Adultery

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Don Merritt

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. ’But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Matthew 5:27-30

Jesus continues in these verses to go straight to the heart of Jewish Law; this time commenting on the seventh Commandment. The commission of adultery would seem to involve quite a bit more than a roll in the hay in Jesus’ view, since guilt took place when the man looked at another woman with desire. Others have commented on this extensively, and I’m happy to let you consult them for their wisdom, for this post, I will assume that the words speak plainly enough. The principle, in my view, extends beyond another man’s wife and goes to any possession of another person; house, car, furniture, TV… whatever. It isn’t yours, and “lusting” after it is a spiritual problem.

Jesus makes this point in verses 29-30 by the use of some hyperbole. Even most literalists will agree that Jesus is not advocating self-mutilation, the tearing out of eyes and the chopping off of hands. However, the right eye and the right hand are illustrative of the principle I mentioned, for they represent the things we cast our gaze upon, and our deeds. Is our gaze always upon the possessions of others or things we cannot or should not have? If so, then our gaze is clearly not on the “things that are above”. What about the things that we do? Are we just about getting “things”? Maybe we are all about taking things…

With this in mind, we step back and look at the larger Kingdom concept: How does our gaze upon the spouse of another effect the community of believers? How does it affect the relationships involved? How would this affect our own marriages?

Unlike previous teachers, Jesus is going way beyond the mere commission of a physical act and into the inner thoughts and motivations of the heart, for in the Kingdom of Heaven, sin in whatever form brings about relational problems between believers and God.

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The Lord is my Shepherd- 3

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Don Merritt

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Psalm 23:5-6

Speaking directly to the Lord our Shepherd in these final two verses, the Psalmist refers to God’s amazing provision for His people in the face of the trials and hardships that are faced in every life in this world of ours. None of us sail through life without problems; none of us gets a free ride. Yet even in the face of our enemies, the Lord provides all we need. In the midst of hard times, we sometimes forget that, but when we look beyond our circumstances, there He is; He never lets us down.

I really appreciate the last verse; it sums up our relationships with our Shepherd in a wonderful way. Just the notion of being followed around by goodness and mercy sets the imagination free to experience the wonder of His presence. Even so, most of the time when I look around me, I do not see goodness and mercy− but think for a moment. Who embodies both goodness and mercy?

Exactly! It’s Jesus, our Good Shepherd who is always with us, in times both good and bad, in times when we feel worthy of His presence, and when we do not.

We are never alone in this life, nor will we ever be alone through eternity, for we dwell in His house forever.

I don’t know about anyone else, but all of the sudden, today isn’t looking all that bad.

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Sunday Sermon Notes: August 25, 2024

Posted on August 25, 2024 by Don Merritt

Ecclesiastes 3: 16-22

Our most excellent adventure now examines the state of judgment both here on earth, and in heaven. Before we look at the text, I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you that we are still within the context set in 2:26, within the thesis I stated a couple of posts back: Satisfaction in this life and thus true happiness can only be found when we are within the will of Almighty God.

As in the last two sections, the Teacher is making an argument, so we must keep this in mind as we read this section on justice. Verse 16 tells of something Solomon has seen “under the sun” so we know that he is again speaking in human terms. The courts of men are corrupt; it was true then and it is true now.

Verse 17 takes us back to a more heavenly view: God will ultimately judge both the wicked and the righteous, and of course this has been set up this way to beg an obvious, but unstated question: Why does God allow this wickedness to go on?

Many have given answers to this question, including me, but for the sake of the lesson, let’s see what the Teacher has to say:

I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” (18-21)

Everything on this earth has an expiration date; our works, our dreams, our trials, our joys apart from God, even our very lives, for just like the animals, we will surely die. Yes, dear reader, there is a time for every season under heaven, including my season. The time for men to choose whether or not they will follow God’s ways is one of those seasons too, and the day is coming when that season of men choosing not to follow God’s ways will also pass away, and when it does, all of us will be called to give an account. That is the answer to the unwritten question.

I would like to mention one other thing before we continue, and that is about verse 21:

Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?

I hate to draw your attention away from Solomon’s point here, but I think that the NIV and most other modern translations have missed this one. I might be crazy, but there is no “if” in the Hebrew, nor is there the “that” that the NASB puts in this sentence. I can’t claim to be a great scholar of Hebrew, but the way I read the original is this: “Who knows the spirit of the man that goes upward and the spirit of the beast that goes down to the earth?”

To this question, there is a definite answer: God knows, and He will judge them accordingly when He sees fit to do so.

The chapter ends on this note, a summation of the entire section:

So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

In thinking about this summation, recall that Solomon has linked happiness with work in one instance only: when we are working to accomplish God’s purpose. So, with this in mind, what is the Teacher telling us? The best way for all of us to proceed through this life is for us to dedicate ourselves to His service, for God has created us to do this; anything less is meaningless and futile.

Finally, here is the complete structure of the case the Teacher has made:

Thesis: Satisfaction in this life and thus true happiness can only be found when we are within the will of Almighty God.

First supporting point: God, in His infinite wisdom has ordained a season for every purpose of Man.

Second supporting point: The only things that last are the things ordained by God and our part in them, which brings happiness and satisfaction as His gift.

Third supporting point: God will rightly judge the works of all men to determine whether or not they have followed His ways, for the season of men will come to an end.

Conclusion: Satisfaction in this life and thus true happiness can only be found when we are within the will of Almighty God.

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The Lord is my Shepherd- 2

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Don Merritt

Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

The Lord is my shepherd; He leads us, He provides for us, He protects us…

Even so, there are times in every person’s life when we find ourselves at our lowest point, our darkest hour, yet even there our Lord is with us: You and I are never alone. Things may go wrong, our friends might turn against us, our families might walk away from us, we might lose all our worldly goods, but He is always there.

It could be a natural calamity or an illness. Maybe it’s our finances or employment, or perhaps persecution or injustice, yet He still provides: The Good Shepherd never abandons His flock. By His very faithfulness, no matter how dark the moment may be, His presence is like a banquet set before our enemies, for in His presence what can they really do to us?

There He is, the Lord our Shepherd. With His rod He will deal with those who pursue us, with His staff He will lead us back to His light; we take comfort and refuge in Him.

When you think about it, we really do have nothing to fear in this life since He will never abandon us. Come to think of it, the only real question is, will we be as faithful to Him as He is to us?

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Saturday Farmers’ Market

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Don Merritt
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Have you ever gone to a Farmers’ market on a Saturday morning?  It’s amazing how many people are up early to get out into the fresh air and buy fresh, local produce.  I went to one in Alexandria , VA several years back; lots of people, lots of good stuff!

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It was a summer harvest on display, no doubt about that, and all fresh from the farm.  There were vegetables of every sort that you might expect in late summer, and fruit and herbs too.

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Aside from the variety and quality of the produce, I was struck at God’s creative artistry.  All of the different varieties of edible plant life that He has created, the variety of color, the variety of taste… and the ingenuity of Man that enable us to grow things from all over the world in an area close to the big city.  What a glorious display of God’s greatness!

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The grocery stores won’t appreciate this, but when you go out to the Farmers’ market and buy fruit and vegetables… and then you take them home and prepare and eat them, you’re hooked!  The grocery store simply cannot compete with the colors and flavors.  Thank you, Lord for the amazing quality of your handiwork!

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God’s Sacred Children

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Don Merritt

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Matthew 5:21-22

In the Kingdom of Heaven, high priority is placed upon relationships and community amongst the followers of the Lord. The old Law prohibited murder; any Pharisee could have told you about that, but Jesus went far beyond the merely outward manifestation of contempt for others, zeroing in directly on the private thoughts and inner motivations of people, even though they might not act upon those thoughts. Yes, the sixth Commandment prohibited murder, but in the Kingdom harboring anger against a brother or sister is equally offensive to God. Calling a person a fool or saying “Raca” (empty headed, good for nothing; a fool) is equally egregious to God, for in doing such a thing, we are demeaning one of God’s sacred children.

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:23-24

A person who is bringing a gift to the alter is a person looking for some form of reconciliation with God, depending upon the occasion. Jesus is telling the people that they must not do this when they are in need of reconciling with another person; they must reconcile with that person first, and then with God. I am often saddened when speaking with people whose relationship with God is suffering because it is being blocked by their relational problems within the community of believers. It could be unforgiveness, or it could be a guilty conscience for something the person has done; both are significant stumbling blocks to relationship with God.

“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Matthew 5:25-26

Jesus uses a metaphor here to illustrate His point: Lawsuits. If we are involved in a dispute, particularly if we have a claim against us from someone, we must settle that claim to restore that relationship. The obvious parallel is our situation with God, in which we are sinners who have offended God and seek reconciliation with Him. Having received His grace, we cannot simply ignore our debts (financial and otherwise) with others in the community, for to do so is to disrespect and dishonor one of God’s sacred children; this is a very significant principle of walking with Christ. Each human being is one of God’s sacred children, so important to God that He sent His Son to die for them. To dishonor, disrespect or demean any one of these children of God is to dishonor, disrespect and demean God.

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The Lord is my Shepherd

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Don Merritt

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.

Psalm 23:1-3

With these three verses, we begin one of the most memorable pieces of writing in all of recorded history, words of comfort, of safety, of enduring hope and peace.

Yes, peace; that’s what we feel in reading these words:

The Lord is my Shepherd…

Have you ever wondered why the Lord used sheep and a shepherd as metaphors to illustrate the relationship that He desires with us− it’s kind of interesting, isn’t it?

The shepherd leads the sheep; the sheep don’t lead the shepherd. The sheep are part of a flock, they don’t all run off to do their own thing. The shepherd decides where they will all lie down to rest; not the flock. The shepherd provides for the needs of the flock, the sheep don’t decide what they want and go for it; the shepherd restores their souls in the process. The flock allows the shepherd to lead them, they follow wherever He leads them: They surrender control to the shepherd.

I really can’t say how people reacted to this when it was first written, but in our time and place, most of us have trouble doing that− trusting, following, surrendering. I don’t know about you, but I want to be in green pastures, beside still waters with my needs met and my soul restored. Yet I’m inclined to make my own plans, my own paths and to be in control of my own destiny.

Yes, that’s it: I want to be in control.

The sheep do not lead the Shepherd, but I want the peace, the provision, the restoration…

O Lord, grant me the strength, the courage, to surrender to your leading this day, and all the days to follow… may this be the Day, O Lord!

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Jesus and the Law

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Don Merritt

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:17-20

Lest anyone should have the wrong idea about Jesus, He takes the opportunity at this point to clarify His relationship with the Law of Moses, pointing out very clearly that He had no intention of abolishing it. As we read this, we might wonder why He stuck this paragraph at this point in His remarks; the answer is an interesting one. As He has gone out proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven, healing the sick and chasing out demons, Jesus created quite a stir to say the least. He has given us the character traits of the new follower of God, He has shown us a new mission for God’s people in the last section, but even though there are new elements He is introducing into Israel, He is not doing away with any part of the old Law; no, He has something quite different in mind.

He is going to fulfill both the Law and the Prophets!

Notice that in this passage, Jesus is still mentioning the Kingdom; in the Kingdom, people won’t be approaching the Law in the same way that they have been used to handling it, and it may well be that the people have never really handled it correctly, or as God intended. The reason for this is simply that the Israelites had the idea that they could become righteous by keeping the Law by their own force of will, and as we know, they were never successful for long and often fell into total rebelliousness when they failed. In this implication throughout the rest of this sermon, Matthew once again is linking the story of Jesus with the history of Israel.

Entry into the Kingdom will require a great deal more than the Law as presented by the Pharisees and teachers of the law, for they taught obedience to Law through legalistic minutia, a teaching that God did not bring to them. As the larger story unfolds, we will see time and again their legalistic approach colliding with Jesus’ kingdom approach, for they simply could not fathom His teaching. Jesus’ approach was to rely in faith upon God for righteousness, rather than on earning it by their own efforts;  frankly, this conflict is still with us today.

Beginning with 5:21, Jesus will teach His listeners how the Law should be applied towards one’s neighbors, which as we will see, runs a great deal deeper than anything the Pharisees had in mind. Their legalism by minutia was only effective in making a person look impressive to other people, while Jesus’ approach was allowing God to work in the lives of the people, to His glory.

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Delight

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Don Merritt
donmerrittonline.com
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The Beatitudes, Part 4

Posted on August 21, 2024 by Don Merritt

Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:9

We have already seen that as Jesus went forth proclaiming the Kingdom, that healing, and restoration of wholeness followed in His wake, for the restoration of wholeness, including the restoration of relationships torn by the hostility of this world is something within the very character of God. A peacemaker is someone who places a high priority on restoring relationships, even with those considered to be enemies; this is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

On the other hand, many, maybe even most people of this world are not peacemakers. Look around you, this world is not a peaceful place, for people vie with each other for riches, for position and advantage. Such people are not making peace and restoring relationships, except for personal gain; this is not the behavior of a disciple, and thus the blessing of a restored relationship with God is not present in the here and now, and it is not likely to be found in the hereafter.

For the disciple, blessing in great supply is to be found in restoring wholeness and relationships; it is its own reward, and as a disciple the eternal future is both assured and very bright, for there will be blessing beyond imagination in store.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

As a rule, do you expect to see a righteous person persecuting another person because the persecuted person is righteous? My guess is probably not. If this is true, then what sort of person persecutes another because they are righteous? Again, my guess is that it would have to be an unrighteous person; it stands to reason, right?

God does not bless unrighteousness.

Righteousness happens when a person lives in accordance with the will of God, and when a person lives this way, he or she is considered by God to be “righteous”, and relationship between that person and God is in place; thus, in this life such a person is blessed. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven; they are blessed for all eternity and with this, we are back to where we started in 5:3.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:11-12

In verse 10, Jesus said that those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed; here He gets personal, for now He isn’t referring to someone else, or some group of individuals, now it is about “you”. People may speak all sorts of evil against us as followers of Jesus; what should our reaction be ― should we pop them right in the mouth?

It wouldn’t seem so; Jesus says we should “rejoice and be glad”, of all things.

Really? We should rejoice and be glad when people are speaking against us because of our faith in Christ?

Yes we should, for great is our reward in heaven.

Jesus didn’t exactly say so here, but our reward here on earth won’t be so bad, since it is a relationship with Him. In the old days, people spoke against the prophets in the same way that they spoke of Jesus’ followers; both were persecuted, sometimes killed in the process, but they seemed to be OK with all that, for they knew that they had a great reward awaiting them, and because they, like Abraham, believed God’s promises.

So now we conclude the Beatitudes, with an implied question dangling: The patriarchs believed God’s promises and endured. The prophets believed God’s promises and endured. The early Christians believed God’s promises and endured. Do we believe God’s promises?

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