“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:31–32, ESV) Marriage is hard. Divorce is harder.
Drastic Circumstances Call for Drastic Measures
“If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better […]
The Truth About Adultery
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27–28, ESV) The word adultery means, literally, to mix seed. In many ancient cultures, the sin of adultery could […]
When Opportunity Knocks
“Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser’s hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” (Matthew 5:25–26, […]
Communication Is Not Passive
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23–24, ESV) True communication is a two-way street. We must listen and […]
The First Step Toward Worship
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23–24, ESV) The pursuit of reconciliation is the first step toward unfeigned […]
Accountable to the Law
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You […]
Your Righteousness Will Fall Short
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20, ESV) There is a righteousness far above just following the rules, and you will need to attain that righteousness to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Your good works will never be […]
On Good Theology
“Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19, ESV) Theology is the science of God, including his character, his nature, […]
Jesus, the Fulness of the Law of God
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes […]
More Lumens
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may […]
Accommodation is not Contextualization
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” (Matthew 5:13, ESV) Christians lose their saltiness when they accommodate the culture in the name of contextualization. To […]
The Perspective of Giants
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” —Jesus (Matthew 5:11–12, ESV) When a blind man comes against you in […]
The Smile of the Father
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10, ESV) No one wants to be harassed or mistreated–especially for doing the right thing. Yet, Jesus warns, this is the way life will go for those who follow him. St. Paul confirms this is true: “Indeed, all […]
Peacemakers are Called the Sons of God for a Reason
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9, ESV) The word εἰρηνοποιός is found only once in the Bible. It means one who endeavors to reconcile persons who are estranged or have disagreements, whether individually or collectively. In every English version of the Bible, the Greek word is translated peacemakers. It […]
A Matter of the Heart
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8, ESV) There is an argument that has been raging in Western civilization, mostly since the Enlightenment: does God exist or not? Standing in the background to all the endless philosophical and moral arguments for proofs of God’s existence are the illuminating words […]
Giving Appetite to the Dead
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6, ESV) Righteousness is a full and complex idea. It can include uprightness in personal living, justice in social and political contexts, or the perfect fulfillment of the Law of God. Unfortunately, achieving righteousness on our own is a bleak […]
The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5, ESV) Meekness sounds like weakness. Sometimes it can feel that way too. In reality, meekness carries with it the idea of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance. Jesus taught his disciples that the meek shall inherit the earth–a paradox of […]
Where Comfort Comes From
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4, ESV) Life on earth is not always easy; it’s full of hardship and heartache. The good news is that Jesus pronounced a blessing on those who mourn, promising that they shall be comforted. The problem with some Christians is they have taken the verse […]
Filing Bankruptcy
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3, ESV) It is they who recognize the powerlessness of their spiritual condition, they who realize they owe a debt they cannot pay, they who feel and acknowledge how destitute they are without Christ, who are in the best possible condition. […]
His Disciples Come to Him
“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:” (Matthew 5:1–2, ESV) As disciples of Jesus, we are not perfect. We stumble daily. But at the core of what makes us a disciple of Jesus is […]
Healthy Eyes Mean a Healthy Soul
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22–23, ESV) An eye that […]
The Litmus Test of Faith
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” […]
Do You Trust Your Bank?
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19–20, ESV) There are really only two places to invest your […]
Be Sure You Know Whose Attention You’re Seeking
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but […]
In Case You Missed it the First Time
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14–15, ESV) There is a connection between our ability to forgive those who have sinned against us and our ability to receive forgiveness from […]
Ours for the Asking
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13, ESV) What vulnerability to be tempted exists in the heart of man? We are incapable of knowing this fully, but the Spirit of God is not. Deliverance from evil and from the evil one is ours for the asking. Don’t be too proud […]
The Theology of a Comparative Particle
It’s difficult to refrain from pointing out the word “as” in Jesus’s model prayer is the Greek word, ως, a comparative particle, marking the manner in which something proceeds it.1 In other words, the answer to our prayer for forgiveness is dependent upon the premise that we have forgiven those who have asked forgiveness of us. “and forgive us our debts, as […]
What Tomorrow Is For
The Lord is seldom early, never late, and always right on time. That’s why we only need to be concerned with asking for today’s provisions, and not for tomorrow’s. Because that’s what tomorrow is for. “Give us this day our daily bread,” (Matthew 6:11, ESV)
Praying It Backwards
Far too often, while our lips are praying for the Father’s will in heaven to be done on earth, our hearts are praying for our will on earth to be adopted by Heaven. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, ESV)
Prayer is First and Foremost Worship
“Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9, ESV) Two thousand years ago, Jesus taught his disciples that prayer is, first and foremost, worship of the Father. Two thousand years later, it still is.
Confidence in Prayer
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7–8, ESV) Increasing the number of empty phrases used in prayer doesn’t […]
Bigger Is Not Better
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (Matthew 6:7, ESV) There are two things to which we should never reduce prayer. First, we should never reduce prayer to a grand show of pretense. Second, we should […]
A Note on Prayer
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door […]
In Order To Be Seen
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may […]
More Valuable Than Flowers and Grass
“And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is […]
The Folly of Worry
“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27, ESV) The folly of worry is that in its most powerful moment, at the very peak of its strength, it’s incapable of achieving anything good toward its desired end.
You Are More Valuable Than That
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26, ESV) Nature is a metaphor. It teaches us about our Heavenly Father. Your Father cares very well for the birds who scavenge […]
Tearing Your Soul in Two
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24, ESV) No one survives the tension of competing loyalties for very long before something breaks. Like the African proverb […]
No Place in the Life of a Believer
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25, ESV) Anxiety is real. But it has no place in the life […]
God Will Do More For You
“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30, ESV) Grass can be used to kindle a fire, making its existence rather temporal and insignificant in the hierarchy of […]
Come and See; Go and Tell
“He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:6–7, ESV) This is […]
As Secure As it Gets
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19, ESV) The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I […]
The Hour Darkness Reigned
“When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Luke 22:53, ESV) It seems Thomas Fuller, the English theologian, was the first to coin the proverb, it’s always darkest before the dawn. In the passage of Luke’s […]
$1 Live Online Classes for Students Affected by COVID-19-related School Closures
In light of the recent school and homeschool COOP closures, Kepler teachers have stepped up to help meet the needs of students and families who have been affected by these sudden changes. Kepler is offering live, 8-week classes for only $1 a class. You read that correctly. And, in most cases, all the books and […]
Some Brief Thoughts on a Free and Virtuous Society
Last month, I attended an Acton Institute conference in Dallas on cronyism and capitalism. It was the first time I had interacted with Acton, and I was anything but disappointed. As far as conferences go, Acton was generous, efficient, and genuinely interesting. The format of the conference was a series of lectures followed by Q […]
Why Everyone Should Read Plato’s Republic
There are a number of reasons every post-adolescent human being would benefit from reading and studying The Republic of Plato. For starters, I just used the unconventional descriptor, human being, intentionally. I used this nomer to emphasize our distinction from the animals by means of our superior mental faculties, power of speech, and soulfulness instead […]
An Experiment in Reading
Seth Godin claimed in his manifesto on education that “Among Americans, the typical high school graduate reads no more than one book a year for fun, and a huge portion of the population reads zero. No books! For the rest of their lives, for 80 years, bookless.” I’m not sure where he got his data, […]
The Art of Writing, Value Creation, and Cultural Progress
One challenge that often plagues writers is a natural default to express only personal interests. Quite often, writers write because there is something in their percolator they want to get out into the world. Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. But, if writers are not careful, what they create will not be relevant […]
What are the Great Books?
The short answer could be, the 1952 publication of Encyclopedia Britannica’s The Great Books of the Western World series. But that would be a truncated, and quite possibly, unhelpful answer. Plus, that answer would thwart my penultimate purpose in writing this post, which is to provide some insights into what actually makes up a Great […]