What About Ghosts

Ecclesiastes 12:7

We all have a spirit. Or, we are all spirits living in a body. 

The Scriptures teach that we are composed of body, soul and spirit. For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 mentions body, soul and spirit when it says:

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23 ESV)

Hebrews 4:12 makes a distinction between soul and spirit when it says:

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

(Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

This is not a complete list of verses or a complete argument for the existence of the soul and spirit. The view I am giving is that of a “trichotomy,” which is to say that the essence of a man or a woman includes these three elements. Some also teach that perceiving a person as a dichotomy is more accurate, which is to say that the essence of a person includes material and immaterial elements. A person holding to a dichotomous view would not draw a distinction between soul and spirit.

My understanding is a spirit is form of existence. According to John 4:24, God exists as spirit. The soul is not a form of existence. The soul is the person or the mind. The soul is who you are.

The materialist teaches that the material world is all that exists. Materialism teaches that the spiritual world does not exist. Rather than a soul or spirit, the entirety of a person is the physical body. The mind is only the brain and its function. The thoughts and decisions of the individual are nothing more than the chemical and electrical impulses of the brain. In this thinking, when the brain ceases to function, that is the end of the person. There is no more. This view does not allow for life after death. 

The brain is the control center of the body. As long as the soul is connected to this body, there is an integral connection between the soul and body. This connection means that the soul can only express itself subject to the limitations and boundaries imposed by this body and thus the brain. Because of this, injuries to the brain can affect what we call personality and intelligence. However, once free from this body, the soul of the person is free from the limitations imposed by this material body.

However, we must not think that we are designed to exist forever in an unbodied state, or as spirit. We were designed to exist in a material body. However, the bodies we now have are broken because of sin. The entire creation has been affected by sin and is looking forward to the restoration of all things. At the resurrection, we will have perfect bodies that will not age or break down. 

This brings us to a question that is important for us to understand. What happens to the person who dies? Is the spirit in some sort of limbo while it waits for a new body?

Have you seen the ghost hunter television shows that are sometimes popular? Have you read the stories of haunted houses? Have you read Harry Potter where ghosts are part of the story? There are many popular theories, stories and even sightings of ghosts. Some believe that the spirits of dead relatives visit them. Others believe that the spirits of dead people inhabit physical locations, such as houses. 

Seances are held where people try to contact the dead, and mediums are frequently consulted for advice from the deceased. 

These things are real and powerful influences in our world today.

The Bible gives clear instructions and teaches us some foundational truths concerning what happens to the spirits of the deceased.

The first truth I want to cover is that the spirit goes back to God who gave it. This is stated clearly in Ecclesiastes 12:7 and implied in 2 Corinthians 5:8.

First, Ecclesiastes 12:7 says:

...and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7 ESV)

Then in 2 Corinthians 5:8, we find these words:

Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8 ESV)

This truth is significant on several counts. For one, it helps to provide an answer to the question of ghosts. First of all, the spirit has no choice in the matter. Just as we have no choice of when, where or how we are born, we have no choice in what happens at our death. The spirit is given by God when a child is conceived in the womb and the child has no choice or say in the matter. When the person dies, the spirit goes back to God without reference to that person’s wishes.

This is connected to another truth, illustrated by a parable Jesus gave. The unbelieving dead end up in a different place than the believing dead. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man is said to be in Hades and in torment, while Lazarus is said to be far-off with Abraham. Also, in Revelation 20:13, the Scriptures say that Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them. These two Scriptures indicate that the spirits of the departed dead go to either Hades or paradise. When Jesus was on the cross, He said to the thief who had said, “Remember Me,” “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” The believing dead are in paradise and the unbelieving dead are in Hades, being held until the day of judgment. 

The spirits or ghosts of the dead do not remain behind, nor do they inhabit physical locations. 

Scripture warns very seriously against trying to contact the dead through mediums or other means. Deuteronomy 18:11 along with other Scriptures (Leviticus 20:27) forbid consulting the dead, mediums and other forms of contacting spirits.

Seeking wisdom from beyond the grave is a dangerous practice. 1 Timothy 4 warns us:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (1 Timothy 4:1 ESV)

Demons can pose as angels and by doing so have deceived many. They can also pose as the spirits of departed loved ones and/or spirit guides. It is for this reason that God strictly forbids mediums, spiritists, sorcery, seances and seeking to communicate with the dead.

As believers, we are given the Holy Spirit of God and the word of God for our guidance. If we have the Spirit of God, why would we seek guidance from a lesser spirit? Seeking out spirit guides is for this reason a dangerous and ill-informed practice. There is one Spirit who is the guide of believers in Jesus Christ and one Spirit only.

Since the spirit goes back to God who gave it, the second truth I want to cover is what happens during the time between when a person dies and the resurrection.

As we have already stated, the believing dead are immediately in Paradise, and the unbelieving dead are in Hades. They both await the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment. We will cover the judgments to come in a future message, but I want us to consider a couple of truths about the time between death and the resurrection.

First off, there is no purgatory. The New Testament teaches that a believer is immediately in the presence of God and an unbeliever is not. The thief on the cross was promised that he would be in paradise that very day. He had no time to do any good works to pay for his sins. The Bible teaches that Jesus died once for all of our sins and that His sacrifice both appeases God’s wrath and pays for our transgressions. There remains no further price to be paid, and to try to pay for God’s free gift is an insult to His grace. We are forgiven freely by His grace and made righteous in Christ. For the believer in Jesus, no further suffering is needed, and for the unbeliever, there is no other payment that can be given. John 3:18 says that the unbeliever is condemned already because they have rejected God’s free gift.

Some people or groups teach the concept of soul sleep. This teaching says that the souls of the dead sleep and are unconscious until the resurrection. Such teaching directly contradicts the Scriptures that say to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Another teaching or thought is that once we are out of the body and in heaven, we will be outside of time. Several statements in Scripture contradict such teaching. In Revelation 6:9-10, the Bible speaks of the souls of saints who died for their faith gathered under the altar. They are said to be crying out, “How long, Lord, how long?” If they were outside of time, “how long” would be an irrelevant question. Revelation 8:1 says there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. A half-hour is a measure of time. Although time will have no end in heaven, it will still exist. Only God is outside of time since He created time. We are not and will not become God and will always live in a progression of moments. 

The important thing in all of this is that we will eternally have a spirit, and John 4:24 tells us:

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (ESV)

Our connection with God is through our spirits. Romans 8:16 explains to us:

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:16 ESV)

Concentrating so much on our physical lives that we neglect the spirit that lives forever is a mistake. Jesus set an example for us when He said:

I have food to eat that you do not know about. (John 4:32 ESV)

The disciples with Him that day were perplexed as to what this might mean. So, Jesus explained:

My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. (John 4:34-35 ESV)

Jesus had been doing spiritual work of sharing the gospel with a Samaritan town. That day he chose to go without food in preference for this spiritual work. He did not always do this. He ate. He slept. He also got up very early to pray. He also knew the Scriptures by heart. Paul encouraged Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach’s sake, taking care of His physical body, and he also exhorted Timothy not to neglect his spiritual gift.

Which is more important: our physical or our spiritual life? 

If it becomes a choice between the two, which one wins?

The apostles and Jesus showed us by example how to choose, each one laying down his or her physical life in preference for the spirit.

A New Body

1 Corinthians 15:35-49

Corinth was a real city with real people. I don’t think they had Netflix, Amazon Prime, or even movie theaters, but they were just as fascinated with sex and violence as any city in our world. They may not have had electricity, but they were people just like you and me.

At the Preaching of Apollos and others, some of the residents of Corinth came to Christ. They put their faith in Jesus for salvation and formed the First Church of Corinth. Because of its location and significance in the transportation and shipping industry of the day, Corinth was exposed to ideas from all over the Roman Empire and also catered to the appetites of many travelers. As a result, the Corinthian church spawned heresies and errors almost as rapidly as YouTube.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to correct some of these errors. He corrected their allegiance to various teachers and sectarianism. He corrected ideas about morality, incest, lawsuits, marriage, communion, spiritual gifts, the resurrection and other issues. One letter was not enough. So, we have two of the letters he wrote to Corinth in our New Testament. Having these letters helps us since the ideas and errors that sprung up in the Corinthian church keep springing up even to this day. Two thousand years may have brought advances in medicine and technology, but just as our world still fights with cancer, our churches still fight with the same errors and heresies that appeared in Corinth. Some of these errors have to do with life after death. 

We do not become angels after we die. We will not remain disembodied spirits forever. We will not live on clouds or play golden harps forever. Any number of ideas and caricatures are popular which misrepresent or run contrary to what the Bible teaches.

One of the issues that came up in Corinth is the after-life and the resurrection. I want to spend a few weeks going over some of the Biblical truths associated with what happens after a person dies. This is actually a broad topic and we will cover just a few of the questions involved. What happens after we die is an integral part of our Christian faith. If this life is all there is and there is no life after death, then faith, Christianity and church are a waste of time.

In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul addresses some questions about the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection of the dead is not limited to the question of life after death. It takes us into questions of what will happen to the bodies we have buried.

Apparently, some of the Corinthian believers had landed upon the popular idea that the body would not be resurrected. So, the Apostle makes a statement. In 1 Corinthians 15:12-14, he writes:

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:12-14 ESV)

In this statement, we see that the resurrection of the dead is an essential part of our faith. Paul shoots down the idea that the dead are not resurrected. 

After explaining that the dead will be raised, the Apostle brings up two objections that would be raised. In 1 Corinthians 15:35, he writes:

But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" (1 Corinthians 15:35 ESV)

The first objection is the question, “How are the dead raised?”

The “how” in this question is a question of “by what power or means.” According to Matthew Henry, popular opinion of the day also taught by the Jewish Sadducees, was that God could not make mortal men immortal or revive the dead. The Apostle Paul does not take much time to answer this objection. He says:

You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. (1 Corinthians 15:36 ESV)

Of course, the God who created all things out of nothing should have no difficulty bringing the dead back to life. The Old Testament contains examples of the dead coming back to life. The widow at Zarephath, for example, received her son back from the dead through the prayers of Elijah. The New Testament as well contains records of the dead coming back to life. The resurrection of Lazarus is a well-known example. However, the Apostle Paul does not refer to these examples. He refers to something we see in nature all the time. We plant seeds in the ground and they come up with new life. The seed must first die to produce life. Paul in essence is saying, “How can you see this constant and consistent miracle in nature and still doubt God’s power to raise the dead?”

After this brief answer to how the resurrection of the dead could take place, the Apostle Paul writes a long answer to the question of what kind of body the resurrected body will be.

The first thing he says about the resurrected body is that it is different from the body that dies. He writes:

And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. (1 Corinthians 15:37-38 ESV)

The statement, “what you sow is not the body that is to be,” indicates that the resurrected body will be changed. “To each kind of seed its own body” indicates that although the body will be changed there will be continuity between the body that dies and the body that is resurrected. 

Jesus is a good example of what the Apostle is talking about. After the resurrection, Jesus’ body was changed. He still had flesh and bone. In Luke 24:39, He says:

See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. (Luke 24:39 ESV)

The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost, an impression that was reinforced by Jesus suddenly appearing in their midst. The door was locked to the room that they were standing in. Jesus takes the time at this point to establish the fact that He was not spirit. In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul spends quite a few verses explaining that there are earthly bodies and there are heavenly bodies, and tied into Jesus’ proof that He was not a disembodied spirit, we can understand that the heavenly body Paul is referring to is still a physical body. Like Jesus demonstrates the resurrected body will have flesh and bone, and yet be different from the physical bodies we now have. 

Jesus also demonstrated the continuity between the resurrected body and the body that dies. For one, Jesus was recognizable to His disciples. They could not believe what they were seeing, therefore they thought they were seeing a ghost, but they knew who they were looking at. Jesus confirmed what their eyes were telling them because they thought they were seeing an apparition rather than the real person. Nevertheless, the continuity was there. They recognized that this was Jesus, the one they had known so well.

Although the body will be changed, we will not become angels. We will still be human. Jesus still has a human body, but it is imperishable. It does not age. It does not grow weak, sick or diminish in any way. The Apostle speaks of the body being made imperishable when he says:

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. (1 Corinthians 15:42 ESV)

The new bodies we will receive will be immortal, and as such will have new qualities. Paul continues to explain this with the following:

It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:43-44 ESV)

The dishonor spoken of in this passage is the result of sin. Our bodies are not evil because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling place of God. However, because of sin our bodies break down, grow weak and feeble and die. The dishonor is not inherent in the flesh itself, but along with all creation, the body must be set free from the consequences of sin. So, sown in dishonor, the resurrected body will be free from the consequences, the effects and the presence of sin. We will be all that God meant for us to be.

The bodies we have now are weak in a number of ways. We weaken physically as years pass. This is one kind of weakness. We lust after what we should not have, we covet what is not ours, we are jealous of what others have. This is another kind of weakness. The power we will be raised with will be physical and moral. Physically we will not age or get sick. Our strength will not diminish. According to this passage, we will be immortal. Morally we will not be tempted by evil any longer. We will still have free will and be able to choose, but sin, jealousy, envy and lust will not be a part of us. We will be raised in power with victory being ours.

Much more could be said, and I would encourage you to study this passage in 1 Corinthians 15 for yourself. However, consider with me that we will all either die or be transformed when Christ returns. Those without Christ have much to fear from death because after death we all must face judgment.

But for us believers, Paul gives the following thought:

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 ESV)

Building a Solid Foundation

Luke 6:46-49

What do you do when everything around you is falling to pieces?

Some have reacted with fear and even panic at the threat of COVID19. Others have not been upset at all. Some are predicting doom, gloom, economic collapse and full hospitals. Others are focused on the opportunities that are being created.

The question that came to my mind was: “What do we do when the foundations of the world around us crumble?”

Jesus uses house foundations to illustrate the importance of what we base our lives on. We find an account of this illustration in Luke 6:46-49. Matthew gives his account of this same illustration in Matthew 7:24-27

In Luke’s account, Jesus starts with a question. He says, “Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46 ESV)

I want to begin by considering the impact of a “why” question in relationships.

If we see a person tying a hook on a string, we might ask, “Why are you doing that?” And we would get an explanation something like, “I have found it to be a help in catching fish.” In this case, “Why” is a helpful question. In this case, “Why” leads to learning.

However, if you ask a question like, “Why don’t you tell the truth,” you will get a much different response.

The person might respond, “What do you mean, ‘Why don’t I tell the truth?’” “Are you calling me a liar?” Or, they just might respond by giving you a good, solid punch on the nose. The problem with “why” in this situation is that it implies or assumes that your counterpart is not telling the truth. 

Imagine yourself meeting a friend in the grocery store, and that friend asks you, “Why do you lie?” They are serious and this question seems to come out of nowhere. What would you say? “What are you talking about?” “How have I lied to you?” The question treats you lying as a fact.

Most often when we ask a why question in relationships, we invite defensiveness from our counterpart. Often it is better to start with “what.” “What is going on?” or “What is happening right now?” invite explanation without the pressure of “why.”

Let’s look at the account Luke gives of the illustration Jesus uses.

Luke 6:17 tells us:

And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, (Luke 6:17 ESV)

Luke is setting the scene for His account of the Sermon on the Mount. In this setting, we see two elements to the huge crowd gathered before Jesus. One element is His disciples and the other element is a multitude of people. As Luke continues to set the scene for us, He says in verse 20, “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said…” With this statement Luke establishes the fact that Jesus is talking to His disciples and the multitude is listening in, a kind of “eavesdropping.” 

So, in Luke 6:46, when Jesus says, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” His question is directed at His disciples. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” This question assumes that those who were calling Him Lord were not doing what He told them, and in as much as this question is directed toward us, it assumes that we are not doing what He tells us. 

Why DO we call Him Lord, if we are not going to do what He says? Be careful! Our instinctive response is to be defensive. “What do you mean we are not doing what He says?”

As much as I don’t want to offend you or make you feel defensive, I must point out that Jesus is asking each of us this question. Imagine yourself sitting on that mountain as Jesus catches your eye and says;

Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

What would you say? What would I say?

This question falls on me with bone crushing weight. But in the words that follow, Jesus gives encouragement. He is not looking to crush us with the weight of our guilt, rather He is encouraging us with the surpassingly great value of doing what He says. In the words that follow His question, Jesus speaks of the value of doing what He says and the cost of not doing what He says. He illustrates both the value of heeding the word of the Lord and the cost of ignoring the word of the Lord.

First, let’s consider who reaps the benefits. Luke 6:47 says:

Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like... (Luke 6:47 ESV)

Notice that Jesus tells us three things about this person.

1. He comes
2. He hears
3. He does

Coming to Jesus is the first thing that we must do if we would have eternal life, a relationship with God and a solid foundation. Many do not and cannot have a solid foundation because they have never taken this first step. Jesus has invited everyone and anyone to come. He says:

...whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (John 6:37 ESV)

And in another place He says:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 ESV)

Please, please accept His invitation. He will forgive all your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. He will give you eternal life and free access to God the Father. He will send His Holy Spirit to live within you and give you life. What more do you want when He will give you everything you need pertaining to life and godliness?

For everyone who has taken this first step, I have a question. “Do we come to Jesus just once and are done?” 

As far as salvation is concerned, the answer is yes, absolutely. However, as far as our daily lives are concerned, the answer is we must come to Him daily for our sustenance. This could also be stated in terms of following Him, and is also part of the second thing the person reaps as a  benefit of doing what He says.

The second thing about this person is “he hears.”

Hearing takes place before faith because as we learn from Romans 9:17, “... faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

However, hearing does not stop once we ask Jesus to be our Savior. 

Think of Jesus’ disciples. In Luke 6:17, we read that Jesus was followed by a great crowd of His disciples. A disciple is a student or a learner. This implies hearing and listening to what the teacher says. Mark 3:14 tells us, “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach.” (Mark 3:14 ESV) These Apostles are how we received our New Testament. They heard from Jesus and preached His words, recorded His words and passed them down to us. Notice that Mark says Jesus appointed them so that they might be with him. Being with the teacher is the key to discipleship. We are all familiar with the classroom setting for teacher/student relationships. Internships and apprenticeships are closer to what discipleship is. The closer a disciple stays to the teacher the more he or she becomes like the teacher. This is hearing.

Hearing is followed by doing. The third thing about the person who reaps the benefits is “he does.” My explanation of the person who does not reap the benefits will be very brief, because this is the only difference that Jesus points out. In His illustration, Jesus says:

“But the one who hears and does not do them...” (Luke 6:49 ESV)

The hearing, and therefore I assume, the coming, are the same. It is at the point of doing that the paths diverge.

The difference between the one who does and the one who does not is severe.

Of the person who does what He says, Jesus said:

...he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. (Luke 6:48 ESV)

The storms of life are likened to a flood that breaks against a house, but this person is unshakeable. Psalm 42:1-2 records the thoughts of this person:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea... (Psalm 46:1-2 ESV)

The value then of doing what the Lord says is an unshakeable life, confidence, a solid “house,” plus all the treasures of heaven.

However, of the person who does not do what He says, Jesus said:

But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great. (Luke 6:49 ESV)

The cost of not doing what He says is great. The person who does not do what Jesus says loses everything he or she has built. This person escapes with their life, but everything else is lost. This is who the Apostle was talking about when he said:

If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:15 ESV)

What do we do when the foundations of the world around us are crumbling? We turn to the Rock. We take refuge in God because we trust Him.

The question remains, “What does doing look like?” Jesus’ question assumes we are not doing what He says. Jesus did not say this to condemn us, but rather to encourage us to listen and to put into practice what we hear. As far as our failures are concerned, 1 John 1:8-9 says:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9 ESV)

What does doing look like? Actually, it will flow from our hearing. Jesus said He did not do anything but what He had seen His Father doing. (John 5:19) Our life and our foundation comes out of living in the presence of God. Galatians 5:16 puts it like this:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16 ESV)

Another place to read up on this is Romans 8. We are not talking about obeying rules. There are two great commands that sum up all the rules.

1. Love God
2. Love your neighbor

That is it for rules. Remember, Abraham believed God and it was counted unto Him as righteousness. Believe God. Trust in God. Walk by the Spirit. Live in the presence of God whose dwelling is within you, and you will not be shaken.

Our rock, our foundation is Christ. If our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), what have we to fear, even if the mountains crumble into the sea?

For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)

Reciprocity

Luke 6:37-38

It was a beautiful day. It was not too hot, I am guessing, but if it was too hot people would have fainted from the heat. It was not windy, if it was windy the huge crowd would not have been able to hear His voice. Jesus walked and talked with the twelve every day, but occasions like this occurred only a few times. Huge crowds followed Him and He taught constantly. But this time, He was in a natural amphitheater where His voice would carry and the crowd was exceptionally large. 

Jesus sat for His lecture (Matthew 5:1), and He presented central truths for kingdom living. The truths He taught summarized the law and gave practical ways to apply the law. 

The kingdom is God’s kingdom. Living in the kingdom of God means one must obey or please God and get along with his fellow citizens. The law addresses these two different aspects of kingdom life by commanding love for God and love for our neighbor.

Loving our neighbors is an important part of kingdom living.

Since I brought up the kingdom, I want to define what I am talking about. The kingdom of God has both “now” and “not yet” aspects. When we ask Jesus to be our Savior, the Holy Spirit joins us to the Body of Christ. We become children of the kingdom. Right now, at this very moment, all of us who are children of God through faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ, are participating in, and are citizens of, the kingdom of God. The kingdom is a present reality, and we are to live as citizens of that kingdom. However, the kingdom is not of this world. The world is under the dominion of a different prince who is in opposition to, at war with, our prince. A time is coming, and is close at hand, when the prince of this world will be bound and our prince, Jesus, will come and rule on this earth. Then our “not yet” will become the “now” and the reality of that day. 

When Jesus reigns on earth, there will be justice and peace throughout the entire world. The earth will be prosperous as never before in history with no poverty, and life spans will be absurdly long. These things are coming but are not here yet. We are citizens of this kingdom and as such, our prince expects us to live by His laws.

It is important to understand that living by these laws does not make us citizens, and breaking these laws does not remove our citizenship. We are citizens by grace through faith. In other words, our citizenship is a gift because we believe in Jesus. Our citizenship is not lost if we break the law, but we are accountable to our king. He will ask us what we have done with our citizenship.

This time of inquiry, called judgment, is part of the reason these teachings of Jesus are so important. We will be asked to give an account of our lives. Jesus and the New Testament are not bashful about talking about rewards and treasures stored up in heaven.

Our king has told us we must love our neighbor. This is not optional. Love is mandatory.

As Jesus sat on the hillside that day along the shores of Galilee, He was not giving spiritual platitudes, but rather He was giving practical insight into how relationships work. As Jesus sat overlooking the Sea of Galilee, He taught us how to live in God’s creation. Part of this is to recognize the law of reciprocity. We find this in Luke 6:38 where Jesus says:

For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:38 ESV)

What measure is He talking about?

If you purchase dry goods such as grain by the measure, say like a cup or a quart or even a bushel, shaking the measure will cause the contents to settle and then the measuring cup, bucket or basket will be able to hold more. When I make a bulk purchase and the seller shakes and fills the measure to its fullest possible capacity, I am pleased. I am pleased because I believe that the seller is trying to do right by me.

However, while the market place is definitely affected by this principle, Jesus is not teaching for the market place. He is teaching for the kingdom. The measure you use being measured back to you is talking about reciprocity. Wikipedia says the following about reciprocity:

 In social psychology, reciprocity is a social norm of responding to a positive action with another positive action, rewarding kind actions.

I would add to this definition that reciprocity is more than a social norm. It is a principle established by God at work in the universe and in relationships. While the definition speaks of kind actions, reciprocity works for unkind actions as well. Many of us learned this with our siblings and then had it confirmed for us in school. When we were children, if I punched my brother, I was sure to receive a blow in return. And I usually got back more than I gave. My brother is a nice guy and he believes in paying back with interest.

Jesus gave us several examples of how this works. 

First, He said,

Judge not, and you will not be judged; (Luke 6:37 ESV)

Consider the opposite of this statement. Implied here is that if you do judge you will be judged. This is the meaning of: “For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

This teaching follows immediately after Jesus’ statement:

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36 ESV)

Even though being merciful and not judging are closely related, at this point in the discourse Jesus is changing focus. He has been teaching that we are to love our enemies and do good to those who would harm us, and now he is adding to this our relationship with God. Practically speaking, reciprocity works everywhere, among unbelievers and believers alike. But this thing about judging becomes ominous because God is the final and only true judge. If we blame and criticize other people, they will turn and blame and criticize us right back. However, God says:

Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. (Romans 12:19 ESV)

Now, that is scary! God will do the “payback”! In another place it says:

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11-12 ESV)

This passage raises a lot of issues, but I want to zero in on one subject. Notice first that it says there is only one lawgiver and judge and that is God. Therefore, if we set ourselves up as judge, we set ourselves up as God. As God, we have authority to fix blame and assess damages and inflict punishments. We don’t view ourselves as equal with others; rather we believe we are superior. Oh, we would never say it, but this is what this passage in James teaches us and this is also borne out by life, experience and study. Because of the law of reciprocity, when we treat others this way, we inspire or even cause them to act the same way toward us. I am not saying we are responsible for their behavior, only that we invite and even encourage them to judge, blame and criticize us in return for our doing the same to them.

Please follow me closely here and see if you disagree. If, for example, I judge my wife as being unreasonable and demanding, I have a corresponding need to justify myself. After all, I am judge and my judgments must be right. So, without knowing it, I set her up to be unreasonable and demanding as far as I am concerned. No matter what she does, I will find fault and proof that she is actually unreasonable and demanding. We do this to ourselves all the time and are blind to it because we tend to find fault with others and in so doing fail to look at ourselves and our part of the problem.

Others have problems, but as Jesus says in some of the verses that follow the passage we are considering, we cannot see clearly to pull the sliver out of another’s eye if we have a log in our own. This is a key concept. The only person you can control is yourself. The only person I can control is myself. But if I am focused on others and their faults, then I am not looking at me and my faults.

The key to stopping a vicious cycle of judging, blaming, criticizing and conflict is to stop judging. This is easier said than done, but there is a concept that can help. We can purposely begin to view people as equals, as having opinions, needs and feelings just as valid as ours. If we place ourselves in the place of gods and judges, the opinions, needs and feelings of others are not considered nor are they deemed as important as our own Loving your neighbor as yourself assumes that your neighbor is just as important as you are.

Now we have set the stage for the rest of what Jesus says in Luke 6:37-38. He says:

Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:37-38 ESV)

When we condemn, we pass down a judgment or punishment in an exact or personal manner. The condemnation is the sentence imposed by our judgment.  This punishment inspires a response with interest from our fellow human beings, but what about God whose place it is to take vengeance? Do we think that God will recognize our authority or right to pass judgment on those who do the same things we do? When we judge and condemn others, we deceive ourselves in the worst possible way.

There is a positive side to the law of reciprocity and Jesus points out two acts of generosity and love that pay great dividends. First, He says, “...forgive and you will be forgiven.” In another place, Jesus says that if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us. Forgiveness leaves vengeance in the hands of the One to whom it belongs, God. Forgiveness also recognizes that I also have offended, hurt or caused damage to others for which I need to be forgiven lest I be condemned by the One lawgiver and judge. Forgiveness is an essential part of loving my neighbor as myself.

The second act of generosity Jesus points out is giving. If others have needs as legitimate as mine, then it only follows that I would give of what is mine to help meet those needs. It might be as simple as giving up my seat for someone who physically needs it more than I need it. It might be as generous as risking my life to protect the life of one weaker than myself. Jesus is the ultimate example of this in that He laid down His life to save us. This kind of generosity is not unknown in the world. Soldiers will give their lives for their friends. Policemen and firemen risk their lives for others. Doctors and nurses risk exposure to viruses and diseases for others. These risk physical life, but what about souls? People are eternal beings. Every single person will exist forever, either in heaven or in hell. What are we willing to risk for the souls of people? Can we consider ourselves generous if we are willing to let the lost perish when we have comfortable retirements saved up but no missionaries in our budgets? Can we consider ourselves generous when we can afford cable television and cell phones for the family, but cannot give 10% to God’s work? We need to examine our priorities in view of the kingdom and our place in it. You may be doing all that God has asked of you as a good steward and know that God will be the one to reward and recognize your generosity. But many of us deceive ourselves into thinking we are doing all that we can and in so doing miss out on the return that God promises, good measure, pressed down and running over.