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Scripture for the day: Isaiah said, “The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.” (Isaiah 9:2). And Matthew replied, “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17).
Thought for the day: Leonard Ravenhill said, “If Jesus came preaching the same message preachers preach today, He never would have been crucified.” Ouch! So, what did Jesus preach when He came out of the desert after having defeated Satan in that great battle for His soul? His message was simple; in fact, the first words the Bible records of His preaching are these: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Once that message had been given, everything else amounted to a long list of sermon illustrations. The entire Sermon on the Mount can be seen as a list of illustrations about what it means to be a part of the Kingdom, the absolute surrender to His way. The problem is, most folks want to paddle their own canoe.
The call is to voluntary surrender of self to God’s authority; He wants our heart, not just our head. It’s not about judgment; He came to rescue, not condemn. The message was about freedom for the captives to sin and the influence of this world. If we want to get an idea of just how radical Jesus’ teaching was, we need only read Matthew 5-7. Almost everything Jesus said in that message was in stark contrast to the world’s way of doing things. J. B. Phillips contrasts it this way:
Happy are the “pushers” for they shall get on in the world.
Happy are the “hard-boiled” for they never let life hurt them.
Happy are they who complain for they get their way in the end.
Happy are the blasé for they never worry over their sins.
Happy are the slave drivers, for they get results.
Happy are the worldly wise, for they know their way around.
Happy are the troublemakers, for they make people take notice of them.1
Now contrast that attitude with Jesus’ own:
Happy are the humble minded, for they already belong to the Kingdom of God.
Happy are those who know what sorrow means, for they shall be given courage and comfort.
Happy are those who claim nothing, for the whole world will belong to them.
Happy are those who are hungry and thirsty for goodness sake, for they shall be fully satisfied.
Happy are the kindhearted, for they will have kindness shown to them.
Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Happy are those who make peace, for they shall be known as sons of God.
We don’t have time or space enough to go into the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, but I encourage you to read it for yourself. Jesus said, in a nutshell, we are to be like salt on a bland meal or light in the deepest darkness. Hatred is the same as murder. Lust is the same as adultery. A Christian’s word is his bond. Forgiveness is a way of life. Love is the supreme motive. We are to live a life of prayer, modesty, and generosity. We will be single-hearted toward God. Worry will be a foreign god. We will trust Him to provide for everything. Things of the earth will grow dim as we seek first His kingdom. Nobody drifts into the Kingdom. We must ask, seek and knock. We must enter through the narrow gate and have our lives built on the solid rock.
No wonder people flocked to Jesus. He offered a stark contrast to the common understanding of rituals and works as a means of being reconciled with the Father. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow, but in the meantime…
Go take on your world. - Bill
1. JB Phillips, When God Was Man (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1955) p26-27