Sunday School Lesson for October 30, 2011: Seeking True Happiness (Matthew 5:1-16)

Wayne’s two cents worth





Matthew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.





John 6:35
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.







The Sermon on the Mount, Part I: The Gospel of Inclusion



Most of you are familiar with these verses. We’ve heard them from the beginning of our travels on this road of Christendom. Jesus’ first major sermon, located in the book of Matthew, this ‘Sermon on the Mount’ tends to be one of the first places we land in Scripture and one of the most familiar in Scripture as we revisit it over and over. Call it accessible, Matthew 5 is accessible. Exactly what Jesus intended. You see, until Jesus began his Ministry, Heaven was for a select few. If you appeared to be ‘Blessed’ on earth, if you were materially well to do, part of the religious ‘in crowd’ in Israel, then surely that would translate to ‘Heavenly Blessings’ as well. On the other hand, if you were poor, sick, destitute, forgotten, guess what? According to the spiritual teaching of the day, you deserved it, God was against you. You’d have had to buy your way in.. or just be left out.

But Jesus! Jesus came with a different ‘Gospel’, a Gospel of inclusion. He wanted to let people know, that God’s love was inclusive, that God was willing to extend Mercy to the least of Israel. Jesus introduced to His hearer’s on that day and to us on this day the concept of Grace: God’s Unmerited Favor. Most of us still have trouble with it, the concept of Grace. We’d like to think we’ve done something or are doing something to deserve God’s Blessing; emphasis on ‘doing’. Jesus changed the emphasis that day. The emphasis changed from ‘doing’ to ‘being’. God looks on the heart, on every heart and He sees … Himself. That’s right! He sees Himself in every heart, in every soul of every child ever born, God sees Himself and extends Mercy. No matter the circumstance, no matter the problem, God so loved the world… Good News! Good News indeed!

The ‘Church folk’ reading this get it, but what about those who aren’t ‘Churched’? Some, who read this may not have a Church home, may not feel comfortable in Church or around Church folk. After all ‘we Church folk can be a little judgmental from time to time, can’t we? God wants you to know that He loves you and that you have a right to access. That’s correct, God grants access to the most neglected among us, the weakest, most unlovable, desperate, sickest, poorest ‘scoundrels’ among us. Anybody can get in. Anybody can get a ‘hearing’. Anybody can be granted access. Feeling ‘shunned’ by family, friends, loved ones? Feeling like a misfit, like you don’t belong? There’s room for you.. room at the Cross. That’s the message that Jesus brought that day. It’s still the message. There’s room at the Cross for you.

Let me close with this: I have two teenagers that I love dearly. Sometimes though, I don’t think they know it as good as I want them to. When I have to correct them (no, they’re not as grown as they think they are) they ‘bow up’, get real stiff-necked, if you know what I mean. Sometimes, they’ll even yell at me, slam doors, storm away in absolute rebellion... . Do any of your children do that? Here’s the deal. No matter how great their rebellion seems at any given moment, I still love them… and they know it.

Beloved, before Christ came into our lives personally, each and every one of us was in stark rebellion against God and God loved us anyway. For you who don’t know Jesus in the pardon of your sin, you’re in rebellion. It’s OK! Jesus’ arms are open wide. He loves you just as you are. Whenever the day comes that you get through trying to do it your own way, God invites you to come to Him and be Blessed!





Shalom,



.wb





John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.





Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.





Luke 14:23
And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.