Beattitudes Series Part 4: Love, Truth, And Forgiveness
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Matthew 5:33-48
We are now continuing with Matthew 5:33-48, where Jesus continues to speak about the law and the familiar scriptures that have been known for decades, but Jesus is clarifying His expectations moving forward.
Remember, the law was our schoolmaster - a law that outlined the expectations of living a perfect and pure life in the sight of God. We know that living such a life is impossible, and we need a Savior who can atone for sin once and for all.
Acceptable Communication
“Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is His footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh evil.”
Looking back in the Bible, where the law was written by Moses:
“And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.” - Leviticus 19:12
Jesus continues to teach not to swear or use God’s name in a profane manner. He instructs us not to swear by our own selves; any oaths we make should be brought to the Lord. We are not to swear by our own being, God, heaven, or earth.
So, what does the Bible mean by swearing? To better understand and clarify what we are NOT to do…
The word “swear” means:
To utter or affirm and declaration, with an appeal to God for what is confirmed.
To give evidence an aoth, as to swear to the truth of a statement
To be profane
When communicating, we should be cautious as to not swear or take lite of an oath, an oath is serious and the words by someone speaks should be truth.
Communicate Truth
Jesus says we are to say Yea, Yea, or Nay, nay.
Yea - In Scripture, this word expresses certainty, consistency, harmony, and stability. To say yea, (or yes) is to affirm our response with truth.
Nay - In Scripture, this means no. Saying nay expresses refusal or disagreement.
Using the response either Yea (Yes) or Nay (No), we are being clear with our communications. We are warned that anything that is outside of these comes evil. Evil would be sarcasm, profanity, or unkind words.
Be sure to keep our words and communications pure, simple, and above all - God approved.
An Eye for an Eye
Matthew 5:38-42
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee a the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.”
Eye for an Eye
Let’s go back to the Law written by Moses:
“And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.” - Leviticus 24:20
The Law spoke of making things even - of seeking retribution to balance wrongdoing. However, Jesus teaches forgiveness and kindness, even toward our enemies.
We should remember that the Law was originally given to the Jews; they were bound by it. Gentiles, however, are God’s people through the saving grace and acceptance of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, Jesus is clarifying the Law - showing that while Jews and Gentiles both seek righteousness, true righteousness crom through mercy and grace.
Jesus teaches us to face evil with kindness, to walk away and not engage in further acts of evil.
Why Be Kind To Those Who Treat You Badly?
When someone says or does something evil, if we respond in the same manner, we are acting out anger and unforgiveness, which leads to sin.
There are situations where Jesus would not have us remain in a hostile situation - He would have us remove ourselves from the conflict, not retaliate or return evil for evil.
Jesus speaks of how to forgive and love our enemies; we become living testimonies of Christ.
When we contemplate our feelings of rage or anger to get even, we are not reflecting a forgiving Christ-like behavior. If satan can entice us to act upon rage or anger, he knows that our testimony of being a Christian (Christ-like) is tarnished.
God does not expect perfection from us. He knows we are weak - and that, my friend, is something our Heavenly Father already made provision through the gift of the Comforter - the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit helps guide us in difficult moments. He speaks softly and calmly. To hear Him, we must be still and quiet. Unforgiveness or anger in our hearts can make it difficult to hear the Spirit of God.
As we will study in Matthew 6, this principle continues:
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:” Matthew 6:14
Love Thy Neighbor
Matthew 5:43-48
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and presecute you; That ye may be the children of you Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. This is when we should allow the Spirit of God to lead the way.
Our flesh wants to get even and make the playing fields fair, but if we have such an attitude, how can we rise above to obtain a Christian attitude?
Let us not allow satan to whisper in our minds thoughts of evil or revenge. We are here to be a representative and reach others to Christ; if we are wronged by others, we must pray for them. If they have evil in their heart, they don’t abide with God; therefore, they don’t know how to truly treat others in a sense of a Christ-like manner.
Daughter Of The King
We are to hold a higher standard in our speech and behaviour. To have a Christ-minded attitude in all that we do.
If Jesus were physically walking with you every minute of the day, would your mindset change? Would you live each moment with a mission-minded focus?
The truth is - God sees all, knows all, and even knows our intent behind our actions. So yes, God is walking with us every moment of our lives. God is with us always.
With that in mind, would we treat others differently? Would we have more patience, love, and forgiveness?
“When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep all His commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord thy God.” - Deuteronomy 13:18
Final Thoughts
In the world we live in today, we can be faced with so many trials just in one day. We should be gracious and thoughtful of how we respond in our words and actions with a Christ-like love.
Let us remember that we are not perfect, but we are called to be Daughters of the King. When we aren’t reflecting the right behavior, we know we have a forgiving Heavenly Father who is willing to help us along the way. We should reflect the same biblical forgiveness that we receive from our Heavenly Father towards others.
Fix that royal crown, polish it to reflect Jesus’ light, and clean the stones of glory; we have a mission to continue, and God has equipped us with the right tools to help others come to Christ.
Let us continue each day to grow closer in our Christian living, to having an upright crown upon our heads, one that God would be proud to look down from the throne of Heaven with a smile to say, That is my daughter, whom I am proud of.
Journaling Prompts
Do you have unresolved issues with another individual? If so, confess and ask God how you can make wrongs right.
What is one thing that you are not proud of? Unkind words or behavior that you may want to correct? What is a way you could have better handled that situation?
Is your communication one that would be acceptable to God? God is our Judge, and society accepts all types of evil. Let us walk according to what God’s Word says.
Before you leave, will you join me in prayer?
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your precious Word. We ask that you help us to examine ourselves according to what Your expectations are of us, to be honest about unresolved forgiveness that we may have pushed aside and forgotten about. Help us to have forgiving hearts, to be honest with ourselves, and to seek Your guidance in the process of maturing into a stronger Christian each day. May we recognize our faults and place them at the foot of Your Throne, we allow our flesh to get in the way of so many potential blessings. We ask You to help us walk away from conflicts and to seek a peacemaking mind when conflicts arise, may we stand boldly when we need to speak the truth, and help us to discern when to speak or when to walk away. I pray You bless each person joining me in this Bible devotion and prayer, may You continue to be the guide in my words and Bible Studies, and continue to guide me so that I may reflect Your Word and not my own opinions. Forgive us our sins, help us in our weakness.
In Your Precious Holy name, Jesus Christ, Amen.
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Quick Note:
Some Bible studies may take longer than others, as I am often led to explain certain verses in greater detail. I want you to know that these blog posts are written straight from my heart - they are not created by AI, so if you pay close attention, you may find my little nuggets of imperfections! What you read here are my own thoughts and reflections, guided by where God leads me.
I am not a professional; I’m simply a southern wife and mother of five with a deep desire to share the truth of our loving Heavenly Father. He loves you, and He longs to have a relationship with you. We are not called to be perfect, but we are called to be led by Him.
God has placed so much on my heart to share, and my prayer is that these words bless and encourage you. I’m not here for recognition or fame - only to spread the message of God’s love to you, my new friend, and to many others.
