Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:13-16
13“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.14“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 7: 24-29
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell— and great was its fall!” Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Sometimes we think it would have
been nice if Jesus had been more direct. If only he had left us a set of three
core principles, four spiritual laws, or one specific prayer that would make
everything all right, he might have made our lives as Christians a whole lot
easier. There would certainly be less disagreement and fighting over what Jesus
really meant. Then again, we’d probably find things to fight about anyway.
Religious people are pretty good at that.
In the modern era we’re used to
propositional truths, core principles, and arguments supported by facts. We’re
used to being able to wrap our minds around something, and we’re encouraged to
be skeptical of ideas until we’re fully able to understand them. But Jesus wasn’t
a twenty-first-century motivational speaker. Jesus was a first-century Jewish
rabbi, and he spoke like one. He used stories (commonly called parables),
analogies, and exaggerated language (hyperbole). He talked about things we
can’t even begin to wrap our minds around, so he built bridges using ideas and
situations we can understand (John 3:12).
The purpose of Jesus’ teaching was
to help us understand the Kingdom of God. God’s reign in all of creation is a
present reality, even though many parts of our world live in rebellion against it
and do a good job of convincing us that other powers reign. This was also true
during Jesus’ time, when the Roman emperor claimed all temporal and eternal
authority and brutally cracked down on anyone who suggested otherwise.
God’s reign is a possibility that
exists for each person who chooses to follow in the way of Jesus. Disciples
play by the rules of God’s reign even while the powers of the world follow a
different set of rules. Being in harmony with God can lead us into conflict with
the world. God’s reign is also a future reality that will be fully consummated
at some point, when all earthly kingdoms are disabused of their notion that
anyone but God reigns. When and how this will happen is not clear, and it’s not
for us to know. We are simply called to live in light of God’s promise, to
allow the Kingdom to reign in our own lives, and to let God take care of the
rest.
Matthew Kelley, The Way-Worship Package
Lord of Life, open our hearts to hear and receive your message of love today. Help us to understand your calling upon our lives and your fervent desire to have us turn and come home that we might be made whole and holy. Amen.
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