Wednesday's Words of Wisdom...Dan Doriani on the Lord's Supper

"Whenever we partake of the Lord's Supper, we share in the benefits of the new covenant: substitutionary atonement leading to the forgiveness of sins, particular redemption granting security to believers. With sins covered, with freedom from guilt, with no need to make amends for sins, we can rest in Christ. If the disciples left the final meal singing a hymn of joy (Matthew 26:30), how much more should we."

Dan Doriani
Matthew (Reformed Expository Commentary)

Dr. Dan Doriani on Matthew 6:22-23

In Matthew 6:21, Jesus tells us, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  He goes on in the following verses to speak about this in terms of the eye.  Dr. Dan Doriani has this to say about his words:

“This passage is diagnostic.  If a man cannot tear his eyes away from money, if he lives for wealth, it is because his eye and heart are corrupt.  If the eye is dark, there is no hope, unless God Grants renewal.  No one can do what is right unless he can see what is right.  Therefore, Jesus’ message is not, 'Try harder,' but 'Examine yourself.'  So if you fail to follow Jesus, if you hoard and do not give, examine yourself! You cannot do what is right without the ability to see it.  On the other hand, if you know that you belong to Jesus, and yet you act as if you live for money, that is neither your true heritage nor your true self.  You know better.  God has set your heart on better things.  You will find peace and rest when your heart goes where it belongs.”

From The Sermon on the Mount: The Character of a Disciple (P&R Publishing), 160.

You Are the Salt of the Earth

In 2011 I've had the pleasure of teaching an adult Sunday School class on The Sermon on the Mount.  One of my favorite parts of teaching is all the learning that I get to do.  In my preparations for class, I try to glean insights from a number of scholars who are far more learned than I am (there's no shortage!).  To this end I have loved studying a number of fine commentaries on The Sermon on the Mount (Carson, Doriani, Ferguson, Stott) in addition to commentaries on Matthew from my two favorite sets by Calvin and Hendriksen.

Another commentary on Matthew that was recently introduced to me by a friend is Frederick Dale Bruner's Matthew: A Commentary. Volume 1: The Christbook, Matthew 1-12.  I've only had the commentary for a couple weeks and I can't speak to all of Bruner's theology.  What I can say though, is I have already been richly blessed by the devotional nature of his writing and some of the insights he offers on Matthew 5.  Included in this would be the following words I came across today preparing for this week's lesson on being "the salt of the earth":

"Blessing is given to believers so that they will be blessings -- to the world (cf. especially the seminal promise of Gen 12:1-3: "I will bless you and make you a blessing; and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed"); salt is made salt in order to be salty in food.  We are put on notice that while it is from nothing (gratis) that we have been made salt, it is not for nothing (frustra).  We are to live for other people.  Christians, we learn here for the first time explicitly, are in danger if they do not live as Christians.  This is what is meant by the warning's sad conclusion, "It is absolutely useless except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."  Here is deserved persecution.  In the world this "persecution" often takes the form of simple contempt or of complete disinterest."

May we always remember how very blessed we are to have found favor in the eyes of God in spite of our sin. And may we also remember that we, like Abraham, are blessed that we might be a blessing.