31 Days until Easter

31 Days until Easter

Yesterday I climbed the mountain, joining the crowds, to listen to the Sermon on the Mount.  I was ready to really dive into His words and examine my life against His teachings.  I have heard many sermons and I’ve done devotionals on the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount all my life.  I think the Beatitudes have been presented with the focus on the blessing much of the time, or maybe that’s just how I heard it.   I feel like there have been so many times that I’ve listened from the pew, rather than actually climbing the mountain to sit at His feet.  We tend to grow indifferent to messages without realizing it because it is so familiar. However, Jesus has a way of exposing things within us if we do more than just listen, but truly examine.

So today, it’s back up the mountain to hear the rest of His sermon.  And well, right off the bat things might get uncomfortable.  Lately, I’ve heard an abundance of backlash against Old Testament scripture.  Even famous preachers are calling it outdated and not relevant to today’s society.  The argument by many is that only the New Testament is relevant.  But as I sit, listening to His words, Christ Jesus Himself says,

   

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets (Old Testament); I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to 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.” -Matthew 5:17-18

He did not say that He came to get rid of the Old Testament.  He didn’t give us permission to put the Old Testament on the shelf.  He clearly says that He came to fulfill it.  It can be translated that until the earth and heavens disappear, neither a period nor a comma will disappear from the teachings of Moses.  And well, that is certainly not the trending notion of mainstream society.  As I listen and examine the Sermon on the Mount I hear principles and themes of the Old Testament all throughout His message.  So I’m just not understanding where we can take this message and say that the Old Testament isn’t applicable to Christians today. Then continuing in His message, Jesus says,

“So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 5:19

Jesus addresses our human selfishness.  He didn’t lower the expectations with new commandments that are easier to follow in today’s society, nor did He abolish the Old Testament. He takes the Law to a whole new level.  Where once, the law stated that murder would bring judgement, he raises the bar and says that not just murder, but anger against another would bring judgement.  And before we can make things right with God, we must go make things right with the person we’re angry with.  And again, Jesus has a way of stirring our hearts and exposing these things deep within us.  The act of murder and the act of anger towards another reveal the same quality of the human condition.  Selfishness.  We elevate ourselves.  When I’m angry with another, it’s the same as murdering in my heart.  In anger, I elevate myself above another.  So because I’m human, I have to recognize my need for forgiveness.  There’s a continual need for seeking my Lord for mercy and forgiveness.  I have to yield to Him and ask for His help in loving like He does.

And as for adultery.  Even a thought would be the same as the act in my heart.  So there’s a theme here.  Jesus is telling us that it’s not only the things that the world sees us do,  the things of our hearts matter too.  I’m not just called to do good and righteous things, I’m called to be good.  But because I’m human, I’ll never be good enough and I can never do enough good, so again, I’m reminded of the continual need for seeking forgiveness and yielding to the Spirit to help me love and live through Him.

Now let’s talk about relationships.  If I want to really truly evaluate what kind of person I am; If I want to examine the part of me that no one sees, I can look at how I treat my enemies; I can look at how I love my enemies.  Jesus says,

    “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” -Matthew 5:44

He doesn’t give me a pass to hate those who hate me. He doesn’t even give me a pass to just tolerate my enemies.  I have to LOVE my enemies.  He also doesn’t give me a pass to treat others as they treat me.  I’m not even allowed to hate those who hate my faith.  Nope, I’m to love.  And not just love on my own conditions.  Love like He loves.

So little by little, through His words, He’s revealing and exposing the parts of my heart that need to be restored. True love should be extended to all.  Jesus fully loved God and He fully loves us. Even unto death, He loved.  He loves me.  He loves His enemies.  He loves all.  He writes this command to love on our hearts.  When I’m open to allowing the Spirit to rule my heart, I can love through compassion and mercy and selflessness. 

Love came down.  Jesus is God’s forgiving love Who came down to soften my heart, to make me new, to rescue my soul.  When He died on the cross, He wrote these commands on my heart.  By following Christ, I have to open myself up for Him to work on me every minute of every day.  He calls me to be better.  But where I fail, He meets me.  As I’ve looked over His message, I’ve realized more than ever how much I need Him.