True Bread (Part VI)

I trust this series has been beneficial as we continue to study and discuss Christ’s words. I find that his words are easy to understand but profoundly deep for those who are willing to put the study into it. My hope is that I can facilitate in this and bring out the often skipped details to light. Let’s start….

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn thee not away.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

In the prior Vida I drew a comparison between when I pole vaulted and to Christ’s words and said their came a point as with Christ’s words that the bar was too high, I could not longer vault over it. And unless one is filled with the Holy Spirit, we are not able to fulfill Christ’s words. Everything He says is completely countrary to our human nature. His words are totally geared to save the lost at our own expense, as He saved us at His own expense. And that frame of mind only exists when we are filled with His Holy Spirit. Being loved by God, not in theory but as a reality of our daily life, changes us, giving us the willingness to serve others.

If one looks at God as the Father of us all and that He grieves for His lost kids as we grieve for the lost of a child or for a daughter or son that is going in the wrong direction, we would gain the right perspective for this most difficult passage. If you have experienced the lost of a child or have or had a wayward son or daughter, you know the heart break and pain. You “live” as though a knife is in your heart and it is constantly bleeding – it’s an awful pain. A pain that God’s heart knows so well as it broke for us on The Cross. And to this day He grieves for us as he looks across humanity and sees so many of His children either lukewarm towards Him, or too busy living for themselves. So as a saved obedient child of the King, for us  to obey these verses we must understand that we could be dealing with a lost or wayward “brother or sister” that God wants to reach through us. These verses demonstrate the length that God is willing to go to restore a disobedient/lost child back into relationship with Him. The question is are we willing to go the distance with Him?  When Jesus told the story of the prodigal and especially the end where He spoke of the Father, He was speaking of the heart of God. And of course, The Cross declares that no length is too far.

These are strong verses that we need to keep in our hearts less we far short and become blinded by our own selfishness and fail in our representation of God’s heart towards the wayward and lost. He wants us to deal with them with compassion, to bring our sister back from a lukewarm life, or our brother back from a life of worldly ambition. And the “ Saul’s” we meet that appear as though there is no hope, God is still Greater. We never know the journey people are on and what causes them to have such a stony heart but if they are to be saved it will be through the persistent demonstration of God’s unrelenting love. We need to ask ourselves, if it is just for a moment that I am with this person what do I want them to remember about our encounter? It would have been very easy to have written Saul of Tarsus off as lost, but we would have been wrong and sadly so.

Now if we get the opportunity to see someone on a regular bases, the question still remains – what influence or impression are we giving? Do they know by our example that we are a believer, and maybe because of our friendship they are open to us sharing with them? Each time we meet someone make it a habit to pray prior and ask God to use you, to be an example of God’s son or daughter. And maybe tomorrow you will meet a perfect stranger, maybe the person in the grocery line, or the clerk ringing up your items. How will you respond? I watch people and most of the time we act as if the people around us do not exist. However almost every time  I say hi or acknowledge them with a smile the response back is quit cordial, a little surprised, but cordial nonetheless. Therefore now with this new understanding, how will we deal with the people in our life?

As we go through these verses this is the perspective Christ is teaching from, from a parent whose heart breaks for His lost kids, His lukewarm kids, and rejoices and instructs those that are walking in obedience.

Father,

Thank You for this study, allow your teaching to change me where I have a heart for the lost and teach me to draw strength, faith and conviction by spending time with You. Become my Pearl of Great Prize. Thank you and Amen.

Move Forward in His Grace – Arthur