Tonight we looked at what Jesus said about two key relationships: with himself and neighbours. Both are based in being kingdom people, who know we depend on God as our merciful Father. Because we have been treated with mercy, our relationships with others have to shaped by that. Jesus warns that "with the measure you use, it will be measured to you". If we can't find mercy for others, we can't expect it from God. So kingdom people are in no place to take over God's place and announce the condemnation off others, specially since we often have exactly the same faults. Jesus does, however, say there is a time to make assessments; that is when people so hate the gospel that they blaspheme it and attack its messengers. Then we don't "throw pearls before swine".
The key relationship is that we trust God to give us the good gifts of the kingdom - which is the best thing we can be given!
Finally Jesus tells us that the guide in relationships to our neighbours is to treat them as we would want to be treated: the golden rule. It is the "rule of love", not a formula to get people to be nice to us.
It strikes me that a lot of this seems very "everyday" and not all that heroic. In fact greatness in kingdom is lived out in the little things of trusting loving and serving. My prayer is that we'll reach that greatness.
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4 comments:
Hi John,
This blog is a good way to communicate... Finding time is always the problem...
Yes the Christian life is made up of or lived out in lots of little things. We have to learn to crawl before we can walk. We can't lead others until we have learnt how to obey. We can't really rejoice securely unless we have a good conscience within.
However, I'm still struggling with the concept of pearls and swine. How do you determine when you're dealing with 'swine' and/or Conversely how do we know when to bring the 'pearls' out?
your thoughts,
Paul G
Hi Paul, John and all,
Can I weigh in? Pearls and swine... Might some help be found a little later in Matthew, in chapter 10, when Jesus sends the 12 into Israel to proclaim the Kingdom?
They are to go to each town, proclaiming peace, but if the town is unworthy, and doesn't listen, they are to shake the dust from their feet (vs 14).
The disciples are like sheep in the midst of wolves, and so should be "wise as serpents, and innocent as doves" (vs 16).
So how exactly do we know the "swine"? How do we know when to "shake the dust"? Firstly, let's pray that God make us wise, he promises that whoever asks for wisdom will receive it. I guess then it's also a case of deciding who's listening, and who isn't, and won't... John mentioned violent opposition, and that's probably a pretty good test. We don't get that very often. But he also mentioned limited time and resources, and moving ministry onto more fruitful pastures... Time is short... but it takes wisdom to decide.
I hope that's a good start.
Dan
Hi John,
I haven't been much of a note-taker during sermons for years, but my pen was busy on Sunday night. Many thanks for the painful reminder not to judge others. About as painful as having a log momentarily removed from your eye I suppose.
I was hoping a skit would happen with a log or a plank taped to someone's face. Maybe next time.
Kylie
Hi everyone,
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to your comments.
There almost was a skit Kylie, but Ian couldn't get people to do it. It deserves a drama, because it is meant to be funny.
I'm 'glad' it was challenging. The whole sermon is, isn't it.
I think the pearl and swine part is the hardest to understand. Dan's point is very helpful. It reinforces the direction I was thinking in - that it is about offering the pearl of the gospel/kingdom. I'm still not sure how it fits into the flow of thought in Matt 7.
Given Jesus' warning about not judging people (which I think is about condemning brothers and sisters) we need to be very careful in concluding that anyone is a 'swine'. Maybe it is a bit like 'Answer fools according to their folly' Prov 26:5 (though note v4 as well). Jesus seems to talk about 'blasphemy' - trampling the gospel - and violence. So it will be an extreme situation.
Moving our efforts because we have limited time is a different issues. I am thinking about a situation where you might have been trying to share the gospel with someone at work. He or she dosen't respond with much interest, and so you drop the topic for the time being. I think you should keep the relationship going as much as you can, because it isn't a matter of pearl and swine. Notice how Paul kept preaching to gospel in Athens even when lots of people were sceptical. Paul's comment at the end of Acts 28 is more like pearl and swine.
John
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