Tag: The Commands of Christ

How to Avoid Being Judgmental

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Human nature encourages us to pay far more attention to the shortcomings of others than to our own faults. We tend to evaluate others on the basis of a lofty standard of righteousness that somehow is not applicable to our own performance.

The disciples of Jesus had been highly influenced by the leadership style of the Pharisees, who didn’t bring the best out in people. They were critical, picky, and thought the worst concerning people. Their ministry didn’t offer hope, but condemnation. Their criticism was spawned out of self-righteous pride. They were condescending and didn’t believe in what God could do or was doing in the lives of people.

The larger context of this passage is about proper relationships. The unChristian study revealed a lot of perception when it comes to Christianity.

  • Proper relationship with Christian brothers (Matthew 7:1-5).
  • Proper relationship with unreceptive unbelievers (Matthew 7:6) Proper relationship with God the Father (Matthew 7:7-11).
  • Proper relationship with all people (Matthew 7:12).

Our Focal Passage Today is Matthew 7:1-12 – Questions:

1. What would you say is the orientation of our church, doubting and criticizing people or believing and hoping the best for people?

2. Can you be a nonjudgmental person yet make moral and theological judgments? If yes explain why? (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, 1 Timothy 4:1-6, 6:3-5, 1 John 4:1-3, Jude 3, Revelation 2:2).

3. How does Jesus himself make a moral judgment? (Matthew 7:6)

4. What is the difference between dogs and hogs? (Matthew 7:6)

5. What causes us to be less condemning (or judgmental) and more merciful? (James 2:12-13)

6. What is the negative command that Jesus give his disciples and Matthew 7:1?

7. Why is it advantageous not to judge others? (Matthew 7:16)

8. What happens to a person that is constantly faultfinding and nitpicking? (Matthew 7:2, Luke 6:37, Proverbs 26:27)

9. What should our “standard of measure” be? (Matthew 7:2)

10. how can you know whether you possess a judgmental spirit? Write the six principles from the following passages. I possess a judgmental spirit when…

  • 1 Corinthians 4:5
  • Romans 14:3-5, 10, 12-13, Colossians 2:16
  • Luke 18:11-14
  • John 7:24, 8:15, 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
  • Romans 2:1
  • Matthew 7:5, 1 Corinthians 11:28, Galatians 6:3-5

11. What part of the human body does Jesus use to illustrate his point that we ought to first examine ourselves? (Matthew 7:35)

12. Why is it so outrageous for the person in Jesus illustration to claim to be an eye surgeon? (Matthew 7:45)

13. What does Jesus call people who find fault with others? (Matthew 7:5a)

14. What does the command in Matthew 7:5 demand of us?

15. What does self-examination involved? (Matthew 7:5b)

16. What does a self-examination prepare us to do? (Matthew 7:5c)

Six Steps to Avoid a Judgmental Spirit:

Step 1 – Do Not be Judgmental (Matthew 7:1a)

What it does NOT forbid…

  • Judging between what is legal in a court of law (Matthew 5:22).
  • Making moral distinctions (Matthew 5:21, 27, John 4:15-18, 8:1-11).
  • Passing judgment on false religious leaders (Matthew 7:15-20, 1 John 4:1–3, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, 1 Corinthians 14-29, Acts 17:11, Revelation 2:2).
  • Deciding where people are in their receptivity to God’s Word (Matthew 7:6, Matthew 10:14, Acts 13:31, 18:5-6).
  • Determining God’s will (Romans 2:18, Philippians 1:10).

In John 7:24, Jesus said, “do not judge according to appearance but judge with the righteous judgment.” This verse presupposes that some kind of judging are not only legitimate but mandated.

What it DOES forbid…

  • Deciding what a person’s motive is without asking (1 Corinthians 4:5).
  • Measuring everyone else by your self-made standards or personal convictions (Romans 14:3–5, 10, 12, 13, Colossians 2:16). “Other may but I cannot,” dealing with gray areas and amoral issues.
  • Justifying yourself by condemning other people (Luke 18:11–14). When I have to elevate myself by lowering others I’m in trouble.
  • Making a first impression based solely upon external appearances (John 7:24, 8:15, 2 Corinthians 5:16–17, 1 Samuel 16:17). Coming down hard on others when you so miserably fail in the same area (Romans 2:1).
  • Quickly judging others before examining oneself (Matthew 7:5, 1 Corinthians 11:28, Galatians 6:3–5, also 1 Corinthians 11:31, 2 Corinthians 13:5).

Step 2 – Be Prepared for the Boomerang Effect Response (Matthew 7:1b-2)

The command “do not judge” is present imperative. This verse ends with the purpose clause, “so that you will not be judged.” Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that critical and picky preachers breed critical and picky congregations. This is not a reference to God’s judgment because he is just and will judge all of us by the eternal standard of his word.

If you want others to judge and condemn you, you start it. If you want them to be understanding, loving, believing, then begin by being that way yourself. A positive attitude is as contagious as the flu. Unfortunately, so are frowns, sighs, cutting sarcasm, and harsh words (Proverbs 26:27)

Jesus says a judgmental spirit has a boomerang effect and it will come back upon the one who was initially judgmental (Matthew 7:2)

Charles Swindoll calls, the Law of a Echoes,” telling the story of a young boy who lived with his grandfather on the top of a mountain in the Swiss Alps. He would often love to hear the sound of his own voice echoing back to him, he would go outside and shout “hello” and the sound would come back “hello, hello, hello.” One Day the boy misbehaved and needed some discipline. The boy resented receiving it so much that he shouted to his grandfather, “I hate you,” and the rocks and boulders across the mountains responded in kind.

Step 3 – Answer the Why and How Questions (Matthew 7:3–4)

Jesus chose the eye to illustrate his teaching because this is one of the most sensitive areas of the human body. Jesus is using colorful hyperbole here. He is exaggerating to make his point vivid. There is no way a log can get stuck, unnoticed, in someone’s eye. Jesus may have even dramatized this point, which would have made this teaching quite humorous.

The word “speck” refers to a little splinter, a small twig, a bit of dried stalk or stick; perhaps like a speck of sawdust. The word “log” refers to a beam that supports the roof of the building. It signifies a large 6×8 beam, a timber cut out of the trunk of a tree. Jesus is describing a timber that is more like a telephone pole than a plank.

Although a speck is small in comparison to a log, it is not an insignificant object to have in the eye. Jesus’ comparison is not between very small sin or fault and one that is large, but between one that is large and one that is gigantic.

The word for “look” is the present tense and stresses the “continuous gaze or focus upon” that speck. Jesus wants them to recognize that they are so quickly to notice, pay attention, or call attention to that speck because it is a little piece of our own log. This suggest that we become most critical of that in others, which is a major problem in ourselves.

The word “notice” means “to perceive clearly, to consider closely, carefully, and thoroughly, to understand fully.” The term conveys the idea of serious, continuous meditation or thought. Jesus is saying in effect, “Why don’t you stop and think about your own sin? Until you have done that how can you confront another about their shortcomings?”

When Jesus asked the question, “How can you say to your brother…” It is like a blind surgeon trying to remove a splinter from someone else’s eye.

Step 4 – Stop Play Acting (Matthew 7:5a)

Jesus accused the person he described in Matthew 7:4 with these words, “you hypocrite.” The word “hypocrite” refers to the Greek and Roman play actors who spoke into large masks with mechanical devices for augmenting the force of their voice. Hypocrites referred to people who are pretending to be somebody or something that they aren’t.

In this context the word hypocrite could refer to the condemning the brother who is guilty of the same sin but has done nothing about it (Romans 2:1, Romans 2:3, Romans 2:17–24, James 4:11–12).

Step 5 – Make it Your First Priority to do Self-examination (Matthew 7:5b)

The Pharisees judged and criticized others to make themselves look good (Luke 18:9–14). In contrast, Christ commands his disciples to judge themselves so that they can help others look good. There is a huge difference. Since the Pharisees didn’t have an adequate definition for sin, they had a very inadequate appreciation of their own faults. If they knew how worthy of blame they themselves were, they would have been less ready to blame others.

Jesus commands us to “first take the log out of our own eye.” The aorist tense denotes urgency, the imperative mood demands immediate action and obedience.

There were two extremes that must be avoided in this matter of self-examination:

Shallow Examination – sometimes we are so sure of ourselves that we fail to examine our hearts honestly and thoroughly. A quick glance into the “mirror of the word” will never reveal our true situation. It’s only when one “looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty” (James 1:25) that he sees what kind of person he really is.

Perpetual Autopsy – sometimes we get so wrapped up in self-examination and introspection we become discouraged, guilt ridden, and defeated. Satan longs to accuse us (Revelation 12:10) and put us on a permanent guilt trip that immobilizes us from active service in the kingdom. We need to acknowledge our sin, own it, morning over it, confessed it, and fully experience God’s forgiveness. (1 John 1:9)

Step 6 – Help Your Brother (Matthew 7:5c)

When you’re able to see clearly, then you’re able to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. When we judge ourselves rightly and deal with the log in our own eye, only then are we able to see clearly enough to help our brother. God wants us to be good listeners but eye surgery involves more than just listening to the patient. Eventually the eye surgeon must do the delicate and tender work of operating on the patients eye. So, the Christian eventually needs to speak into the other lives of other people.

Jesus doesn’t call us to be parakeets but Paracletes who “come beside” our brother to help him. Jesus doesn’t want to us to parakeet our brothers words and say nonjudgmental statements back to a brother caught in a trespass (Galatians 6:1). Jesus instructs us here to discern what is constricting our brother’s vision and to intentionally attempt to remove it.

Discernment versus Judgment:

1. Regarding Personal Sins:

  • A discerning person – One who discerns by thoroughly examining himself before evaluating the actions of others (Galatians 6:4, 1 Corinthians 11:28, 31, 2 Corinthians 13:5).
  • A judgmental person – One who judges by condemning others for their visible problems but fails to realize that their attitude stem from root problems which he himself has not yet overcome. (Romans 2:1, 14:10).

2. Regarding Facts or Evidence:

  • A discerning person – One who discerns by checking the accuracy of all the facts and related factors before reaching a conclusion. (1 Corinthians 2:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 1 John 4:1).
  • A judgmental person – One who judges by forming opinions on first impressions or hearsay, then looks for evidence to confirm his opinions even though the evidence may be out of context. (John 7:24, 51, James 4:11).

3. Regarding Exposure:

  • A discerning person – One who discerns by dealing as privately as possible with the problems he sees. (1 Corinthians 6:5).
    A judgmental person – One who judges by publicly exposing those he condemns. This may cause others to condemn him for having the same route problem such as pride, lack of love, or a critical spirit. (Luke 6:37)

Definitions of Words:

The Root Meaning of Judgment: The Greek verb is used in Scripture to describe the scope and action of judgment. KRINO no means to pass judgment on, to sentence, to mentally or judicial condemn, to conclude, to decide, to determine.

The Root Meaning of Discernment: there are several Greek words to describe the scope and action of discernment.

  1. DOKIMAZO means to test, to examine, to interpret, to discover, to approve, to prove, to demonstrate.
  2. ANAKRINO means to ask questions, to examine, to evaluate, to scrutinize, to investigate, to search out.
  3. DIAKRINO means to make a distinction (between persons), to weigh thoroughly each part.

Take a look at this word study document (by Rick Leineweber) to see the categories of uses of these words in Scripture. [ Go ]

Understanding The Bible Commentary:

Jesus says, Do not judge. The Greek construction (mē plus the present imperative) carries with it the idea of “ceasing what you are now doing.” Judging, in this context, implies a harsh and censorious spirit. If you insist on condemning others, you exclude yourself from God’s forgiveness. Although it is psychologically true that a critical spirit receives from others a harsh response, Jesus is here speaking of final judgment. The NIV correctly translates, “or you too will be judged.”

The admonition not to judge is often taken incorrectly to imply that believers are not to make moral judgments about anyone or anything. That this is not what was intended is clear from Matthew 7:15–20, which warn of false prophets who can be known by the fruit they bear. Jesus does not ask us to lay aside our critical faculties but rather to resist the urge to speak harshly of others. The issue is serious in that God will judge us by the same standard we apply to others. This rather frightening truth should change the way in which we tend to view other people’s failings.

Matthew 7:3–5 present the ludicrous picture of someone with a long beam or rafter protruding from his eye trying to extract a tiny chip of dried wood (or perhaps a speck of dust) from the eye of another. Obviously we are dealing with Eastern hyperbole (like Matthew 19:24, with its scene of a camel going through the eye of a needle!). How hypocritical to be concerned with the minor fault of another in view of one’s own personal failure. Taken in an unqualified sense, this would put a complete stop to helping others with their moral difficulties. Undoubtedly it is intended to restrict hypocritical correction of others rather than to prohibit all helpful correction.

Matthew 7:6 is proverbial and difficult to interpret in its present context. Dogs and hogs are derogatory terms applied to the Gentiles. Some think that in the present context they refer to all who are not disciples of Jesus. Probably the words should be understood in a more general way as counsel against sharing spiritual truth with those who are unable and unwilling to accept it. Practically, it would be unthinkable to take sacred food and give it to dogs or valuable pearls and feed them to pigs. The point is, use discretion as you share the truth of God with others.

Matthew 7:7–11 – Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:5–15) Matthew brought together a portion of Jesus’ teaching on the subject of prayer. Now he expands it by stressing how important it is for believers to be persistent in prayer. The present imperatives, “keep on asking,” “keep on seeking,” and “keep on knocking” indicate that prayer is not a semi-passive ritual in which we occasionally share our concerns with God. In Luke, the narrative is immediately preceded by the story of the man awakened from sleep at midnight by an importunate neighbor who needs bread to feed a guest (Luke 11:5–8). Prayer requires stamina and persistence. Divine delays do not indicate reluctance on God’s part. In the time of waiting we learn patience, and the intensity of our desire is put to the test. God, through Jeremiah, told the exiles in Babylon, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). It is those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” that are satisfied (Matthew 5:6).

Jesus now reasons that since earthly fathers who are less than perfect will not mock a child who asks for food, does it not follow that God will give good things to those who ask? Jesus is not making a theological statement about absolute human goodness but is drawing a comparison between parents’ natural acts of kindness toward their children and the perfection of God’s generosity toward those who seek his favor.

Matthew 7:12 – This verse is commonly called the Golden Rule. In its negative form it is found in many ancient cultures. Confucius said, “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” In the fourth century B.C., the Athenian orator Isocrates said, “Whatever angers you when you suffer it at the hands of others, do not do it to others.” Apparently it never was stated in the positive form (Do to others what you would have them do to you) by anyone before Jesus. Some writers hold that the shift from negative to positive is without any particular significance. However, in its negative form the Golden Rule could be satisfied by doing nothing. The positive form moves us to action on behalf of others; it calls us to do for others all those things that we would appreciate being done for us. Now we have moved from justice to active benevolence. This kind of outgoing and dynamic concern for others sums up the Law and the Prophets (cf. Weymouth). It is “the essence of all true religion” (Phillips). The Golden Rule brings into focus the ethical intent that lay behind all the Old Testament legislation on matters of interpersonal relationships. The law of love is the ultimate expression of the ethical teaching of both law and prophetic injunction (Matthew 5:17).

This last section is from, Mounce, R. H. (2011). Matthew.
Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (64–67). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

How to Set Priorities

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Our passage for today is Matthew 6:25-34 – the commands are DO NOT BE ANXIOUS (Matthew 6:25, Luke 12:22), LOOK (Matthew 6:26), OBSERVE (Matthew 6:28), SEEK (Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:31), CONSIDER (Luke 12:27, 29), DO NOT SEEK, DO NOT KEEP WORRYING (Luke 12:29), DO NOT BE AFRAID (Luke 12:32). Worry distracts from the Word (Matthew 13:22, Mark 4:19, Luke 8:14, 10:41). See also Philippians 4:6, 2:20, 1 Peter 5:7, 1 Corinthians 7:32, 33, 34, 12:25, 2 Corinthians 11:28).

Group Questions:

1. What would you do with the money if you won $1 million in a lump sum, or $50,000 per year for 20 years?

2. What does your answer reveal about your priorities? (Matthew 6:21)

3. Do you think that long-term savings, retirement plans, insurance policies, and real estate holdings reduce our sense of dependence on God? Do they give us missed placed security? (Matthew 6:19-20)

4. How does the issue of stockpiling things (Matthew 6:19-24 relate to our command passage on worry? (Matthew 6:25-34)

5. What is the root meaning of the word anxious? (Matthew 6:25, 27, 28, 31, 34)

6. What three aspects of life to people worry about more than anything else? (Matthew 6:25, 27)

7. Why are we commanded to look at the birds? (Matthew 6:26, Job 38:41a, Psalm 147:9b)

8. What did Jesus say in Matthew 6:27 that were he was in capable of accomplishing?

9. Why are we commanded to observe help the lilies of the field grow? (Matthew 6:28, 29, 30)

10. What phrase did Jesus frequently used to describe his disciples when they were filled with anxiety or fear? (Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, Luke 12:28)

11. What characteristic of God should eliminate any need for anxiety on our part? (Matthew 6:31, 32, Luke 12:30b)

12. What does God want us to do when we are anxious about something? (Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:7)

13. Who are the Gentiles? Why do they seek after the necessities of life? (Matthew 6:32a, Luke 12:30a)

14: how should we prioritize our lives if we want God to tend to our private concerns? (Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:31)

15. Why is it wrong to worry about tomorrow? (Matthew 6:33)

How to Set Priorities and Overcome Anxiety:

1. Invest in your eternal portfolio for the future (Matthew 6:19-24)

Our response to these two commands will determine our focus (Matthew 6:22-23) The lamp or lens of the body is the eye, it is our only means of vision. It’s through the eye that the body finds its way. If our vision is clear, which means the single, undivided, then the entire person has direction. When Jesus refers to the eye being bad, he’s probably using the Jewish colloquialism that means grudging or stingy. (Deuteronomy 15:9, hostile, Proverbs 23:6, selfish) hey man with an evil eye is one who chases after wealth (Proverbs 28:22).

Our response to these two commands will determine our service (Matthew 6:24). John Calvin said, “when riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost his authority.” The orders of the two masters are diametrically opposed and cannot coexist.

2. Take time to get an eternal perspective (Matthew 6:25-32)

The words “for this reason” look back to the previous verses (Matthew 6:19-24) that warned against stockpiling material things, which would ultimately monopolize our focus and become our master. When we become a slave to material things, we don’t own our possessions, they own us. Material things become a distraction to ministry. It appears that Jesus’ disciples were anxious about their future and these basic provisions.

The word “worry” literally means, “to divide, part, rip or tear apart.” The Greek word is generic and can be used in a positive way or a negative way. This God-given emotion when used in a positive way is the best translated “concern” or “care” and it describes an emotional energy that is available to tear apart the problems that we are facing today. You cannot turn this emotion on or off but you can turn it around or redirect it. Here are a few examples of this emotion directed in a positive way (2 Corinthians 11:28, Philippians 2:19-21, 1 Corinthians 12:25).

When you are concerned, that concern begins to mobilize the energies in your body. The adrenaline surges through your bloodstream. You find your muscles begin to tighten, you begin to get ready to do things, and you are prepared for action. But if you’re concerned is directed toward the future, tomorrow rather than today, all that emotional energy that is designed to tear up the problems now begins to tear you up. This is why people that worry get stomach ulcers. All sorts of chemicals begin sloshing around inside of their stomachs. Those chemicals begin to eat at the lining of the stomach walls.

Anxiety may will be the most common psychiatric disorder in the United States. Some 65% of all new prescriptions that physicians write are for anxiety. As many as 4% of the population suffers from anxiety disorder, with 2% experiencing panic attacks.

A. There are two ways this emotion is used negatively. The first way this emotions can be used in a sinful way is when it focuses on temporal values or things of lesser importance. This worry is a dividing care, distracting the heart from the true objective of life (Matthew 13:22, Luke 10:38-42).

Noticed that “the many things” over which Martha is worried is contrasted with the “one thing” that is necessary. Even in our daily responsibilities there is a priority list of concerns. Our value system normally controls our choices.

What one thing is necessary for you to do today? If you could only do one thing what would it be? Martha appears to be driven by her anxious spirit over many things related to entertaining her Lord, but Mary had learned how to choose what was most important. Mary understood that the master wanted to feed them spiritually but Martha was worried about feeding the master.

B. The second way that this emotion can be used in a sinful way is when we become anxious about tomorrow or the future. It is sinful because it distracts us from the responsibilities of today and focuses our attention on something that we can do nothing about and that we cannot even be sure about. The New Testament instructs us to take these kinds of worries to God in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:7).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses the disciples anxiety about three things:

FOOD (Matthew 6:25-26) – in our society people determine how secure they are by how much they have stored up, which is a little crazy because who knows how much is enough. One person has $10,000 in the bank and feels a day away from destruction while another has $100,000 and he’s paranoid. Then there is a little, trusting, child of God who has $100 in the bank and feels secure for the rest of his life.

If your security is in that what you have in the bank, you don’t have security at all because recession, inflation, depression, war, health problems, and your security disappears.

Jesus is simply saying that humans are more important than birds. What is got done for the birds? He created them and he sustains them. What has God done for humans? He’s made them in his image, sent his son to die on their behalf. Do you see the point? If God created and sustains the birds, what will he do for those he has saved and adopted into his family?

FUTURE (Matthew 6:27) – worry could be related to longevity. We shouldn’t worry about our life expectancy either. Our culture is obsessed with trying to lengthen life. We exercise, we carefully, supplement our diet with vitamins and minerals, get regular check ups, and countless other things in the hopes of adding a few more years to life. Yet God has an appointment for man to die, you don’t die early or late (Hebrews 9:27).

FASHION (Matthew 6:28-30) – Jesus wants us to “observe” because he wants us to study their growth process and the way God clothes these beautiful flowers. The Lily was the wildflower the graces the hillside and fields of Galilee. Those beautiful decorations of nature make no effort to grow and have no part in designing or coloring themselves. Despite their beauty, flowers are not eternal. These verses say that they are here today and tomorrow they’re gone.

Worry is not a trivial little issue because it questions God’s love and faithfulness, or it declares our heavenly father to be untrustworthy in his word and promises. This is why on four other occasions Jesus rebuked his disciples with the phrase, “you of little faith” (Matthew 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, Luke 12:28).

Worry is something that is characteristic of the heathen, not the child of God. The heathen should worry. They don’t have the heavenly father. The gods of the gentiles were man-made gods, inspired by Satan. They were gods of fear, dread, and appeasement who demanded much, promised little, and provided nothing. Our Heavenly Father provides everything that we need.

The word “knows” the note a full knowledge. It is in the perfect tense. God knows your need now, he has known them in the past. God has never said “oh no, one of my children has a need down there, I almost forgot about him.” That never would happen because God knows your needs intimately.

3. Seek his rule and character in your life (Matthew 6:33)

The command in this verse is to continually be seeking (present tense) God’s rule (kingdom) and character (righteousness) in our lives and ministries. This is to be our first priority. A priority is a value that has surfaced to the top. Since we have so many competing values in our lives, it is important to be very intentional about setting this as our top priority.

We are commanded to seek his kingdom and righteousness. This means to “seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after.” It also means to try “to obtain, desire to possess.”

Jesus makes a conditional promise in the spurs to take care of our basic needs, but it’s contingent on whether we are advancing his kingdom as our first priority.

4. Give attention to the priorities of today (Matthew 6:34)

Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles. Worry is like rocking in a rocking chair. It does a lot of work, but you don’t get anywhere. When we focus on tomorrow, we were robbed of the emotional energy that we need to tear up today’s concerns, which then makes our troubles of tomorrow compounded.

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

How to Reconcile Relationships

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Wow, we have now come to the third command in this Adult Stage or Equip Level of disciplemaking, on how to reconcile relationships in Matthew 5:21-26. The commands (each present imperative) are found in Matthew 5:23, 25 – LEAVE, GO first BE RECONCILED, MAKE friends quickly. We find this also outside of the gospels (Acts 9:36, 26:18, 1 Corinthians 7:11, 2 Timothy 3:3).

Questions to Consider:

1. Do you tend to internalize or ventilate anger?

2. What do you do when you become aware that someone is angry at you?

3. When is it better to just let a matter lie? (Proverbs 10:12, 17:9, 19:11, Colossians 3:13, 1 Peter 4:8)

4. What Type of anger are we justified in having? What type is Jesus condemning? (Ephesians 4:26)

5. Why is it important to deal with anger as soon as possible? (Ephesians 4:27)

6. Have you ever broken the the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17, Matthew 5:21)

7. With whom was Jesus contrasting his teaching? (Matthew 5:22)

8. Is verbal homicide as serious before God as physically killing someone? (Matthew 5:21-22)

9. Is Jesus condemning all uses of the word, “fool?” (Matthew 12:34, 15:19, Mark 7:21, Matthew 23:17)

10. Where did the expression “the fiery hell” (literally, Gehenna of fire) come from? (Matthew 5:22)

11. Who is liable for the same punishment as an actual murderer? (Matthew 5:22, 1 John 3:15)

12. What two illustrations does Jesus use to expose the seriousness of anger? (Matthew 5:23-26)

13. Why is it important to be reconciled based on these two illustrations?

14. What commands does Jesus give to us whether we are the innocent or guilty party? (Matthew 5:24-25)

15. Are some people irreconcilable? What are we to do then? (1 Corinthians 7:11, 2 Timothy 3:3, Proverbs 18:19, Romans 12:18)

Exegesis:

Matthew 5:21, You have heard the ancients were told – These were rabbis and scribes who came up with the many traditions that became burdensome, which had virtually replaced the authority of Scripture. Jesus refers to the traditional interpretations of scriptural commands.

Matthew 5:21, you shall not commit murder – This is straight from the Ten Commandments, and Jesus had already affirmed his support for the Law (Matthew 5:17). His problem was how the ancients interpreted the law, as merely taking a human life. Genesis 9:6 affirms this principle long before there was any Law of Moses. “Murder” in the NASB and “kill” in the KJV do not refer to capital punishment (apparently a divine allowance against those who take an innocent life, essentially to commit murder). Killing is permitted in a just war, according to divine plan, and is permitted in the case of self-defense, because we all have the right to protect the image of God in our lives and the lives of others when they are assaulted or attacked by those who would kill them. Nor does this refer to accidental deaths, according to Deuteronomy 19).

Matthew 5:22, but I say to you – The law goes much deeper than just our actions, it addresses the attitude of the heart. The attitude behind murder is hate or anger (Matthew 5:22, 15:19, 1 John 3:15). Anger is a God given emotion that when misused will tear us up or tear up others.

  1. Tearing up Others: Vented Anger (Proverbs 12:16, 14:29, 15:18, 16:32, 29:11, 29:22, Galatians 5:19-20)
  2. Tear up Ourselves: Internalized Anger (Ephesians 4:31, Proverbs 30:33)

The command in Ephesians 4:26 is to be angry, yet do not sin, and don’t let the sun go down on your anger. When we don’t express our anger it becomes a toxic waste of bitterness, resentment, and holding grudges. We can bury it, but it will eventually leak. In Ephesians 4:27, such anger gives the devil an opportunity or beachhead, the word actually means “place” or “foothold.”

Matthew 5:22, Saying raca (or good for nothing) shall be guilty before the court – basically unable to escape the punishment of the court. “Fool” literally means “Empty-headed” or “brainless idiot.” It was a word of arrogant contempt. Jesus suggested here that the verbal abuse stems from the same sinful motives (anger and hatred) that ultimately lead to murder. The internal attitude is what the law actually prohibits, and therefore an abusive insult carries the same kind of moral guilt as an act of murder.

Although there is a progression in the evil attitudes cited, Jesus intends to show that behind the overt act of murder is the disposition of anger, hostility, or contempt. Although attitudes may not be tried in court, they are as dangerous as the overt acts of wrong for which one is tried in court or for which one stands in danger of hell fire, unless one experiences God’s forgiveness in Christ.

Matthew 5:22, the fiery hell – This is a reference to the Hinnom Valley, southwest of Jerusalem. Ahaz and Manasseh permitted human sacrifices there during their reigns (2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6, Jeremiah 7:31, Ezekiel 16:20, 23:37), and therefore it was called “The Valley of Slaughter” (Jeremiah 19:6). In Jesus’ day, it was a garbage dump where fires burned continually and was thus an apt symbol of eternal fire. Josiah abolished these practices and defiled the area by making it a dumping ground for executed criminals (2 Kings 23:10). Later, this valley has eschatological references (Matthew 10:28, 23:15, 33, 18:9) dealing with punishment.

Matthew 5:23, presenting your offering at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you – The point is “suddenly” remember (aorist, passive subjunctive) where subjunctive affirms the possibility; it assumes the idea is NOT a fact but may become one. The passive indicate the subject is being acted upon, receiving the action. So, the subject is you and God is causing you to remember something. We often don’t take such initiatives in relationships, but God will bring to mind what we are to do, because unresolved anger in the heart hinders worship. We are preoccupied with hatred or anger of the other person who has offended us, but this passage tells us to be equally concerned for when we provoke anger in others intentionally or unintentionally.

Reconciliation is important because it can become intensive and explosive. Anger distorts facts. The longer we wait to resolve a situation the more distorted and exaggerated the situation becomes in the eyes of the offended one and minimized in the eyes of the offender.

  1. In Matthew 5:23-24, the one with the gift may be innocent, the fault may be on the one who holds the anger against him (so his anger stands in the way of him worshiping).
  2. In Matthew 5:25-26, the one who is about to deliver someone to the judge is becoming angrier over time and will demand satisfactory restitution.

It is interesting to note that Jesus is not give steps to dealing with OUR anger, but with OUR offense that has provoked anger in someone else.

We are to make friends or agree quickly. Jesus calls for reconciliation to be sought eagerly, aggressively, quickly, even if it involves self-sacrifice. It is better to be wronged than to allow a dispute between brethren to be a cause for dishonoring Christ (1 Corinthians 6:7). Our adversary is the opponent in a law case. Prison would mean debtor’s prison, where the person could work to earn back what he had defrauded.

Therefore, we get to the commands…

LEAVE (aorist imperative) your offering – Leaving immediately, aorist stresses urgency.

GO (present imperative) – When communicating to an angry person it is important to speak softly (Proverbs 15:1).

First BE RECONCILED (aorist passive imperative) to your brother – “First” stresses that reconciliation takes priority over worship, but leaving the gift anticipates the worshiper returning after obeying the command. This is not an isolated teaching on reconciliation (Acts 7:26, 1 Corinthians 7:11).

Reconciliation among people refers to mutual concession after mutual hostility. The Bible teaches that God does not need to be reconciled to us, but we must be reconciled to God (Romans 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 20, Ephesians 2:16, Colossians 1:20, 22). God is not hostile toward us, we are hostile toward God.
Some people are irreconcilable (2 Timothy 3:1-3, Romans 12:18).

And then COME and PRESENT (present active imperative) your offering – Once he returns to the temple, resume presenting the offering.

MAKE friends quickly (present imperative) with your opponent… – The Message reads 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.” To make friends means to settle the account quickly before he faces judgment.

The Age of Rage:

Defining Anger

  • It is a God given emotion
  • We are commanded to be angry at some things (Ephesians 4:26)
  • The anger of Jesus (Mark 3:5, Hebrews 4:15)
  • The anger of men (James 1:20)

Mismanagement of Anger (Ephesians 4:27) It all starts when the enemy gets a foothold, stronghold, beachhead, opportunity.

Sources of Anger

  • Immature love (1 Corinthians 13:5) Agape does not get angry.
  • Psychological abuse (Proverbs 15:1)
  • Learned behavior (Proverbs 22:24-25)
  • Unwilling to deal with first emotions (anger is the second emotion, jealousy is the first emotion)
    • Cain’s anger with Able (Genesis 4:5)
    • Jacob’s anger with Rachel (Genesis 30:1-2)
    • Simon and Levi’s anger with Dinah’s rape (Genesis 34:7-25)
    • Jacob’s anger over Joseph’s favoritism (Genesis 37:4, 18)
    • Predisposition or sinful nature (John 8:44, 2 Peter 1:4)

Assessment of Anger

  • Acknowledge your angry feeling.
  • Backtrack to the first emotion
  • Confess sinful anger (1 John 1:9)
    • Sinful anger nurses a grudge (Ephesians 4:31) It is connected to rights.
    • Sinful anger has outbursts (Proverbs 29:11, 22b) Good anger is in control.
    • Sinful anger goes to bed upset (Ephesians 4:26) This anger is unused, or did not attack the problem.
      • We either bottle it up or we blow up.
      • Deal with the problem while it is fresh, hot, don’t delay or avoid.
      • The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

Being a Contagious Christian

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This is the second command at the Adult Stage or the Equip Level of disciple-making. Last week was on persecution and handling false accusations, and today it is how to be salt and light in the world; how to be a contagious Christian and a person of influence.

Read Matthew 5:13-16

We find our main command in Matthew 5:16 (LET your light shine), Mark 9:50 (HAVE salt in yourselves), Luke 11:35 (WATCH out). The book of Acts illustrates this principle (Acts 9:36, 26:18), and the letters, too (Philippians 2:15, Colossians 4:6, 1 Peter 2:12).

After the beatitudes, Jesus shifts from pronouncements of blessing to instructions about His “new law” (see Matthew 5:21 for example). He compares His followers to salt and light, elements commonly used as metaphors in Jesus’ day. His point in this section is to show that disciples who fail to live a kingdom lifestyle are like something tasteless or devoid of light—undesirable and of no value.

Salt was a sign of God’s covenant with Israel (see Leviticus 2:13). It is a preservative, a flavor enhancer, and a purifying agent. Jews called the law the salt of the earth. Jesus claimed that His disciples exerted this influence. Numbers 18:19 and 2 Chronicles 13:5 speak of “a covenant of salt,” possibly describing the covenant God had established with Israel as one He would preserve forever.

Pure salt cannot lose its flavor or effectiveness, but the salt that is common in the Dead Sea area is contaminated with gypsum and other minerals and may have a flat taste or be ineffective as a preservative. Such mineral salts were useful for little more than keeping footpaths free of vegetation.

Having Lost its Savor:

The kindred noun (μωρός) means dull, sluggish;

  • applied to the mind, stupid or silly;
  • applied to the taste, insipid, flat.

The verb here used of salt, to become insipid, also means to play the fool. Our Lord refers here to the familiar fact of salt losing its pungency and becoming useless.

Dr. Thompson (“The Land and the Book”) cites the following case: “A merchant of Sidon, having farmed of the government the revenue from the importation of salt, brought over a great quantity from the marshes of Cyprus—enough, in fact, to supply the whole province for many years. This he had transferred to the mountains, to cheat the government out of some small percentage of duty. Sixty-five houses were rented and filled with salt. Such houses have merely earthen floors, and the salt next the ground was in a few years entirely spoiled. I saw large quantities of it literally thrown into the road to be trodden under foot of men and beasts. It was ‘good for nothing.’ ”

Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Matthew 5:13). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

As preservatives, disciples are to hinder the world’s corruption. The salt deposits along the Dead Sea contain not just sodium chloride but a variety of other minerals as well. This salt can become good for nothing when the rain washes out its saltiness over the years (see Colossians 2:20).

Christians in the World:

The word “world” in the New Testament is sometimes used as in the Old Testament to mean this earth, the good natural order that God created. Usually, however, it designates humanity as a whole, now fallen into sin and moral disorder, radically opposed to God. People in the world incur guilt and shame by their misuse of created things. Paul can even speak of creation itself yearning for deliverance from the evil occasioned by the fall of Adam and Eve (Rom. 8:20–23).

Christians are sent into the world of fallen humanity by their Lord (John 17:18) to witness to it about God’s Messiah and His kingdom (Matthew 24:14, Romans 10:18, Colossians 1:6, 23) and to serve its needs. But they are to do so without…

  1. Falling victim to its materialism (Matthew 6:19–24, 32)
  2. Its lack of concern about God and eternity (Luke 12:13–21)
  3. Its pursuit of pleasure and status above all else (1 John 2:15–17).

The outlook and mindset of human societies reflect more of the pride seen in Satan, who for now continues to influence them (John 14:30, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 1 John 5:19, Luke 4:5–7), than the humility seen in Christ. Christians are to empathize with people’s anxieties and needs in order to serve them and communicate God’s love for them effectively.

Christians are to consider themselves pilgrims in this fallen world, through which they momentarily pass as they travel home to God (1 Peter 2:11). The Bible sanctions neither monastic withdrawal from this world (John 17:15) nor worldliness (Titus 2:12). Jesus encourages His disciples to match the ingenuity of the unredeemed who use their resources to further their goals, but specifies that the disciples’ proper goals have to do, not with earthly security, but with heavenly glory (Luke 16:9).

Christians are to be different from those around them, observing God’s moral absolutes, practicing love, and not losing their dignity as bearers of God’s image (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:17–24, Colossians 3:5–11). Separation from fallen humanity’s values and lifestyles is a prerequisite for practicing Christlikeness in positive terms (Ephesians 4:25–5:17).

The Christian’s appointed task, therefore, is threefold:

  1. The church’s main mandate is evangelism (Matthew 28:19, 20, Luke 24:46–48), and every Christian must seek to further the conversion of unbelievers, not least by the example of one’s own changed life (1 Peter 2:12).
  2. The church is to love their neighbors and should constantly lead the Christian into deeds of mercy for all people, believers and unbelievers alike.
  3. Finally, Christians are called to fulfill the “cultural mandate” that God gave to mankind at creation (Genesis 1:28–30, Psalm 8:6–8). Humanity was created to manage God’s world, and this stewardship is part of the human vocation in Christ, with God’s honor and the good of others as its goal. The Protestant “work ethic” is essentially a religious discipline, the fulfillment of a divine “calling” to be stewards of God’s creation.

Knowing that God in providential kindness and forbearance continues, in the face of human sin, to preserve and enrich His erring world (Acts 14:16, 17), Christians are to involve themselves in all forms of lawful human activity. By acting in accord with Christian values they will become salt (a preservative agent) and light (an illumination that shows the way) in the human community (Matthew 5:13–16). As Christians thus fulfill their vocation, they will transform the cultures around them.

Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version. Nashville: T. Nelson.

Sulfa Drugs and Streetlights:

Following Christ goes far beyond private spirituality. It also involves a believer’s public life, particularly through work and participation in the community. Jesus used two metaphors to describe that dynamic: salt (Matthew 5:13) and light (Matthew 5:14–16).

In Jesus’ day, salt was used to preserve foods like fish from decay. In the same way, believers can help to preserve society from moral and spiritual decay. Of course, in our culture, salt has given way to chemical preservatives (many of which have come under attack in recent years for their alleged role in causing cancer). So Jesus might use a different metaphor were He speaking today.

Perhaps He would talk in terms of an infection-fighting drug, such as an antibiotic like penicillin, or the sulfa drugs developed in the 1940s that have proved so valuable in fighting meningitis and pneumonia. Christians can help to ward off spiritual infections and diseases in the larger society. One of the most powerful arenas for influence is the workplace, particularly jobs that affect values, laws, and public opinion. That’s why believers need to pursue careers in education, government, and journalism, among many others. They may not be able to transform the entire society, but they can use whatever influence they have to promote Christlike values and hinder evil.

Jesus also called His followers “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), an image that fits perfectly into modern society. The Lord’s first-century listeners would be astonished at the availability and importance of light in our culture. We use it not only to illuminate but also to communicate. Thus, Jesus wants us as His followers to shine, to be visible and attractive, not to bring attention to ourselves, but to bring people to God (Matthew 5:16). Again, our vocations are one of the primary means we have to reflect Christ to others.

Jesus’ teaching here challenges us as His followers to ask:

  1. How are we engaging our society?
  2. What spiritual infections are we fighting to overcome?
  3. What positive changes are we trying to promote?
  4. What impact for God are we having through our work?
  5. Have we lost our saltiness (Matthew 5:13)?
  6. Are we standing like burned-out streetlights, ineffective and waiting to be removed? Or are we shining brilliantly with the love and truth of Christ?

Word in life study Bible. 1996 (electronic ed.) (Mt 5:13). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Questions Regarding Christian Influence:

1. Since coming to Christ, do you have a greater influence on the world around you or does it have a greater influence on you?

2. Without what positive attitude would we become isolated from the world (Matthew 5:11-12)? Rejoicing and being glad. When persecution comes because we are Christians, and the world casts insults at us, without this positive attitude, we would huddle up and avoid the world for the sake of self-preservation and avoidance of persecution.

3. Do you spend more or less time with friends that you had before you followed Christ?

4. In what ways do you see yourself as a difference maker in your spheres of influence (work, neighborhood, extended family, marketplace)?

5. What is the first step in Christ’s simple strategy to make a difference in the world (Matthew 5:13, Colossians 4:16, Luke 4:22)?

6. What happens when your talk doesn’t match your walk (Matthew 5:13)? Your Christian witness is damaged. Tasteless salt is good for nothing but to be thrown out sand trampled underfoot, which happens to the believer who lives contrary to the claims of Christ. This is a false profession of faith. The person is claiming to be a follower of Christ yet has no lifestyle to back up that claim.

I’m not talking about verbal witnessing. The fact is that we are ALL witnesses if we profess to be followers and disciples of Jesus; the issue is whether we will be GOOD witnesses or BAD witnesses.

7. What did people do with contaminated salt in the first century Palestine (Matthew 5:13)? They would throw it away as unusable; it was no longer useful in the purpose for which it was created.

8. What is the second step in Christ’s strategy for making an impact on our world (Matthew 5:14-16, Philippians 2:15)? We are the light of the world, setting an example of righteousness. Those without Christ are lost and dying is a world of darkness looking for hope. Imagine walking through your house with no power, no streetlamp, no night light, no moon light, no candles… in total darkness. Remember the joy as the power returns, the fear dissipates, the darkness flees, we are again part of a community in view of one another.

9. Jesus refers to what good works (Matthew 5:16, Ephesians 2:10, Titus 2:14)? These are OUR good works; yet these works are not for OUR benefit. They reveal a deeper relationship we have with the living God. God affects not only our theology, but our sociology. We live in a world that need

10. How do you feel when someone does something extraordinarily unselfish for you just because you matter a lot to God and them? Do you have an example to share?

11. Jesus came to not only seek and save, but also to do what (Matthew 20:28, Luke 19:10)?

12. What is the purpose of letting our light shine (Matthew 5:16, 1 Peter 2:12)?

13. What is the lie we believe that hinders us from adopting the strategy of Jesus (Matthew 5:15)?

Relational Network Diagram“The pulpit, not the media, is to be the most powerful voice in our land.” Bill Gothard

How to Become a Contagious Christian: (Hybels and Mittelberg, 1994)

HP + CP + CC = MI
High Potency + Close Proximity + Clear Communication = Maximum Impact

1. Develop a Contagious Christian character: Difference makers are highly potent in Christian character.

Here is how The Messages translates Matthew 5:13… Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

The ATTRACTIVENESS of authenticity (honest, truthful, genuine) – Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and SINCERITY of heart (Acts 2:46). We must be authentic in identity, emotional life, confession, living by conviction (in class I will tell about my Marine friend trained to correctly make up his bunk).

The PULL of compassion…

  • Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” (Luke 10:36-37)
  • Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” (Mark 1:41)
  • But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13)
  • But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. (Matthew 12:7)
  • “A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to victory. (Matthew 12:20)

The STRENGTH of sacrifice… small investments make big dividends. Sacrifices move people, melting the heart, they stop in their tracks and ask, “Why would you go out of your way for me?”

  • And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:16)
  • So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:10)

2. Build Spiritually Strategic Relationships: Difference makers are in close proximity with lost people; there is no impact without contact.

Radical identification while maintaining a radical difference… (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11, 17:25, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, 3:19, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 6:12, James 1:27, 1 John 2:15-17).

  • “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. (John 17:6)
  • I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15)
  • As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. (John 17:18)

Rubbing shoulders with irreligious people…

  • The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:19)
  • For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (Hebrews 7:26)

“Unconventional approaches that strategically mix the spiritual “haves” and “have-nots” are not merely acceptable; they are essential to God’s redemptive efforts.” – Bill Hybels (Super Bowl parties, Valentine’s Day parties)

3. Do ministry outside the four walls of the church: difference makers have a healthy ministry image and presence in their community. Here is the life of Jesus…

  • Jesus was invited to come and do ministry (John 4:45-47).
  • The new spread quickly (Luke 4:14, Matthew 4:24, Mark 7:36-37, Luke 7:11, 16-18).
  • People came from all over to hear him (Luke 6:17-19, 8:4, Mark 6:31, Matthew 15:3).
  • People were “wowed” (Luke 5:27, Mark 2:12, 5:20, Matthew 9:33, 15:31, Mark 7:37).
  • People immediately recognized him (high profile, Mark 6:54-56).
  • This kind of influence was repeated in the early church (Acts 2:47).

A healthy ministry image affects three areas:

  1. The degree to which people will learn.
  2. The intensity level people will have in identifying with the cause of the group.
  3. The amount of effort people will expend in bringing others into the group.

All of this is called, “attractional” but let’s look at four characteristics of Jesus’ ministry that fueled his healthy ministry image:

  1. A clear mission (Mark 1:38, Luke 4:43, 19:10, Matthew 20:28). He did not waiver in his mission; he was focused and clear. He was about making disciples who would take the mission and carry it on from generation to generation.
  2. A message of hope (Luke 4:18, Matthew 4:17). Jesus offered words of life, the good news. He spoke it with authority and grace proclaiming the time is fulfilled and the kingdom is at hand (Mark 1:15).
  3. A lifestyle of grace and truth (John 1:14, Luke 4:22). His words were full of grace yet full of truth, a winning combination.
  4. An attitude of expectancy (Matthew 6:30, 14:31, 16:8, 17:20, also Matthew 18:10, 15:28). Jesus was always dependent on the Father and constantly expected supernatural workings of the Spirit. He also challenged people to have great faith.

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

Jesus Values Availability

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We have finally come to the last command in the Youth stage, or the Build level of disciple-making. Availability is crucial to the mission of Jesus; no matter how gifted someone is, or knowledgeable of the Scripture, or talented, or popular… they cannot be used of God if they are not available.

The purpose for today is to encourage believers to respond to the call to follow Christ in being trained in evangelism without looking for the perfect alibi, excuse, or reason why they cannot serve. God wants wholehearted volunteers, rather than those who are reluctant, delaying, defensive, or putting it off. Availability is more rare than ability. The worker shortage in the church is not because the church is not full of capable people. It is because the church is full of people who are unwilling to rearrange their schedule around eternal values.

Something else we see in this lesson: Jesus continues to develop another generation of disciples (at the Youth stage or Build level) at the same time he was pouring into the lives of the Twelve (at the Adult stage or Equip level). Volunteers may drop off with excuses, but we must continue to recruit others along the way. After the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem (John 7:11-8:9) Jesus appointed 72 volunteers (Luke 10:1 – there are 72 according to the NIV and NLT, the NASB indicates 70). Perhaps the 72 workers were recruited by the Twelve when they went out two by two (6 [3 groups of 2] X 12 = 72). The first thing Jesus teaches these new recruits is to pray for more workers for the harvest field (Luke 10:2).

Background: Jesus’ ministry turns toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) and on the way he is rejected by the Samaritans as he was passing through (Luke 9:52-56). James and John wanted to call down fire on them (Luke 9:54) but Jesus uses this as an opportunity to reinforce his ministry and mission (Luke 9:56). Three would-be followers approach Jesus but he is steady on the fact that his followers cannot waiver concerning service in the kingdom.

Here are the commands at this point: FOLLOW Me & ALLOW (Matthew 8:22), FOLLOW & ALLOW, GO & PROCLAIM (Luke 9:59-60). We see this outside of the gospels (Acts 13:5, 15:36-41, 2 Timothy 4:10-11).

Opening:

  1. What was your favorite excuse for not doing something?
  2. How does Jesus respond to the excuses of these three men (Luke 9:57, 59, 61)?
  3. Of these excuses, which might you be tempted to use (comfort, social obligation, family concerns)?

Read Luke 9:57-62, 14:16-24

1. How would you define availability? Perhaps, “Making my own schedule and priorities secondary to the wishes of those I am called to serve” versus self-contentedness (Philippians 2:3-4, 20-21). Availability does not mean that you have lots of time on your hands; it requires managing your schedule and saying “no” to some good things so you can do what is best. Our two passages today mention many people who gave Jesus a bunch of excuses.

2. How do we know this passage is a call to serve and not a call to discipleship (Matthew 8:21, Luke 9:62, 10:1-2)? The three men in Matthew’s story were already disciples (Matthew 8:21). The word for “another” implies that the scribe (Matthew 8:19) and the man who wanted to bury his father are both already followers of Jesus. Each of these people were invited to be trained in evangelism and to work in the harvest field. The plow was a symbol of work. When they gave excuses for their unavailability, Jesus recruited 70 others for the work (Luke 10:1).

3. How did Peter and John display availability (Matthew 4:19-20)? They immediately left their nets (Matthew 4:20, Mark 1:18, Luke 5:11).

4. What name might you give these three unnamed disciples?

Mr. Too Quick (Luke 9:57-58)

  • How does Matthew describe Mr. Too Quick (Matthew 8:19-20, Luke 9:57-58)? Matthew identifies him as a scribe (Matthew 8:19) and a disciple (Matthew 8:21). Scribes were highly educated authorities of the Jewish Law and closely associated with the Pharisees.
  • What do you think was Mr. Too Quick’s motive for volunteering to serve (Luke 9:58)? His motive may have been popularity or fame. As an OT scholar he probably thought that by accompanying Jesus on his mission, he would share in the glory or fame of his kingdom. Jesus used the term, “Son of Man” to identify himself with the predictions of Daniel 7:13-14. Jesus connects his physical relationship to David and Abraham as their heir to the throne, so the term refers to the union of God and man in the One who would be the king of Israel. Mr. Too Quick had the right person, but the wrong timing (1 Peter 1:11), and motive.
  • Why does Jesus make references to holes and nests (Luke 9:58)? Wild animals have a place to lay their head at night, safe from natural enemies, but not so with Jesus. They would be homeless; no home and no throne.

Mr. Too Slow (Luke 59-60)

  • What did Mr. Too Slow want to do before following Jesus (Luke 9:59)? He wanted to take care of his father’s funeral. Burial was a religious duty that took precedence over studying the Law, temple services, killing the Passover sacrifice, and circumcision. Priest were not allowed to touch a dead body but could if it was a near relative (Leviticus 21:1-3). It was scandalous if left undone.
  • Jesus’ response seems insensitive but it establishes the priority of proclaiming the gospel (Luke 9:60). If proclamation of the gospel is not done, it should be scandalous to the believer.
  • What was even more scandalous, the father was likely not even dead. The phrase used was common in the middle east that emphasizes a son’s responsibility to help his father in the family business until he passed on, and handled his final affairs. It could have been a long time of delay if the father was still young and healthy. Mr. Too Slow was motivated by materialism.
  • What did Jesus mean by “allow the dead to bury their dead” (Luke 9:60, Matthew 8:22)? It was a proverbial figure of speech meaning, “let the world take care of the things of the world.” Basically, spiritually dead people (Luke 15:24, 32, John 5:25, Romans 6:13, Ephesians 2:1, 5:14) make great morticians. They are capable of performing these tasks, but YOU go and do that which only a believer can do, share the gospel.
  • What did Jesus command this man to do (Luke 59-60)? FOLLOW, ALLOW, GO, and PROCLAIM are aorist tense which indicates urgency, leave now. The present tense indicates that we keep on proclaiming.

Mr. Too Easy (Luke 9:61-62)

  • What did Mr. Too Easy want to do before putting his hand to the plow (Luke 9:61)? He wanted to say good-bye to those at home. This seems harmless enough but it appears this guy did not have the strength to break away from loved ones; being too emotionally tied to family relationships. Consider what Elisha did when Elijah met him (1 Kings 19:19-21). I hope you noticed a significant difference between Elisha and Mr. Too Easy. There was no turning back for Elisha whereas Mr. Too Easy may have been persuaded to not follow and serve Jesus.
  • This idea is supported by the phrase “to say good-bye,” which signifies “to set apart or assign, as a solder to his post.” It carries the idea of deployment, sent out with orders. He was looking for his orders and last instructions from his family rather than Jesus.
  • Notice the words in “Lord, first, me” (Luke 9:61). “I will follow you, but first permit me” – It could be he is really saying, “I will follow you, but first me.” There can never be “me first” when it comes to following and serving Jesus; there are no “buts.”

5. What kind of people are not fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62)? This is certainly a word picture in the NT, a farmer who wants straight rows continues to look ahead. The text literally says, “looking at the things behind.” “Not fit” would indicate “well-placed, suited for, adapted to,” which could indicate an inconsiderate impulse, conflicted duties, or a divided mind. Jesus wants total commitment, not just adding him to an already complicated and full life. The NIV adds the word “service” in the kingdom of God, but the word is not in the Greek NT.

6. Did Luke record the outcome of these conversations (Luke 10:1)? It may be that these three did not respond positively to Jesus’ invitation, so he recruited 70 “others.”

7. How can we increase the number of laborers in God’s harvest field (Luke 10:2)? Prayer in the key.

8. What do you think about this quote from Chuck Swindoll?

Anyone who sets out to serve Christ can be sure that many escape routes will appear so that you can relinquish your responsibilities. Voices will call out to you to cut inches off the cross. Twelve legions of angels stand ready to deliver you from the path of sacrificial service.

9. How do you determine God’s call for service in your life?

10. How has this command impacted your soul; your mind [thoughts], will [decisions], and emotions [feelings]?

[Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]