The MEaning of the Sermon on the Mount
Apr. 20th, 2014 03:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dogriverAS its title implies, this blog entry is one of a Christian nature. IF this offends or does not interest you, please ignore this entry.
The Sermon on the Mount is used by many Christians for finger-pointing purposes. "You thought about that TV star lustfully, so you'fve committed adultery with her." "Remember, you've done this, that, or the other thing, so this means you've comjmitted this, that, or the other sin."
But what is Jesus really getting at here? Is He trying to give Christians ammunition for finger-pointing, or is he demanding that we look at ourselves before fingerpointing?
I think it's the latter. Christ isn't saying, "Here's a list of things you can keep in mind, so as soon as you see someone else slip up, you can pounce (in Christian love, of course!)." Instead, what Christ is saying is, "Before you start accusing your brother of sinning, look at yourself. Realize what really does constitute sin, and ask yourself, are you any more guilt-fre than the person you're about to go after and thump over the head?" The answer will be no. Not surprisingly, this is perfectly in keeping with Christ's command elsewhere that, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Christians are master finger-pointers. We love doing it, especially to non-Christians who don't believe what we do, yet we still expect them to hold to our ethics. Does that sound as silly to you as it does to me? I have quite enough to worry about my own sins, thank you very much, I don't have time to keep track of yours and hold them against you. The purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is not to provide an encyclopedia of sins for quick reference, JEsus wants to show us that none of us have a chance of living sinless lives, or anything remotely like sinless lives, on Earth. It's hopeless, without a knowledge and understanding of the forgivness of sin which was bought for us, and is given freely to us. The Sermon on the Mount applies to the person reading it: you read it, you apply it to yourself. The other guy you caught in a lie yesterday while you were thinking lustfully about his wife? LEt God deal with that, and you can work on cleansing your own mind. (The previous example does not refer to anything specific I know about, and is used to make a point).
The Sermon on the Mount is used by many Christians for finger-pointing purposes. "You thought about that TV star lustfully, so you'fve committed adultery with her." "Remember, you've done this, that, or the other thing, so this means you've comjmitted this, that, or the other sin."
But what is Jesus really getting at here? Is He trying to give Christians ammunition for finger-pointing, or is he demanding that we look at ourselves before fingerpointing?
I think it's the latter. Christ isn't saying, "Here's a list of things you can keep in mind, so as soon as you see someone else slip up, you can pounce (in Christian love, of course!)." Instead, what Christ is saying is, "Before you start accusing your brother of sinning, look at yourself. Realize what really does constitute sin, and ask yourself, are you any more guilt-fre than the person you're about to go after and thump over the head?" The answer will be no. Not surprisingly, this is perfectly in keeping with Christ's command elsewhere that, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Christians are master finger-pointers. We love doing it, especially to non-Christians who don't believe what we do, yet we still expect them to hold to our ethics. Does that sound as silly to you as it does to me? I have quite enough to worry about my own sins, thank you very much, I don't have time to keep track of yours and hold them against you. The purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is not to provide an encyclopedia of sins for quick reference, JEsus wants to show us that none of us have a chance of living sinless lives, or anything remotely like sinless lives, on Earth. It's hopeless, without a knowledge and understanding of the forgivness of sin which was bought for us, and is given freely to us. The Sermon on the Mount applies to the person reading it: you read it, you apply it to yourself. The other guy you caught in a lie yesterday while you were thinking lustfully about his wife? LEt God deal with that, and you can work on cleansing your own mind. (The previous example does not refer to anything specific I know about, and is used to make a point).
