Genesis 14, Matthew 5

Thursday, Dec 13, 2007 - Brandon Hatmaker (Genesis 14, Matthew 5)

(Genesis 14)

The wrong place at the wrong time. When it comes to our lives, it’s funny how the older we get the less that happens, but it still happens. Probably has something to do with maturity or experience. Maybe it has something to do with learning from our past. When it happens, sometimes it’s a coincidence, but more than not, it’s because of a compromised or poor decision. I believe it’s in moments of taking our eye off what is important that leads us to being out of place, whether it’s physical, emotional, spiritual, or even financial.

Lot experienced a little of this in Genesis 14. Although he wasn’t a part of any of these great armies that went to war, he became a casualty of war. Verse 12 says, “They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.”

Call it “guilty by association” or call it being in the “wrong place at the wrong time”, whatever it is, we need to recognize our surroundings, our influences, and our focus in relationship to Christ at all times.

God, help us today to surround ourselves with the right people with the right attitudes and right hearts. Keep us away from negative influence. Help us to make wise decisions. All these things, Lord, so that you might be glorified in and through us. All these things, Lord, that we might share your love with others.

(Matthew 5)

What a beautiful image. There is a huge crowd beginning to follow Jesus, seeking after just a touch from him, or maybe a word of blessing. He goes up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples all gathered around and he began to teach them. The first thing that comes out of his mouth is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Wow.

The Greek word for “poor” could be translated more directly as “beggar”. This verse calls us to recognize our “spiritual poverty” and our need for Christ.

One of the things I’ve noticed as we’ve spent time as a church feeding the homeless is their humility. You have to be taken pretty low in life to stand out on a street corner and beg. What a recognition of need that exists when you are willing to stand in line for an hour for a cheeseburger or fight in line for a coat, regardless of how it looks or fits. After a while, you may become calloused to the humility, but at one point you’ve hit rock bottom, realize you have nothing and resort to begging others for it.

Jesus said that we are blessed when we realize that this is our spiritual condition before God. He came to this world because we need help. He made the sacrifice to offer the exact help we need. Without him, we sit on an empty street without food or shelter. Eventually we will starve or freeze to death.

How foolish for those of us who know Christ to live as if we don’t. I’m challenged this morning to think about the spiritual food I’ve rejected and the clothes of his ways I’ve cast off. I wonder how foolish that looks to others who have watched it happen. I wonder how it makes God feel.

Father, thank you, for the reminder of our spiritual condition without Christ. But even more so, thank you for the blessing we have because of your gift of life.