(Unfortunately I can only do a short post today as I have two Bible classes to present at church this week….)
The teachings Jesus gave in Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7 are traditionally known as the Sermon on the Mount or sometimes the Sermon on the Plain. I have also seen them described as a manifesto for the Kingdom of God.
What does that mean? In the UK (and possibly elsewhere) a manifesto is a document produced by a political party at election time which is intended to showcase the party’s values and make promises about what the country will look like and how it will be improved if they are elected into power. It also tells you and me what we need to do if we want to be part of that better country they envision – i.e. vote for them!
Jesus was never a candidate for a democratic election, but if he had been, the Sermon on the Mount could well have been his manifesto. In it he taught the moral values that he himself embodied and wanted to see in his followers, and he promised a future world of peace and happiness for all who would follow him.
That promise can be understood in two different ways.
First, by adopting Jesus’ values and teachings in our own lives, we as Christians can show to each other, and to anyone else we know, the occasional glimpse of what Jesus is like and what the world would be like if he were in charge.
Second, Jesus was referring to a time when he really will be in charge – a time that nearly 2000 years later is still in our future, when he will return to the earth as an immortal leader and change everything for the better.
This promise is one of the foundation stones of our faith as Christians and it’s what we look forward to every day. No matter what might happen to us in this life, no matter how long or painful or difficult this life might be, nothing can take that promise away from us if we remain faithful to him.
Yet Jesus does not expect us to simply wait. He wants us to live that future now to the greatest extent that we can. The manifesto presented in Matthew 5 to 7 is not just a promise of what the world will be like for those who give their loyalty to Jesus – it’s a blueprint for how our lives need to change now as a result of making that commitment.
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Will we always get it right? Will we be completely transformed to be like Jesus? No. Not in this life. But making an effort to follow his manifesto is how we demonstrate our loyalty to him and to the Kingdom he will one day lead.
Over the next few weeks and probably months we’ll look at the remainder of his teachings in Matthew 5 to 7 and ask what it might look like to live these out in 2024.
As we do that, the word I’d like us to keep in mind is “counter-cultural“. Christianity was always intended by Jesus to be a counter or an alternative to the wider cultures in which it exists. To be a faithful Christian will mean going against many of the values and practices that are considered normal or acceptable in the societies in which we live. Sometimes it may be obvious – although we may still fail to do it! – and at other times it may be less obvious and a lot more subtle.
Next week we’ll begin by looking at Matthew 5:13-16…what does it mean to be salt and light?
Nihilist to Christian 