Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Day 28 Matthew 5:34-37 34  But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;  35  or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  36  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  37  All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Oaths were common in Jesus’ day . But Jesus told his followers not to use them. Their word should be enough. Also, to swear in God’s name, was using His name as an insurance policy. We see this often, even in my own life, when I say, “I swear to God on the Holy Bible”.  Essentially this is using the Lord’s name in vain, as if by saying this I am really telling the truth. It also reminds us that if we say we are going to do something, we need to follow through. I am sure we have people in our lives that never seem to follow through on what they say they will do.  Not only is it annoyin

Day 27 Matthew 5:29-30 29  If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30  And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. There are certain parts of the bible that we should take literally. For example, Jesus really rose from the dead.  God really did create the world. These are not just nice stories to make us feel good.  But there are some places in the bible which are not meant to be taken literally.  Case in point the verses above. Unfortunately, some have taken Jesus literally with this passage and obeyed this command literally.  Here is where our English and grammar school education helps us understand the use of a literary device  There is a manner of speaking in Jesus’ day called “hyperbole”. This involved making an extr

Day 26 Matthew 5:31-32 31  “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’  32  But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. It is important to understand the context when Jesus gives this teaching on divorce.  As one commentator puts it, “ The divorce debate in Jewish circles in Jesus' day pitted the followers of Hillel against those of his rival, Shammai. Hillel took a more liberal view, permitting divorce in a variety of circumstances, even if the wife spoiled a meal! Shammai permitted it, only in the case of adultery.” So, when Jesus makes these statements, he is protecting women from the prevailing practices justified by a distortion of the Jewish law, while also uplifting the sanctity of marriage. It seems as though Jesus makes an exception for divorce in the case of sexual immorality.  Note, Matth

Day 25 Matthew 5:27-30 27  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ] 28  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  Sexual desire and immorality was as explosive in the bible, as it is today.  As a male growing up I always heard, “ You can look but you cannot touch !” What exactly does that mean? Apparently, Jesus believes “just looking” can be an issue.  He clarifies this when he says someone who looks at a woman lustfully, he has committed adultery in his heart. It would be easy to “split hairs” on this one, but I think Jesus is saying that lusting in this way is a heart issue.  It is one thing to admire a beautiful man or woman, but it is another thing to stare, leer and fantasize about that person.   The real thing Jesus is confronting again are those who say, “ Well I won’t physically commit immorality, but do everything else .” The difference between looking, or even admirin

Day 24 Matthew 5:23-25 23  “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24  leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25  “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.” These verses flow from the last one regarding anger. Notice at the heart of the last seven commandments is our relationship with others.  While the first three deal with our relationship with God, the last seven flow from the first three. Jesus says, “ If you are offering something at church, and at the same time you have a bad relationship with another believer reconcile with them first. ”  This shows how radical of a problem anger can be. Then, he gives advice that is very relevant today in our litigious society.  He says settle your problem with your adversary before it gets to court.  Solve the problem relationally, before it

Day 23 Matthew 5:21-22 21  “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,  and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  22  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. So now Jesus switches gears and starts by re-iterating the Ten Commandments, to show how the religious teachers had missed their true meaning. When the bible talks about the Law, it can be referring to the “ceremonial law”, which was based on the sacrificial system, or the “moral law”, based on the Ten Commandments. Here it is referring to moral law.  As most people acknowledge, the Ten Commandments are at the heart of what we call “morality”.  They are the basis of Christian/Judeo values that we hold in common in Western civilization. Jesus starts by saying, “ You

Day 22 Matthew 5:20     20  For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. One should be very careful as to how they interpret this passage.  Why? Because a misinterpretation could easily lead a form of “work righteousness”. By this I mean, inferring that what we do is what gets us into heaven, not what God has done for us. Since Jesus is denouncing the kind of righteousness the Pharisees are practicing, understanding what he is denouncing is the key to interpreting these verses.   The problem Jesus sees with the Pharisees’ is that they were focused on the minimum requirements of the Law.  They got stuck on the letter of the Law, rather the Spirit of the Law. This is the problem that comes when we focus only on the Law. We end up making it fit what we want it to be, rather than God’s original intention.  Jesus is saying we need a new kind of righteousness that we

Day 21 Matthew 5:19 19  Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is challenging a common occurrence in both Judaism, and later in Christianity, which was teaching that the Law is not important anymore. In fact, this tendency is still very much practiced today. The problem with those who say Jesus came to abolish the Law, can quickly lead to what we call “antinomianism”. A big word meaning, ‘against the Law”. This is a mindset that says, “Since the Law doesn’t apply anymore, I can do whatever I want.”   Paul will later confront this kind of teaching in the 1 st century church.  Today we call it, “cheap grace”. Meaning we might conclude, “ Since my sin means more forgiveness and grace, the more I sin, the more grace can abound .”  Paul calls this out in the book of Roma

Day 20 Matthew 5:17 17  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them,” This verse is very important, as Jesus teaches the Jewish people about his relationship to the Law in the Old Testament. The Law was given to Moses to guide Israel, as they lived in a pagan society.  The Law was pure, holy and just. It reflected God’s very character.  This why it would be foolish to abolish the Law.  But the problem with the Law is that it could not save or deliver anyone. It only pointed out our need for salvation.  So, Jesus while not overturning the Law, announces that He is the fulfillment of the Law. Meaning the Law could only be fulfilled by Him.  When we disobey the Law, the only thing it shows is  that we can’t measure up to the Law. It leads us to Christ. While the Law is good and helps keep order in society, its ultimate purpose is to lead us to Christ.  Later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus will show ho

Day 19 Matthew 5:14-16 14  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15  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.  16  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Jesus chooses another metaphor to emphasize the point he made in the verses above. In addition to being the “salt of the world”, he calls you to be the “light of the world”.  You cannot make yourself be a light.  Jesus says, “YOU ARE the light of the world”.  The only question becomes, “Are you going to let your light shine?” In Genesis, as God created the world, He used the light to dispel the darkness.  The gospel of John starts by saying about Jesus, “ In him was life, and that life was the light of all men.  The light shines in the darkness and has not overcome it” Later Jesus will say, “ I am the light of th

Day 18 Matthew 5:13 13  “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 underfoot. While we hear this verse a lot, what does it really mean? In our society, too much salt is not necessarily a good thing.  Too much salt gives us high blood pressure. But Jesus uses it in a different way based on its meaning in his own culture.  Jesus tells his followers that they are the “salt of the earth.” In his day, salt was in high demand due to a lack of refrigeration.  Salt preserved rotting meat, and Jesus uses this metaphor to teach his disciples to be salt in a “rotting world”. On the flip side, Jesus acknowledges that salt can lose its saltiness.  Meaning Christians can lose their influence in the world. They can just blend in, and not flavor anything.  Jesus tells us to be, “ In the world, but not of the world”. Today, more than ever, Jesus calls us to have

Day 17 matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. At the beginning of our study of the beatitudes, I said that the word “blessed” is more aptly translated “happy”. Nowhere does this seem more problematic than this beatitude.  Are we supposed to be “happy” when we are persecuted for doing good things?  Sounds like a stretch to me.  Verses 10-13 form one single message about how believers will be persecuted for following Jesus. Jesus never minced words with his disciples about this subject. He said to them, “The world will hate you because of me.”  And as we look at what is happening in our world, we know persecution is happening all over the place.  One s

Day 16 matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers,     for they will be called children of God.” Sometimes when we read the “beatitudes”, we toss them off as unrealistic, or unattainable in this life.  We think Jesus is just presenting an idealistic reality, but doesn’t really seriously think we can do what he is teaching. We normally think of “peacemakers” as government officials, who negotiate peace treaties, or try to avert violence. And while that is certainly important, I believe Jesus has something else in mind. As we have been saying, Jesus is teaching that this way of life is available to those who live in the kingdom.  Though it is not our nature to be “peacemakers”, as we are, we will be called children of God. Meaning when we bring peace to a situation, we are acting as ambassadors for God. We are showing the world what God is really like.  Jesus said to his disciples, “My peace I give you, not as the world gives.” So, peace is a gift of God, and also one of the f

Day 15 Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart,     for they will see God.” We must remember Jesus was not as worried about us cleaning up our act, but being changed from the inside out. A kind of “spiritual heart surgery”.  He likened the Pharisees, in Matthew 25, to “whitewashed tombs”.  He told them to wash the inside of the cup, before worrying about the appearance on the outside.  Our hearts hold the secret thoughts and attitudes that are only seen by God. Someone said character is, “ Who you are when no one is looking .” Jesus says, " Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication ." Although no one is pure, except Jesus, Jesus came to purify our hearts. He came to change us from the inside out.  Our only purity comes from what Jesus did on the cross to cleanse us from sin.  Yet, we also seek purity each day in the power of the Holy Spirit, who makes us holy.  As we become sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives

Day 14 matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful,     for they will be shown mercy. The first question we might ask is how does a person become merciful? John Piper writes, “ The key to becoming a merciful person is to become a broken person. You get the power to show mercy from the real feeling in your heart that you owe everything you are and have to sheer divine mercy.” Simply put, when we understand the depth of God’s mercy to us, we are compelled to offer the same mercy to others. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches, “ Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”   Mercy also has a sense of empathy to it. Merciful people bear the burdens of others.  They see people in need and reach out to them. In Hosea 6:6 the prophet declares, “ I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Sacrifice can often be motivated to be seen by others, whereas mercy is a matter of the heart. It comes from a heart filled by God’s love, as it has been filled by God’s love. Where do yo

Day 13 Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,     for they will be filled. St. Augustine said, “ Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee .” We are the only ones created by God who wonder what our purpose is on earth. We ask, “ What on earth am I here for?” Our hearts yearn for something more than this world can offer.  We long for heaven. We often fill this void with things that can never satisfy. The more we fill ourselves with these things, the thirstier we get. The term righteousness means, “being in a right relationship with God”. The word is also translated “just.” Throughout the Old Testament people longed for a deeper righteousness than the Law could afford. The Ten Commandments were the standard for righteousness, but though we can obey these for a while, we are bound to stumble in due time.  We long for something deeper than just obedience. We long for a relationship with God. And this is the heart of what Jesus is desc

Day 12 Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek,     for they will inherit the earth” Matthew Henry writes, “ The meek are those who quietly submit themselves to God, to his word and to his rod, who follow his directions, and comply with his designs.”  Someone who is meek is not easily offended.  They don’t always react and take things personally. Instead of reacting to a situation with inflammatory actions, they help pacify the situation. I don’t think “meek” means “wimpy”. One’s greatest strength can be self-control when under attack, or in a situation that might call for retaliation.  Jesus was meek. During his trial, he was struck on the cheek but calmly stayed in control.  “ And they shall inherit the earth ”. This is a direct quote from Psalm 37:11 This psalm was written by King David as he faced those who wanted to kill him. He says to, “ Be still and wait patiently before the Lord .” 37:7 This is one of the few promises that relates to a temporal blessing, “for they s

Day 11 Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn,     for they will be comforted.” This seems somewhat strange if we accept the meaning of “happy” for the word “blessed”. Mourning isn’t normally associated with blessedness. So, let’s take a shot at what that might mean. Remember that Jesus is paradoxically comparing what the world considers “happiness” to what can be considered a blessed because of the reality of the “in-breaking” in the kingdom.  There are generally two interpretations what this means. First, is natural mourning as when someone we love dies. The key in this would be that they shall be comforted. While a funeral can be very sad, a Christian can be comforted by knowing their loved one is now in heaven and free from suffering. They are comforted by the promise, “Because Jesus lives, so we too shall live!”  The other is a mourning over our sinfulness, in relation to God’s holiness and righteousness. When we are sad over sin and repent, we are filled with the com

Day 10 Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Christ begins his sermon on the mount by teaching us how to live a “blessed life”. The word “blessed” in the original language is best translated “happy” . Jesus wants to teach what TRUE happiness looks like, and how live in it. This is different than the version of the happiness the world prescribes, which is based on things that are fleeting. Often the world focuses on wealth, fame or pleasure.  Being "poor in spirit", is best associated with “humility”.  Poor in spirit is not about a lack of courage, or even necessarily material poverty, but it is the opposite of pride and self-reliance.  Matthew Henry says this, “ But this poverty of spirit is a gracious disposition of soul, by which we are emptied of self, in order to our being filled with Jesus Christ. “ Lent by nature is all about “emptying” ourselves. This is not easy, as our ego is always wanting to be the cent

Day 9 Matthew 5:1-2 5  Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,  2  and he began to teach them. Jesus begins probably the greatest section of His teaching in the New Testament. We call it the “Sermon on the Mount”. After healing all who came to him, he takes the disciples aside on the mountainside to teach them. You will notice a rhythm in Jesus’ life. In chapter 4, Jesus spent copious amounts of time with His Father in the wilderness I.e. 40 days. Then he called his disciples and preached to the crowds about the kingdom which he had come to inaugurate.  Then he showed the reality of the kingdom through healing the sick and diseased.  Jesus realizes if he is going to equip the disciples, he needs to help them to see what he is doing and begin preparing them to do. Later, he will send the disciples to do the same things he did.  Discipleship was once described by Dallas Willard as, “Living your life as if Jesus we

Day 8 Matthew 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. In this passage, we see the three major activities Jesus spends his time doing.  He teaches in the synagogues. Primarily he is teaching the Jews how he is the Messiah that the Old Testament predicts. He teaches them that the primary purpose of the Law was to show them their need for a Savior. Then, he proclaims the good news of the kingdom. The good news is that the kingdom is now being realized in a new way through him. Finally, Jesus not only preaches and teaches, but shows how the kingdom works by healing every disease and sickness. Note, not some diseases and sicknesses but all of them. Jesus, we thank you for showing us what heaven looks like on earth. Help us to turn from our busyness and participate in what you started and will bring to fruition one day. In Your name, Amen.

Day 7 Matthew 4:18-22 18  As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  19  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  20  At once they left their nets and followed him. 21  Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,  22  and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. After preaching about the immediacy of the kingdom, and the possibility for each of us to participate in its coming, Jesus calls his first four disciples.  He calls two sets of brothers, Peter and Andrew, and James and John.  They were fishermen doing what fishermen do, fishing. Jesus calls them by simply saying, “Come follow me”. And immediately both sets of brothers drop their nets and fol

Day 6 Matthew 5:17 17  From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus comes out of the wilderness 40 days after his time of testing and temptation. Note, he was led by the Spirt, who prepared him by overcoming the devil's temptations by relying on God's Word he learned as a boy in the temple. As he begins his public ministry our text today says, “He began to preach, ‘ Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus begins by proclaiming in essence, “ Turn around look what God is doing. I am here to show you a new way to REALLY live .”  In this sense, repentance is not so much focused on our sin, but things in our lives that keep us from participating in God’s kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven. Martin Luther taught in his Small Catechism on the Lord’s Prayer, “ God’s kingdom will surely come, but we pray that it will come through us .”  Lent is a time to look at those things that distract us from bei

Day 5 Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Having withstood three of the devil’s best temptations, Jesus rebuked the devil and he left. By standing on God’s Word and resisting Satan’s lies, Jesus stood firm and remained the “sinless” Son of God. Although the devil left him, he will come back into the picture later to try and deter Jesus from his mission at another crucial point. And then the passage says, “Angels came and attended to him.” The angels could have come earlier, but they allow Jesus to pass the test and thus strengthen his resolve. From the verse, it appears they came in bodily form as Satan had done as well. The angels congratulated Jesus and rejoiced in his victory over the evil. They attended his needs. Quite possibly they could have brought food and helped restore need for food, water and rest. We have precedence for this, as the angel ministered to Elijah in the desert, fed him and strengthened him. This reminds us of Paul

Day 4 Matthew 8-10 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.    “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”   Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ For the third temptation, Satan takes Jesus to a high mountain and offers him the “whole enchilada”, all the kingdoms of the world. But there is also a proviso, “All this I will give you, IF you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus rebukes Satan directly and commands him to leave. While in the first temptation, the devil tempts Jesus with desire, the second with pride, in this third test, he uses greed. But to give in to greed, Jesus would have to bow down and worship the devil. Jesus again quotes scripture and the first commandment to decimate the devil’s plan.  At the root of all temptation is an offer to bow down and worship the things of the world, which

                               Day 3 Matthew 4:5-7 T hen the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’   Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Having failed on his first attempt to get Jesus to use his powers before God’s time, the devil turns to appealing to Jesus’ pride. Again, he starts with, “If you are the Son of God.”  This time the devil uses a quote from Psalm 91 , to distort the truth. But Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6 saying, “ It is also written, do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Jesus uses scripture to correct the devil’s twisting of the scripture. Where in your life do you get tempted to prove yourself? When do you hear that voice, “If you were re

Day 2  Matthew 4:4 4“The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God tell these stones to become bread.”   Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Another name for the devil is the “tempter”. Temptation always starts when the devil puts a thought in our head. We ended the last passage by saying, “Jesus was hungry”. The devil knew Jesus was in a vulnerable position, so he goads Jesus to turn the stones into loaves of bread. Sounded like a good and reasonable idea with as hungry as Jesus was, but it was not yet time for Jesus to exercise this kind of power. While he was hungry, the devil tried seize the moment and trick Jesus into proving himself rather than rely on His Father. If choose to do any fasting during this Lent, it can often leave you wanting the thing you gave up. The point of fasting is to take that moment and reach out to God to feed you with His Word. Jesus, help us to

Matthew 4:1-2 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” Right after Jesus was baptized by John, the Spirit led him into the wilderness, where he fasted for 40 days. Before Jesus did anything in his earthly ministry he was led by the Holy Spirit to spend time in prayer and fasting. As he was led by the Holy Spirit, the devil also saw it as an opportunity to tempt Jesus. The word also means “test”.  Perhaps the Holy Spirit knew that Jesus needed to do battle in the wilderness before he could begin his public ministry. Lent is a period of 40 days where, if we choose, can fast from the things of this world that distract us from God. As you begin your Lenten journey commit to spend each day engaging in God’s word, listening for His still, small voice, and praying and committing your day to following Him. Jesus, we pray that this season of Lent can be a time of preparation for us as