Thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount

[CelticRose]

A thought: we are in time & see time as a ribbon that we move along but God is outside of time & for him everything exists at once so (if I haven't tied myself in knots completely) the fulfilment what we are waiting on has already been accomplished in his eyes.

 

[MrJim]

A thought: we are in time & see time as a ribbon that we move along but God is outside of time & for him everything exists at once so (if I haven't tied myself in knots completely) the fulfilment what we are waiting on has already been accomplished in his eyes.

OK, I can see where that would work...I'll chew on it for a bit.

 

[CelticRose]

You do that. Something to be said for the sort of fantasy reading I like.

 

[CelticRose]

Actually Hawkins A Brief History of Time is nearly as fantastical if you don't have a scientific mind ~ which I don't ~ but he makes some interesting points about the nature of time & how it's not what we think it is. I think they are relevant when thinking on the nature of God because He is not usually what we think either. Hawkin's thoughts on black holes & how if you could enter one without being spagettied out into all your separate atoms you would enter the mind of God (origonal chaos from which the world begun) was fascinating ~ but as I said I don't have a scientific mind & am probably misrepresenting the man's ideas terribly, coloured as my mind is with Celtic mythology flavoured the same way. Naturally I make odd connections..

 

[MrJim]

Read any Harry Turtledove?~he does some fiction work with time travel/alternate history...

Anyhow, I'm still chewin' on the time thing in regards to "accomplished"...

 

[MrJim]

Matt 5:27 You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 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. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Bet the apostles never dreamed of the porn world we'd be living in now...

 

[CelticRose]

Oh, I don't know. They did live in a Roman world & by all accounts that was a highly sexualized society.

 

[MrJim]

Oh, I don't know. They did live in a Roman world & by all accounts that was a highly sexualized society.

Yeah, guess it's sort of a relative thing culturally speaking...

 

[MrJim]

Matt 5:31 It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. 32 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.

Nothing really to add to this 'cept that adultery isn't an unforgivable sin.

 

[CelticRose]

You asked your wife about that?

 

[MrJim]

You asked your wife about that?

I was just noting~some condemn divorced folks as some superheathens.

Nah, if something happened to my DW I'd never remarry~too much work

 

[MrJim]

Matt 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Amongst the plainer folks they simply don't "swear" oaths, for court nor anything.

I remember the oath I swore when I enlisted into the USMC

I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

...couldn't swear to that any more...

 

[MrJim]

Matt 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

In many ways the "resist not evil" is a troubling passage...gonna ponder on this a bit.

 

[MrJim]

Matt 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

In many ways the "resist not evil" is a troubling passage...gonna ponder on this a bit.

This is not an "American" passage at all, for it exposes Christians to "abuse" and give the appearance of "being a doormat", all of which on the surface may appear to be so, but as said elsewhere God uses weak & foolish vessels to do His work. We want to be and appear strong and independent when in reality we are weak and needy.

Resist not evil...

 

[CelticRose]

Listening...

 

[MrJim]

This is not an "American" passage at all, for it exposes Christians to "abuse" and give the appearance of "being a doormat", all of which on the surface may appear to be so, but as said elsewhere God uses weak & foolish vessels to do His work. We want to be and appear strong and independent when in reality we are weak and needy.

Resist not evil...

on resisting:

James 4: 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

hmm..... let's work this out...

 

[MrJim]

on resisting:

James 4: 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

hmm..... let's work this out...

...resisting evil and resisting the devil aren't the same thing.

I expect Jesus is referring to the evil of others in the SoM passage, and James is referring to the devil working against us in his epistle...

 

[MrJim]

Matt 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

 

[MrJim]

Matt 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Nothin' really more to add~doesn't get any plainer than this.

 

[MrJim]

Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

I referenced this passage once when a church trustee tried to give me those "Church Offering" envelopes...he just sorta muttered and went away