March 21 ~ Matthew 5:38-42
"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.”
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
In the spring of 1973, platform shoes and short dresses were all the rage for teenage girls. I knew how to sew, and I made a lot of my clothes myself. I had a wonderful white dress with orange checked flowers (it was the 70’s, okay?!) and a front inset of orange checked fabric. The short-sleeved dress was a “mini” – but it met the school standards of a proper length above the knee – and it tied in the back. I loved that dress, and the platform sandals I wore with it.
One warm sunny day, as we gathered outside the door to the school building before the bell rang to signal the end of our lunch break, a “friend” of mine approached, carrying a very long snake by its head. The tail was swinging freely back and forth. He knew I was terrified of snakes, and he headed right toward me. I didn’t know at the time that the snake was dead, but it wouldn’t have mattered. I started back-pedaling, walking as fast as I could, and then, absolutely freaked out, I turned and started to run – in my 3” wedge sandals!
Well, you can imagine, I didn’t get very far. I fell, and probably my orange and white dress flew up toward my head, but I was sufficiently embarrassed… and I do think the boy felt badly. He stuck out his hand and helped me get up, and he apologized and told me the snake was dead – as if that mattered! But I was so mad at him! I was seething and determined to make him pay! I began then and there to plot my revenge.
This boy had beautiful long, curly black hair. I’m talking long, as in shoulder length. He was in my church’s youth choir, and I decided the way to get him back was to slip up behind him as he played the piano and chop off his hair with a pair of scissors. I talked to some friends who were going to keep him distracted while I did it – we had it all planned out. That would teach him to embarrass me!
I thought about this long and hard… and I imagined it in my mind… I envisioned the look on his face and everyone laughing at him and how wonderful that would feel to make him pay. And in the end, I just could not do it. In the end, I did nothing, because I realized that the way to make him pay was to “take the high road” and practice the servant life of kindness and generosity in spirit. I realized that, by loving him and being kind to him and continuing to treat him as my friend, he would feel far worse for his actions than if I tried to spite him. And, let’s face it, at 16 years old, I was also more than a little bit chicken!
I haven’t seen my friend in more than thirty years now, but when I think of him, I always think of the snake and my dress and wedge sandals... and I am glad I didn’t cut his hair in a weak attempt at “tit-for-tat” games. As time has passed and I have grown Spiritually, I have learned that praying for those who hurt us or embarrass us is a far better tactic – and truly the best “revenge.”
©2008 Debbie Robus
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March 20 ~ Matthew 5:33-37
"And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.”
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Other translations of this passage say we should not swear, as in “Give me five bucks – I swear I’ll pay you back!” But I find this passage interesting, because I had not considered that “pious talk” is just as bad… or even worse, because you are manipulating God’s words and promises to make yourself look better or more important!
It has gotten to be a common thing with some people, including a few of my friends and family, to sign off notes, cards, and such with the tag line… “Blessings.” Sometimes I wonder, “Who are they blessing?” I am sure they mean to imply “May God’s blessings be upon you.” – but do other people “get” that meaning? Over and over I have reminded you that people are watching and listening! As Christians, we must be constantly mindful of this and behave accordingly. We can’t use curse words to fit in with a rougher crowd who enjoys this language. But we also can’t throw around “Blessings” and “Go with God” – or the exclamation that gets me like fingernails on a chalkboard – “Oh my God!” with a casual attitude.
We have to guard our comments… and our catch phrases… and be the “real deal” all the time for God. Our “Yes” has to be “Yes” and our “No” has to be “No” and people shouldn’t have to try to decipher our true meaning. We shouldn’t have to add, “I swear” for emphasis. And calling on the Lord’s name as an exclamation is taking His name in vain in my book, and that is clearly addressed in scripture.
So don’t color your language… with curses, exclamations, and oaths. Be genuine. Say what you mean and mean what you say… and leave it at that! And if you tell someone you are praying for them or asking God to bless them, be sure you follow through and do just that!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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March 19 ~ Matthew 5:31-32
"Remember the Scripture that says, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him do it legally, giving her divorce papers and her legal rights'? Too many of you are using that as a cover for selfishness and whim, pretending to be righteous just because you are 'legal.' Please, no more pretending. If you divorce your wife, you're responsible for making her an adulteress (unless she has already made herself that by sexual promiscuity). And if you marry such a divorced adulteress, you're automatically an adulterer yourself. You can't use legal cover to mask a moral failure.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I knew a young woman and man who had a lavish wedding ceremony. They were happily married – for awhile – and the next thing you know, they were divorced. A year or so later, the woman met another man, and they became engaged. Someone asked the woman’s mother, “Is this IT?” The mother shrugged and said, “I don’t know. You know, kids today don’t look at marriage the same. If it lasts for a few years, that’s great, and then they move on to the next one.”
I have to tell you, I was astounded – not only that this intelligent woman who had been married for probably 30 years or better herself was saying this – but also that she said it with such conviction. Maybe I am naïve, but I do not want to believe that this is really how today’s youth view marriage! If you are reading your Bible, you can’t possibly believe this is how it should be.
Matthew 5: 31-32 is a really hard passage to study – and I certainly do not mean to hurt any feelings here or step on any toes by including it. But a lot of the teachings of the scripture are hard lessons. Nobody said being a Christian was for sissies! What I want you to get from this passage today is that Jesus is telling us that making a marriage – even a Christian marriage - work is just that… WORK! He is clearly telling us that marriage is not something you “DO” for a few years with one person, then divorce and move on to the next. He is telling us that anyone who thinks that getting married and then divorced over and over is better than just “sleeping around” or having long-term relationships outside of marriage is wrong – and immoral.
The Bible is full of guidelines and advice for how to make a Christian marriage work – and last. If that’s not enough, there are wonderful studies… books, DVDs, tapes, and seminars that can help. But hiding behind the “legalities” and papers of marriage and divorce does not justify disobedience to God’s plans. Is marriage hard? You bet! Is it worth the effort? I believe so. Will there be bumps in the road? Absolutely! But I am a firm believer that “with God, all things are possible” – and that includes a successful, happy marriage.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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March 18 ~ Matthew 5:29-30
"Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here's what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile. And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. Better a bloody stump than your entire being discarded for good in the dump.”
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Believe it or not, in some cultures, if you are caught stealing, the authorities can cut off your hands. In October 1996 a woman in Afghanistan had the tip of her thumb cut off by the Taliban for wearing nail polish, which the Taliban considered sinful.
Thankfully, this is NOT what Jesus is teaching in this passage. He is not saying to literally cut off body parts if you feel they cause you to sin. Jesus is showing us that sin is serious business… and that being morally pure is important, but nobody ever said it would be easy! Jesus is showing us that we have to be continually awake and alert… and when we see Satan tippy-toeing toward us to tempt us in some manner, we are to raise “the Sword of the Lord” and send Him packing!
So when you feel yourself tempted to hit someone in anger, think of this passage and ask yourself… would this be worth losing my hand? When you feel yourself ready to spread a vicious rumor about someone, ask yourself, “Is this worth losing my tongue?” When you are tempted to gesture obscenely or unkindly toward another person, consider… “would this moment be worth losing my finger or hand?” When you feel yourself slipping into any sinful act, thought or feeling, stop and ask, “What if this cost me the ability to use that part of my body forever?”
I am so glad that God doesn’t operate like this. Surely He could, but because of the blood of Jesus, we have His grace and mercy, and it is not His desire to harm a single hair on our heads. Like I said earlier, being a Christian isn’t easy… many days it’s downright HARD! But it is so worth it. Set your standards high and work with all you have to meet them every day. In this Holy Week, stop to thank Jesus for the amazing sacrifice He made for us… and live like you mean it!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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March 17 ~ Matthew 5:27-28
"You know the next commandment pretty well, too: 'Don't go to bed with another's spouse.' But don't think you've preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices - they also corrupt.”
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I hope most of you “get it” about adultery and lusting after another person’s spouse (or boyfriend or girlfriend). And I am sure you have heard the phrase “lust in your heart” before… and if you have gone to Sunday School or church, you have probably studied this and heard that Jesus says that you can be corrupt in your heart – and that your thoughts can be dangerous – and sinful, too. But did you know that “lust” refers to more than just one person’s sexual desire for another? Did you know that people “lust after” all sorts of things? Some people lust after power. Some people lust after money. Some people lust after the things other people have – including their spouses and/or girlfriends/boyfriends. Some people lust after one more drink, or getting high, or gambling. Regardless of what “drives” an individual, quite often his/her “desires of the heart” are corrupt. “But wait!” you may be saying…”You are telling me it’s corrupt to desire money and success? You are saying I commit a sin when I desire a nice car or decent clothes or popularity?”
No… I am saying that quite often, our desires become our obsession… our compulsion… and the “desires of our heart.” And in that manner, they become corrupt, because we spend far too much time thinking about them… obsessing over how to make them a reality. And more often than not, we fall into a trap of doing things we would never do otherwise just to achieve our desires. I promise you that more than one cheating lover has said, “I never meant for this to happen.” But that person didn’t guard his/her heart. He/she didn’t keep the focus on Jesus, and what started out as innocent thoughts or flirting, or a cup of coffee with a “friend” escalated to much more. What started out as being nice to the “in crowd” and trying to fit in led to doing things you would never do otherwise just to stay popular. What started out as a desire to be successful in business and financially secure led to becoming a workaholic who neglected his/her family and friends and would stop at nothing to make a sale, achieve that next level of success, or sell another stock and make a bundle of money.
Jesus is reminding us here of so much more than keeping ourselves pure and true in romance and sexual intimacy. He is reminding us that our thoughts are powerful… and they are often Satan’s gateway. Guard your heart. Keep your focus on Jesus… and make Him the center of your desires. Everything else will fall into place as it should. When Jesus is your “heart’s desire,” your virtue will never be in question.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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March 16 - Matthew 5:25-26
"Or say you're out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don't lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you're likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won't get out without a stiff fine.”
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever known of someone to get so mad at another person that they said, “I am just about ready to kill him/her!”? While they probably are just blowing off some steam (and we learned a few days back how dangerous – and sinful this is!) and they would never truly do this – or even seriously consider it, this IS a dangerous statement. It is amazing how quickly some situations can escalate, and the next thing you know, a casual statement or threat has been realized.
My reply would be, “that person is not worth going to jail over.” And if you have heard this retort before, you now know where it came from. This is directly from the teachings of Jesus Christ. He is telling us that retaliating toward an “enemy” carries the risk of being hauled off to jail. “Okay,” you’re thinking… “I can see that hitting a guy for stealing my girlfriend would not be a good idea. But what if someone spreads a vicious rumor about me, so I start one about them? I can’t go to jail for that!” You may not go to jail, but when it gets out (and it WILL come out) that your comments were untrue, your reputation may be ruined and will most surely be questioned. Retaliation is just not the answer… and it could have serious consequences… including jail!
So the next time someone says or does something to hurt you, don’t retaliate. You don’t have to lie down and take it, but do all you can to work things out with this person and move on with your life. You’ll be glad you did, and your obedience to God will please Him.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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March 15 ~ Matthew 5:23-24
"This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.”
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever tried to talk to God about your problems when you were mad or upset about something or someone? Have you ever gone to church on Sunday with an unresolved argument or issue weighing on you? It’s hard to ask God to help you… or to worship Him… when things aren’t right in your own heart, isn’t it?
I have seen people sitting in the congregation who I knew were angry or upset with each other. I have seen people who have an ongoing feud sit on opposite sides of the sanctuary and try to worship God. And I am not passing judgment on these people… truly I’m not. In fact, if I know that a situation like this exists between two people, I pray for them, right then and there!
This scripture passage is very clear that God has a “protocol” in place. Until you make peace with your “brother,” you are not to bring your offering to God. I don’t mean to be irreverent, but it is a little like God is saying, “until you settle your differences, talk to the Hand!” Don’t do this to yourself – or to God. Get right with those around you and settle your differences – TODAY – and go to God with a clear conscience and an open spirit. Don’t miss one second of His blessings because of grudges and insults/indignities of a human nature. Whatever is bugging you – or whatever you have done to bug someone else, make it right today, and approach God free of this sort of baggage. You’ll be so glad you did.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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