Kingdom Living: The Beatitude of Love
Rocky Fleming said, there’s a lot more to God than we’ll ever get. According to Isaiah 55, God’s ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts than our thoughts. Paul said, I count not myself to have attained, but this one thing I do, pressing toward the prize of the upward calling of Christ Jesus. We look forward to the hope of Christ’s return. For when that which is perfect is come, at his return, then shall we know also as we are known.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke a new message about a new Kingdom… a kingdom that is not of this world… a kingdom whose beautiful attitudes of love (the beatitudes) transcend worldly attitudes. Jesus said to his disciples in John 15:9-13, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
When Jesus told them that he was going to Jerusalem and he would be shamed, persecuted, arrested, tortured and crucified, Peter said, “I’ll never let that happen.” He said, “I’ll be faithful until the end even unto death.” In moments of heightened emotion, like Peter, we make promises with our mouths that our hands and feet cannot keep. Even though we sincerely mean these vows, the spirt is willing but the flesh is weak.
Those who teach us about life, come along side to encourage us and to pick us up when we fall. Thank God for godly men who by their examples taught us to love, not in word but in deed and in truth.
Many people say they’ll give their life for a worthy cause. However, it’s more difficult to walk the talk than talk the walk… to walk within his will faithfully day by day, doing the little things he’s called us to do. Salvation is easy because of the price Jesus Christ paid on our behalf. The daily walk is more difficult…. to work out our own salvation step by step according to the path that God has prepared in advance for us to walk.
Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what good is that. Don’t even the despised tax collectors do that?” The Pharisees taught that you should love your neighbors who were other Israelites, but hate your enemies who are not those of the twelve tribes of the house of Israel. The new message from Jesus said you are to love your enemies and bless those who curse you and despitefully use you.
The Old Testament was given to Israel because God loved them. The Ten Commandments were God’s wedding vows… His “terms of endearment” to Israel.
Pete recalls that even though his dad was an alcoholic who binged periodically and sometimes took a week off work to recover, his dad loved his children. He would grab Pete’s ear until Pete said, “that’s “ear-itating.” His dad replied, “Son, don’t you know what that means? That means I love you.” Pete’s dad earned his son’s respect as a faithful worker for the Alabama power company and for faithfully and diligently supporting his family. His dad taught him to love unconditionally and that love covers a multitude of sins. Even after working overtime for the whole week, his dad never missed one of Pete’s baseball games.
The Ten Commandments said, “Do not use the name of the Lord Jehovah thy God in vain.” God’s intent was that they use his name as a term of endearment in love, honor, awe and reverence…. to run to his throne of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love. However the Pharisees hardened their hearts and took this verse to mean, “I won’t use the name of God at all.” They took the vowel points out of God’s Hebrew name so that no one could pronounce the name of Jehovah. They missed completely God’s intent that they use his name as an expression of affection, awe, and honor… to love Him above all.
Jesus said, If my word abides in you I will abide in you. You need a tough skin a tender heart. His disciples needed to allow persecution and ridicule to “roll off their backs.” It’s not about seeking vengeance upon those who despitefully use you. Instead, it’s an opportunity to show them that the light of the love of God overcomes the darkness of sin and iniquity.
Freedom is in the love of God, it is not in the bondage of hatred, bitterness, revenge and retribution. To get over the resentment bank that’s full of things that people have done to hurt us, we must learn the meaning of forgiveness.
This is such a hard lesson to learn. Chris, Pete’s son fell into depression even though he was serving as a pastor in Scotland. His wife perceived that his heart was filled with anger and resentment. She prayed for his deliverance. Then she enrolled him at a pastor’s retreat in Aberdeen. At the retreat, his assignment was to write a letter of forgiveness to each person who had angered him and filled his heart with resentment. He had written two letters and then as he was writing the third letter, he heard God’s voice saying, “they didn’t do that to you. I did. I needed to break your heart so that you could come to me with a broken and a contrite heart.” As he prayed for God to forgive him, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders as the resentment drained from his heart. By God’s mercy and grace he discovered, “I have found the enemy and he is me.”
It’s easy to fall into the trap of victimhood and to rationalize that those who have wronged me deserve my resentment and bitterness. However, unforgiveness is like drinking poison and wishing that the other person will suffer the consequences.
Which is the high road, to retaliate with upper cuts or to turn the other cheek? Romans says, “be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with good.” How can I forgive those who have wronged me? Paul said, our example is Jesus Christ. In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. We were dead in trespasses and sins for the wages of sin is death. However, God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus said the Pharisees were a brood of vipers. In their mouth was the poison of their father, the devil.. He is a liar and a thief from the beginning and they inherited a lying tongue from their father. They took the word of God and twisted it to their father’s ends… to steal, kill and destroy.
Jesus Christ recompensed to no man evil for evil. He came not into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Amid the turmoil and confusion of the world around us, he’s called us unto a higher calling…. to love with Christ’s heart behind our heart… to humble our hearts in meekness and humility, that we may love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength…
…to live to serve our Lord to the glory of God our loving heavenly Father. Your brother in Christ,
Michael
