Friday of the First Week of Lent -- March 18, 2011
Matthew 5:20 – 26
"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift.
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
In the faith tradition in which I was raised, it was all about professing faith in Christ. So much was invested in that single moment, that one-time act of saying “yes” to Jesus, that very little emphasis was given to the ongoing process of conversion. We assumed that once you gave your life to Jesus, God would swoop in and take care of all the rest.
We mistakenly called this initial act of turning “conversion.” In reality, it was only the beginning of “conversion,” but by using that word to describe it, we implied and assumed that the beginning was also the end. Sure, we encouraged people to attend Sunday School, to learn more, to serve more. But the entire mindset assumed that the really important work had been done already. Once a person made that initial decision for God, you could almost cruise on autopilot.
Many persons came to this point of decision, as I did, with a need for purpose and meaning in life. In coming to Christ and the Church, I found a degree of moral certainty. In the early stages of faith development I found an external code of behavior that gave some meaning and structure to my life. It was clearly laid out in terms of what I could do, and more significantly, what I could not do.
Thus, this passage in the Sermon on the Mount was a huge leap for me. Jesus seemed to say that while actions were important, the motivation or attitude beneath the actions was even more important.
Further, changing outer behavior significantly and permanently was not a one-time event, nor was it a matter of gritting teeth and deciding to change as an act of will.
The inner landscape can only be changed by a work of God’s Spirit, and that change significantly alters our behavior in the world.
Those who seriously undertake a life with Christ eventually realize that the initial moment of turning to God does not undo all the patterns of thinking and acting that have hardened within us over many years. Conversion happens over time, as God softens the hardpan within us. We open ourselves to the action of ongoing conversion through prayer, meditation, reflection and contemplation.
We find, then, that our actions are converted as our inner life is converted. It is the way we live life from the inside out.
"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift.
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
In the faith tradition in which I was raised, it was all about professing faith in Christ. So much was invested in that single moment, that one-time act of saying “yes” to Jesus, that very little emphasis was given to the ongoing process of conversion. We assumed that once you gave your life to Jesus, God would swoop in and take care of all the rest.
We mistakenly called this initial act of turning “conversion.” In reality, it was only the beginning of “conversion,” but by using that word to describe it, we implied and assumed that the beginning was also the end. Sure, we encouraged people to attend Sunday School, to learn more, to serve more. But the entire mindset assumed that the really important work had been done already. Once a person made that initial decision for God, you could almost cruise on autopilot.
Many persons came to this point of decision, as I did, with a need for purpose and meaning in life. In coming to Christ and the Church, I found a degree of moral certainty. In the early stages of faith development I found an external code of behavior that gave some meaning and structure to my life. It was clearly laid out in terms of what I could do, and more significantly, what I could not do.
Thus, this passage in the Sermon on the Mount was a huge leap for me. Jesus seemed to say that while actions were important, the motivation or attitude beneath the actions was even more important.
Further, changing outer behavior significantly and permanently was not a one-time event, nor was it a matter of gritting teeth and deciding to change as an act of will.
The inner landscape can only be changed by a work of God’s Spirit, and that change significantly alters our behavior in the world.
Those who seriously undertake a life with Christ eventually realize that the initial moment of turning to God does not undo all the patterns of thinking and acting that have hardened within us over many years. Conversion happens over time, as God softens the hardpan within us. We open ourselves to the action of ongoing conversion through prayer, meditation, reflection and contemplation.
We find, then, that our actions are converted as our inner life is converted. It is the way we live life from the inside out.
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