Matthew 7: The Sermon on the Mount (38)
Pray Psalm 101.1, 2.
I will sing of mercy and justice;
To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
Sing Psalm 101.1, 2.
Jesus I Come
I will of lovingkindness now sing—praise to You, LORD! Praise to You, LORD!
Justice and mercy, Lord, let me bring praise to You, holy LORD!
I will the blameless way ever heed; no worthless thing my eyes shall impede.
When will You come and care for my need? Praise to You, holy LORD!
Read Matthew 7.1-14; meditate on verses 12-14.
What is the proper way of loving yourself?
Prepare.
1. How does Jesus summarize the entire Old Testament?
2. Which gate leads to life?
Meditate.
Life in the Kingdom proceeds contrary to our natural way of thinking. It is not natural for us to love others the way we love ourselves. What’s natural is to try to get them to love us the way we love ourselves, whatever that may require. But we don’t love ourselves properly by constantly guarding ourselves, indulging ourselves, and looking out only for ourselves. We love ourselves properly when we look to Jesus and follow His example of self-denial and sacrifice. Loving our neighbors in this way “is the Law and the Prophets.” If we neglect or despise the Law or the Prophets, we will not have the wherewithal to fulfill the Golden Rule.
We enter the Kingdom, and conduct our life’s journey in it, through the narrow gate of faith in Jesus Christ, and along the path of self-denial, suffering, persecution, and perseverance. Jesus is the Gate to the sheepfold of the Lord (Jn. 10.7-9). He alone is the Way into the Kingdom of God and the life of self-denial and works of righteousness that characterizes life in the Kingdom.
The Kingdom path is “difficult”, obviously. The Greek word translated “difficult” in NKJV derives from the verb θλίβω, thlibo, which means “to cause someone to suffer trouble or hardship—to cause trouble to, to persecute, to cause to suffer hardship” (Louw and Nida). At the beginning of Jesus’ sermon, He warned that men would persecute us and that we would need to work at humility, meekness, mercy, self-denial, and putting others first. Here He reiterates, as His sermon moves toward its denouement. He will make this point over and over during His earthly sojourn. Why should we not think this applies to us?
It is not natural for us to choose the more difficult path. We want the easy road, or at least, the less strenuous, in everything we do. But the way of the Kingdom is not “natural”; rather, it is supernatural, and requires help from beyond and within us, even the indwelling Spirit of God.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD, through which the righteous enter” (Ps. 118.19, 20).
It may seem narrow and difficult, but this is the way, the path to real life—true life—
that can only be found in a life lived God’s way.
This is that lifeway reined in by the Law and the Prophets—God’s Word.
“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them,
for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7.12).
1. Love God first, foremost, only, and always.
2. Do not worship anything other than God.
3. Do not take the Name of God [Christian] upon yourself in vain; also, don’t use His Name as an expletive.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your mother and father.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not lie.
10. You shall not covet (Ex. 20.1-17).
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Indeed, which of the last six would you like done unto you?
As a parent, you’d like to be respected and obeyed.
As a person, you would not like to be murdered.
As a spouse, you would like to have a faithful one.
As an owner, you’d like to hang onto your stuff.
As a human being, you don’t want to be lied about.
And certainly you know, coveting leads to all kinds of problems.
In fact, coveting is at the heart of all ten.
Look what happened to Satan when he wanted to be God!
So, we can see that following the Law of God, which in truth, is freeing and not constraining,
is the only way to walk the narrow path—of love for God and others (Jn. 8.31, 32).
But we can also see, that if our sinful natures are not held in check, we will be on a deadly path—
one jampacked with others on their way to hell.
“Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil.
Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on.”
“But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4.14, 15, 18).
There was a king named Josiah, and “before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him” (2 Kgs. 23.25). And right there is our challenge. Josiah was just a man; albeit a king; but nonetheless, merely human. And he was able to please the LORD and walk the narrow path set before him.
Additionally, we have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us to accomplish the same work that Josiah did.
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Lk. 11.13). Power to enter the right gate and walk the narrow path set out before us (Eph. 2.10).
“The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live” (Ps. 119.144).
Reflect.
1. Why should Christians love their neighbors? What does loving our neighbors demonstrate?
2. What makes the “narrow way” so “difficult”?
3. How does the Spirit help us in fulfilling the requirements of love?
It is with difficulty that we are brought to renounce the world, and to regulate ourselves and our life by the manners of a few. We think it strange that we should be forcibly separated from the vast majority, as if we were not a part of the human race. But though the doctrine of Christ confines and hems us in, reduces our life to a narrow road, separates us from the crowd, and unites us to a few companions, yet this harshness ought not to prevent us from striving to obtain life. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Matthew 7.12
Pray Psalm 101.3-8.
What lies in your path for today? Commit it all to the Lord, and to following His lead in righteousness.
Sing Psalm 101.3-8.
Jesus I Come
I will the works of wicked men scorn—praise to You, LORD! Praise to You, LORD!
They will not grip me, evening or morn: Praise to You, holy LORD!
Separate every sin from my heart; slanderers all from me shall depart.
I will not suffer pride in my heart: Praise to You, holy LORD!
Let me with saints and faithful ones dwell—praise to You, LORD! Praise to You, LORD!
He Who is just shall care for me well: Praise to You, holy LORD!
Naught of deceit or falsehood shall be ever allowed a place within me.
Daily let sin and wickedness flee: Praise to You, holy LORD!
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).
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 looks at David as a visionary leader. 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.
