A Pain in the Neck - Himalayan Heights – July 23 Readings: Matthew 5:6 – Desiring Righteousness

Matthew 5:1-12  The Beatitudes

All Scripture is God-breathed and useful, but there are some Scriptures that we can consider the Himalayan mountaintops of the Bible. In the next few months, we will be looking at a series of great texts that inspire and move us - the "Himalayan Heights" of God's Word.

Today's Reading:  Matthew 5:6

Jesus' most famous sermon took place on a mountain near the Sea of Galilee. There is enough meat packed into the three brief chapters of Matthew 5-7 to sustain years of Bible Study. The passage begins with the Beatitudes, expressions of blessing. The principles here run counter to everything people instinctively believe in this world. We want to be rich but Jesus invoked blessings on the poor in Spirit - and on and on it goes.

Again, this week, read the entire passage daily, then give special focus to the highlighted passage.

When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to teach them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the humble,

for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

11 “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Through the Bible Readings: Esther 5-6, Acts 18:18–28, Psalm 86:9–17, Proverbs18:9–10

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: A Pain in the Neck    

I have a great big pain in my neck. This is no figurative "thorn in my flesh" like Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians, this is a literal stiffness where my right shoulder blade joins my neck that causes a lot of pain, causes my fingers to go numb at times, leaves me with a lot of discomfort. I suspect it goes back to a serious fall I took when I was four. Things aren't lined up correctly and because of that, there's pain and there are problems.

This world has a giant pain as well. It, too, took a fall. When Adam and Eve embraced sin and rebellion against their Creator, the world fell into sin and things have not been right since then. Every one of us is born with what the Bible calls "the flesh" - a natural tendency to sin and choose what is wrong. Do you have to teach your children to do the wrong things, or train them to do right? When you offer your children a plate of vegetables or a plate of donuts, which will they likely choose? (I'd ask which YOU would choose, but that might be meddling.)

Things in this world do not work as God intended them to work. He created a beautiful paradise to bless the people he loved, but sin corrupted and perverted that world, bringing a curse upon it. God's world has been shattered by the effects of sin which we see all around us, but the Father continues to pursue us, seeking us in love and seeking to restore the glory he intended.

Jesus Christ came to earth and lived a completely righteous life, saying no to Satan and to sin, and saying yes to God in everything. He died for our sins, to pay for our unrighteousness, then rose from the dead to offer new life to all of us who believe in him.

In that new life, we are called to seek God's righteousness. Once, that was impossible, because we were enslaved to sin, but now, because the Holy Spirit dwells in those of us who have been redeemed in Christ, we can have now walk in obedience to him. He has justified us and he begins to conform us to Christ.

The fourth Beatitude describes the attitude the redeemed of Christ need to display. We need to hunger and thirst not for the things of this world, not for the sin that made us spiritually poor, not for the wickedness which we mourned over, but we need to hunger and thirst for God's righteousness. Our desire must be to be like him, to be like Christ.

Correcting all that is wrong with this world begins with walking in righteousness in my life. When I hunger and thirst for righteousness, it is the first step!

Father, create in me a hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ in me. Give me a distaste for the world and all the things of this world so that I might walk in holiness and be conformed to Christ. May this be my passion, my desire, to be like Christ. 

Think and Pray:

Do you have a deep and abiding passion not just to "be a good Christian" but to reflect every day the righteousness of Christ - to be like Jesus?