I am still processing the Sermon on the Mount. I have gone through the 25 posts and edited them for clarity and to revisit them for myself. Now I want to look at the applications I should be making for myself.
A lot of what I see in the Sermon on the Mount comes down to perspective, or you can call it focus, or even purpose. The main idea is to ask yourself the question, why am I doing what I am doing? Is it driven by my desire to satisfy some selfish need or is it driven by my desire to draw closer to God? Fasting is no different. God's plan in having us fast it appears to me is to draw us to Him, to remind us of our dependency on His provisions, to cause us to lean on Him through the tough times as well as the good. But like with so many other things of God, this to can be corrupted. Can you believe that some people actually fasted so that others would look upon them as pious? Their purpose was driven by a selfish desire, the desire to look good to others. Interesting thing is, it seems that whatever our desire is, that is what we get out of it. If you desire is to look good to others, you likely will accomplish that, but God is not impressed. If you desire is to draw closer to God, you will likely accomplish that, although others may not look at you any differently.
Take Away: I need to always be on guard against the desires of the flesh. What I want to gain out of doing something is likely exactly what I will get out of it. If I go to church to fit in, to look good, to fulfill some type of moral obligation, that is likely all I will get out of it. I believe this was Jesus's message throughout the Sermon on the Mount, and He drives this home in the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders.
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