should be different.  Small as their influence might seem, they were vital for the world.    Salt was obtained from the area around the Dead Sea.  It was a mixture of different chemicals.  The soluble salt could get washed out, leaving behind a useless residue which might look like salt, but had no taste.   Don't be like this salt, Jesus tells us.  You have a vital role in bringing wisdom and preservation to society.  It's no good just looking as though you were one of my disciples.  You need to be active; you need to get involved.  Otherwise you won't be good for anything!   It is good to worship Jesus, but the sincerity of our worship is proved by our readiness to obey him.  [Graham Cray]   Lord Jesus, I am sorry for the times I have not been like salt.  Help me to bring wisdom to those around me.  Help me to bring wholeness to a world which does not know you.  Amen.   David Long   Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!