PREPARE FOR IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 38-42, Exodus 21: 23-25; Leviticus 24: 19-20; Deuteronomy 19: 21; Obadiah 15; Mark 8: 34 – 9: 1, Matthew 26: 67

Here are scripture passages to review today in preparation for tomorrow's sermon.

Matthew 5:38-42 (NIV)
Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Exodus 21:23-25 (NIV)
23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth,hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.


Leviticus 24:19-20 (NIV)
19 Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.

Deuteronomy 19:21 (NIV)
21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Obadiah 1:15 (NIV)
15 “The day of the Lord is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds will return upon your own head.

Mark 8:34-9:1 (NIV)
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Matthew 26:67 (NIV)
67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him

Living on Mission in the Kingdom of the Other Cheek

Living on Mission in the Kingdom of the Other Cheek

What a different Kingdom Jesus shows us! In our scripture this week (Matthew 5:38-42,) He showed us it is possible to live our lives according to a different set of rules. The ways of His Kingdom go against our nature, our traditions, and sometimes our preferences. Let’s take a quick look at the differences.

Our kingdoms look like this:

·      Retaliation

·      Justice

·      Revenge

·      Prosecution

·      Fairness

·      Retribution

·      Conflict

·      Confrontation

His Kingdom looks like this:

·      Love

·      Mercy

·      Empathy

·      Cooperation

·      Forgiveness

·      Redemption

·      Grace

·      Compassion

The focus of His Kingdom is love. The response of love is very different from our natural response and from the typical worldly response.  Instead of retaliation, there is forgiveness. Instead of justice, there is mercy. Instead of confrontation there is cooperation. Where we might like to strike back, in His Kingdom we turn the other cheek.

Jesus modeled this behavior during His earthly life.  Remember in the garden when they came to arrest Jesus and Peter whipped out a sword to defend Him? Jesus scolded Peter and healed the perpetrator. Remember the time first preached in His hometown and the response of the crowd was to throw Him off a cliff? Instead of standing up for His rights, protecting His reputation and pointing out the extraordinary error of their ways, He simply walked away. When He was subjected to a sham of a trial, He didn’t appeal to the Roman authorities or to His Father who could have saved Him from a torturous death. He immediately forgave. He immediately turned the other cheek.

Why and how would He do this?

Love was the driving factor behind every action. Love was bigger than His perceived reputation. Love was stronger than the pain and injuries. Love drove Him to give His life to save others.

His ways are certainly not our ways, but if we lean into the Spirit and ask daily to become more like Him, we CAN follow His ways.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and join Him in the Kingdom of the Other Cheek.

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT! Mountain5

Payback, retaliation, and revenge, oh my!  As we continue on in our Mountain5 sermon series, we look at this week's passage found in Matthew 5:38-42.  Here again, Jesus is calling his followers to be different... waaaaay different! 

Common sense dictates that if society operated on this eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth system, we would all eventually be running around eyeless and toothless.  (Not so good for the ophthalmologists and dentists of this world...!)  That's dumb, and a ridiculous sight to imagine, but frankly, per Jesus, so is retaliation.  It's a vicious cycle that just keeps on perpetuating more ick.  It is not how Jesus chose to respond when faced with mockery, physical abuse, and ultimately crucifixion.  As his followers, it is not how we are to respond, either.

How are we to respond, and pray, in light of this passage?  I'm going to skip ahead to next week.  The answer is made clear in Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you".

Our response is love.  Our response is prayer. 

That is what our response should be.

But... (insert your own but here!)

There's really not room for our objection in this passage.  With the help of Jesus, who modeled unbelievable grace and mercy for us, we are to respond with love and prayer, rather than with retaliation and revenge.  No buts.

In Acts 1:14, (after Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension) we read about how the disciples were gathered together, praying.  "All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers." 

Mary had just lost her son (yes, bigger picture, we gained a Savior, but still, she lost her son) yet even Mary was there, with the disciples, praying. 

Wow.

If Mary can do it, so can we.

If Jesus can do it, while on the cross, so can we.

It's easiest to think of the people that hurt us and wrong us as our enemy.  As evil.  As deserving of whatever it is that is coming to them.  Yet what if we chose to first and foremost see everyone as a child of God, whether they knew that is who they were or not?  Do we really want to seek revenge on a hurting child of God?  On God's creation?  It is easier to pray for those who have hurt us rather than respond with retaliation when we view them with God's eyes rather than our own. 

We shouldn't be surprised that hurting people hurt people.  God can grow in us a compassion that can lead us to respond with a heart like Jesus - where we earnestly pray for them.  Revenge will just leave them with a few less teeth..and looking to take out a few more teeth from whomever along the way. But prayer and the power of God can bring them to a point of transformation that stops the cycle of ick and starts more love and more prayer. 

Dear Jesus,
Please help us respond like you when we get hurt and desire retaliation.  Please help our response be graceful - and to be one of love and prayer.  Please help grow our compassion so that we see everyone as a child of God (some lost, some found).  Please draw everyone closer to you and continue to transform us all.  We need you. 
Amen.

Remember to keep praying as together we Seek God for the City - 2015!  Today we are praying for university students, for Puerto Rico (ah, the land of Pastor Todd's birth!), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and for God to renew our hearts to obey Him. 

Pastor Celia

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Withdraw Your Claws”

Supplies: Bible

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Let’s play a little matching game.  One person in your family will read a common phrase and the rest of your clan will come up with a scenario or situation where you might hear or say that phrase.  Ok, here we go.

1.  “I’m gonna get you for that!”

2.  “Vengeance is mine!”

3.  “Watch out—payback’s coming.”

4.  “He got what he deserved.”

5.  “I’ll get even, just you wait!”

Are you noticing a theme?  All of these phrases are used in the same kinds of situations.  Person A did something negative to Person B, so Person B responds by doing/planning/threatening to do something negative to Person A.  

Wanting revenge is a pretty common response, so much so that I’m not sure we always realize we’re doing it.  We’re like cats: if we feel we’re being attacked, the claws come out almost automatically.  When someone does something mean to us, a lot of times our reflex response—even if it’s just our thoughts—is to plan something mean to do or say back.  It’s like we feel some need to balance things out, and somehow, in our brains, pushing the kid who just pushed us restores the equilibrium.  But does it really?

READ

Check out what Jesus had to say by reading Matthew 5:38-42.

THINK

Jesus starts by quoting the existing Jewish law.  There were established consequences for different offenses, and the goal was to keep them as equal as possible.  That’s why it’s an “eye for an eye” and a “tooth for a tooth.”  Of course, we have our own legal system in place today.  If a crime is committed against Person B, there will be some kind of consequence for Person A.  When Jesus starts talking about this topic, He’s not suggesting we toss the entire law and let chaos and anarchy rule.  Laws are necessary for a society to function and not destroy itself.

Instead, I think Jesus is trying to change our hearts and our attitudes toward laws and, more specifically, law breakers.  Like just about everything else, when we are hurt or offended by another our Savior wants us to lead with love.  That should become our instinct!  Disengage the claws and let service, humility, grace, mercy, and helpfulness pour out instead.  When the school bully walks up during recess and gives you a shove, smile and ask if there’s a way you can help him out.  When the neighbor walks his dog in your yard and leaves the little presents there, clean them up and then help out by cleaning his yard too.  If someone starts spreading nasty rumors, politely ask them to stop…and then ask them if there’s any way you could pray for them or their family.  Can you imagine how things could change??

Jesus doesn’t want us to be doormats.  He wants us to have genuine love for ALL of the people around us and to express that love through grace and forgiveness, no matter what the circumstances.

APPLY

Ok, so what has the Holy Spirit been talking to you about?  Is there someone in specific in your life that brings out your claws?  Maybe they know exactly what buttons to push or they get their fun by making your life miserable.  Ask God for help in changing your heart for this person.  Or maybe for you it’s a need to change your whole reflex system.  It’s not one person who brings out your claws—it’s everybody!  Think about different ways you can respond to attacks, and then ask the Holy Spirit to help you in the moment.  We really can change our part of the world, but it starts with us.

PRAY

Heavenly Father, we praise Your Name!  Thank You for pouring out Your love on us through Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Now help us to arm ourselves with that very same love, a weapon almost unknown to the world around us.  Help us as we use it to bring hearts closer to Yours.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

REPLY

Did you and your family enjoy this devotional blog?  We'd love to know about it!  Our hope is to continue providing this weekly opportunity for families to do a devotion together.  If your family did this devotion, please shoot us an email, text or just post a comment to this blog.

EXPLORE IT - Matthew 5:38-42

Matthew 5:38-42  "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. ³⁹ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  ⁴⁰ And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  ⁴¹ If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

The prescription found in our passage today, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth,’ is an example of lex talionis.  Lex talionis is translated “the law of retaliation.”  This principle establishes that the punishment for a crime should correspond in degree and kind to the offense committed.  ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth’ lays the foundation for justice in the Old Testament and the Israelite Nation (Exodus 21, Leviticus 24, and Deuteronomy 19).  Lex talionis serves two purposes.  First, it limits the harshness of punishment to an exact equivalent to the crime, and no more.  Second, it specifies the kind of punishment the wrong-doers deserved.  The punishment could be retracted at the request of the original victim. 

Lex talionis was prescribed for the judicial system only, not for individual, personal relationships.  The law never allowed individuals to take these matters into their own hands, (“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:18).  We are called to not seek revenge when we are wronged and not resist an evil person.

Now, this does not mean if someone hurts us in such a way as it is against the law that we should not press charges and work our way through the legal system.  Scripture tells us that we are to obey the “governing authorities” (Romans 13).  This passage is calling us to love one another, even when we are wronged, and not seek revenge, it is not calling us to put up with abusive behavior.  We are called to be light in a dark world, we are not called to be doormats.

Overall, this passage encourages us to love those who intend us harm and not to seek revenge.  Loving them unconditionally reveals to them the love of Jesus.  Maybe our unexpected response of love will lead them towards salvation!

Blessings,
Pastor Amy

READ IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 38-42, Exodus 21: 23-25; Leviticus 24: 19-20; Deuteronomy 19: 21; Obadiah 15; Mark 8: 34 – 9: 1, Matthew 26: 67

Matthew 5:38-42 (NIV)Eye for Eye

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Exodus 21:23-25 (NIV)
23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth,hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.


Leviticus 24:19-20 (NIV)
19 Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.

Deuteronomy 19:21 (NIV)
21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Obadiah 1:15 (NIV)
15 “The day of the Lord is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds will return upon your own head.

Mark 8:34-9:1 (NIV)
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Matthew 26:67 (NIV)
67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him

PREPARE FOR IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 33-37, Exodus 20: 7; Leviticus 19: 12; Numbers 30: 3-15; Deuteronomy 23: 21-22; Matthew 23: 16-22; James 5: 12

Here are scripture passages to review today in preparation for tomorrow's sermon.
Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV)Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 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.

Exodus 20:7 (NIV)
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.


Leviticus 19:12 (NIV)
12 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

Numbers 30:3-15NIV)
3 “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge 4 and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. 5 But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

6 “If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself 7 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 8 But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.

9 “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

10 “If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath 11 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 12 But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. 13 Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself. 14 But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. 15 If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”

Deuteronomy 23:21-22 (NIV)
21 If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.

Matthew 23:16-22 (NIV)
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

James 5:12 (NIV)
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

Living on Mission and Doing What We Say We’ll Do

Living on Mission and Doing What We Say We’ll Do

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” (Matthew 5:33-37 ESV)

Jews in the time of Jesus really knew how to zoom in on the details of keeping rules. It seems like they were all about the tiniest details of everything from tithing their spices to determining exactly what has to be said in order to make what you say legally binding. That’s some crazy details!

It’s good to pay attention to the little things, but let’s zoom out for a minute. What about the big things? Do we do what we say we’ll do in the big things, too?

At some point, most of us said, “Yes, Jesus, I’ll follow you.” We said we would obey Him and He said, “You shall love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” and, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Have we followed Him? Have we loved Him? Have we loved others? According to the scriptures, He doesn’t want us to give offerings or to fast or to if try to follow all the rules if we aren’t giving Him our whole heart. “I don’t want your sacrifices—I want your love; I don’t want your offerings—I want you to know me.” (Hosea 6:6 TLB)

Jesus clearly calls us to be people who do what we say we’ll do. Let’s practice Living on Mission and do just that, in big things and in small things.

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT! Mountain5

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."  (MSG)

Jesus wants utter honesty from his followers.  Can you imagine the impact it would have on our world today if the action's of the people of God were of such high integrity - that what we said and what we followed through with matched up with each other?  I'd venture to guess we would have a pretty awesome impact here on earth for Jesus.  Our actions would turn a few heads, and hopefully toward Jesus!

You see, it's very easy to look around and find "un-truth" - a few seconds of a reality TV show... a few minutes gathered around the water cooler at work... there's probably some of it to be found in the news or politics as well...

Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is calling his followers to be different.  Not just a little bit different, but strikingly so.  This is what is noticeable.  This is what is impactful.  And Jesus did come to make a noticeable impact, did he not?

Jesus' honesty is attractive.  So too, is the honesty and integrity of his followers.  Jesus' high call (it's not always easy to let our yes be a yes and no be a no...) requires his presence and power. 

PoC, as we pray today, let us ask for Jesus' help.  We cannot do it without him.  And why would we even want to try?

Dear Jesus,
Please help us be honest and truthful in word and deed.  We need you and we love you.  We want to make a noticeable impact that ultimately assists in helping draw others closer to you rather than turning them away. 
Amen.

Remember to join our all-church campaign as we Seek God for the City - 2015!  Today, we are praying for marriages, for Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, and Brazil, as well as for humility to replace our pride and complacency.

Blessings,
Pastor Celia

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Promise-Free”

Supplies: Bible

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What does it mean to promise something?  Come up with a definition as a family.  How would you define “promise”?

My dictionary defines it this way: “to assure someone that one will definitely do, give or arrange something.”  I’m guessing your definition was pretty close to that, right?  So with that in mind, what would you say is the difference between saying, “I promise to do that,” as opposed to saying, “I will do that.”  Seriously…what’s the difference?  Take a little time to talk about that.  Are there times when you would say one but not the other?  Does the word “promise” take your commitment to a different level?  Is one stronger or weaker than the other?  If you just say, “I will,” does it mean you can back out of what you said without upsetting anyone?  

READ

Pull out your Bible and have someone read Matthew 5:33-37.

THINK

Have you ever wondered why we have words like “promise” and “oath” and “vow” in our vocabulary?  In essence, these words exist to say, “No, seriously, I’m really truly going to do this thing I say.”  They imply that other times when we say we will, we really may not.  We live in a culture where saying you’ll do something isn’t enough.  We’ve all suffered too many disappointments because someone didn’t do what they said they would.  Aaaaannnd…we’ve dropped the ball once or sixty-four times ourselves. 

It’s a sad state of who we are, but the truth is that we have come up with dozens if not hundreds of ways to justify and excuse breaking our commitments to each other.  

• You had a project due today but  never got around to completing it.  That’s ok—just blame someone in the house (kids, parents, dog) and explain how they prevented you from getting it done.
• You were supposed to answer an email yesterday but forgot.  No worries—you can point the finger at the glitchy mail program and say you never got the original message.
• You rsvp’d for an event at your friend’s house, but now you really don’t want to go.  Don’t.  And never say anything about it.  Ever.  Your friend won’t want to be embarrassed either, so they’ll never ask you about it. 
• And if all else fails, just tell everybody you had your fingers crossed so whatever you said you’d do doesn’t count anyway!

Our society has abused the truth to such an amazing degree that we have created a culture of mistrust.  We automatically doubt that anyone will actually do what they say they’re going to do.  We expect disappointment, and as such, we don’t get too upset when we’re the ones disappointing others.  That’s a tragic commentary on our world, but even worse on our Savior.  If we as Christians live this way, what kind of Jesus are we sharing with people around us?  He’s made some pretty big commitments.  Can He be trusted to follow through or will He flake out when it really matters?  It’s not surprising that people have a hard time truly trusting the promises of Jesus when most of them aren’t sure they can trust the promises of His church.  But what if that were different?

What if we actually lived the way Jesus is suggesting here?  What if we just decided that when we said, “Yes,” to something, it would be like signing a contract?  What if we made the commitment to ourselves that when we say, “No,” it will always mean, “No”?  Can you even imagine a world where people did exactly what they said they would do, without the need for that extra level of commitment?  We could take a marker to every dictionary and black out “promise” along with all its synonyms.  We could finally begin to trust each other, which means we would finally be able to hear the truth from each other.  Oh, what a wonderful world that would be!

APPLY

It will take a lot of time and effort to change the world that much, but I think it’s possible.  As followers of THE TRUTH, we are in the perfect place to start the ball rolling.  And the best place to start is right there in your home.  Can you and your family agree together today that in your home, among each other, you will become “promise-free”?  Will you commit that from this point forward, when you talk with each other, your yeses will mean YES and your no’s will mean NO?  You won’t need to use the “promise level” again in your house, because a simple “yes” is enough.

I think that step alone will begin to make huge changes in how you see and relate in the world around you.  Soon, you may be ready to take that “promise-free” approach public and let it infiltrate all of your relationships.  You can decide today that every commitment you make will be a yes/no kind of thing.  

PRAY

Jesus, we love You so much.  Would You help us as we seek to change the world one “yes” at a time?  Lead us to be people of our word.  As our friends and family begin to trust in us, we pray they also begin to trust in You.  In Your Name we pray, Amen.

REPLY

Did you and your family enjoy this devotional blog?  We'd love to know about it!  Our hope is to continue providing this weekly opportunity for families to do a devotion together.  If your family did this devotion, please shoot us an email, text or just post a comment to this blog.

EXPLORE IT - Matthew 5:33-37

Matthew 5:33-37  "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'  ³⁴ But I tell you, Do not swear 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 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

You have heard it said…But I tell you – Again, Jesus continues by speaking into a teaching of the day that had gotten off track.  From the very beginning, with the Ten Commandments, we are told not to lie and not to swear falsely by God’s name (“’Do not lie. “’Do not deceive one another.  “’Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.’” Leviticus 19:11-12).  But by the time of Jesus, the teachers of the law had created so many rules around declaring oaths, there were now loopholes in telling the truth.

The Mishnah, the Jewish code of law, gave situations for when oaths were binding and when they were not.  For instance, if you swear by Jerusalem you do not have to keep your word, but if you swear toward Jerusalem, you are bound by your word.  The teachers of the law were focused on which formula to use if you intended to follow through, verses a different formula when you had no intention of completing your “commitment.”

Jesus is telling us that “formula” isn’t the concern.  If you say you’re are going to do something, do it; otherwise, don’t say you will.  Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.”  Jesus desires His children to be truthful – in everything we say.  This includes the stories we tell, the resumes we write, and the promises we make.  We are called to not just be consistent in our truthfulness, we are called to be constant in our truthfulness.

How truthful are you?  Do you outright lie?  Do you tend to stretch the truth to place yourself or your family in a better light or to make a story more dramatic?  Prayerfully seek God, asking Him to shed light on any untruthfulness in your words and actions so we can become an obedient, truthful people of God.

Blessings,
Pastor Amy

READ IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 33-37, Exodus 20: 7; Leviticus 19: 12; Numbers 30: 3-15; Deuteronomy 23: 21-22; Matthew 23: 16-22; James 5: 12

Here are scripture passages to study this week to help us prepare for the next lesson from the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV)Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 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.

Exodus 20:7 (NIV)
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.


Leviticus 19:12 (NIV)
12 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

Numbers 30:3-15NIV)
3 “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge 4 and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. 5 But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

6 “If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself 7 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 8 But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.

9 “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

10 “If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath 11 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 12 But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. 13 Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself. 14 But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. 15 If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”

Deuteronomy 23:21-22 (NIV)
21 If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.

Matthew 23:16-22 (NIV)
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

James 5:12 (NIV)
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.