The Archives Devotional Magazine June 2015 | Page 15

DAY 7
“And when you fast, do not put on a sad face as the hypocrites do. They neglect their
appearance so that everyone will see that they are fasting. I assure you, they have already
been paid in full. When you go without food, wash your face and comb your hair, so that
others cannot know that you are fasting—only your Father, who is unseen, will know. And
your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
“Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and
robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths
and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be
where your riches are.
“The eyes are like a lamp for the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be
full of light; but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light in you
is darkness, how terribly dark it will be!
“You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be
loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. This is why I tell
you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about
clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth
more than clothes? Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in
barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than
birds? Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?
“And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or
make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth
had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass
that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure
to clothe you? What little faith you have!
“So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my
clothes?’ (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in
heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else
with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all
these other things. So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own.
There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.”

“I AM PERSUADED THAT LOVE AND HUMILITY ARE THE HIGHEST
ATTAINMENTS IN THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST AND THE BRIGHTEST EVIDENCES
THAT HE IS INDEED OUR MASTER.” ―JOHN NEWTON

Commentary
In chapter 5, Jesus says, “Happy are those
who know they are spiritually poor; the
Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
Happy are those who mourn; God will
comfort them! Happy are those who are
humble; they will receive what God has
promised!” In many translations, the
phrase is “poor in spirit.” But what does it
mean to be spiritually poor? And how is a
person who mourns, happy?
The word for "poor" used in the
original Greek is “οἱ πτωχοὶ.” This isn’t a
typical poor person; this is abject poverty,
resorting to begging to get anything,
having to rely on others for help. So, if we
pair this with “spiritually,” it can mean:
those who realize they are devoid of
anything spiritual without God are happy
because Heaven is meant for people like
this.
Most commentaries agree that those
who mourn (“πενθοῦντες”) are people
who feel deep guilt or lamentation,
sometimes too much to keep hidden.
They also connect these two verses; those
who are aware of their spiritual poverty
and need for God also would feel guilt for
past sins, and therefore be comforted by
God.
God seems to appreciate humility, just
like people do. It implies that people are
willing to let go and let God take over.