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.
I believe this section reaffirms and continues what Jesus is trying to get across in the main idea of the Sermon on the Mount, that it is the internal heart that matters, and not the external action. In other words, you can be ding all the right things and yet not receive any "credit" for those actions. In fact, if you do the actions only to receive some kind of credit, you are going in the wrong direction to begin with.
Take Away: We all like to feel good. We all prefer praise over criticism. I do not believe that Jesus is condemning the idea that if we feel good after doing something, that that action then means nothing to God. In fact, I believe that when we do something to honor or please God, we should feel good, just as a child might feel good after doing something that makes their own parents pleased. It is those other motives that destroy our actions that deem them worthless. When I give, it should come from a joyful heart. (2 Corinthians 9:7) Not out of obligation, not out of a desire to earn favor either with God or with others. Not even because I can. I give because I want to honor the God who has given so much to me. Honor Him, not repay Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment