Matthew : Season 2 - Week 4
MATTHEW : SEASON 2 - The Upside of Down
If the first part of Matthew 5 (the Beatitudes) were about who the Kingdom of God can - and is! - coming to…and Jesus’ next words – His instruction to live as salt and light – was about living out this Kingdom faithfully in a world that has rot and is dark, then the next salvo of teachings from Jesus show what living the kingdom out faithfully looks like. And this list is NOT fun to read, because Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter: we often excuse our own sin and bad behavior. It’s just easier to be angry, give in to lust, lie when it’s convenient, break promises when things don’t work out for us the way we want and hate people who we consider our enemies. Jesus says, “This can’t be the way you live.” And we’re left dropping to our knees, repentant and asking God for help.
