Month: April 2007

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Radical Jesus gives the first of the summary statements in His sermon by giving the Golden Rule for how we are to treat one another. Its utter simplicity is meant to cut through all of the ‘religion’ that has wrapped itself around the message that God wants His people to hear; love God and love others. When you love the Lord with all your heart, your actions towards others created in His image will fall into place. Radical in its minimalism.

This single verse is so radical that we often struggle to live it out. It is hard to give up our desires for revenge and retribution. We want to live the golden rule but we fear others who refuse to live it out themselves and this lies at the crux of the problem. The fear creeps in that we will lose in some respect when we live the way Jesus teaches and others do not but the Teacher gives us the solution, don’t be concerned with your condition here in this world. Raise your sights to the heavens where sacrifice will not be needed. Follow the Radical in His sacrifice knowing where your true reward lies.

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks fins; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Jesus, as he begins to conclude His Sermon on the Mount, urges His disciples to a greater communion in prayer with the Father. He radically commends them (us) to committing all of our life, every portion and quadrant of it, to the Father in prayer. He does not proffer this option in order to make more Pharisees; on the contrary. The Radical Jesus pushes us to realize the value and importance of an intimate relationship with the One Who Loves Us.

We find ourselves in the midst of Passion Week this morning, immediately following our recall of the triumphal entry. We discovered the danger in misguided expectations. As the palm leaves waved to cries of “Hosanna”, the people desperately wanted to believe in a restoration of a worldly kingdom with Jesus as their king. He radically wanted people to raise their sights, to see a kingdom of higher principles. He wants the same thing for us today and He wants us to root this higher perspective in a life of dependence and prayer. Read the assurances again…and again.