Driving Thoughts 2 of 8 — The Sermon on the Mount as a Model for Christian Authenticity

Usually, when we consider the Beatitudes, we tend to break them down into distinct segments. We talk about how blessed this person and that person is. We talk about how we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We talk about how Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. But the thought occurred to me that all these separate segments carry the same theme.

Look particularly at how Jesus said that He did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill. I find the placement of this admonition rather telling, as He drops this right RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of His Sermon — directly after the Beatitudes, the salt and light, and directly before His application of laws regarding murder and adultery.

Far from being a separate theme, it seems that “I come not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it” is the centerpiece of the Sermon. In South Alabama vernacular, it’s like He’s telling them, “None of this should be news to y’all. THIS IS THE POINT of the Law and the Prophets.”

Dropping that claim in the middle of His Sermon, He’s saying that in order to live according to the Law and the Prophets perfectly — which was the aim of the Jewish culture — requires meekness, mourning, purity of spirit. It requires the cleansing integrity that salt has, and the in-your-face witness that light has.

In order to live the way that God intends us to live, we have to live for Him with authenticity — openly and without compromise. We have to legit be children of God, with Him as our top priority rather than we ourselves.

A legit child of God doesn’t think that as long as he doesn’t murder, that it’s okay to entertain unjust anger. A legit child of God doesn’t think that as long as he doesn’t “do the deed” that it’s fine if he entertains lust.

Such a one doesn’t try to please God with a gift while still causing hurt to somebody else that God loves. He doesn’t let his brother stew on the wrong that he did to him, but seeks reconciliation — not tomorrow, not when he gets done with what he’s doing for God first, but immediately.

And to be clear, seeking that unity between the two of you doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to “endorse” what you think they might be wrong about. Unity is not about supporting error, but about showing God’s love to someone who might not be able to experience it as easily as you do.

Of all of God’s attributes, singleness of mind, internal consistency, and personal integrity are probably the most basic ways that we can faithfully follow him. It’s very telling then that Jesus should end The Sermon on the Mount by commanding people to “be perfect just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” Because every attribute that Jesus touched on in the Sermon is a perfect reflection of who God Himself is, which is why God wants us to be that way. The best way that we could show God that we love Him is by emulating him before those who might not be able to see Him.

Driving Thoughts 1 of 8 — It Is

I was listening to Matthew chapter 4 this morning, and a thought occurred to me. Now, I’m sure this has been preached on by a million different preachers, but this is the first time that it’s ever struck me quite this way.

Now, we’ve all heard the account of how, when Satan tempted Jesus, the Lord responded with scripture. Usually, it’s often argued that the point of this account is to show how scripture defeated Satan, but I’m not entirely sure that’s the case.

See, Jesus is Emmanuel — literally, God With Us. He has the authority, at any time, to simply “power up” and shut Satan down. But that’s not what Jesus does here. Instead, He did exactly what he did in the incarnation — He humbled Himself, limiting His response to the exact same tools that the most basic, immature Christian has at his disposal.

There’s a lot to unpack about that. I mean, not only does it give the usual credibility to scripture as being sufficient for us, but it also highlights the kind of confidence that Jesus Himself had in it. I mean, Jesus is literally the Word of God, made flesh to dwell among us, and here He is using the word of God to defeat Satan.

So WHY didn’t He power up? WHY did He let Satan try to tempt Him, when He could’ve shut him down immediately? I think it was to demonstrate that, however powerful Satan may seem to us, he’s already defeated. Jesus DIDN’T HAVE to power up, and in responding to Satan this way — in limiting Himself to the same tools that the most baby Christian has — He demonstrates that WE don’t have to power up either. Because Satan’s defeat is already written. Literally.

That’s the power of scripture in our lives. We’re variable, corruptible. We lie to ourselves whenever it’s convenient, and we believe our own lies. But scripture never changes. What is written is ALWAYS written, and we can use it as a landmark to reveal to us when we’ve shifted, and how far.

No matter where we are in life, no matter how the waves toss us back and forth, scripture is always there to draw us back like an anchor. Jesus, who could have commanded Satan to silence, instead choose to use this weapon to defeat him, a weapon crafted to be wielded by the least of us.