Matthew 5:21-30
What does the Kingdom life look like?
I would encourage you to read the comment posted by Patrick Barrett yesterday. He's a friend that I met in Tampa several weeks ago. He's striving for living a Kingdom life everyday, and we've been talking back and forth about the implications of that. He's right--it involves everything down to eating your Lucky Charms for breakfast.
How can that be exactly? What does the Kingdom life look like? That is what I am seeking right now by re-reading the Gospels. Jesus preached the Kingdom was at hand. I'm seeking Jesus' answer to the question. Here's my journal for today:
Jesus just said that His coming wasn't to abolish the Old Testament but to fulfill it (v. 17). Through the rest of chapter 5 Jesus lays out several subjects, all which begin with, "You have heard that it was said...but I say to you." The gurus say that my generation has a proclivity for asking, "Why? and questioning the reason we do things the way we do them. Reading Matthew 5 forces me to ask that question. Just as the Pharisees were guilty of getting caught up into meaningless tradition (meaningless in that it was not the intention of God's OT revelation), we can easily be doing much of what we do in the church simply because that's the way we do them. What is the purpose of the things we do? What is merely preference and what is absolutley required?
For example. Why do we have a choir in church? Aren't we all supposed to worship God? Then why do we have a contingency within our congregation to get up and worship for us? There's no biblical mandate for choir usage. We have a church choir------because we like it! It's merely a preference.
Jesus forces us to question why we do what we do. I'm forced to admit that much of my life has not been being and growing as a disciple but has been trying to fit the mold of other's expectations of a good church boy. It's easy to look the part. It's another thing to play the part.
Rachelle and I decided we would take up a hobby about five weeks ago. We wanted something for just the two of us. Something that would force us to get away together. We chose golf. We used a little tax refund and bought her some cheap clubs (I borrowed my dads) and both of us got new golf shoes. We look good, baby. If you didn't know any better, you would think we've been playing all our lives--until you actually see us play. Monday was our first time out, and it was awful. It's easy to look the part. It's another thing to play the part.
I said all that to say this: we must evaluate our lives and see whether or not we have been merely playing the part. "You have heard it said...but I say to you." There are things you have been led to believe are the crucial points of Christianity, but Jesus is really the authoritative Word on the matter. In reference to our passage this morning, take your thought life into consideration. Do you have a Kingdom mind?
If Kingdom living affects everything down to our bowl of Lucky Charms--if it touches every area of life--it must begin in our minds. It's easy to look the part. We can put our coat and tie on and be at church every Sunday and our mind NOT be of the Kingdom. We can do all the things we think will satisfy suspicious minds, conning them into believing we are of the Kingdom; at the same time, however, the reality is we are not living eternal life now. At the same time we look the part we can be missing out on abundant life...Kingdom life.
Is it any wonder that Jesus begins his list of things for exceeding righteousness (v. 20) with the mind? Harboring anger. Harboring lust. How many of us think we're pretty good Christians, just as long as no one knows what we're thinking? With anger, we can't even worship God (vv. 23-24). With lust, we're adulterers (v. 28).
Kingdom living touches every area of life. I believe it begins with our minds. We must temper ourselves into being Kingdom minded all the time. When the mind slips, soon the rest of us will follow--our decisions, our actions, our words, our commitment. As goes the mind, so goes our lives--eventually. We can only get away with looking the part for so long.
Father, I commit my mind to You and Your Kingdom today. As I confess my sin I accept your promise of forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness. Teach me to have a Kingdom mind. May your marvelous love and grace and mercy reach through me and touch someone else today. I commit this day to You in Jesus' name. Amen.
