Tag: Enemy

Living in the Image of God, What The Lord Has Given Us

Sermon on the Mount Teaching Regarding What the Lord Has Given Us

Living in the Image of God M06S07

In this bible study, we discuss Christ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount regarding “what the Lord has given us.” He provides the eye-for-eye teaching, love-your-enemies teaching, and a teaching on the motivation for assistance. He conveys a message through the teachings that God is pleased when you attend to a need that he has shown you, irrespective of your previous experience regarding the needy. Whether the needy is a friend or an enemy, God expects you to attend to the need with a pure motivation to alleviate the need.

We discuss Christ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount on using “what the Lord has given us” that you control to attend to needs that he will show you, irrespective of whether the need is for a friend or an enemy. We examine the eye-for-eye teaching (Matthew 5:38–42), love-your-enemies teaching (Matthew 5:43–48), and a teaching regarding the motivation for assistance (Matthew 6:1–4). The teachings provide a message that when God calls your attention to a need around you, he expects you to focus on recognizing and understanding the need and committing to doing what you can to alleviate the need. Respond to the need with a pure motivation to alleviate the need, even if the needy is your enemy.

A call for assistance by a friend will likely appeal to your goodwill and generosity. In contrast, an enemy’s call for assistance could be based on a claim of coercive authority over you. Christ teaching is that you should recognize the call for assistance and focus on doing what you can to alleviate the need. He used several examples to illustrate you should focus on the need and not whether the needy is a friend or enemy. In one example, he uses a law that existed at the time that a Roman soldier could ask any Jew to carry his [the soldier’s] gear for one mile. Christ said you should respond by carrying the gear for two miles: “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles” [Matthew 5:41]. That is, you recognize the soldier’s order as a call for assistance and respond by providing more than he had authority to compel from you.

Your only motivation for attending to a need should be that you care and seek to alleviate the need. Do not allow other motivation to influence the assistance you provide or how you provide it. For example, if you are influenced by a motivation to receive human recognition or accolade, then the recognition or accolade you seek is your reward even if not received. God is pleased when you assist others only because you care and seek to alleviate the need. Any other motivation does not please God.

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Living in the Image of God

Extra Mile for Peace—Understanding Peacemaker Responsibility

Living in the Image of God M05S01

The first bible study for our 2024 program year focuses on understanding what God expects of a person in living in peace with others. Christ declares the peacemaker responsibility and promise of blessing in the seventh Beatitude and provides details in the gospel to explain the responsibility. Through the gospel, he conveys a message that the peacemaker responsibility entails doing better than required under the law and custom, to respond peacefully and invite others to do the same, in every interaction with others. The peacemaker responsibility entails going an extra mile for peace by responding with love, irrespective of how the other party feels about you or what they do or fail to do. Disarm aggression by finding a path to peace; love your enemy, be good to them, and give to them without expecting refund; recognize every opportunity for non-commercial giving of goods or service as a call to compassion and provide what you can to alleviate the need. God will accept as peacemakers and children of the Most High, those that he judges as fulfilling the responsibility.

Extra Mile for Peace 26:15

This study begins the 2024 program year of bible studies by the Banking Blessings Ministry. We look forward to an enriching program to advance our understanding of God’s purpose for human interactions and relationships and share the understanding more effectively to an increasing population. In this session, we discuss Christ teaching to understand what he expects from a peacemaker.

The discussion begins with the seventh Beatitude, where Christ declares the peacemaker responsibility and promise of blessing. The discussion continues with his explanations of the responsibility, based on the gospel according to Matthew and the gospel according to Luke. Through the explanations, Christ conveys a message that the peacemaker responsibility entails doing better than required under the law and custom, to respond peacefully and invite others to do the same, in every interaction with others.

We discuss the Extra-mile teaching and several examples from his teaching on overcoming evil with good. The examples include a comparison of the “eye for eye” custom against God’s expectation for peace: Love your enemy, be good to your enemy, assist those in need without expecting refund, and do for others as you would expect others to do for you.

The study continues with a discussion of Paul’s explanation of the individual responsibility regarding peace: that is, his explanation of what God expects of a peacemaker. The study concludes by presenting the peacemaker message as a charge and promise; or do{}-then{} promise, where the do{} clause is the charge and the then{} clause is the promise.

The study video provides more-friendly conversation, from our living room to yours, consisting of a focused and concise message presentation followed by an open discussion of the message. The open discussion for this session focuses on the role of apology in the peacemaker responsibility.

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