Best Sermon Ever

Matthew 5-7

Jesus' first recorded sermon of significance is recorded in chapters 5 to 7 of Matthew's gospel. Jesus has waaaaaaay more than three points in his sermon... touching on blessings, salt, light, the law, anger, adultery, divorce, makings vows, revenge, love, giving, prayer, fasting,money, possessions, and judging others. And yet virtually all of the teachings are simple and go back to the same unity which is exemplified in Matthew 7:2 "The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged." God has set a standard in himself, if we live it, blessings will be ours.

For example, God is Light... We were made in his image, therefore we are light. If we shine that light blessings come, but if we hide the light, we become darkness. Darkness is counter to our nature and counter to God and is therefore wrong... sin.

Going back to the beginning of the sermon with the Beatitudes, we see that same pattern worked out over and over. Our merciful God gives mercy to those who are merciful. Our God who is pure and cannot be in the presence of impurity invites the pure of heart to see God. We are born to be salt so to be less than salt makes us worthless. From the beginning God designed us to be one with him in the Garden of Eden, and every wrong thing we've done takes us away from that perfect unity with him. He desires that we reunite with him... not in the old law which only brought out our sin... but in a new covenant that isn't full of rules... since they cannot begin to capture the purity that he requires... anger is murder, lust is adultery.

"On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord!...’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’" Jesus just dismissed those who prophesied, cast out demons, and performed miracles... where does that leave us? I have never prophesied, I have cast out exactly zero demons, and my miracles are non-existent. What hope do I have? Thankfully, that isn't the standard Jesus set. He simply asks that we be who he made us to be... as his creation he asks that we listen to his teaching and follow it. Doing that we quite simply become one with him. There is no better relationship with the Almighty than unity and that is achieved only by being, not doing. Being what he made us to be, being one with him.