Matthew 5-7
In countries where people are invited to vote for those who will represent them in parliament it is customary for the candidates to present a manifesto, in which they declare their policies and aims. It is a statement of what they stand for and wish to see achieved. There is a sense in which Jesus was doing something similar when He preached His “Sermon on the Mount”. He had come to establish a Kingdom and these teachings lay out the heart attitudes and behaviours of those who are part of this kingdom.
Because we tend to lean on our natural understanding, Jesus’ words are often interpreted as a list of moral aspirations – standards that good people try to live up to. But as we read and reflect on what Jesus taught we need to remember that His Kingdom is not earthly but spiritual. He is not describing a way of life that can be achieved in man’s natural strength but the transformed life of a believer who has been born again, filled with His Spirit and conformed to the image of Christ.
As citizens of God’s Kingdom let us read these words with open, teachable hearts and allow Him to show us anything in us that should no longer be part of our thinking or lifestyle.
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