20But store up for yourselves...

20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
- P129

24"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. - P129

Jesus‘ words in this passage leave no room for compromise. Even whenfasting, His disciples should not make it obvious because they should befocusing on the Father rather than on trying to appear holy. True followersof Jesus do not store up worldly treasures that can be easily destroyed ortaken away; instead, they invest energy and effort in storing up treasures inheaven.  - P130

Rather than being distracted by unhealthy things that fill the bodywith darkness, His disciples are to focus on godly things that fill the bodywith His light.  - P130

Ultimately, we must decide whom we will serve becauseno one can have two masters. Our Lord is not satisfied with half-hearted commitment.  - P130

True disciples are those who pick up their crosses to followHim, fixing their eyes on God and His heavenly kingdom. - P130

Canada is the second largest country in the world. This fact, coupled with its low populationdensity, helped in the preservation of its spectacular landscape. Canada‘s population is madeup of people from many ethnicities and nations. While religious freedom is guaranteed by law,
evangelicals are viewed with increasing suspicion and the church is seen as irrelevant, Canada‘sindigenous nations have also yet to heal from the abuse they suffered at the hands of the church.
- P130

Dear Jesus, You are our Master and Savior. Help us to keep our eyes fixedon heaven and remain faithful to You and Your work. Teach us to store uptreasures in heaven, not on earth. In Your name, amen. - P131

1˝Be careful not to practice ...

1"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others 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 others. Truly I tell you, 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,

- P122

9"This, then, is how you should pray: "‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

10your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

11Give us today our daily bread.

12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ - P123

There is a difference between doing good deeds and parading our actions to draw attention to ourselves. Jesus encourages giving in secret to the needy and praying privately behind closed doors rather than seeking to be honored by others. He assures us that, although our heavenly Father is unseen, He recognizes and rewards righteousness that is done in secret. - P124

We do not know what that reward is, but one thing is certain: true righteousness is found in those whose actions are directed toward God’s approval rather than the praises of people. - P124

Hypocrites who announce their actions to be seen by others will receive their reward, and humble, generous believers who pray faithfully in the secret place will also reap theirs. - P124

In this model prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples how they should pray,
beginning with requests for the Father‘s kingdom to come and His will tobe done in this world, just as it is in heaven.  - P124

The prayer also underscoresforgiveness and the issue of sin. God‘s people have been given the grace offorgiveness, and they should likewise forgive others who sin against them.
Jesus makes clear that this is a serious prayer for sincere disciples.  - P124

Those whoseek to follow Jesus should diligently pray that God‘s will and ways prevail,
and we should do our part in making that possible, which includes trustingGod for our needs and forgiving others just as we have been forgiven. - P124

Dear God, I want Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done in this world. Open my heart to practice the forgiveness that I have received through the sacrifice of Your Son. In His name I pray, amen. - P124

38˝You have heard that it was...

38"You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’

39But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.

40And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

41If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.

42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

43"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

- P118

Old Testament laws support retribution equal to the offense when someone commits an injustice. However, Jesus encourages His disciples not only to endure unjust actions but also to extend further grace and hospitality to those who have wronged them. - P120

We may desire retaliation when someone hurts us, and we may want to resist those who try to borrow from us. However, as followers of Jesus, we are called to extend grace to others. It is a sign of great inner strength when we are able to bless those who curse us and give generously to those who want to borrow from us. Such love and grace can be more powerful than any punishment or rebuke. - P120

Jesus challenges His disciples once again to act beyond what is prescribedin the Mosaic Law by loving their enemies and even praying for those whopersecute them. God shows His care to both the righteous and unrigh-teous, and if His people only love those whare like them, then they are nodifferent from cheating tax collectors of those who do not know the Lord.
- P120

Instead, God‘s people should mirror their Father in heaven. We show whatthe Christian life is like when we seek to imitate our perfect Father by lov-ing our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. We demonstratethe grace of the gospel as we love sinners and pray that they might changetheir ways. - P120

Heavenly Father, in a world filled with injustice, I pray that I might demonstrate Your love and grace. Help me to become more like You, loving my enemies and praying for those who persecute me. In Your Son’s name I pray, amen. - P121

27˝You have heard that it was...

27"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’

28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

30And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

- P114

Many people know the commandments, but they do not always understand the heart behind God’s laws. In this passage, Jesus focuses on adultery and divorce. Some people could argue that they have not technically committed adultery, but Jesus explains that even looking lustfully at another person is committing adultery in the heart. - P116

Sexual sin can also lead to divorce, breaking the marriage bond. Jesus uses hyperbole—exaggerated images such as plucking out eyes and cutting off hands—to show how serious sin is. Our Christian lives begin on the inside and extend outward. - P116

Our eyes and hands follow our hearts. May we take sin seriously, avoiding anything that causes us to stray away from God and His ways. - P116

Some people make vows by swearing an oath in relation to God, but Jesustells His disciples that a simple "yes" or "no" should be enough. Using God‘sname to make a promise seem stronger or more valid suggests insecurityor poor character. The swearing reveals that the person is not actually verytrustworthy.  - P116

However, those who reflect the goodness and trustworthinessof God can give a simple answer, and others know that they will keep theirpromises.  - P116

May we not use the Lord‘s name to swear oaths that we fail tokeep. Instead, let us aim to be faithful people who are trustworthy andreliable, keeping our promises both to God and to other people. - P116

Dear Lord, teach me to understand the heart behind Your laws. Sanctify me to become more like You as I seek to follow Your ways. May my words and deeds reflect the goodness and grace of Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P117

Many ofus do notwake up one day and decide that we are going to beslanderers, murderers, or adulterers. The choice to sin begins with the atti-unforgiveness, jealousy, pride, andtude in our hearts. If we have come out through our wordsanger inside of us, those things willand actions, leading us directly into sin. If we want to honor God and blessothers, we can ask Him to reveal the thoughts and attitudes within us thatdo not please Him. Then can we invite Him to transform those areas toreflect His love and faithfulness, leading to a life that brings glory to Godin thought, word, and deed. - P117

17˝Do not think that I have c...

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

- P110

Jesus clarifies to those who may misunderstand that He has not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He is, in fact, the very fulfillment of the Law, and He has come into the world to accomplish God’s will for His people. Thus, God’s laws are not to be set aside. - P112

Those who will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven are those who practice and teach God’s commands, not in the hypocritical and prideful way of the Pharisees and teachers of the law do but in true righteousness and obedience to Christ. - P112

As Jesus makes clear, without such faithfulness to His laws, we will certainly not be called the people of the kingdom of heaven. - P112

Jesus reveals a deeper understanding of the laws that God‘s people haveheard for many generations. While the commandment "You shall not mur-der" remains, He takes it one step further and explains that it can be appliedon another level: being angry with a brother or sister.  - P112

Simply refrainingfrom murder does not mean that one has faithfully kept the Law; unresolved anger toward others also violates God‘s Law and is subject to Hisjudgment. Jesus shows us that we need to understand the intended meaning behind God‘s commands in order to live as God‘s righteous people.
- P112

The more we observe and understand the law of Christ, the more we willbecome like Him, ushering God‘s will into this world.
- P112

First, we need to understand the audience and context behind each caseMatthew is writing primarily to Jewish Christians, showing that Jesus isthe Messiah that the Jewish people have been waiting for Paul, on theother hand, is addressing Gentile Christians and dealing with legalismfrom people who insist that Gentile believers must follow the Mosaic Lawin order to be saved.
- P113

The texts also emphasize different theological truths. Matthew focuses onthe moral and ethical heart of the Law, showing Jesus‘ deeper interpretationof Scripture. Paul emphasizes freedom from the Law as a result of salva-tion, presenting Jesus as the one who saves by grace through faith, not byworks. Both perspectives are true, and by reading the entirety of Scripture,
we arrive at a fuller picture of the truth of the Law. We do not rely on theLaw for our salvation, but as disciples of Jesus, we love Him and obeycommands.
wood toaccomplish. - P113

Lord Jesus, thank You for helping me understand God’s laws and the way I should live. May I always remain faithful, so that, through my righteous deeds, others may see the Father’s will fulfilled on this earth. In Your name I pray, amen. - P113