Sermon on the Mount

This is something a lot of friends and I have been thinking about since Paul DeCelles, gave a talk on it at the Missionary Conference.

As I read it more and more I'm more and more convinced that it's a pretty whole picture. Like if Jesus was asked today to give a sermon, he'd say this. It brings up some interesting things I've been thinking about.

Jesus starts out with the Beatitudes which name the new people of God. He uses the phrase "Fortunate are the poor for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" repeating this 9 times. This phrase was common in the Old Testament referring to how fortunate Israel is. Here God through Jesus is naming His new people.

Next He gives them a mission. That they be a light to the world. In the same way that when you turn on a light the whole room is lit so too should God's people light the world. He also mentions salt and what can be done once it loses it' s saltiness, but throw it away. This is a real inflammatory statement as he is reffering to the people of Israel who have abandoned God. And I think this still holds true today, even in Christian circles. God's people are described as things that exist by what they do. Salt has no use unless it is salty and what is a light but that which lights. These things are not just things, but things that DO SOMETHING.

How different is this than much of today's preaching on personal salvation as the end goal. Once you accept Jesus, you're saved. Finale. The end. Hang out a while, while everyone else comes to terms with it, right? Well, here God's people's mission is to shine so that others shine God's glory. Personal salvation is a subplot in God's plan, its the first step, not the end. Christ's mission to the world was not to help people get him (as in accepting Him as a personal savior) but to "bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; free the oppressed and announce the year of the Lord's mercy" (Lk4.18-19). Realizing his power to change lives is but the first step. So, this is something that has been striking as I've been reading.

Next Jesus goes on to give God's people a new law, but one that does not abolish the old but works to fulfill it. The law was what had been passed down since Moses, most easily recognizable of these; the Ten Commandments (Ex 20, Deut 5). In this Jesus intensifies the law, saying not only is the act of murder or adultry wrong but being angry and lusting is sinning just the same. Here the law is now not just about actions but about intentions. And this is followed by how to pray and fast in a manner that is more than just the act of praying and fasting. So it is not enough to do what God says but one must also be as God is. "For your part you shall be righteous and perfect in the way your heavenly Father is righteous and perfect" (Matt5.48).

At this point I think of what I learned about perfection and sin growing up in the church. 'We are human beings and we sin. We make mistakes.' But here Christ is saying that we are to be perfect. How can we possibly do this?!

As Jesus goes into not judging, he talks about asking God and His giving. Which to me, makes no sense. What does this have anything to do with living more in God's way and doing His work? However, all 4 gospels have this passage and both Luke and John shed a lot of light on this. Starting in Luke 11.9, the paragraph is almost repeated verbatim. Except in Luke it is not talking about God giving us what we ask for, but that if we ask Him, He will give us His Spirit. And in John 14.13 this is furthered, as Jesus says after him the Helper, the Spirit of truth, will be sent. God will not abandon his children. Here the passage is saying God will come to dwell in you and God will fulfill this New Law. This is clearly evident in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. A book which is almost entirely devoted to the Spirit coming down on the apostles at Pentecost and what happens as a result. After this the apostles are emboldened and heal the sick and the lame, cast out demons, and become Christ to the world. This is huge. Paul talks about being co-crucified with Christ and that is no longer he who lives but Christ who lives in him. For folks who didn't know this is actually what Christianity is supposed to be about, becoming and being friends of the creator of the Universe, and collaborating and doing His work. And this is only possible if He dwells in us through the Holy Spirit, otherwise we can't even observe His law much less accomplish His mission.

So Jesus, gathers a new people, gives them a mission, a new law and teaches them about being in God not just the law, and that if we ask God, He will make us perfect through the sending of His Holy Spirit. I must say I have been greatly saddened to go to church and find so few people having even heard about what His Spirit does.

Lastly, Christ sends us off with a warning and mode of operation. Saying three things. (1) strive to enter through the narrow gate, for wide and broad is the gate and road to destruction. Do it all. As Paul says, run the race intending to win it and as athletes train in order to win, so should we train and strain for God's work. (2) You will know a tree by the fruit it bears. God's people and work does not whither. If the fruit of something is rotten so is the tree, again this brings us back to doing something. If we who claim God on our side are not setting free the captives and undoing the thongs of oppression, there's a good chance we've missed something. This is also an indicator that God's will produces real world change. (3) Not everyone who says Lord! Lord! will get into the Kingdom, but those who hear my words and act will be very wise. Again praise and worship without doing God's Will is like white washed tombs. We might look cleaner but that says little of what's inside.

This may have a bite to it...what do folks think? Thoughts? Ideas? Does this ring true?