The Teachings of Jesus: Interlude (Creation as a Means of Grace)

You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man’s heart. (Psalms 104:14-15 ESV)

Like I stated in an earlier, temporary entry, this message is going to be hard to get for those who are coming from an anti-Catholic or a Protestant background.  We are going to talk here about the idea of “sacrament.”

According to Theopedia,

A sacrament is a rite or ceremony instituted by Jesus, and observed by the church as a means of or visible sign of grace. The English word sacrament is from the Latin sacramentum, which means to make holy, or to consecrate.

The Teachings of Jesus: Blessed Are…(Part Three)

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4 ESV)

Thus far in this series, we have dealt with one beatitude and a few scattered teachings of Jesus throughout the Gospels. Now we come to the second of the Beatitudes. Today we are going to deal with the issue of mourning and comfort.

The Teachings of Jesus: Repent or Perish (The 9-11 Effect)

There were some present at that very time who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5 ESV)

Monday marks the 5 year anniversary of the day the United States stood still. We all remember where we were when the event happened. I remember I was walking to my second class of the day in my Senior year of high school and a friend of mine had me pray with him because he heard on the news that something happened at the World Trade Center and his dad was supposed to have been there. I went into my Lit. class and remember the teacher not allowing us to turn the TV on to see what was happening because, she said, it wasn’t that big of a deal. When class was over, I found out that the towers had fallen and that a plane had hit the Pentagon. A few moments after this, the principal announced over the intercom what had happened and told us that if anyone had family in that area to come to the office and that those students could go home.

The Teachings of Jesus: Who Are We to Love?

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48 ESV)

As I have stated over and over again in this series, Jesus did not merely come to show us how to get to heaven when we die. He did not come simply to be killed on a cross to pay for our sins. While this is a great part of what He came to do, it make no sense theologically to say that this was the only reason that He came. If this was His only reason for coming, why did He do all that teaching? Why did He live life? Why didn’t God just send Him to earth and instantly have Him sacrificed in some supernatural event that instantly changed the course of history?

The Teachings of Jesus: The Christian’s Primary Obligation

When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together in the same place. And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:34-40 HCSB)

I have come to the conclusion that there is a disconnect between Christianity as we understand it today, and the things that Jesus taught when He was walking the earth. I truly believe, especially here in America, that we have become so engrossed in our own personal relationships with Jesus that we have neglected to do what He has commanded. I do not think that Jesus came to give us a new religion. I do not believe that Jesus came only to show us how to get to heaven when we die. To limit Jesus’ mission to earth to that one thing makes all that Jesus said regarding life now of no genuine value. This is exactly what you see when you look at the majority of Christians running around today.

The Teachings of Jesus: Blessed Are…(Part Two)

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (Luke 6:20b ESV)

I want to begin this study of the first Beatitude from Luke’s gospel by stating something controversial.

I was thinking the other day about Scripture interpretation, and something struck me. Why do we interpret Scripture as we do? When we interpret Scripture, we have been convinced that we are supposed to let other books of the Bible interpret a passage for us, as with today’s passage.

The Teachings of Jesus: Blessed are…(Part 1)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3 ESV)

Those with the greater spiritual need are more likely to perceive their need and depend on God alone and not their own goodness. (R. C. Sproul, General Editor, The Reformation Study Bible ESV [Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005], 1367.)

The first Beattitude which described the happiness of the citizen of the kingdom declares: “How blest are those who know their need of God; the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” The sense of need expressed in this statement is what is meant by the more familiar “poor in spirit.”…They are the humble as opposed to the proud; those with a deep sense of inadequacy rather than the self-suffecient…The honest and humble acknowledgment of one’s spiritual poverty opens the way for the reception of God’s blessings. It is when a man sees his own emptiness that God can give out of his own fullness. The kingdom belongs to those who realize their dependence upon the love, mercy, and power of the heavenly Father. The self-satisfied and the self-suffecient lack the first requisite to receiving God’s salvation. (William F. Bromley, Biblical Christianity [Jackson, KY: 1987], 406-407. Emphasis mine)

The Teachings of Jesus: Introduction

And [Jesus] opened his mouth and taught them… (Matthew 5:2 ESV)

Today I am beginning a very long series of theological posts. I am going to, in the coming weeks, and probably years, be studying here the teachings of Jesus. After reading McLaren’s book, The Secret Message of Jesus, I came away with more questions than I had answers. I came away, as well, with a hunger for the words of Jesus like I had never experienced before.