Jan 21 — Matthew 5:1-12

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:1-12

OBSERVATION:
The crowds seem to lead Jesus to challenge His disciples with the real message, perhaps to scare off the uncommitted. The essential message is that if you want to experience God’s blessing in God’s way, you need to live counter-culturally. The way of God’s world (His Kingdom) seems contrary to “normal” living. While the world strives for acceptance, success, health, wealth, happiness, comfort, ease, popularity, etc., the Christ-follower strives for God’s way (righteousness, including humility, meekness, mercy, peace-making, integrity) even if it leads to ridicule and rejection (like the prophets). This ought to screen out shallow or uncommitted followers.

APPLICATION:
How does this apply to me? Where am I living like the world, striving for worldly values, goals, ambitions? Am I living counter-culturally? While others are demanding justice, am I calling for mercy? While others are giving up on someone, am I persevering with patience? While others are accumulating, am I giving away? While others are avoiding risk for Jesus, am I taking the risks for Him? While others are doing what feels good, am I doing what God says is right? My sense is that I have lived “in the world” for so long that I do not even feel the tension with Jesus’ way? I guess the best way for me to see the contrast is to pay close attention to how Jesus lived, then make intentional and practical applications to me own life. This is serious business, because its either God’s way or the world’s way, and experiencing God’s blessing is at stake here.

PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me for taking following You to lightly, for drifting through life without experiencing the tension of living counter-culturally… in fact of minimizing the tension wherever and whenever I can. I am have been so accustomed to living this way, please show me specific ways I need to change. Amen.