Jesus Calls Us to be Humble

By Sue Wroblewski

Sue Wroblewski serves as the Director of Compassion Ministries for Community Church and as an assistant to Pastor Brian. She is a featured blog writer for Peak Reflections and helps open our eyes to God’s merciful, compassionate and loving heart.

Just before Easter, my small group started a study on the book of Matthew. In Matthew, chapter 6, and Matthew chapter 7, a number of Jesus’ teachings are quoted. As with many of his teachings, they are not hard to comprehend. His explanations are so vivid that the reader cannot help but understand what is being taught.

Jesus gives simple instructions for day-to-day life. He tells us how to pray, how to give, how to ask, how to fast, how to avoid making judgments of others, and finally He reminds us why we give to those in need. The key message that threads itself through this entire section is that we ought not to do these things for the glory of ourselves, but for God’s glory in heaven. When we serve and give of ourselves in this way, we store up treasures for ourselves in heaven.

Take a minute to read through a few excerpts from this much read, much loved Gospel!

Matthew 6
Giving to the Needy
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Matthew 7
Ask, Seek, Knock
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.