Matthew 5: The Sermon on the Mount (16)
Pray Psalm 97.10-12.
You who love the LORD, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
Sing Psalm 97.10-12.
(Darwall: Rejoice, the Lord is King!)
All you who love the LORD, despise sin’s wicked ways!
Praise Him Who guides us by His Word through all our days.
Refrain v. 9
Beyond, above all gods and nations be exalted, God of love!
Read Matthew 5.1-26; meditate on verses 23-26
Prepare.
1. What kind of relationships are indicated in these verses?
2. What does Jesus want from these relationships?
Meditate.
The righteousness which characterizes the Kingdom of God is real righteousness. It works from the inside-out and goes beyond mere appearances to bring the blessings of the Kingdom to the world. Where righteousness is at work, peace obtains, leading to joy (Rom. 14.17, 18). This is why it’s so important that Christians take their relationships seriously, and that they work, by the mercy and grace of the Lord, to maintain peace and reconciliation with the people in their lives.
We can’t expect our offerings—of prayer, worship, gifts, or works—to be acceptable to God if we are unreconciled with someone and there is something we should do. If we have offended a neighbor—if someone has reason to be offended by us, and we are aware of that—we must do whatever it takes to restore that relationship, so that peace can exist between us (v. 24). Jesus mentions especially a “brother”, but as citizens in the Kingdom, we must seek peace with all people (Rom. 12.18).
And this includes even those we might regard as adversaries (v. 25). The context Jesus describes sounds like a business or legal situation, which is headed to court. The one Jesus instructs to “agree” with his adversary seems to be the offender. He must try to reach agreement before legal action comes into play. We must try to do what’s right in every situation where relationships have been strained. If we’ll wait on the Lord in prayer, He will direct our paths in the way of peace (Ps. 25.4, 5).
It takes people who hunger and thirst for righteousness to bring peace and reconciliation to relationships. Let our hearts be at peace with our neighbors; where it is needed, let us work for reconciliation, and we will know the peace of the Lord.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Reconcilers reconcile—we re-establish a close relationship by settling and resolving problems.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps. 133.1)
“…walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4.1-3).
“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Rom. 12.18).
“Depart from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it” (Ps. 34.14).
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another;
love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;
not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling,
but on the contrary blessing,
knowing that you were called to this,
that you may inherit a blessing.
For ‘He who would love life and see good days,
let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.
Let him turn asway from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and
His ears are open to their prayers;
but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil…
for it is better, if it is the will of God,
to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Pet. 3.8-12, 17).
Whether people have aught against us for real reasons, or fictitious,
it seems it is our responsibility, as children of the Holy One, to seek reconciliation.
Jesus set the precedent. He was guilty of nothing; yet “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2.8).
I would like to say, “I don’t suppose it will kill you to reconcile with another” and yet I have only to look at what Jesus did for me to see that it did kill Him to do so. And it might do the same for us. And yet…
“For He Himself is our peace…having abolished in His flesh the enmity…that He might reconcile them both to God …through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity” (Eph. 2.14-16).
“…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5.8).
Reconciliation may seem, at times, a bitter pill to swallow, but it is our pill; a gift, as it were, from the Father.
Oh let my love with fervour burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
(C.T. Studd, 1860-1931)
Reflect.
1. How might you be able to tell when you needed to do a little reconciling work?
2. What would be the first step in that process? And the next?
3. Why is reconciliation so important for life in the Kingdom of God?
He did not say, “If you have anything against your brother” but “If your brother has anything against you,” so that a greater need for reconciliation is imposed on you. As long as we are unable to make peace with our brother, I do not know whether we may offer our gifts to God. Jerome (347-420), Commentary on Matthew 1.5.23
Pray 97.1-9.
Where the King reigns in righteousness, His peace will obtain. Pray that Jesus will show His peace through you to the people you encounter today.
Sing Psalm 97.1-9.
(Darwall: Rejoice, the Lord is King!)
Rejoice, the LORD is King! O earth, lift up your voice.
Be glad, you islands, shout and sing: Rejoice! Rejoice!
Refrain v. 9
Beyond, above all gods and nations be exalted, God of love!
His just and righteous throne ’mid clouds and darkness stands;
His fiery wrath consumes His foes in every land.
Refrain
Earth trembles at the sight of Jesus’ holy face;
the mountains melt before His might and praise His grace.
Refrain
The heav’ns above declare His glorious righteousness.
and tribes and peoples everywhere; His Name confess.
Refrain
While Zion gladly sings, let all be brought to shame
who to vain idols worship bring and scorn His Name.
Refrain
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Kingdom Turn. Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column finishes our study of the Church as Jesus envisions it. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
