2: Apparently, nobody actually blew a trumpet when they gave their alms, however, they might as well have. The leaders of the Jews liked to make a big deal out of their giving. They would try to draw attention to their supposed piety. The synagogues and streets were places where alms would be given. These…
1: In an effort to avoid vain shows such as this that Jesus describes, we sometimes fail to give alms at all. However, the warning we have here should never prevent us from giving to the poor. Instead, it should encourage us to understand the importance of this to Almighty God. Poor and needy people are…
47: Those that we are brought up with are much easier, being familiar, to be nice to. Familiarity makes people feel comfortable and generous. Jesus seeks to call us out of our normal human comfort zone.48: Jesus here sets forth the standard he has been hinting at all along. It is little wonder that he finally…
46: The Pharisees were proud of their self-righteousness. This pride had carried over to the people in general. Jesus, however, put their love into perspective. Loving those who love you back is easy enough. Even the hated tax collectors did that. These ‘publicans’ were Jews who worked for the Romans, extracting tax from the Jewish…
43: The Jews were taught to love those near to them. But, their enemies were to be hated. This hate constituted a form of judgement upon their enemies. This is a common practice among many peoples. Humans find it quite easy to love those who are dear to us, but very hard to do anything…
42: When someone is in need, Jesus says we should give to them. No one should be rejected because we don’t happen to like that person. We are not to lend with a view to profiting by it. But, we are to lend to all, even those we may dislike. Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 49:1-54:7 Daily Memory…
41: Roman officers had the right to impress persons into service. If they had an especially large load to carry, they would make Jewish men walk for a mile with them to carry the load. The Jews would normally try to escape such treatment as soon as possible. Servile work, under the authority of a…
40: According to the law, if one was sued and made to relinquish the ‘coat’, he had the right to retain the ‘cloak’ in every case. In other words, for one to allow the the cloak to go for security as well, one would have to give up their personal rights. Thus, Jesus is teaching…
39: Jesus tells his hearers that they should not take personal revenge. A saint should not be a brawler. This does not mean that self-defense is a sin. Force is not to be used for personal affronts. Those who would deliver the type of blow Jesus here referred to were not trying to deliver bodily harm…
38: This concept of retribution did not come from the law of Moses directly. It had become popular in the Eastern countries. Jesus mentions it because it was common practice in his day. Throughout this passage, Jesus deals with the present interpretation of the law, and points out the right interpretation. Daily Bible Reading: Psalm…