In my humble opinion, the final five sayings of the Sermon on the Mount are Jesus’ most challenging. Our Lord pulls no punches as He
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12 Here we
Several years ago, my wife and I lost our home to a fire. That night, as we prepared to our hearts and minds to begin
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks
There are times in my study of Scripture when I have to remind myself that all of God’s children are stewards of His mysteries; not
For sins directed towards us personally, Matthew 18:15-17 instructs us in God’s way for restoration. This passage is also the prescription of our Lord and Master for discipline in the church. Dare we ignore it or invent another? Sadly, we have done so for quite some time now in much of the Western church. We have mistakenly used the “judge not” to avoid the discomfort of God’s way for discipline. In doing so, we have failed to love His church.
Identifying and addressing the sin in a sister or brother is not condemnation. It is an act of love, that they might not face the judgment of God (1Corinthians 5:1-5; James 5:19-20). Conversely, to ignore or accept sin in a sister or brother is failure to love them.
Perhaps the judging that Jesus prohibits is that which separates the body of Christ, the judging that involves “to contend together, as warriors and combatants”. This aligns with Jesus’ prayer for our unity, as well as Paul’s strong words against one Christian taking another to court.
The kingdom we seek will not be found haphazardly, for it is on the other side of the narrow gate and down the difficult way. Very often, our greatest struggles become God’s most glorious victories. Work it out; trust that He is working in us to will and to do to His good pleasure, to give us the very thing we are seeking: His kingdom.
It occurs to me that this saying of Jesus’ must have been one of those He used to test His disciples and thin the crowds. In many respects, it is the core message of His Sermon on the Mount.