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The Heart of the Matter

Jesus

So, what is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) all about?

Genuine Faith:  Over and over Jesus says that authentic Christian faith is rooted in the heart.  A God-honoring life involves more than saying the right words (note “Lord, Lord” in 7:22).  Nor can genuine Christian experience be reduced to squeaky clean out­ward behavior (remember:   hate is a kind of murder, and lust is a kind of adultery, 5:21-30).  Bottom line:   good words and good behavior will not suffice one day when God will judge the HEART.

Sure Hope:  The Sermon on the Mount is famous for its many bold challenges.  But beneath it all is a glorious hope of life and eternal joy in Jesus!  He promises that, despite our struggles, we have his “blessing” (5:3-12); he assures us we’ll be rewarded by the Father for our secret prayer, giving, & fasting (6:1-18); he leads us away from destructive anxiety (6:25-34); he assures us that the Father gives “good gifts” to his children who ask (7:11—and, of course, the greatest gift is his love!); and he points the way down the narrow path that leads to true, eternal life (7:13-27).  So, don’t be overwhelmed by the challenges:  Jesus offers grand HOPE.

Two Pathways:  Over and over Jesus paints a picture of life with two alter­natives—not three or ten or forty-four … but two.   Yes, Jesus is “either/or”; yes, this is binary thinking at which some people recoil:  “Surely there must be a ‘third way’; we mustn’t be so simplistic!”  But if we’re going to take the Bible seriously, we cannot miss Jesus’ either/or approach:  We’re salt in a decaying world and light in a dark age; we serve either God or money; people store up treasure either on earth or in heaven; there’s the wide path to destruction and the narrow way to life; there are good trees bear­ing good fruit and bad trees bad fruit; you can build your life on shifting sand or on the rock of Jesus Christ. … It’s one way or the other.  Jesus is the fork in the road. 

So, what way will you turn?  Which path are you taking? 

Peter Nelson

Senior Pastor
Peter and his wife Cheryl moved from Chicago to West Chester in 2006 with their three children and...

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