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Matteus 5

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1 Og da han så folket, gikk han op fjellet, og da han hadde satt sig, kom hans disipler til ham.

2 Og han oplot sin munn, lærte dem og sa:

3 Salige er de fattige i ånden; for himlenes rike er deres.

4 Salige er de som sørger; for de skal trøstes.

5 Salige er de saktmodige; for de skal arve jorden.

6 Salige er de som hungrer og tørster efter rettferdighet; for de skal mettes.

7 Salige er de barmhjertige; for de skal finne barmhjertighet.

8 Salige er de rene av hjertet; for de skal se Gud.

9 Salige er de fredsommelige; for de skal kalles Guds barn.

10 Salige er de som er forfulgt for rettferdighets skyld; for himlenes rike er deres.

11 Salige er I når de spotter og forfølger eder og lyver eder allehånde ondt på for min skyld.

12 Gled og fryd eder! for eders lønn er stor i himmelen; for således forfulgte de profetene før eder.

13 I er jordens salt; men når saltet mister sin kraft, hvad skal det så saltes med? Det duer ikke lenger til noget, uten til å kastes ut og tredes ned av menneskene.

14 I er verdens lys; en by som ligger på et fjell, kan ikke skjules;

15 en tender heller ikke et lys og setter det under en skjeppe, men i staken; så skinner det for alle i huset.

16 La således eders lys skinne for menneskene, forat de kan se eders gode gjerninger og prise eders Fader i himmelen!

17 I må ikke tro at jeg er kommet for å opheve loven eller profetene; jeg er ikke kommet for å opheve, men for å opfylle.

18 For sannelig sier jeg eder: Før himmel og jord forgår, skal ikke den minste bokstav eller en eneste tøddel forgå av loven, før det er skjedd alt sammen.

19 Derfor, den som bryter et eneste av disse minste bud og lærer menneskene således, han skal kalles den minste i himlenes rike; men den som holder dem og lærer andre dem, han skal kalles stor i himlenes rike.

20 For jeg sier eder: Dersom eders rettferdighet ikke overgår de skriftlærdes og fariseernes, kommer I ingenlunde inn i himlenes rike.

21 I har hørt at det er sagt til de gamle: Du skal ikke slå ihjel, men den som slår ihjel, skal være skyldig for dommen.

22 Men jeg sier eder at hver den som blir vred på sin bror uten grunn, skal være skyldig for dommen; men den som sier til sin bror: aka! skal være skyldig for rådet; men den som sier: Du dåre! skal være skyldig til helvedes ild.

23 Derfor, når du bærer ditt offer frem til alteret, og der kommer i hu at din bror har noget imot dig,

24 så la ditt offer ligge der foran alteret, og gå først bort og forlik dig med din bror, og kom så og bær ditt offer frem!

25 Skynd dig å være føielig mot din motstander så lenge du er med ham på veien, forat ikke motstanderen skal overgi dig til dommeren, og dommeren overgi dig til tjeneren, og du bli kastet i fengsel.

26 Sannelig sier jeg dig: Du skal ingenlunde komme ut derfra før du har betalt den siste øre.

27 I har hørt at det er sagt: Du skal ikke drive hor.

28 Men jeg sier eder at hver den som ser på en kvinne for å begjære henne, har alt drevet hor med henne i sitt hjerte.

29 Om ditt høire øie frister dig, da riv det ut og kast det fra dig! for det er bedre for dig at ett av dine lemmer går tapt enn at hele ditt legeme blir kastet i helvede.

30 Og dersom din høire hånd frister dig, da hugg den av og kast den fra dig! for det er bedre for dig at ett av dine lemmer går tapt enn at hele ditt legeme kommer i helvede.

31 Det er sagt: Den som skiller sig fra sin hustru, skal gi henne skilsmissebrev.

32 Men jeg sier eder at hver den som skiller sig fra sin hustru uten for hors skyld, han volder at hun driver hor, og den som gifter sig med en fraskilt kvinne, han driver hor.

33 Atter har I hørt at det er sagt til de gamle: Du skal ikke sverge falsk ed, men du skal holde dine eder for Herren.

34 Men jeg sier eder at I aldeles ikke skal sverge, hverken ved himmelen, for den er Guds trone,

35 eller ved jorden, for den er hans fotskammel, eller ved Jerusalem, for det er den store konges stad.

36 Heller ikke skal du sverge ved ditt hode; for du kan ikke gjøre ett hår hvitt eller sort.

37 Men eders tale skal være ja, ja, nei, nei; det som er mere enn dette, er av det onde.

38 I har hørt at det er sagt: Øie for øie, og tann for tann!

39 Men jeg sier eder at I ikke skal sette eder imot den som er ond mot eder; men om nogen slår dig på ditt høire kinn, da vend også det andre til ham,

40 og om nogen vil føre sak mot dig og ta din kjortel, da la ham også få kappen,

41 og om nogen tvinger dig til å gå en mil, da gå to med ham.

42 Gi den som ber dig, og vend dig ikke bort fra den som vil låne av dig.

43 I har hørt at det er sagt: Du skal elske din næste og hate din fiende.

44 Men jeg sier eder: Elsk eders fiender, velsign dem som forbanner eder, gjør vel imot dem som hater eder, og bed for dem som forfølger eder,

45 forat I kan bli eders himmelske Faders barn; for han lar sin sol gå op over onde og gode, og lar det regne over rettferdige og urettferdige.

46 For om I elsker dem som elsker eder, hvad lønn har I da? Gjør ikke også tolderne det samme?

47 Og om I hilser bare på eders brødre, hvad stort gjør I da? Gjør ikke også hedningene det samme?

48 Derfor skal I være fullkomne, likesom eders himmelske Fader er fullkommen.

   

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Spiritual Wealth and Poverty

Napsal(a) Bill Woofenden

"Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." Luke 16:25

Additional readings: 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 7, Psalm 1, Psalm 8

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a parable of judgment, and pictures the rich man as failing in the final judgment and the poor man as attaining the kingdom of heaven. It is not said that one was good and the other bad, but that one was rich and the other poor. And when the rich man asked that Lazarus might be sent to the rich man's house to warn his brothers, Abraham refused the request. This request of the rich man seems to be a legitimate one and the refusal unmerciful.

There are other passages in the Scriptures which seem to teach this same lesson. When the rich young man came to the Lord and asked what he should do to inherit eternal life, the Lord said "Keep the commandments." The rich young man replied, "All these have I kept from my youth up." Then the Lord told, him that he was near the kingdom, but that if he would enter in, he must go and sell all that he had and give to the poor (Matthew 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23).

Mary in her magnification of Christ was inspired to say, "He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away" (Luke 1:52).

Our text is from one of the Lord's parables, given to teach a lesson which it is important for us to understand, as it deals with our eternal happiness. We need to know who are meant by the rich man and the poor man. If the rich represent the materially rich and the poor those poor in this world's goods, wherein is there any parable? Of the Word it is written, "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). In its letter, the Word often seems hard, contradictory, and even contrary to the laws of the Divine love, but in its inner meaning it is consistent and teaches truths necessary to the attainment of heavenly life. And we know that many of its truths had to be so veiled because men were not ready to receive them.

In the parable the rich man stands for those who have the knowledges of Divine truth and because of this think themselves good—for those who are rich in their own conceit, who ask in the boastfulness of their pride, "What lack I?"

The first words the Lord spoke in the Sermon on the Mount were "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"(Matthew 5:3). These are the poor of our parable. But the parable itself shows what is meant by the rich man. There is one very important word which discloses its meaning. The parable does not say that the rich man had the Lord's good things, the good things of heavenly life. Abraham says to the rich man, "Thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things." And the parable tells what these good things were. "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day." His pleasures were those that gratified the senses of the body, the delights of the material world. He knew better. He had Moses and the prophets. And therein was his condemnation. He had the light of the Word, but he was so rich in his self-conceit that he would not hear it. Instead of searching the Scriptures to find the way of life, he thought that he knew enough to choose his own way, and he chose the things that he thought were good. And the parable teaches that he did not attain the kingdom of heaven. Could it be expected that he would?

Is it to be expected that we can make ourselves sensual and selfish, interested only in the things of this world, with no thought for the development of our souls, and then enjoy the life of heaven? Do we think that heavenly life consists in external pleasures and delights?

The rich man was told that no one could bring him a drop of water to cool his parched tongue because a great gulf was fixed between Lazarus in heaven and himself, which neither was able to cross. It seems hard and merciless that Abraham could not send someone across that gulf with at least a cup of cold water.

We knew the Lord to be a God of love, mercy, and forgiveness, and that if it had been within His power, He would have made rivers of water break forth in the rich man's desert. But yet a drop of water could be brought to him. What does this mean?

It means simply this: if a man with all the advantages of the church, with all the teachings and warnings of the Word, chooses to spend his whole life in acquiring and enjoying the things of this world alone, and does not cultivate the higher delights in spiritual things, he becomes a form of worldly desires and pleasures, and when he lays off the material body, these desires will continue to burn, and by the laws of that world they cannot be gratified.

Heaven is a kingdom of unselfish love. As the Lord said to Samuel, "The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Heavenly happiness comes from the love of service to others, not from seeking things for self. The parable also pictures the state of the Jewish Church at that time. They had the Word and were proud of their knowledge, but would not share it with others. They would use it only for their own advantage.

To enter heaven we must at least begin to cultivate the loves which reign in heaven. Hell is the kingdom of selfish love. Heaven and hell are opposites. It is said that a great gulf was fixed so that those who would pass could not. That great gulf was fixed by the disorganized internal of the rich man. We may ourselves have seen that great gulf when, in trying to urge someone not to persist in a wrong course, we found the love of self and of self-indulgence so strong that there was no foundation for moral persuasion and no response to reason. That is the great gulf. Not a single truth can be imparted. Not one drop of cold water could be carried across that great chasm.

The parable discloses to us the laws of the spirit. It tells us what our life here is for, that it is given us as an opportunity for the attainment of eternal life. If we wish the true riches, we must lay them up now. If we want any virtue, we must treasure it in the heart, for where our treasure is, there will the heart be also (Matthew 6:21, Luke 12:34).

The poor man in the parable is the man poor in spirit, who does not think that he is in himself wise or good, but who looks to the Lord for light and for the power to understand and obey. He is one who sees his weaknesses, his spiritual poverty, who sees the needs of his soul. The way to heaven is through the keeping of the commandments, but there is a right way and a wrong way of keeping them. The rich young man said that he had kept them from his youth up. But he had kept them in order that he might gain the kingdom and he was proud of his success. Keeping the commandments even in this way brings us near the gates of the holy city, but the Lord told him that if he would enter in, he must go and sell all that he had. The riches that he had were his pride, his self-confidence and self-sufficiency. He must come into dependence upon the Lord instead of upon self.

The lesson of the parable is for all men of all time, for all of us are born natural, with tendencies to self-seeking. We form our characters here. We too have Moses and the prophets, and we should not let the great gulf form within us which will separate us from the kingdom for which we are to prepare ourselves.

"Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord, which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."