How blessed we are to gain understanding of some of the “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (13:11) from Jesus’ parables. Sadly, the mysteries He revealed remain mysteries to two kinds of people—those who do not believe in Him (13:11-15), and more tragically, those who profess to believe in Him but reject His simple teaching. Many of the latter are teachers and theologians.

For example, while Jesus clearly revealed in the parable of the sower and the soils that it is the condition of people’s hearts that determines if they will be saved or not, some theologians would have us believe that God has sovereignly predetermined the salvation or damnation of every individual. While Jesus revealed in that same parable that it is possible to believe, experience new life, begin to grow, but ultimately disbelieve and die—represented by the plants that sprouted and died—some theologians want us to believe that salvation can never be forfeited once possessed. And while Jesus made it plain in that same parable that fruit always accompanies true faith, some claim that it is possible to believe in Jesus and yet be indistinguishable from those who don’t believe in Jesus!

Those of us who actually believe what Jesus said in the parable of the sower and soils must guard our hearts when persecution and affliction arise, and from the “worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth” (13:22), knowing that those things can rob us of faith and fruitfulness and cause us to fall away. Regarding the “deceitfulness of wealth,” Paul wrote to Timothy, “Some by longing for [money] have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang” (1 Tim. 6:10).

The parable of the wheat and tares is another that has suffered its share of misinterpretation. I once heard a man teach that, just as wheat and tare plants are indistinguishable, so also believers and unbelievers are often indistinguishable, and we should leave judgment to God who will sort them out in the end. Notice, however, that as soon as the wheat bore grain, “the tares became evident also” (13:26). There was a marked difference between them–only the wheat produced fruit. For this reason, the apostle John wrote, “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10; emphasis added).

The parables of the treasure in a field and the pearl of great price both teach us that true believers are willing to pay a high price to gain the kingdom of heaven, because they know it to be of immeasurable value. While others may scoff at us for our costly devotion—just as they would have scoffed at the man who sold everything to purchase an “overpriced field”—in the end they’ll know we actually made the wise decision. We possess a wisdom and a treasure that is hidden from unbelievers.

When we interpret any of Jesus’ parables, we need to keep in mind that they are metaphors, that is, comparisons of two things that are basically dissimilar but which share some similarities. If we try to attach spiritual significance to every detail of every parable, we’re liable to error. For example, when reading the parable of the dragnet, it is safe to conclude that there is coming a separation of the righteous from the wicked, that the angels will be involved in that process, and that the wicked will be cast into hell. It would be wrong to conclude, however, that the final judgment will take place on a beach or that the righteous will be placed in containers just like fish! Don’t search for secret spiritual truths in the insignificant details of Jesus’ parables!

Finally, take note that the people represented by the fish in today’s final parable were judged by their behavior. They were either righteous or wicked. Does this contradict salvation by faith? No, because true believers repent of their wickedness and live righteously.

Jesus did what the Pharisees would not, harvesting a little grain to eat on the Sabbath. He did not have a lower standard than them, but rather, a better understanding of what was actually His own law. I’m so glad for this story, because it reminds us that God has reasons for His commandments, and He is motivated by love. Religious people generally don’t understand that, and thus they are susceptible to misinterpret what God requires, piling burdens on people that God never intended them to carry.

Matthew obviously highlighted this flaw of the Pharisees by stringing two stories together, as Jesus both worked and healed on the Sabbath while under their critical watch. They found fault with God, just as they did with so many others who transgressed their twisted versions of God’s commandments, “condemning the innocent” to borrow Jesus’ words (12:7). This they would not have done, according to Jesus, if they had just understood one verse from Hosea, “I desire compassion, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hos. 6:6). Like so many modern professing Christians, they were fixated on secondary things and ignoring what was really important, listed by Jesus as “compassion” and “the knowledge of God.” I am reminded of God’s words spoken through Jeremiah: “Your father…pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?” (Jer. 22:15-16)Jesus’ two Sabbath deeds met human needs—for food and health.

Be encouraged today if you need healing. We read in 12:15, “Many followed Him, and He healed them all.” If you would have been there, you would have been healed. That can’t be intelligently argued against. So why would Jesus have healed you then, but not now? Believe it!

Today we read one simple, short analogy from Jesus’ lips—meant to help the Pharisees understand that He was casting out demons by a power greater than Satan’s—that has spawned a modern practice that has no real scriptural basis. How frequently we hear of people “doing spiritual warfare” by “binding the strong man,” a phrase which allegedly incapacitates evil spirits in the atmosphere. This is a practice that is never once mentioned or even remotely endorsed in the book of Acts or any of the epistles, yet it is promoted around the world today as an essential spiritual exercise. One wonders why some of Jesus’ other analogies in Matthew 12 haven’t become regular practices as well. Why don’t we hear anyone saying, “I lift up those sheep from the pit on the Sabbath in Jesus’ name!” or “I divide the city so it will not stand in Jesus’ name!”? These declarations would make just as much sense (and do just as much good) as saying, “I bind the strong man over Cincinnati!”

What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? Considering the context, it would seem logical to conclude that those who witness a miracle by the power of the Holy Spirit and call it Satan’s work are guilty of this unforgivable sin. There is no grace available to those whose hearts have become that hard. Incidentally, the idea of an unforgivable sin exposes the fallacy of those who believe that eventually everyone, no matter how evil they might be, will be redeemed. This is known theologically as universalism.

What are we to expect when we stand before Jesus? Today’s reading gives us some idea. Because our words reveal our character, we will give an account for every careless word we’ve spoken (12:36). This reminds us once more that, although we are saved through faith (Eph. 2:8), saving faith changes our behavior. More specifically, there is a marked difference between the speech of unbelievers and believers, so much so that one’s speech can rightfully be the criteria whereby God judges us as being worthy of heaven or hell. That is a sobering truth, but it only underscores the fact that Jesus’ true family are those who do the will of His heavenly Father (12:50). He couldn’t have made it more clear.

Even though he had witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus at His baptism, John the Baptist—a prophet and the greatest man who ever lived according to Jesus (11:11)—had some doubts as he sat in a prison cell contemplating his possible execution. That makes me feel better, as I’ve had similar doubts about Jesus, particularly when I’ve begun to question why He allows His people to suffer. Notice, however, that Jesus didn’t explain to John why He didn’t deliver him from prison. Rather, He reminded John of His miraculous credentials (11:4-5). The reasons to believe in Jesus are substantially greater than the reasons not to believe. One might keep his eyes continually focused downward in order to deny that there is a sun, moon or stars—but such a person would only be fooling himself—as are all unbelievers. Thus all who make excuses for their unbelief are rightfully condemned along with those who rejected Christ in Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum (11:20-24). It was not that they could not believe, but that they would not believe.

Jesus’ words about violent men taking the kingdom of heaven by force must be metaphorical, as they make no sense taken literally. Similar words of Jesus recorded by Luke help our understanding: “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail” (Luke 16:16-17).

Up until the time of John the Baptist, all preaching (in the synagogues, for example) had been based on the Law and Prophets, of which the major theme was holiness. John preached the good news that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, but he found that too few paid attention to his call to repentance (Matt. 3:7-12). They only went through the motions, “forcing their way into the kingdom” as it were, which certainly implies the idea of an illegitimate entrance. Thus Jesus reminded everyone that nothing in the Law or Prophets had been superseded by John’s wonderful announcement of the soon-coming kingdom. Holiness was still required. As we read in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared that it is only those who do the will of God who will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 7:21).

Similarly, many today suppose that they’ve gained their ticket to heaven because they’ve jumped on the born-again bandwagon, having prayed a quick prayer without ever truly repenting. In God’s eyes these are violent people who attempt to force their way into heaven illegitimately. Those who have truly entered, however, have not come forcefully, but with humble repentance.

Jesus invites all who are weary from sin and heavy-laden with guilt to come to Him (11:28). But they must take His yoke—symbolic of submitting to His lordship—in order to receive “rest” for their souls. This underscores Jesus’ consistent message of repentance and holiness, for there is no relationship with Him apart from them. When we do take His yoke upon ourselves, Jesus empowers us to live righteously so that His load is light. We can say with John, “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Do Jesus’ words, “Nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (11:27), prove the Calvinistic idea that God wills that only some be saved? In light of Jesus’ very next words in which He invites all who are weary to come to Him (11:28), certainly not. God has not chosen certain individuals to be saved. Rather, He has chosen to save certain kinds of individuals, as made so clear by what we just read. God has willed to hide the saving truth from those who are “wise and intelligent,” but to reveal it to “babes” (11:25). God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jas. 4:6). Being proud or humble is the choice of every free moral agent. God has chosen to save all who will believe with a living faith—one that reveals itself through obedience.

When we consider the twelve men whom Jesus chose to be His apostles, we realize that it is God who qualifies people for ministry. Four of the twelve were unschooled fishermen, one was a former tax collector, and one was a former right-wing revolutionary (Simon the Zealot). On the other hand, there is little doubt that these men were chosen because of what God saw in their hearts. Eleven had a sincere love for Jesus, while one possessed the seeds of betrayal.

Jesus sent them out, not just to preach the gospel, but to heal the sick and cast out demons (Matt. 11:7-8). Those supernatural signs would validate their message of repentance. We see the same pattern in the book of Acts. Why then do so many of us believe that God has changed His methods for building His kingdom? We need God’s supernatural power just as much as the original apostles did. This is the reason to be baptized in His Spirit (Acts 1:8).

Jesus’ instructions to the twelve are certainly applicable to modern ministers whom He also sends. Reading and heeding Matthew 10 would likely do more good for modern Bible school and seminary students than years of sitting in classrooms. This is a message from the Head of the Church!

The apostles were not to go out laden with money, but were to trust God for provision as they went (10:9-10). Theirs was a journey of faith. Tragically, many modern ministers are not only laden with money, but they strangely claim that this is the evidence of their great faith!

The twelve were not to waste their time on unreceptive villages. People who would not repent after hearing their message and seeing their miracles were doomed (10:15). The apostles were to shake the dust off their feet and head towards the next town. If this one spiritual principle was followed by modern ministers, we would not have 95% of the world’s preachers endlessly preaching to 5% of the world’s people.

Why should anyone hear the gospel twice until everyone has heard it once? You’ve probably noticed that most of the reports of modern, genuine miracles are coming from places where everyone hasn’t heard the gospel twice. What is the difference? God is trying to reach those people who have never heard, whereas He has shaken the dust off His feet long ago where everyone has already rejected the gospel multiple times.

The twelve were to expect hardship that would test their devotion. Notice that the large majority of what Jesus told them fell under this category (10:16-39), and His words obviously have application to all true disciples (10:24-25). Following Jesus always results in slander, persecution and rejection, at the minimum. It could result in worse–hatred from one’s own family, or even martyrdom, which has been experienced by millions of believers throughout the centuries. Jesus never promised exemption from these things. But He did promise that His Spirit would be with us (10:20), that God greatly values us (10:29-31), that we would find our lives in losing them for His sake (10:39), and that we will be rewarded (10:41-42).

Most sobering are Jesus’ warnings, not about the world, but about God. We should not fear those who can only kill our bodies; rather, we should fear the One who “is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (10:28). Jesus spoke those words to His devoted disciples, one more indication that the modern theory of “once saved, always saved” ought to be questioned.

Jesus had other warnings. If we deny Him before others, He will deny us before His Father (10:33), not exactly another promise of unconditional eternal security. Thus our persecutions serve as tests of our true devotion, and this is why so many true believers have refused to deny Christ in the face of death. If we love mother, father, son, or daughter more than Jesus, we are not worthy of Him (10:37). If we do not take up our cross—an obvious analogy for embracing the suffering that comes with following Christ—we are not worthy of Him (10:38). In light of such words we must ask: Is modern Western Christianity Christianity at all?

It is so obvious only a theologian could miss it! Today we read four major stories about people who were healed by Jesus, and all were healed through faith (Matt. 9:2, 22, 29; Luke 8:50). Apart from faith they would not have been healed, even though it was clearly Jesus’ will for them to be healed due to the fact that He healed them. So when people piously say, “God is sovereign, and so if it’s His will for me to be healed, He’ll heal me, regardless of what I do,” they display their ignorance of simple biblical truth, even if they hold doctorates in theology. Had the people we read about today adopted that same attitude, none of them would have been healed. They were healed because they believed that Jesus would heal them.

Additionally, they didn’t believe Jesus would heal them “someday, in His time, when it was His will.” They believed He would heal them very soon. The paralytic man believed Jesus would heal him when he was lowered into the room with Jesus. The woman with the hemorrhage believed she would be healed when she touched Jesus. The two blind men believed they would be healed when Jesus touched them. The synagogue official believed Jesus would resurrect and heal his daughter when He laid His hand on her. We should learn from their examples. Jesus said, “All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you” (Mark 11:24, emphasis added).

I stated yesterday that there is no example in the four Gospels of Jesus healing an adult solely in response to another adult’s faith. What about today’s story of the paralytic lowered though the roof by four of his friends? We read, “Jesus, seeing their faith…” (9:2).

Certainly, all four men, as well as the paralytic, had faith, as demonstrated by their actions. If the paralytic had not had faith, he would not have cooperated with his four friends, and when Jesus told him, “Rise, take up your bed, and go home,” he would have laid there, not believing such a thing was possible. So we see that his four friends believed with him, but not for him, that is, apart from his own faith. You and I cannot overpower another person’s unbelief by our faith. For example, what if I said to an atheist, “I know that you don’t believe in Jesus, but I’m going to have faith for you so you’ll be forgiven and go to heaven”? Would my faith save him? No, he must believe for himself. So it is with divine healing.

But notice that the faith of the synagogue official (see Luke 8:50) brought his daughter back to life and cured her of what killed her. Thus we see that parents can use their faith on behalf of their children for healing, at least up to a certain age.

Why did Jesus first tell the paralytic man that his sins were forgiven? Perhaps because he was doubting Jesus would heal him due to his sins. Once you know God has forgiven you, it is much easier to believe that He’ll heal you (see Jas. 5:14-15). Another good lesson.

When I read the brief story of Jesus calling Matthew, I often wonder how many other people heard Jesus say to them as He walked by, “Follow Me!”, but who watched Him walk off into the distance. Luke’s Gospel tells us that Matthew “left everything behind, and rose up and began to follow Him” (Luke 5:28). That gives us some understanding of why Matthew was later chosen to be among the twelve. He said goodbye to his dishonest and greedy lifestyle.

When Jesus made the statement that the harvest is plentiful, there were an estimated 200 million people living on planet Earth. Today there are thirty-five times that many, close to seven billion people. Truly the harvest is even more plentiful than ever before, and the need for workers is much greater than ever before. Perhaps one-third of the world’s people have never heard Jesus’ name a single time! Pray that the Lord will send more laborers, adding, “Lord, send me!”

About one-tenth of all the verses in the four Gospels tell us something about Jesus’ healing ministry. That’s significant! Those many records of Jesus’ healings all demonstrate His divinity. No historical figure has ever come close to Him when it comes to miracles. He claimed to be God, and He proved He was.

Yet the healing stories serve another purpose as well. They reveal God’s will regarding healing and encourage those who are in need of healing to look to Him. This point cannot be disputed due to the fact that Jesus often told those whom He healed, “Your faith has healed you.” Clearly, had they not had faith they would not have been healed—even though it was obviously His will for them to be healed, made evident by the fact that He did heal them! Faith is obviously the key that opens the healing door.

Most every Christian believes, like the leper we read about today, that Jesus can heal them. He said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean” (8:2). But like the leper, they don’t know if Jesus wants to heal them. They hope He does, but they aren’t sure. And that is their problem, because Jesus never told anyone, “Your hope has healed you.” Hope is not the same as faith. Scripture says that “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for” (Heb. 11:1). Notice what Jesus said to the leper to change his hope to faith: “I am willing; be cleansed.” (8:3). To be healed, we need to change our hope to faith.

The Gentile centurion, a Roman commander, certainly demonstrated faith in Jesus (8:10, 13), and as a result, his servant was healed. Incidentally, the Greek word translated servant in 8:6 (pais) literally means “boy,” indicating that the centurion was his legal guardian, or perhaps his father. This is important to understand, as we can find no example in the four Gospels of Jesus healing an adult solely in response to another adult’s faith. We do, however, find several examples, like this one, of children being healed by Jesus in response to his or her parent’s faith. Jesus most often told the sick, “Your faith has healed you.” We can, like the men who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus, encourage the sick to look to Jesus, and we can join our faith with theirs. But our faith can’t overpower their unbelief. Healing, like salvation, must be appropriated by each person’s own faith.

Matthew indicated that when Jesus healed “all who were ill” (8:16) in Capernaum, it fulfilled Isaiah’s messianic prophecy, “He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases” (8:17). But surely the healings of the people of Capernaum that one evening were not the complete fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah declared just one verse later in the very same prophecy that the Messiah would be “pierced through for our transgressions,” and “crushed for our iniquities” (Is. 53:5). Those words have obvious universal application. The “our” of Isaiah 53:5 is no different than the “our” in Isaiah 53:4. Just as Jesus carried our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24), so He also “took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases.” That is good news, and faith-building news! And when Jesus healed the people of Capernaum, it was proof to Matthew’s Jewish readership that Jesus was obviously the promised Messiah of Isaiah 53, as evidenced by His incredible healing ministry there (and elsewhere).

To those who expressed their intentions to follow Him, Jesus conveyed that there would be hardship and a demand for devotion. I think it is unlikely, however, that the man who requested to bury his father first was saying that his father had just died. Jesus would have wanted him to honor his parents, and a funeral would not have caused him much delay. More likely, the man was indicating that he didn’t want to miss being near his father during his final years. But Jesus said to everyone, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37). Only God has the right to expect such allegiance. Only God deserves it.

Everyone knew who Jesus was referring to when He spoke of those who blew trumpets in the marketplaces prior to their distributions to the poor, who prayed on street corners, and who advertised their fastings—it was the scribes and Pharisees. Remember, Jesus requires that our righteousness surpass theirs (5:20). His true followers are motivated by love for God and love for others. They are conscious that, even when people aren’t watching, God is, and they’re striving for His praise rather than the praise of men.

Tragically, many professing Christians give nothing to the poor, much less give secretly to them. Does their righteousness surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, who did give to the poor, albeit for the wrong motives?

It is a good exercise to compare our regular prayers with the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray. Notice that the first requests are for our Father’s name to be hallowed, for His kingdom to come, and for His will to be done. How can anyone but a true and devoted disciple of Christ make such requests without being hypocritical? Yet millions of false believers whose lives dishonor God’s name and don’t reflect kingdom priorities regularly pray the “Lord’s prayer.”

In this “disciple’s prayer,” our material needs are minimized to daily bread, reflecting submissive trust and a contentment that stands in contrast to the world’s greed. This prayer also elaborates on the fourth beatitude, our “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” as we request forgiveness for our sins (we haven’t reached perfection yet) and ask that God will not lead us where we will be tempted lest we fail, but rather will deliver us from evil. All of these requests make perfect sense, because God’s kingdom, power and glory are eternal (6:13). We want to please Him!

Everyone in Jesus’ audience also knew what He meant when He spoke of the “evil eye.” It was a common expression for a “greedy heart.” Proverbs 28:22 says, “A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth,” and Jesus also used the same expression in Matthew 20:15. Those with greedy hearts are “full of darkness” (6:23), that is, void of truth. A “clear eye” (or “good eye” in 6:22) is the opposite of the “evil eye,” and thus represents a heart that is not greedy, and one that is “full of light” (6:22), that is, filled with the truth.

What characterizes a greedy person? He lays up his treasures on earth, where his heart is also. Money is his master because he loves and serves it, and he actually hates God. He is full of darkness. This is obviously not the description of a heaven-bound follower of Jesus, but of an unsaved person. True followers of Christ, those who are focused on God’s coming kingdom, are laying up their treasure in heaven where their hearts are, keeping their earthly pile as small as possible. They are full of the light of the truth. They aren’t tithing as a means to grow rich on earth, something commonly taught in apostate churches today.

But notice Jesus’ warning about the great darkness of those whose light is really darkness (6:23). He can only be speaking of those who think they are full of light, while their actions reveal that they are actually full of darkness. No doubt Jesus once again had the scribes and Pharisees in mind, men who were “lovers of money” (Luke 16:14), and whose earthly treasure piles testified of their great darkness and hatred of God. Yet had you asked any of them, they would have testified that they loved God! Thinking they were full of truth, they were actually full of darkness, which was their doom. “Prosperity preachers” take note! You are no different!

Finally, note that Jesus told His followers not to worry specifically about food, drink or clothing (6:25-34) something that most of us are never tempted to worry about because we are so wealthy (by the world’s standards). Our material worries usually revolve around the fear of becoming less wealthy. May God help us to see our great wealth, as well as our great responsibility before Him because of it.

Jesus’ prohibition against judging was not what many think it is. He was not forbidding the moral appraisal of other people. We absolutely must appraise other people morally if we are going to obey Jesus’ commandments not to “give what is holy to dogs” and not “throw our pearls before swine” (7:6). And we must appraise people if we are going to identify and avoid false prophets (7:15). Jesus does not want us to waste our time trying to persuade people who are resistant to the truth, and He does not want us to be misled by those who are void of the truth. But both require that we make moral appraisals.

As we consider the context of Jesus’ words about judging (7:1-5), it becomes clear that He was condemning the practice of pointing out small faults of others when we are personally guilty of greater faults. That, of course, is hypocrisy. Notice, however, that Jesus did not disapprove of taking the speck out of a brother’s eye once we have removed the log from our own eye (7:5). Rather, He endorsed it. And that also requires that we make a spiritual appraisal of another person. I’ve written a much longer teaching on this subject titled, “Judge Not!”, which can be read here.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find more encouraging words regarding prayer than Jesus’ words in 7:7-11. But are they true? Does “every one who asks receive”? They do when they ask for “what is good,” as Jesus said (7:11). Just as most earthly parents will not give something to their children that would harm them, neither will our Father. And we should be able to determine something about what He considers to be good or bad for us by studying His Word. Every request, for example, found in the “Lord’s Prayer” (that we read yesterday) is asking for something that is good. But compare those requests with the carnal and selfish prayer requests so often uttered. In Luke’s account of this same promise by Jesus, he indicates that one of the “good gifts” Jesus had in mind for us is the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). The Holy Spirit helps us be holy. That is good!

“Therefore whatever you want others to do for you, do so for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (7:12). That is obviously a summarizing statement (it begins with the word therefore). But what does it have to do with the prayer promises that immediately precede it (7:7-11)? Very little. Actually, it is an end-of-sermon statement that summarizes everything Jesus said since 5:17: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” Notice His mention of the Law and Prophets in both 5:17 and 7:12. Since 5:17, Jesus had been fulfilling (or “filling to the full”) the Law and Prophets, which can be summed up in the Golden Rule. I love it when Jesus makes things simple!

Since the way is narrow that leads to eternal life, Jesus warned His followers of those who might lead them astray. They are false prophets and teachers, and they can be identified by their fruit, that is, their deeds and actions. Unholy teachers are false teachers, even if they perform miracles. If they “practice lawlessness” (7:23), they are wolves in sheep’s clothing who will one day be eternally condemned. Unholy leaders cannot lead anyone on the narrow way of holiness. In light of this, why is it that millions of professing Christians follow spiritual leaders who blatantly ignore so much of what Jesus commanded in the Sermon on the Mount?

Jesus underscored the central theme of this sermon—eternal life belongs only to the holy—three times in His closing statements (7:13-14, 21-22, 24-27). Calling Jesus Lord is not enough. Only those who do the will of the Father will enter heaven (7:21). Where’s the grace in that, some ask? It is found in understanding that the only people who are doing God’s will are those who have repented and been born again. God’s grace is not a license to sin, but a temporary opportunity to repent and receive forgiveness.

Today is one of those days that I wish I was allotted more than 700 words! If you are interested in learning more about the Sermon on the Mount, I’ve written much more extensively about it here.

In the Beatitudes, as they’re called, Jesus lists the identifying characteristics of the blessed and the blessings they can anticipate. If you look at those blessings closely, you’ll notice that they are all various aspects of what the blessed will enjoy in the kingdom of heaven. Thus, by examining ourselves in the light of the identifying characteristics of the blessed, we can determine if we are on the road to heaven or not.

Have you recognized your spiritual poverty, mourned over your sins, and humbled yourself in repentance, now longing for righteousness (5:3-6)? Having received God’s mercy, have you become merciful towards others (5:7)? Is your heart pure, so that your holiness is not just a thin veneer of religiosity like the Pharisees (5:8)? Are you working to help others make peace with God through repentance, even those who may persecute you for your righteousness (5:9-11)? If you can answer in the affirmative to those questions, you are on the road to heaven, blessedly transformed by God’s grace.

The fact that holiness is the mark of true believers is further affirmed in 5:17-20, pivotal verses in this sermon. Jesus declared that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. He elaborated on that theme in much of the remainder of His sermon, repeatedly exposing the unrighteous doctrine and practice of the scribes and Pharisees so that His followers would know how to do better.

The Pharisees were contentious, murderers at heart, and focused more on rituals than relationships; Jesus expects His followers to love each other dearly and reconcile when there is division, as love is the important thing (5:21-24). The Pharisees kept the letter of the law prohibiting adultery, but lustfully ignored the spirit of it, and divorce was rampant among them. Jesus expects much more from us (5:27-32). The scribes and Pharisees had invented elaborate means to justify lying (for more on this, see 23:1-36); Jesus expects us to always speak simple truth (5:33-37). By misapplying scriptures meant for judges in Israel’s court system, the Pharisees justified taking personal revenge for the pettiest of offenses. Jesus expects us to be merciful even to our enemies, displaying a love that is superior to the world’s, imitating our merciful Father (5:38-47).

Don’t make the error that so many do when they read Jesus’ oft-repeated statements, “You have heard that it was said…but I say to you…” Jesus was not correcting and contradicting Old Testament statements of His Father. He was not altering moral law. Remember, He declared early in His sermon that He had not come “to abolish the Law or the Prophets,” but to fill them to the full (5:17). What Jesus was correcting was the false teaching of the scribes and Pharisees, who had twisted God’s commandments for their own convenience. This is especially clear, for example, in Jesus’ words, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy'” (5:43). The second half of that statement was obviously the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees.

Do you want to be great in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus revealed the secret: Obey and teach the commandments (5:19). We will learn as we continue to study the New Testament that, under the New Covenant, we are to obey the law of Christ (which consists of all His commandments), rather than the Law of Moses, which was given to Israel alone (see 1 Cor. 9:19-21). This is not to say, however, that there isn’t plenty of overlap between those two laws. Lust was a sin under the Old Covenant (see Ex. 20:17), and it remains so under the new covenant (5:28). Incidentally, loving one’s enemies is not a new concept under the new covenant (see Ex. 23:5 and Prov. 25:21-22).

Clearly we see from today’s reading that there is a relationship between holiness and heaven. Those who truly believe in Jesus obey Him.

It is interesting that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness specifically to be tempted by the devil (4:1). It was God’s plan. Had Jesus faced no temptation, it could not be truly said that He was sinless, and as I mentioned yesterday, He had to be sinless to atone for our sins.

God does not tempt anyone (see Jas. 1:14), but He tests everyone (see Ps. 11:5; Prov. 17:3). One way He tests us is by watching what we do when Satan tempts us, just as He did with Jesus. Thankfully, God limits the degree that Satan may tempt us. Scripture promises, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). Good to remember!

Jesus was tempted in every way that we are (see Heb. 4:15), so His wilderness temptation was not His only or final temptation. In fact, Luke wrote in his Gospel that after this incident Satan “departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). Satan looks for opportunities to tempt us when we are vulnerable, which is why we are admonished in the New Testament to “be on the alert,” knowing that our “adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). We should, however, “resist him, firm in [our] faith” (1 Pet. 5:9). Faith in God’s Word is our primary defense against Satan, because he is the father of lies (see John 8:44), and he would have us doubt the truth. That was his strategy against Jesus, but Jesus overcame him by faith, quoting scriptures that contradicted Satan’s lies. We should follow His example.

Notice that Satan quoted God’s Word in his second temptation. He quoted it, however, out of its biblical context, trying to make it mean something that it really didn’t. God promised protection in Psalm 91 (a verse from which Satan quoted to Jesus), but not when we intentionally do something foolish, like jumping from a roof!

This is why it is so important to study the entire Bible, so that we can interpret every scripture in the light of every other scripture. The most common error in Bible interpretation is ignoring context. The Bible can be made to say just about anything by isolating scriptures. This is the chief reason people embrace false teaching and are lulled into cults. They don’t know enough of the Bible, and so they are easily deceived by those who can quote a few verses.

Does Satan actually have, as he claimed, dominion over “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (4:8), and can he “give it to whomever” he wishes (Luke 4:6)? Only in one sense. From reading other scriptures, we know that Satan is the chief ruler over the kingdom of darkness. He only rules those who are submitted to him, being “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). He was offering Jesus the number two position over his evil realm, an opportunity to rule over every rank of evil spirit and every rebel human, which would have required that He commit treason against His Father.

Some, who ignore the biblical context of Satan’s claims, ascribe Satan much more authority than he actually has, and make God less than all-powerful. Remember, the Bible affirms that God “is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever He wishes” (Dan 4:25, 32). Jesus and Paul both referred to God as “Lord of heaven and earth” (Luke 10:21; Acts 17:24).

The very first word of Jesus’ very first sermon was “Repent!” It is through repentance that people escape Satan’s dominion (see Acts 26:17-18). The call to repentance is part of the gospel (see Luke 24:47), and God confirmed Jesus’ message with miracles of healing and deliverance. Doubtless one reason we see so few genuine and convincing miracles through today’s evangelists is because God will not confirm a “gospel” that omits the call to repentance.