This week we will continue with our read through the New testament in Matthew's Gospel. please read as follows; Monday -- Matthew 6, Tuesday -- Matthew 7, Wednesday -- Matthew 8, Thursday -- Matthew 9, and Friday -- Matthew 10.
Matthew continues his recounting of the Sermon on the Mount from chapter 5. What Jesus says here about acts of piety, alms giving, prayer, and fasting should be read not only with an eye towards instruction on the practice of these disciplines, but more importantly with an eye towards the intent of ones heart in the practice. When we practice any of these spiritual disciplines God is interested in the heart!
Jesus speaks to this as he wraps up this section on the disciplines when he says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21 NRSV.
This leaves me with a question I will ponder all week. "Where is my heart focused?" Is your heart centered in on Jesus and the Kingdom of God friend or is it focused on the Kingdom of You? What does my behavior indicate about my true center? Lord, help my life to reflect your love. Amen.
About Me
- Pastor Bill
- I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ, a happy husband, father and grandfather!
2 comments:
All right, I'll do this chapter first, then 1-5. I read all of them, wrote notes, just haven't gotten to the computer yet! :-P
It is interesting that you talked about how God really cares about the heart. We've been talking about that a lot in Young Life lately - how God knows who you are below the surface, and you can't hide the truth or fake who you are to God. Why pray, give, etc. if it's just for show? That's not what he wants - but it sometimes makes us feel better doesn't it? As humans, we want people to know that we can pray, and that we're doing something good or giving people something - because we think it makes us look better. Truth is, especially according to these words of Jesus, that these things should really be done in private - which isn't human, it's divine. We should really work on that in general, right?
I love the line about moths and rust and thieves. It's true isn't it? I got rust on my car, I've seen moths in things before - and it makes you really realize that nothing is forever, so why be so focused on it? Our treasure is not dollars or possessions, it's out of this world!
Help me to reflect the Lord's love also - focusing my heart on the God who created us.
What a great chapter.
Marsh
How many things we do for appearances, if we're truthful with ourselves!
I think the order is important in the treasure/heart question. It isn't where our heart is that our treasure will be also, but where our treasure is that our heart truly is. I think if we ask where our heart is, we can say the right things, but if we ask where our treasure is, we might get different answers....
Am I striving, really, for the Kingdom of God?
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