For years I read the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) as a really nice set of suggestions that would be really great if people would think about doing them.
As I get older my perspective changes and now when I read this sermon I am amazed at how radical, liberal, progressive, (or whatever term you want to use) Jesus was. This sermon is a terrible load to put on christians. No where in it is a call to enact laws or appoint judges that will uphold "our" values. Rather, it calls us to a seemingly impossible set of standards of individual conduct which assumes that injustice, intolerance, and persecution will be inflicted on those who truly follow Christ.
It never promises that anything positive will come our way while we are here on earth. It won't even let us get any credit for the nice things we do for someone else.
No wonder that the established leaders were so adamantly opposed to His teaching. It flew in the face of their power gathering. It stood in direct opposition to their traditions and their lists of rules and rewards. It placed responsibility not with the leaders or institutions, but with each individual.
It is also challenging and exciting. Its impossibility is its greatest attraction. Only by faith in Christ and by receiving His grace can this life be done, even if imperfectly. But even though I am still imperfect and will be on my last day on earth, His grace is enough.
Sweet.
6 comments:
Rnady this is a great post, and I believe you're right. The Sermon on the Mount does take a radical stance. It's one of the best examples of God calling us to do the impossible; yet we know that through him, all things are possible. We do well to remember that in Phillipians 4, when Paul tells us "I can do all things through Christ," it is in the context of talking about obedience and contentment in plenty and in want. It plainly undermines our sense of comfort and demands that our faith be only in his plan and not in our own circumstances, abilities, institutions, or in how we're received/perceived. I think you're just as right to see it as exciting too, because what he wants of us is nothing less than the only thing that will, in the end, bring perfect justice, perfect peace, and ultimate joy.
Randy,
I'm terribly happy to read this post! Perhaps you could share your thoughts more completely in future posts? I have a few comments now, more to follow, perhaps.
First, I'm drawn to Luke's version of the Sermon, which, for me at least, is more straightforward. Whereas Mt has "blessed are the poor in spirit" - which I take to mean blessed are those who don't let themselves become too attached to their worldly possessions - Lk has "blessed are the poor." Mt says those who hunger and thirst after righteousness/justice shall be filled. Lk says those who are hungry shall be fed. And so on through the sermon. Why is it that Mt's version gets all the pub?
Second, I don't think it's so much that God's grace is there to rescue us when we fail to live up to the Sermon. The Sermon is the grace! It is as we conform our lives to the call of the Sermon - as we go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, love our enemies, pray for those who hurt us, refuse to be anxious about tomorrow, etc. - that we find God's grace operative in our lives. God's grace is not a net beneath the tight-rope that is the Sermon. The Sermon is the bread of life; it itself is the good news. It is not that God's mercy is there for us when we try to obey and fall short; it is that God's mercy is there for us as we obey, helping us to obey, teaching us the meaning of genuine obedience.
Third, I have to mention in this context my favorite bit of non-canonical theology: "God is easy to please; hard to satisfy."
Look forward to reading more...
Chris,
That was a good word on the grace aspect. You are right that grace is infused throughout the message as being our only hope for actually being able to live out the message. It is not triggered by our failure (Romans 6)but it is ever present throughout our triumphs and our trials. Our obedience coupled with God's grace brings about a true Christian life that is scary and exciting.
As to the Matthew/Luke discussion, I think the Matthew version is better suited to "movie Jesus" and as a result gets more pub. The Luke version is more concise and makes the reader uncomfortable quicker.It promises blessings for things that we do not want to accept as part of the victorious Christian life. We don't like to think of Christians as ever being poor or hungry.
Lastly, is that last quote original with you? I want to use it and want to give proper credit for its origin.
Randy,
I believe the quote originates with with George MacDonald, although I know I've heard some attribute it to Lewis also. Chris, can you clarify?
Mark is correct. George MacDonald said it; Lewis popularized it. I highly recommed, by the way, Lewis' MacDonald anthology, if it's still in print.
Yep, the MacDonald anthology is still in print. Check it out on Amazon. Leave it to the library guy to know.
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