The World of What If.... What if Jesus Meant His Words...

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 5 through 7, Jesus gives us what is often called “The Sermon on the Mount” or perhaps more accurately “The Torah of Messiah”. This presentation is unique in that it only has narrative type statements, there are no other points interjected into the text, such as who was there, no one seems to ask any questions, there is no walking around or noticing any activity in the crowd present. It is one of my favorite New Testament documents, which I often call “Jesus Uninterrupted”

In very typical Rabbinical teaching form, Jesus lays out His “laws” during these sections. If one took the time, you would see the stance of Jesus clearly expressed through the Laws of reconciliation, adultery, divorce, taking oaths, non-resistance, fasting, prayer, murder, money, judging and for our part today, His Law of Love.

Matthew 5:43-48 states “43. You have heard that is was said you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44. But I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for those that persecute you, 45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46. For if you love those that love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? 47. And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? 48. Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Notice as Jesus begins this teaching, He does not dismiss the love for our neighbors, He does though extend that love to our enemies. He brings prayer into the picture, and while He does not fill in the blanks about what we should be praying for (I am going to venture a guess it is not their death and destruction) He does use the word “love”... and this brings us to The World of What If.

What if we soundly and solidly followed the instructions of Jesus here.. to love people who to us, seem unworthy of our love? What if we bent our own egos to become more kind and considerate, to become others-centered-to see each human being as created in “the image of God”, wouldn't make it a bit harder to want to see them dead?

For Jesus here, loving our enemies is God-like. We all talk about having form or affinity with God-being the people He has designed us and called us to be. But we fall short of looking hard into the words of Jesus when He says this behavior (loving our enemies) is part of understanding and becoming “sons of the Father”. Don't let this verse get by you. Rabbi Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) is teaching the framework and actions of the sons of the Father.

The World of What We Have is a picture of the Followers of Jesus not following the teachings of Jesus. It looks like most of Modern Christianity shot right past Jesus and gravitated to the teachings of Paul. We have pain and suffering (which we will always have), poor and needy, beaten and oppressed, and the disenfranchised who have been brushed to the side of the road here in our world. Yet, the central message of Jesus is about paying attention to those who most need attention.

The Modern Day Gospel is about power, not love. It preaches about politics, wealth, prosperity and morals/values, not understanding the Gospel of Jesus does not support any of these ideas. When Christianity became Americanized, it became the tasteless salt, good for nothing (another teaching of Jesus)

The World of the What If is not a world with a message of hope, it is a world of people with hope. It won't survive or help anyone else for that matter to have catchy phrases, cool Internet memes, amazing musical productions and the Gospel of the Get Feeling Better About Yourself. It is about love.

A love so large that God sent the only thing He only has one of... His Son. And this son, born in a stable in nowhere special, raised as a Jew, a penniless

itinerant Rabbi walking through hamlets, cities, backwater towns, and spending His time loving, healing and ministering to the needs of those around, changed the landscape of religious pursuits for all since recorded history.

And this love, goes to those that need it most, our adversaries, our enemies. This is the love of God made known through us, that as Jesus said, we can become sons of our Father.

David

David Fournier in the Senior Instructor at Restoring Grace. David teaches classes on Hebraic Perspectives, Jewish Mysticism (Kabbalah), Early Christian Communities and New Testament Formations and Canon. David is available for your church, youth group, seminars and retreats. Email David at: dfour26@gmail.com