“whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Mt 5:19
The Sermon on the Mount continues to be presented this Sunday and Jesus holds nothing back. He sets the bar extremely high. Do we do the same for ourselves? Something in our human nature may tend to lower the bar so we can clear it comfortably. However, there is nothing that is comfortable about the cross. In love, Jesus wanted to lift the standard for what it means to live faithfully, patterned after his own life of immense sacrificial love. There is a great cost to authentic discipleship, but His promised reward is greater than we can imagine. As we begin the holy season of Lent this week, will we respond to the clear challenges of Jesus to achieve the greatness that He wants for us? For each one of us, how is Jesus raising the bar?
Petition:
That we may be faithful to the teaching of Jesus, especially when they challenge us the most, we pray….