Talk
BRO. JOHN BEN RODRIGUEZ:
The message for Talk 4 today is this: Trust His Generosity.
Who among you has already eaten at a buffet event? Probably in a hotel restaurant. And as you know, in a buffet, some items are in demand.
It could be the steak. It could be the Lechon. In the Japanese section, it could be the Salmon Sashimi.
My wife and I, we love the Salmon Sashimi. So, one time, we were eating at this buffet, and we knew that this item was in demand. So, we lined up already because the serving plate was freshly refilled. I was fourth in the line. When the third person was already getting the Salmon Sashimi, I noticed that he was kind of excited. He was taking everything!
I was telling myself, “We love Salmon Sashimi…”
Imagine me already excited, waiting for my turn– I was already mixing my soy sauce with Wasabi on the side, and a little calamansi … But when it was already my turn, there was no more Salmon Sashimi!
And I became furious. I hated that person. How dare he… My God! He did not leave some for me. He could always go back if he wanted some more because the serving plate would be refilled.
Scarcity vs. Abundance
Why am I sharing this? Because I believe that God designed Life in Abundance. There are blessings all around.
But sometimes, scarcity happens. And scarcity is mostly man- made. Some grab, some take advantage, others don’t allow you to receive the blessing for you.
Has it happened to you in real life? At a buffet?
Or maybe in your office – credit was taken away from you. You did all the work and someone took credit.
But God is reminding you today that there’s no scarcity. His supply will never run out. I think that’s the problem with people today. Even if there is abundance everywhere people only see scarcity.
So, they scheme, struggle, and squabble, constantly. They grab.
And you know what? today we will learn that thinking in scarcity creates enemies. Because when I see scarcity, the next time I’m at a buffet, even if there’s someone behind me, I will get everything because that’s my share. That’s scarcity thinking. And when others do that to you, that’s scarcity thinking also. And you create enemies—enemies that must not be there in the first place if you have the right mindset of abundance.
Do you have enemies?
Today, Jesus God will teach us how to handle our enemies.
Let’s praise the Lord today and sing:
Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet
And a Light unto my path.
Tough Call
So, we’re reading a passage today from Matthew 5: 43-48.
I know some of you are already saying, “May we skip that part? May we go to the good part?
But we must follow it. Let’s continue:
It’s a tough call.
Lord, may we love just those who are lovely? Just ignore the enemies? J So, I’ll have peace of mind?
Why love our enemies? We must. God is inviting you to do that today.
And later on, you’ll know why in our talk.
Put your hand on your heart. Let’s pray:
Jesus, teach me to trust in Your goodness even when things seem unfair. You are bigger. You are in control. And most of all, You love me. Amen.
Let’s raise our hands to the Word of God:
Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet And a Light unto my path.
Bible Teachings Misinterpreted
We have so many practical lessons in the passage that we read today.
But before we do that, may I indulge you in something? May we be Bible nerds a bit? I know you have been enjoying this Talk because this has been our journey in The Feast. Now we are going deeper.
And I want you to applaud yourselves because if you have been here since January, you have already completed the five books of the Torah. We’ve journeyed through them the entire year. I am excited because the context of the passage we are reading is very rich. Let’s dig deeper so you’ll appreciate this series more.
By the way, we have a Bible Nerds podcast. If you want deeper knowledge about the Bible, go, listen to it, find it on Spotify. Bro Bene, Tisha, Mon,
Bro. Mike Vinas, and Bro. Bo Sanchez are there. They are writing the talks now based on a deep understanding of the Bible. Let’s applaud them for what they’re doing because they are blessing us. My faith has deepened since that deep dive into the Torah.
So, let’s go…
The passage that we read is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon was the first official preaching of Jesus after the Temptation in the Desert. His Desert experience was preparing Him to preach to thousands and it was the beginning of His Ministry. So, one issue Jesus addressed in His Sermon on the Mount was the way that Jews were misinterpreting the teachings.
We married people don’t like misinterpretations of communication with our spouse. Because it means trouble.
That was what was happening—the people were misinterpreting the Torah. So, here, in Matthew 5, you will notice that Jesus is saying, several times, as we heard earlier, the words You have heard what the law says…
He was quoting and hyperlinking Old Scripture from the Torah, and then saying something revolutionary after. Because He was trying to correct the misinterpretation: Hey, this was the original teaching but you’re understanding it in a different way.
Misinterpretations
One misinterpretation is about murder.
Jesus told them: You have heard that you must not commit murder. It’s part of the Ten Commandments. (Thou shall not kill). But I say to you, if you are angry at someone, that is tantamount to murder.
Another is adultery (Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife).
Jesus told them: If you are committing lustful thoughts about a woman, then you are committing adultery in your mind.
So, He was revolutionizing the way the teachings were first understood. His intro to the Sermon on the Mount was Matthew 5:17 (above).
Another term used was essence. Jesus was trying to teach that more than the letter of the law, what is its essence? What is the true meaning?
If we go back to the teaching Love your neighbor and hate your enemy…
Have you heard love your neighbor before? Yes. In Leviticus 19:18. Have you heard hate your enemy before? This is not familiar:
Because hate your enemy was not in Leviticus. But why did Jesus say that?
Jesus Teaches the Right Way
This is the original verse (above). See, there’s no hate your enemy.
But Jesus was trying to tell the people: Hey, because you’ve been telling each other love your neighbor and hate your enemy… we learned that in Talk 2: the Enemy was trying to change the definition of what is good and bad. So, for the Jews, they think that because Leviticus says that anyone among your people, love your neighbor– so, therefore, if they are not part of our people, we are not required to love them.
So, they did not love the others and went into wars with them. Because they believed that God was okay with that.
But Jesus was trying to change that thinking. He said loving your neighbor includes others—even those not part of your circle. You will love them even if they are not your type, even if they are irritating, even if you don’t feel them.
And Jesus continued:
This is what Jesus was teaching as the right way: Do not exclude them. Do not ignore them
Because it is easy to say, “Pray for your enemies.” I can easily say, “Yes, Lord, I will pray for their demise. I want them to suffer.”
Because sometimes you really feel that way. “I don’t feel that they deserve prayers of blessings.”
Jesus Points to Nature
I love that Jesus said:
Have you noticed something?
Even in our Talk 1, when Jesus wanted to illustrate plenty, and illustrate the character of His Father, where did He point to?
He pointed to Nature. Because Nature, the creation of Nature, reveals the identity and design of God. So, when the person worried about lack, Jesus told the person: Look at the birds, they do not work. God feeds them. Look at the lilies. They do nothing but they are dressed with beautiful flowers.
But you might be saying, “Bro. JB, the birds, they don’t have electric bills, right? So, I’m tempted to look at the bills.”
God is saying, “Look at the birds and do not worry.”
He’s not saying, “Look at the birds and imitate them. Do not work.”
God is just saying, “If I can provide for the birds, why can’t I provide for you?
You are more important than a bird.”
So, at this time, Jesus was pointing to Nature again. He said that the sunlight shines on both good and evil, the just and the unjust alike. Meaning, God provides for everyone. There is enough supply for everyone. You need not fear even if you have enemies.
Would you agree with me that our general feeling is bad people should experience bad things? We all want that. Do you agree?
Who watched Avengers 1—the first Avengers movie?
You know, the scene I love very much? The scene between Loki and Hulk. “I am God,” Loki said.
And what did Hulk do? He pulled Loki up like a rag doll and smashed him on the floor.
And I was so thrilled, I was telling Loki, “Buti nga sa iyo. — Serves you right!” We want our enemies to suffer like that.
Like the Salmon Sashimi Issue…
This is our insane logic. When God blesses us, we don’t deserve it—He’s being generous. But when God blesses others who don’t deserve it, we say He is being unfair.
Admit it. That’s how you feel.
But I want to proclaim the truth to you today. God loves every sinner. You and me included. Amen.
So, the next time you are in your office
and your most hated colleague comes in with a brand-new LV (Louis Vuitton) bag,
Jimmy Choo shoes, and she’s glowing with a tan because she had a recent trip in Boracay– with her foreigner boyfriend…
And she says, “Good morning, I got promoted!”
You know this person lies, manipulates, claws her way around, even sucking up to the bosses to gain their favor.
And you say beneath your breath, “Lord, it’s okay that she has an LV. Okay she’s wearing Jimmy Choo shoes. Okay she went to Boracay. Okay she got promoted. But Lord, why does she have a boyfriend and I don’t? She even has an ex–me, I don’t. Waaa!”
You need to catch yourself. That’s scarcity thinking. You’re making an enemy.
Because you’re saying, “Lord, she got all the blessings, then there must be none left for me.”
Like the Salmon Sashimi I was talking about earlier. But always be reminded that the supply is unlimited.
So, my question to you today is this: Do you want to break free from that scarcity mindset? Do you want it?
Then follow what Jesus is saying.
God’s Call
This is God’s higher call for us. God is calling you to Perfection.
Most of us have difficulty grasping the idea of perfection and the command here. Even I– when I was reading this– I told God, “Lord, I cannot be perfect.”
You want to know why?
I make mistakes. And if you ask the husbands here, they will disagree because they will say, Bro. JB my wife is perfect. She’s perfectly beautiful, she’s perfectly angelic and kind– when she is sleeping. But do not mess with her when she’s awake. You will meet the dragon.
Perfection is difficult for us because we think that it means not making a mistake. So, we don’t even try because we know that somewhere along the way, we will make mistakes.
But I love that we’re teaching you here that the Bible we are reading is an English translation already. It is derived from the original Hebrew and Greek.
And look at the Greek word for perfect: teleioi which means without gap or whole. In another translation, it means complete.
So, God is not asking you to be perfect by following Him – because it is impossible. God is asking you to be whole. And complete by following Him. Would you agree with me that you can be complete and whole even if you’re making mistakes? Amen. Because that is what Jesus is doing, and that’s God’s invitation for you.
That is why you can fail in loving your enemies but you can try again—until you become whole.
Different Kids’ Game
So, let’s go back to my buffet analogy, and let’s learn the practical lessons here.
The First Message of our passage today is this: There is enough for everyone.
There was this researcher who did a study in one remote tribe in Africa. So, when the anthropologist was already done with his research in that area, he wanted to do a farewell game for the kids because he had become close to them.
So, what he did was he bought fruits, put them in a basket, and tied a red ribbon on the basket. He put the basket under a tree.
Then, he gathered all the kids in the tribe and told them, “Okay, we’ll move away from this tree, we’ll stay some distance from the tree, and when I say Go! everyone runs to get the basket. Whoever gets to the basket first will have everything.”
So, the anthropologist counted: “1…2…3…”
When he said Go! the kids did something different. They held hands, they smiled, and they ran together. Naturally, they arrived at the fruit basket together. So, they sat around the basket, got the fruits, passed them around, and everybody was happy eating.
Wow.
So, the anthropologist asked a little girl, “Why did you run that way?”
The girl said, “How can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?”
In their language, it’s called ubuntu.
What Is Life About
You know what? Our thinking of self is based on Western philosophy:
I think, therefore, I am. By Rene Descartes, French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician.
Or: What’s in it for me? Am I happy? What’s the significance?
Those are not bad per se– because it’s important to know yourself and discover your gifting, your calling, your happiness.
But the African idea of self is ubuntu: 
I am because we are. Because my existence does not matter for myself alone. Because my existence matters for others.
The first message of the passage today, Brothers and Sisters, is this:
Let us applaud the servants here at The Feast because they make it possible for you to attend here every Sunday and you get out so blessed by the Word of God.
So, God’s message in this passage is that you need to hold hands with others when you run toward a goal, and when you reach it, you sit down and eat together, You celebrate.
Wasn’t that fun? The kids did not grab, no crab mentality, everybody arrived together and helped each other.
So, God is reminding you today: God’s fruit basket is for everyone. It is enough for everyone.
The funny thing about scarcity thinking is that it breeds entitlement.
Because it’s scarcity, you feel that you are entitled to have the one that’s for you.
And I believe this thinking is prevailing in Filipino culture. You notice, if someone is marking his birthday, we are like, “Uy, it’s your birthday, give us a treat, blow out!”
That’s what people usually say, right? So, some of us are now wary about putting our birthdays on Facebook.
I think it should be otherwise. On your birthday, people should come and say, “How may we make this day easy for you? How may we help? How may we be of service to you today?”
But you hardly say that. And I see entitlement so ingrained in our culture.
One time, my daughter, three years old, already in school, and her teacher asked us to sing a Filipino nursery at home. So, I chose a video on Sitsiritsit Alibangbang which I thought was just an ordinary nursery rhyme… Sing with me:
Sitsiritsit, alibangbang, salaginto, salagubang. Ang babae sa lansangan, kung gumiri parang tandang.
Next:
When I reached these lyrics, I was shocked. I did not know this when I was young and it was the first time
I sang the song again after a long time.
When these lyrics came to mind, I stopped the video.
Because I didn’t want these words subconsciously being put in the mind of my daughter—that when you need money, you’re entitled to borrow from others.
No Entitlement, See God’s Generosity
You know, many have been quarreling because of debts. One approaches you for a loan, you feel for the person, so you give what she’s borrowing. But when you text her a message already asking for her payment… your message is relegated to the seen- zone (message seen but no reply). Then you will see on her Facebook page that she just had a hair rebond!
People feel entitled to receive favors. People have forgotten that everything they have is a gift. Everything is from the generosity of God’s hand.
You know that: People feel entitled.
Siblings are fighting over a property they are to inherit: “I was the one who took care of Mama and Papa. This property should be mine. The lot in front is mine.
You may have the back part.”
You quarrel, you grab. Because you feel you’re entitled to own everything.
Even I am not exempted from this temptation of entitlement. One time, I was entering our condo building, and I thought we had a new security guard.
He started questioning me: “Are you a resident here??
Naturally, I was pissed off. I am a unit owner. I just paid the full amount of the unit this year. Then this guard dares question me.
So, I told him my unit number – frowning to show I didn’t like his question. But as I was in the elevator going up to my unit, I felt God speaking to me: “Why do you feel entitled to be respected by the guard? “
And I said to the Lord, “Indeed, Lord, why should I feel entitled?”
Because my ego was hurt. As I was reflecting deeper, God was making me realize: “Didn’t you know that he was just doing his job?”
And it dawned on me: “Indeed, Lord, I want that if there is an unfamiliar face here, the guard should strictly question where he is going. Because when our guard is strict, that means it’s safe for my family and me to live here.
So, if you rid yourself of your entitlement and scarcity mindset, you begin to see the working of God in His generosity.
My question to you is this: Are your possessions, titles, and achievements teaching you to be entitled?
“Ah, I am the director, I should be entitled to a parking space. “
“I am this… When I arrive, my coffee should be hot and ready for me.”
I’m not saying people must not serve you if you are a leader—that’s part of the protocol. But when you are becoming demanding and entitled to it, you might be losing vision of how God’s generosity is working in your life.
In this passage, God is asking you, again, this question: Do you trust my generosity? Yes.
I believe that is everyone’s top-of-the- mind answer. But the question is, if you really trust God, you will stop scheming, hoarding, and fighting and you will start giving with generosity. So, when the going gets tough– when challenges come in your life– that’s when your real answer comes out.
I thought– when I was reflecting on this passage about enemies–that I didn’t need it. Because I’ve been serving God since I was in college, so naturally,
I’m kind of patient with people, I’m quite tolerant. I’m understanding, I’m compassionate.
But that changed when I learned how to drive. Because guys, road rage is real. Sometimes, there are situations when I’m driving that I’m tempted to curse. I want to shout at that person. I want to pursue the person. I want revenge. I want to become a vegetable… a patola because gusto kong pumatol
Changed Mindset
I remember one particular time, I was driving to bring my wife to work. I was in my lane. It was a relaxing Sunday drive, we were listening to Worship music, conversing.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, this bus came cutting me off. So, the Worship music background disappeared.
My head was filled with rage. I pursued the bus.
After a minute, I was driving in front of the bus.
And you know what I did? I stopped in front of the bus for one to two minutes, smiling, arms akimbo. He-he. Revenge is sweet. So juicy sweet, I was telling myself.
My wife was already getting my attention: “Babe, Babe, Babe, stop that! You’re a preacher!
I told her, “No preacher, preacher here. Justice!”
Then when my anger was already settling down, I realized how wrong of a thing I did. Oh, my God! I’m a preacher…
I believe that’s why even Master Yoda—you know Master Yoda, Star Wars fans– said that fear is the product of the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred, hatred to sufferrring!
My fear that justice would not be served allowed me to have the scarcity thinking that I’m entitled to bring justice in this situation. I took matters into my own hands. And that’s what happened.
So, after that, I was saying sorry to God and telling Him, “Lord, what should have been the right thing to do?
I go, drive after the bus, stop in front of the bus, then get out of the car, smiling, walk to the bus driver, and tell him: “Bro, may I invite you to a coffee date? Let’s talk about God.”
It will not happen because naturally, I’d caused harm to the person already.
So, God was telling me, “In that situation, you cannot do anything — but it doesn’t mean that it’s unfair… If you love yourself, I also love that person and that person is also my child. I can find ways for that person to change. Just pray for that person.”
And this changed my mindset.
Who among you is experiencing road rage once in a while? If the person beside you raises his/her hand, “Let’s start changing. Chill. Don’t put justice into your own hands because it may worsen the situation.”
The Right Thing To Do
I believe that when you realize the generosity of God, you will be compelled to do what is right.
Just like what Zacchaeus did in Luke 19. Zacchaeus was a tax collector and tax collectors were known to be corrupt. But when he experienced that true goodness and the abundance of God, he said this:
He felt ashamed as he realized God’s goodness.
God is telling you that abundance is enough for yourself and others.
So, you need to love your neighbors as yourself. And others include your enemies too.
After that road rage incident, I began to be more courteous and kinder.
I have other enemies when I’m driving: the traffic enforcers. Because some of them are scheming… Some of them want to extort money from you. I am old enough to detect what’s on their agenda.
So, one time, I had to go to the City Hall. As I was driving, an enforcer flagged me down.
I said to him, “If I have a violation, just issue me a ticket. Sir, it’s okay.”
And you know what the enforcer did? He chose the most expensive violation and issued me a ticket for that violation.
Because I told him, “I won’t give a bribe. Just issue me a ticket.”
I ended up paying much and I was delayed in my scheduled trip to the City Hall.
So, I was praying, “Lord, what do you do when people are scheming to take advantage of you? Is it right to love them?
I think not—because I ended up being abused. So, what’s the proper thing to do?
Something Better
Another situation came just about three months ago — in between the intersection of Quirino and Adriatico, before you go to Roxas Boulevard. The leftmost lane is for vehicles turning left.
I was in the left lane but I didn’t turn left because I was going to the Philippine International Convention Center (to preach at The Feast).
I was preoccupied with rehearsing my talk… I went straight…And out of nowhere, an enforcer came out– with his friends. Three enforcers ganging up on me. And as clear as day, I could tell their intention—they wanted to extort money from me.
I don’t know why it always happens that an enforcer magically pops out when it’s Sunday and I am about to preach… Maybe it’s the enemy…
But I was praying, Lord, how do I properly love these enemies without also sacrificing myself in a way that they can abuse me? Lord, I need Your guidance. I pray for them. I pray also for me.
So, my instinct was—I think it was God’s leading—to respect their authority.
So, when I opened my window, I addressed them, “Sir, I’m sorry. I know it’s a left-only lane. I was preoccupied…”
And they asked for my license. I gave my license. And for a good two minutes, what they were telling me was, “Sir, what will happen here… Sir, what should we do…”
They were going around in circles. And I knew where it was leading to…They were waiting for me to offer: “Hey, Sir, here’s P500. Have breakfast at McDo… Thank you…”
But I knew I could not do that. I was going to preach…
So, you know what I did? I offered something better. I told them, “Pasensya na po kayo—Please bear with me. Even if I wanted to give you what you want, it couldn’t be. I am a preacher.”
I hoped their conscience would nag them…
I continued: “But you see, if you have prayer intentions, I would really love to pray for you…”
Pray for your enemies, right?
How To Deal with Enemies
You know what happened? Suddenly, the enforcers all stepped back.
They were like surprised, and told me, “Sir, we’re not asking, a… We’re not asking… We’re not asking…”
And I felt God was saving me from that situation. Wow.
This is the way to deal with your enemies.
Treat them with respect and love. But also, establish your boundaries so you can also love yourself. And believe that God is there in the situation.
That incident ended up with the enforcers waving goodbye, saying, “Bye… Bye, Father.”
And I was happy because probably, it was a moment for them to realize that God was watching them and what they were doing.
They were not judged by what I did. I did not engage them in debate. Because I also knew the specific rule that says that swerving is not a violation– unless you abruptly interfere in the path of other drivers. I could claw my way citing that rule.
But God led me to do what is right: loving my enemies.
And I believe God is inviting you today to do the same. Maybe you’re tired of fighting your battles – because it shouldn’t be a battle in the first place.
Maybe you’re tired of saying, “Lord, my enemies grab stuff from me. That cannot be anymore. I will find a way so this will not continue.”
But God is revealing to you today that there’s a better way—which involves loving others, praying for them.
A Better Way
There’s a better way of protecting
and preserving the love you have for yourself. And it can only be done with Jesus.
That’s why whenever you feel that you’re discouraged with what’s been happening, always look at Jesus on the Cross.
Because in Jesus’ death, God reveals His boundless generosity: “I will give this much for you. So that you can enjoy life.
So can we all stand and declare that He is a generous God. As we worship today, I want you to believe that God knows your battles. And He doesn’t want you to fight it alone.
He wants you to include Him in the battles of your life.
So, Father, we pray for Your guidance and Your anointing.
May You lead us to do what is right. May You protect us from harm and danger. May You protect us from people scheming to take advantage of us. And may we resolve our conflicts beautifully— with the help of Your grace and love. Amen.
Let’s worship God as we declare that He is sovereign. Amen.
Commitment
Almighty Father, today, we pray that You teach us again to believe in Your immense goodness and love.
Father, some of us here have been fighting our battles for too long. Taking things for ourselves because someone took things from us in the past. But we believe today, we want to trust You. That Your supply is enough. There is no lack, Lord God when we are with You. There is no lack of financial provisions. There is no lack of forgiveness. There is no lack of grace. There is no lack of peace…
My prayer today, Jesus, is that I may open my heart to receive Your abundance.
Make us ready for it, Lord. So that when the New Year comes, I will do it with much gladness. Lord, make me ready to receive every good thing that You want to bless my life. Lord, make me ready to receive the breakthrough and the transformation that I need in all aspects of my life. I can be victorious over death. I can be victorious over sin. I can be victorious over hurt. I can be victorious over worry. I can be victorious over fear. I can be victorious because of You. That’s why today, Lord, I declare I need God. I need a Savior who fights my battles with me. Today, I dedicate and I commit my life to You, Jesus, the King of Kings, my Lord, my God, my Savior. Amen.
