May 2 - With Authority

Read: Matthew 7:28, 29

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:28, 29 ESV)

At the conclusion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount the people were astonished. Many theologians estimate the number of people in the crowd to have been around 20,000 people. They had just heard Jesus teach on a wealth of subjects.

He had challenged many of their previous assumptions. He had moved them beyond their blind obedience of the Pharisaic rules. He had called them to true repentance, a life of fruit, and a close walk with the Father. He had taught them to do good for the sake of doing good, to pray in earnest, and to pursue the Kingdom of God. The crowds listened.

He captivated them, not just because he was a great communicator, which I'm sure he was, but he had their heartfelt attention because he possessed authority. He could speak into each of those situations because he had experiential knowledge. He knew what he was talking about. He didn't second guess himself. He didn't cover his tracks by brandishing the heavy handed doctrines of men. He spoke with authority.

In the not so infrequent moments when my faith is sometimes tough to wrestle with, whether it be emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually, I find the authority of Jesus a steadfast reassurance. That he experienced, taught, lived, and even passed on some representation of his authority is humbling. We who would call ourselves followers of Christ have a lot to live up to. Fortunately we have the final there to enable us along the way.

May 1 - Foolish Man

Read: Matthew 7:24-27

And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. (Matthew 7:26 ESV)

Several months ago a good friend of mine was speaking to a group of students and I'll never forget one of the things he said, "You can't build your house on the beach and get angry at the ocean."

Jesus offered wise counsel to those listening to his Sermon on the Mount. In our modern age we have the Bible, which is more truth than any one person could ever hope to absorb in a lifetime. But how do we respond to this truth? It is our response that makes the difference.

Accepting Jesus' words means more than lip service or empty academic acknowledgement. Recognizing the truth behind Christ's teaching means acting on his words. It is the sound, and spiritually responsible action.

Rejecting his words is total folly. Sadly it is the course many choose. Jesus described them as people who build their lives on shifting sands. They build empires of neglect on foundations of disaster. It is sad. it is their choice. It is foolish.

April 30 - Not Everyone

Read: Matthew 7:21-23

"Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21 ESV)

As Jesus neared the end of his popular Sermon on the Mount he began to caution his listeners regarding some of the things that might keep them from experiencing the fullness of the kingdom of God. He declared that simply stating you were his follower was not enough. He taught that your life must show evidence. He also taught that you must do God's will.

I lost count of the number of times I have taught on the subject of God's will a long time ago. It is a frequently discussed topic in my field of ministry. But college students are not alone in their desire to find and pursue God's will for their lives.

Usually when we consider the phrase "God's will" we infer the ideas of location and occupation. I don't think Jesus was speaking to these two things during the Sermon on the Mount. I actually think he was talking about God's will for us in terms of the way we think and act.

Does our way of thinking—and by that I mean our attitude, our discipline, contentment, and secret thought life; do these things match up with what God desires for us? That's a tall order. We really can't do it, but I think the point Jesus was making is that he is asking us to try, and desiring for us to lean on him for help to do it. God's will in this sense is his desire for us to want him. His desire for us to worship him, and him alone.

April 29 - Fruit Trees

Read: Matthew 7:15-20

Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:20 ESV)

All of my favorite fruits are quite frankly very easy to recognize. Strawberries are small, a deep shade of red, and distinctly shaped. Pineapples are characterized by their outer husk and pointy greenery. Watermelons are quickly noted for their green and often striped rind and round oblong shape. But the kind of vegetation a fruit comes from is not always so easy to identify unless you're an expert. The fruit itself is the key component.

The people who follow Jesus should be easily recognizable. We should readily, easily, and naturally demonstrate the kind of fruit that makes this a reality. Jesus said it himself. People are recognized for who they truly are by the kind of fruit their lives produce.

What kind of fruit are you demonstrating to an onlooking world? It's an important question. For way too long the American Christian community has been far too content simply answering the questions of life with grande theological responses. We spend too much time in our heads, or none at all. What our unchurched friends, family, and neighbors truly need to see is the evidence of Christian fruit.

April 28 - To Life

Read: Matthew 7:12-14

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:14 ESV)

All of us have chosen death at some point in our lives. Often we probably didn't even mean to. Sometimes we actually probably thought we were choosing life.

Jesus taught a few things about life. He taught that he was the way, the truth, and the life. He taught that he came so that those who believed in him and followed him would have abundant life. He also taught that the entry point, the gate, and the path to life were narrow.

What all of that boils down to is this—Jesus is life. When we choose selfishness we choose death. When we choose our own path we choose death. Even with the best of intentions, without choosing Jesus we choose death.

That sounds horrible. It certainly could be. Except that Jesus actually made choosing him a pretty simple thing. It is simply a matter of faith. That means combining belief in Jesus as savior, with trust in Jesus for your future. That is the direction toward the path of life.

April 27 - Ask Dad

Read: Matthew 7:7-11

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? (Matthew 7:9 ESV)

My father has always been the hardest working man I have ever known. Growing up he always provided for me whatever I needed, and a lot of what I asked for. You know what? Never once in my childhood do I remember my dad giving me a rock when I asked him for something to eat. It didn't happen.

The thought of sitting down at the dinner table to find a plate full of pebbles, or a granite slab as the main course, is utterly ridiculous. Stones are not food. God may not answer our prayers exactly the way we would like for Him to, but I have yet to see Him answer a prayer by giving me something that has no chance of meeting my need.

Jesus was specific in his teaching on this subject. God is a better dad than I am. He is a better dad than yours. And He knows how to give good gifts. He doesn't do a bait and switch. He doesn't substitute the inedible for the edible. No, God answers exactly in the way that He needs to. Every time.

And the thing to take away from all of this is that we really can ask God. Whatever the situation is, Jesus compels us, that we should take it to the Father. The older I get the more I am completely convinced of this. Ask our Divine Dad. Be persistent. Get on your knees. Pray humbly, passionately, and regularly. Just ask Him.

April 26 - Judges

Read: Matthew 7:1-6

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3 ESV)

It's so easy to see other people's problems. And yet, it can be really hard to have an honest sense of our own shortcomings. Often our own personal hang ups are a blind spot.

This is not a new problem. Jesus' disciples had the same problem. He thought it was a big enough issue that he addressed it in his famous Sermon on the Mount. Jesus point was that dealing with our own sin should take priority over confronting other people about theirs.

"Don't judge me" is an all-too-common phrase today. And while it is certainly grounded in a biblical truth it is usually pulled woefully out of context by someone trying to grant themselves free license to sanction whatever sinful deed they desire to commit. This was not the point Jesus was trying to make.

Jesus' point was that each of us should carefully measure our actions. We should take stock of our sin. We should pray that our transgressions would be revealed to us so that there would be no blind spots in our lives. We aren't to seek a life free from judgement, after all God is going to judge us all. Instead, we should realistically submit ourselves to the graceful judgement of Christ now so that we might be spared the justice of Christ later.