Jesus's Sermon on the Mount lays the foundation for His moral teaching and the principles that should guide our lives as Christians. With this in mind, it's easy to imagine His entire sermon to be rainbows, unicorns, and hope.
But I'll admit that my first read was pretty intimidating. I thought "well, there go my chances." as I interpreted "righteous" as the perfection we aspire to here on Earth, through our human lens.
But reading on, Jesus elaborates, and reminds us that perfection means something different to God, and if we have faith and follow Jesus, we will be made perfect in His eyes. Jesus tells us that before we offer our heavenly gifts, we must honor God's command to love one another. He tells us that if we are fighting or carrying hate towards another person, we must settle the dispute and forgive before we can enter His kingdom.
What this teaches us about God is that above all else, there is love. Our #1 job as Christians is to love one another, make amends with enemies, forgive others' mistakes, and accept each other as God's children, even--and especially when--we have differences.
As I reflect on this, I'm determined to make small but significant changes in my own life. And yet, I know that though my resolve is strong, I am weak, and I'll likely not be "perfect" in my attempt, according to human standards. But I know that if I continue to strive and to reflect, repent and follow Jesus, I'll be made perfect in His eyes. And then maybe, just maybe.... I've got a shot.
Reflection by Stacy Thomas
Thank you for these thoughts, Stacy. This Lent as I read the Psalms, I too have been struggling with the word "righteous". I appreciate hearing your take on it.
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