This week, we spent three days reading through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. As I was reading, my mind kept going back to this scene in the Chosen when Matthew and Jesus were together, away from the rest of the group, working on the sermon.
This visual helps me to remember that Jesus actually preached this sermon. It's not just words we read, but rather, a message that was thought through and prepared, as Jesus knew He was going to speak things that the crowd had never heard before.
I've heard a lot of great sermons in my lifetime, and no offense to the preacher, but there's no other sermon that we still live by 2,000 years later!!!
With His intentional purpose in mind, I have been thinking about why He purposefully chose to end this sermon with the passage about building our house on the rock. He could have ended with ANYTHING, yet He knew the importance of our foundation.
Reading the sermon on the mount can be intimidating... making you realize that you still have A LOT of continual growth. As you read, you can start to believe a lie that Jesus wants us to be perfect....
Be the salt of the earth
Be the light of the world
Your righteousness needs to exceed that of Scribes and Pharisees
Do not be angry
Always forgive
Do not have lustful thoughts
Do not divorce
Always let your yes be yes and your no be no
Love your enemies
Do not retaliate when you are wronged
Desire no recognition for your good deeds
Do not lay up treasures on earth
Do not be anxious
Do not judge others
Your actions need to match what you proclaim
Oh yeah, cool sermon, Jesus!!! All so easy to do!!!!
How will we ever be able to live out this sermon?
And I think that's where the importance of his conclusion comes: BY building our lives around His Word, His truth and the Spirit, we will be able to live out these things. As we come to know more of who Jesus is and attempt to live like Him, we will begin to be slow to anger, to love our enemies, to have peace, and to show kindness to those that are hard for us to love, etc.
But how do we build our foundation on the rock? By recognizing our weaknesses and acknowledging our desperate need of Him. Because,
The ones who are poor, who mourn, who are meek, are the ones where Jesus can be most seen through. How beautiful is that!
As we are still only a week into this new year, may we be reminded that we must build our foundation on the rock. This morning, at church, we sang, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus's blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus's name. On Christ the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."
Life is not going to be easy. The storms came to both houses. But may we continue to build our foundation on the rock, drawing closer and closer to Jesus each day.
Song of the week: Housefires released a new song on Friday and I have to admit I think I have already listened to it 60 times.. it's really really beautiful and the lyrics are a much needed prayer.
May I be like Mary
Open to the movements of your heart
Blessed in the keeping of your promise
A faithful friend of God
May I love your presence, Jesus
More than any gift you've given me
More than any crown I could receive
More than all my dreams
If I could have anything
Let it be your eyes on me
Every time I catch your gaze
My world starts changing
I don't have that much to bring
Just a simple song to sing
If I could have anything
Let me be an offering
May I be like David
Unconvinced by power or by idols
Worshipping in triumph and in trial
A faithful friend of God
May I love your Spirit
More than reputation or prestige
More than what the world could think of me
Cause your love is all I need
I come alive loving you
I'm overwhelmed by the way you move
My words fall short when I look at you
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