The Golden rule

Today we conclude our study of the Sermon on the Mount. We learned that the beatitudes are primarily spiritual in nature, not physical. Thus the poor in spirit is someone who knows she is a sinner. Blessed, happy, content, deeply content, deeply joyful are those who confess their sins, who humbly approach God, who receive forgiveness with grace, and who show that same grace to others. Such people are blessed beyond this world. Indeed, God’s blessings are eternal and are profoundly experienced through the trials and persecutions in this world.

In Jesus sermon, he has taught us the proper attitude for approaching God. We come with humility, honesty, and without expectation. This opens us to the continual work of the Holy Spirit, who convicts us of sin. Through faith in Jesus—his life, death, resurrection and ascension, we are made forever right with God, and neighbour.

Chapter 7 is all about living in a right relationship with our neighbour. Jesus teaching on judgement is difficult. I say that straight up. These verses have to be taken very carefully, and people have misunderstood and misapplied them for a long, long time.

So, let’s dig in. Judgement includes, but is not limited to judging someone’s heart, intentions, and eternal destination. Jesus judged the Pharisees and others on a regular basis, but he did so as someone who knows a person’s heart. We don’t know people’s hearts as Jesus does, therefore, we cannot judge someone as to their eternal destination: either eternal life, or eternal punishment.

What Jesus is saying is this, do not judge hypercritically, hypocritically or with wicked intent. How do we do that? By first examining your own heart. Why are you judging another person? What is your intent? Are you trying to bring them down, and yourself up? Are you trying to make them feel bad about themselves, or are you, in humility, trying to help them be a better Christian?

The principle is this, how we approach others is how God will pronounce judgement on us. If we judge harshly, we will be judged harshly, if we judge kindly, we will be judged kindly. Whatever measure you use, it will be used against you. So, consider carefully your measurement.

Let us keep in mind who Jesus was also addressing here. He was speaking to his disciples, but also the crowd, and also the Pharisees within the crowd. The Pharisees judged the people harshly; but were soft on themselves.

Therefore, don’t judge others more harshly than you judge yourself.

Be reasonable in your consideration of others, and first be honest with yourself. What we’ve seen in Jesus sermon on the mount thus far is that the standard set by God, and reinforced and taught by Jesus is far, far higher than we can attain. The standard required by God is perfection. Could we therefore go up to one another and say, “Be perfect. You’re not being perfect, so get to it, I want to see perfection by next week. I demand perfect, be perfect as I, Paul Van Stralen is perfect.”

The problem is, I am not perfect. Only Jesus is perfect. Now, sometimes we get this wrong. We think that just because we’ve failed, we sinned, we can’t hold another person to any kind of standard. That’s not true. Our sin merely reinforces God’s standard, and our own need of a saviour. It means that we come to the sinner in humility. We say, “Hey, I need you to know, what you did was wrong. I’m not claiming that I’m perfect, but Jesus is perfect, and you call him your Lord, so therefore He is calling you to repent, and to be and do better, through the Holy Spirit.”

It is the hypocrite who points out the flaws in others, all the while ignoring the glaring sin in his own life. Jesus says to them, how can you even see the tiny sin your brother committed against you, when you have a beam of sin blocking your vision!

First, confess your own sin, then you will be able to help others see theirs and confess. When it comes to seeing sin, it is far easier to see the logs in others’ eyes, and think that all that we have in our own is just a speck. Jesus is letting us know, in not so subtle ways, that the reverse is true.

We can’t miss Jesus’ teaching here. He is calling us to address each other’s sin. After we’ve confessed our own sins, then we can help our brothers and sisters see their sins, and also repent. This is an important part of being the church. We spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Whenever we see hate and evil deeds, we have to call it out.

Now, some people clearly are not receptive to the gospel. Some people are not brothers, but are dogs or hogs. They not only despise the truth of God’s Word, they will attack and rip you apart. Discern the kind of person you’re dealing with. If they receive you with grace when you approach with grace, great! If they receive you with contempt and ill-will, then eventually, let them be. Be discerning, though all are image bearers of God, not all are sons of God.

So, then, persevere in prayer for others. In all the teachings that Jesus has made thus far in his sermon, he is calling us to turn to our Father in heaven and to persist in asking, seeking, and knocking. It is clear that we all have needs, none of us is perfect, so we need to ask Jesus to transform us, from the inside out through the Holy Spirit. We ask, knowing that God knows us, knowing that we’re in fellowship with God, and that he hears us.

We need to keep on asking, and add to that seeking. This means acting on the asking. What would you think of someone who asked to borrow $20, was told to come over and pick it up, but then never showed up? There’s no action following the asking. That’s like asking God to help you understand His Word, but never reading the Bible. Actions have to follow. You have to put effort in.

Asking, seeking, knocking, knocking is persisting. It isn’t enough to ask, then try once, and then giving up. Knocking means keeping on until the door is opened. Don’t give up easily.

The result, when we ask God, is that he delivers. Ask, and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. God is a good Father. Just as an earthly father will not give evil gifts to his child, nor will our Father in heaven. Our Father in heaven always gives good gifts, but let us remember God gives us what we need, not what we want—to be sure, sometimes what we want is in harmony with what we need. But God will not give us $1,000,000.00 just because we ask for it. But he might give it to us for us to use for his glory and honour, or to teach us a lesson about money, or because he is the owner of the universe, etc. That is not to say that we need to dream up what we ought to ask God for: rather, we ask for bread, we ask for nourishment, we ask for sustenance, we ask for the power, wisdom, courage and strength we need to face each day, come what may. In fact, the more time we spend in prayer, in God’s Word, the more we know what we ought to ask, seek and knock.

We close out our study of the sermon on the mount with a summary statement, and then a description of the way of Christ.

Jesus summarised of all the law and the prophets like this: love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength and love your neighbour as yourself. Treat others as you yourself wish to be treated. Treat God with total honour and respect. Treat others with total honour and respect. Don’t think less highly of others. Think of them in the same way you think of yourself. That is, we all naturally, think quite highly of ourselves. And, as Christians, we think very soberly about ourselves, being realistic about our sin, and our need for Jesus our Saviour. So we extend to others the same grace extended to us through Christ: blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

But the reality is this: the gate is narrow that leads to life in Christ, which is true life. If you’re looking for easy street, Christianity isn’t for you. If you’re looking to have your cake and eat it too, Christianity isn’t what you’re looking for. Jesus said, being in him is the best of times and the worst of times. Being a Christian is a battle, it is first of all a battle against our natural, sinful desires, and it is a battle against those who hate Christians, who hate those who are trying to follow Christ in obedience.

To enter the gate we have to let go of all the baggage and all the stuff we think makes us all that: pride, greed, envy, sexual immorality, etc. Picture those things as being like wearing a huge backpack that sticks up way above your head, and extends way beyond your body. But the gate is narrow, it is shaped to your true spiritual size. in order to go through, you have to take off the backpack of sinfulness, and leave it behind.

The way is narrow also. It’s like walking between two cliffs, hemmed in on both sides. This addresses the sinful stuff that remains of the old nature, that which we never finish dealing with until we die.

But here’s the thing! By entering the gate, by being on the way, we know that we are on the way of the righteous. We know that we will be with Jesus in person, in reality, one day! And all along the way, the Holy Spirit blesses us and encourages us, and empowers us to continue and never give up!

Be warned, though, as you go, you will always be invited/tempted to take the broadway or the wide gate. All along, there are opportunities to find the way that is smooth, easy, and free. But the broadway is of no freedom. For that backpack of sin just gets heavier and heavier. The bondage that leads to death brings more sorrow and suffering. Those that travel this road, are always saying, “the more the merrier!” And while they appear to be having a good time, in reality, they are not.

So while the way of life is narrow and hard, as we continue along it, we discover that our burdens are lifted, and we have strength and endurance to climb, to manoeuvre through the narrow bits, and upon our shoulders is a peace that passes all understanding. Those that are on the way to life, find themselves more and more alive and so they press on!

Where are you? Are you on the broadway? Are you outside the narrow gate, still clinging onto your sinful ways and sinful nature? Hear Jesus’ impassioned plea: let go of that which his hindering you from entering. Enter by Jesus, the true gate, and step into the way, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He’s standing right here. He’s holding out his hand, and he’s saying, come to me. Don’t delay, come to me right now.

Let’s pray:

Father in Heaven, Jesus is the way the truth and the life. Help us to see our own sin, help us to see and gently, lovingly, kindly address sin in one another, so that we all may grab hold of true life. Help us to keep asking, seeking and knocking to receive your goodness, truth and love, so that we may live as Christ lived, in His true righteousness. Help us to endure the hard bits of living for you, help us to encourage one another along the way! And help us focus on the goal, everlasting life with you! In Jesus name, Amen!