What It's All About

      For the last several weeks, I have kept coming back to the same thing over and over again.  Two things have really spurred me to keep looking at it.  The first is that I have been studying the Sermon on the Mount for the last several weeks.  Nothing fancy, just reading it over and over and soaking it up.  I'll say this up front - it's a tough word to hear sometimes.  Matthew 5 has affected me in a range of ways these past two months.  Sometimes it has been a slap in the face, sometimes a kick in the tail, sometimes a breath of fresh air.  The other thing is this blog entry. 
     Here's the thing.  God didn't send his Son for me to sleepwalk through life and go through the motions, claiming a faith that I don't demonstrate.  To me (not that I'm equating a blog to the Bible) they both spoke different aspects of the same thing.  Jesus speaks so plainly about what I need to do.  It's my attitude of self-preservation that makes it difficult.  Here's where the rubber meets the road.  You can't read Matthew 5 and walk away without making a decision.  Either Jesus meant what he said, or he didn't.  There's not really any other choice.  We (I) try to avoid the fact that it's that black and white, but what's the use?  Either his words are meant to apply to me, or they aren't.  It's tempting to pick and choose and feed on an ala carte Gospel - one that I feel satisfies my needs.  But who am I to tell Jesus what I need? 
     Does Jesus really mean that my anger looks the same in God's eyes as an actual homicide?  I must not think that, because I sure don't act like it.  But I can't say I believe the Bible and then conveniently ignore that part.  Or take verses 29 and 30.  It's the part where Jesus talks about poking out eyes and cutting off hands.  Our first impulse is to back away from this.  Clearly Jesus couldn't have meant it like that.  Does Jesus really want me to disfigure myself?  I think that's the wrong question.  The underlying question, the question implied by this offensive passage is this - How far am I willing to go?  What sacrifice would I make?  What price would I pay?  The first thing is that Jesus is speaking to every one of us.  The measuring stick is only "will I obey the call?"  Everything else is window dressing.  Either I accept the call of Jesus and follow him or I reject it and walk away.  This is an all or nothing proposition.
     The second thing, Steven Furtick's blog, challenged me to a different aspect of this same truth.  Why did Jesus climb a mountainside before he spoke a word?  Why did he give such a stark call once they all got there?  I think this hits it on the head.  Jesus doesn't have time for or interest in pretenders.  I know that grace covers all of our sins and his blood was shed for everyone, so I'm not trying to minimize what the power of God can do.  We are called to be more like Jesus every day.  Jesus was on this earth to lauch his Father's kingdom.  Not a program or an agenda.  He was establishing a kingdom.  He needs me to be genuine.  Not do I appear to be following, but am I really following?  Not do people around me see my obedience, but am I actually obeying?  Am I the genuine article or a cheap imitation?  It's the same question - how far am I willing to go?  What sacrifice would I make?  What price would I pay?  What do I sacrifice by trying to have my own way?
    
    

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