Discurso Público ¿Estamos al tanto de nuestras necesidades espirituales? Mateo 5:3

Why does God allow suffering? What

is the meaning of

life? Will we ever see our

loved ones who have

died? We have so many questions,

and they are valid questions because

finding the answers to these questions

gives meaning to life. Do you know what

Jesus calls this yearning that all

human beings have? I invite you to look in

your Bible, please, Matthew chapter 5,

verse

3. The objective of reading this text is to

know what Jesus calls this yearning

that we human beings have to

understand life. By the way, this is a good

moment to say that if this is the first time you are

listening to a talk like

this, or if you are doing so recently, we want to tell you that

we are very happy about

it. That is why we want you to look up all

the biblical texts that we are going to mention

during this talk in your own

Bible. Matthew chapter 5, verse 3. If you

already have it, let's read it: "

Blessed are those who acknowledge their

spiritual needs, for

theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Jesus said that we have

a need. How did he call it? He says

spiritual need. If we had been in front

of Jesus, listening in the language in which he

spoke, we would have heard something

like "beggar of the spirit," and that is a good

argument. To understand what Jesus meant,

we can think of a beggar,

someone who has to plead for a

little food to live. Jesus

said that with spiritual things,

we should be like that, pleading with God for

a little of the nourishment He will give us.

What is the result of that? It says so right there

at the beginning of the verse:

happiness. Now, why was Jesus

talking about this

topic in the previous chapter, Matthew

chapter 4, verses 23 through

25? It says that Jesus had been performing

many miracles, healing people.

According to verse 24, there is a moment when He

heals them

all. So, in that context, with

all the healed people

before Him, Jesus tells them that happiness

is achieved with what Matthew 5:3 says. He didn't

say, "Happy is the one who no longer has

problems." Of course, not having problems

brings us happiness. But Jesus

focused on something different:

spirituality. That's why in this discourse

we are going to analyze three important points:

first, how is that

need satisfied? Second, what obstacles

can one face in satisfying

that need? And third, how can

the Bible, the word of God, help us

overcome those

obstacles? Let's answer. That first

question, "How is this need satisfied?" It makes sense

that Jesus himself would answer it. It's

right here in Matthew

chapter 5. Only this time we'll read

verse

6. Matthew chapter 5, verse 6. Remember,

what we want to find here is

how this spiritual need is satisfied. Let's

read it: "Blessed are those who

hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be

filled." The people who were

before Jesus were seeking

spiritual guidance, seeking a change, something

different. That's why

Jesus says, "Blessed are those who

have this kind of need." In fact, he

compared it to hunger and the need we

have for drink, but he called it

righteousness because they were seeking

righteousness. But the righteousness of God was what Jesus

meant when he said that one

seeks the righteousness of God. He meant that it is

God who determines if something is

good or bad, or what

benefits us. What is the result of

seeking good things in God, the

meaning of life? He himself explained it

there in the final part of that

verse: "They will be

filled." That's why, even though

people believe in God, that's not enough,

right? Because people, even believing in

God, sometimes feel that something is missing

in their lives. That's why Jesus said we have to

seek Him to be satisfied, to

find that something we're missing.

Now, it's easy to ask, and it's valid to

ask, does God really care

that we find meaning in

life? Does God care that you

find meaning in life? Let's let

the Bible answer that

question. Let's go to a

psalm. The psalms are very well-known; they're

there, towards the middle of the Bible, Psalm

30.

We're going to read

verse 8 this time. We want to find here if

God cares that you find

meaning in life. Psalm 32, verse 8: yes, He does. Let's

read it: "I will give you discernment and

teach you the way you should go; I will

counsel you with my eye upon you."

There are at least three points we want to

highlight. It says, "I will give you

discernment," meaning that God wants

you to have the ability to see beyond

the obvious, to be able to discern in your

life whether something is right or wrong. That's why God

says, "I want you to have that

ability." But He adds something else that

also shows that He cares about us. He

continues, "I will teach you the way."

God wants us to live In a way, He

wants us to do well in life, that's why He

tells us that He Himself teaches us

which path we should follow

to give more strength to that idea. Notice what

that verse of the Bible ends by saying: "I will

counsel you with my eyes on

you." It doesn't say "on

you." Although it's true that

God cares about us as a group, God

cares about people, but on this

occasion, He adds that detail that He is

interested in His servant, in the people

who want to please Him. That's why He says "on

you." Now that we understand that God wants what is

good for us, that we are

satisfied with

life, we ask, "How do we find

that path?" We already know that it is through

God. He says that He shows us the way,

as we read there, so it makes

sense that it is His word, the Bible, that

tells us how we should live

life. Now we ask, "Is it about the

meaning of life?" This is about

spiritual things, about reading the Bible, and it doesn't

go beyond that. How do we know? Open

your Bible to James chapter 1,

please. James chapter 1 is towards the

end of the

Bible. In James chapter 1, we want to

highlight what we have to do when... Let's

read the word of God. We're going to read

verses 22 through 25. There, it

explains, through an example,

what someone who

reads the Bible is like when they practice it and

when they don't. But I won't give away any

more. James chapter 1,

verses 22 through 25 (if you have it,

let's

read it): "

However, do

not merely listen to the word,

deceiving yourselves with

false arguments. For if anyone is a listener

and does not do what it says, he is like a

man who looks at his face in a mirror

and, after looking at himself, goes away and

immediately forgets what kind of person he

is. But whoever looks intently into the

perfect law that gives freedom, and

continues in it, does not just listen and forget,

but does what it says, and he will be blessed in what he

does." The explanation of

these verses becomes simple when

you see it there in verse 22: "

However, do what it says."

This is the essence of these

verses: to teach us that we have to

practice what we see in the Bible

because if we don't, what are we

like? The verse says...

23 For if anyone hears the word but does

not put it into practice, he is like a

man who looks at his face in a mirror.

When one looks in a mirror, what can one

see? One sees oneself, right? One can see

virtues, but one can also see things in

which one can change or make adjustments,

right? That is why

in verse 24 it says

that if one, when reading the Bible, does not make

changes, it says, "He looks at himself and when he leaves, he

forgets." What kind of person is he? Because

when one reads the Bible, one can see

the things in which one can improve or

make adjustments, but if one does not do so, it is

as if one forgets, right? On the

contrary, practicing it is as

verse

25 says: "He looks carefully into the perfect law that

pertains to liberty, and perseveres in it."

We are saying that making

significant changes in our lives is achieved

overnight, that it is a simple thing. Is that what

the Bible is teaching here? How do we know? Look

again at verse 25. Notice

where the verse emphasizes

that phrase. Let's read it again: it

says, "But he who looks carefully into the

perfect law that pertains to liberty and perseveres in it."

Persistence is key; that's where

the focus lies. God values ​​that you and

I persist in making the changes that

please Him. What will the

result be? The result is the same as what

Jesus said in Matthew 5:3: in the beginning,

happiness. Only now He says it here at the

end of verse 25: he will be happy in whatever he

does. Why are these

words written here? If we take a look at

verses 19 and 21, we will understand the

depth of reading God's word.

Let's read verses 19 and 21 from

James chapter 1. It says: "I

want you to know,

my dear brothers and sisters, that everyone should

be quick to listen, slow

to speak and slow to become angry."

Verse 21: "Therefore, rid yourselves of all

filth and the evil that is in you, and

accept the word

that can save you by taking root in

you." Verse 19 acknowledges that there

are always things one can

improve on, but what is the purpose of reading

the Bible? Verse 21: "The

word that can save you takes root

within us." That is what we

want to achieve, that the word of May God

flood our lives, reach within

us so that we can be happy and

find what we

need. We say that everything is a bed of

roses, that it will be easy, but there are obstacles. Yes, that is

the second point we want to

cover: What obstacles do we face

when trying to satisfy that

need? Jesus spoke about this topic. Let's go

to the Bible, please, to Matthew chapter

13. Open your Bibles, please. There in

Matthew chapter

13, Jesus explains what obstacles we

face, and he does so through an

example. He speaks of a

sower. In this example, we are going to

highlight these ideas, the different

obstacles. If we were to read this straight through,

the example might be difficult

to understand, so we are going to go further

when Jesus explains what it

means. Then we will read the

example and the explanation at the same time.

So we begin with Matthew chapter

13, verses 3 and 4. If you have it, let's

read it. It

says, "Then he taught them many things

using comparisons. He said, 'Listen,

a sower went out to sow, and as he was

sowing, some seeds fell along

the path, and the birds came and ate them up.'

Then Jesus says that there is a

man, a sower, who goes To sow,

but along the way some seeds

fall. We could think of it as

seeds on a path.

If it's a path,

people and animals pass by, so

perhaps someone even steps on the seed. And

since it's a path, it's not fertile ground,

right? It's all compacted and hard,

visible to other animals. What

ends up happening, according to Jesus in

verse 4, is that the birds come and

eat them.

What was our Lord Jesus teaching

with this example, with this illustration?

Explanation in verses 18 and 19. There

we will understand it clearly. Verses 18 and 19 of this

same

chapter say this: So now listen to what

the example of the

Sower means. When someone hears the word

of the kingdom but doesn't understand it, the

evil one comes and snatches away

what was sown in their heart. This is

the seed that was sown along the

path. We are talking, then, about

someone who doesn't like the

word of God. No, we are referring to

that, and we know this because Jesus said in

verse 19, "When someone hears the

word," meaning at least listens to it, right? By the way,

according to this

verse, where is it sown? The word

of God, verse 19 says that it is

sown in the heart, in what we are

internally. So, this person does

hear the word of God, but where does

the problem lie? Verse 19 says they

don't

understand it. We're saying that understanding

the Bible, the word of God, is

extremely difficult, even for very

intelligent, wise people. Rather, Jesus

is saying that this person hasn't

dedicated enough time to understanding

the word of God. Perhaps they

are distracted by other matters; they haven't

dedicated themselves to seeing what God wants to teach them. That's why it

says that the evil one comes and

snatches up what was sown there—that is,

Satan—and makes the person give up on

continuing to hear the word of God. Therein lies

the first obstacle: not understanding what

the Bible is telling us. Let's look at a

second obstacle, verses 5 and

6. Jesus follows his example: "

Others fell on rocky ground,

where there was little soil, and they sprang up

quickly because the soil was shallow.

But when the sun came up, the

plants were scorched, and since they had no

deep roots, they withered away."

We are talking now about

a seed that fell on

rocky ground. So we understand that there is a

thin layer of soil. of soil and right underneath there is

a large rock or there is a lot of rock

there. We say that the problem with this

seed is what verse

6 says at the beginning. Let's read it: "But

when the sun came up, the

plants were scorched." We say that the

sun harmed it and that's why the

plant was useless. Not because all plants

get sunlight, and that doesn't mean they are

harmed or die. In some cases, or

in most cases,

sunlight is good for them. So where does

the problem lie? Jesus clarifies it in

verse 6. At the end, it says, "Since they had no

deep roots, they withered away." There was

no depth in those roots. What did

Jesus want to teach with this? What did he want to

convey to us with this

example? Verses 20 and 21: there is the

explanation. The seed that was sown on

rocky ground is the one who hears the word

and immediately accepts it with

joy, but has no deep roots

within and only moves forward for a

while. When difficulties or

persecution arise because of the word, they

immediately

stumble once again. We are talking about

someone who does hear the word of the kingdom,

like Verse 20 says so, but it

adds an extra detail. It says that on

this occasion, the person accepts the

word of

God. That's very good, as

verse 20 says at the end, with

joy. That is to say, the person is

happy with what they are learning; they

like it. In fact, there are promises in the Bible

that we like very much, like that

a new world is coming, that there will be a

resurrection, meaning that we can see

our loved ones who have died.

These things make us happy and

encourage us, but that's not the most important thing. Well,

Jesus taught that there is something more important

than that. Of course, hope is like an

anchor, something that holds us to the

good things of God, but there is something more

important, and that is the love we feel for

God. Why do we seek Him or follow Him?

These questions will help us see what we

are clinging to, because when

difficulties arise, what can happen? If we look at

verse

21, it says in the final part, the middle of the

verse, "When difficulties or

persecution arise because of the word, they

immediately stumble." We say that the

problem here is that the person

faced

difficulties, but the truth is that

many people have difficulties and

still have a good relationship with

God; they find meaning in it.

Are they spiritually satisfied in their lives?

Rather,

Jesus was referring to something

different, which is: Where do we anchor ourselves? What should

our love for God be?

Because difficulties can arise. Perhaps

a family member or a neighbor, without bad intentions,

tells us that what we see in the Bible is

n't right, that what we're

learning about God isn't right. Without bad intentions,

if we don't anchor ourselves in the love for God,

this might keep us from continuing to

learn about God. So there's

the second

obstacle we saw in these

verses: not anchoring ourselves in the love for

God. Let's look at a

third one. It's there in verse

7, the second or third example that Jesus gives

of the difficulties we face.

If you have one, let's read it. It says: "

Others fell among thorns, and the

thorns grew up and choked them." Notice

that on this occasion, Jesus is

referring more to the fact that there was already something sown in the ground or

in the earth. He didn't

specify so much what the terrain was like as

such, but rather that there was already

something there. What was there? He says thorns.

So there was a competition, right,

to gain breadth, to gain height, and

thus sunlight. There was a

competition; who wins it? That

was already sown there, Jesus says, the

thorns managed to choke the seed that

was

sown. What did the Lord Jesus want to teach

with this? Let's go there to verse

22; there is the explanation. Jesus said the

seed that was sown among the thorns

is the one who hears the word but lets

the worries of this life and the

deceitful power of wealth

choke it, and that is why the word does not bear

fruit. Jesus refers once again to

someone who does hear the word. This

person is surely happy with what they

learn; they like it and understand what

God is telling them. Where does the

problem lie? In that a

competition has been allowed in the

heart, a competition against—what does

verse 22 say?—against the

worries of this life. And we don't have to

elaborate on this

point, right? There are many worries

in the world in which we live; I don't have to

specify each one, but

these worries could compete

with what we are learning from God or

with giving priority to what we learn

about God. What else could

a competition be? That same

verse continues, the deceitful power of

wealth. Some people might come

to believe that money offers the

happiness that We are always searching for that something

we lack, which is why Jesus said, "

Beware of competing for

happiness against

money and the things we learn from

God in His word." That could drown out

God's word and prevent us from

continuing to learn about Him or

valuing what He teaches us.

Now we

ask ourselves, since we have seen these

three obstacles, how do we face them?

How can the Bible help us

overcome them? Jesus gave that answer right there in

verse 8, and then

we will read the explanation in verse

23. Verse 8 says, "And other seeds fell

on good soil and began to bear

fruit. Some yielded 100 times more than what

was sown, others 60, and others 30."

Explanation of the good soil in verse

23: "And the seed that fell on

good soil represents those who hear the word

and understand its meaning. These do bear

fruit; some produce 100 times more, others

60, and others

30." So how do we avoid being victims, or

how do we avoid wandering through any of

these terrains? Here is the key in

verse 23: three steps. One: hear the

word, that is, read the Bible. Or to be aware

of what it tells us; second, to

understand its

meaning, to understand what God wants

for me; and third, to bear fruit, that is, to

practice it. It's worth repeating

these three points: read the word of God,

understand its meaning, what it

teaches me, and

practice it. In this discourse, we have seen

that we have spiritual needs; it is

innate in us, that's why we call it

a need. We know that it is God

who satisfies it. Jesus told us that

we could satisfy it through Him. We also

saw in Psalm 32 that God

cares that you find meaning in

life. Then we analyzed in James that

when we read the Bible, we must

practice it; we will be happy, and we do.

Then we analyzed obstacles. And how the

word of God, when we read it,

understand it, and practice it, helps us.

What will be the reward or the

result? I like that when the Bible

talks about this, it talks about two rewards:

one for today, for which you don't have to

wait, and one for the future. It is in the

first verse we read,

Matthew 5:3. Let's go. The Bible, please.

The last verse we will read for

this

discussion is Matthew chapter 5, verse 3.

The reward for satisfying our

spiritual needs is this: it

says, "Blessed are those who acknowledge their

spiritual needs." Let's pause there.

What is the reward for today?

Happiness doesn't have to wait until

tomorrow. When one satisfies that

need, one is happy; one finds that

something missing in life. The

reward for the future continues: "

For theirs is the kingdom of

heaven." God promises something

different later on. Different in what way? We

say different because there will be a

promise for a new world where one can

be happy, where one can see

loved ones find and continue to find that

something missing in life. So, one

will be happy now if one satisfies their

spiritual needs, but one will also be

happy in the future.