Sermon on the Mountainside The Core Message

Sermon on the Mountainside

The Core Message

The greatest thing the political divide in America has achieved is hate

Our top leaders and the media have created an environment of hate

I have counseled many couples who cannot deal with the issues of their marriage

Because of hate toward each other

Hate is an attitude that destroys the ability to resolve issues

Jesus spends most of the sermon verses 27 through 49

Giving us direction on how to love our enemies

I hope you are challenged like me

Next time I get angry at the Politicians or the Media

 I hope I will remember to love and pray

To not let hate effect my attitude of love

Yes, it is hard to be angry and sin not Ephesians 4:26

Beware of being political

Be Righteousness

The Core Message

At the time of writing

this devotional it is 2020.

In America it is an election year.

The political environment

is on everybody’s mind.

  

The Sermon on the Mountain in Luke 6

gives us three verses of “blessing”

and three verses of “woes”.

When we look at the political issues,

 it seem that in some way, small

or great, they boil down to…

The rich and the poor.

The first issue Jesus addressed.

Jesus recognizes the problem of poverty

 and wealth but seems to leave it at that.

I spent a lot of time thinking about Jesus’ sermon.

I asked myself what is Jesus trying to communicate?

The greatest thing the political

divide in America has achieved is hate.

Our top leaders and the media

have created an environment of hate.

I have counseled many couples who

cannot deal with the issues of their marriage

because of hate toward each other.

Hate is an attitude that destroys

the ability to resolve issues.

I know I cannot help these

couples unless the attitude changes.

Jesus would never run for president of the

United States or any other earthly nation.

His rule over the whole earth as

King of kings and Lord of lords.

Throughout history Jesus and

His followers have been hated.

Many have been killed because of hate.

Jesus’ message speaks to the political divide

 but Jesus’ message is not the right or the left.

The divide Jesus speaks to is the

divide between heaven and hell.

Jesus’ point in the Sermon on the

Mount is how to handle hate.

Luke 6:22-23 says…

Blessed are you when men hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil,

because of the Son of Man.

"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,

because great is your reward in heaven.

For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

If you have aligned with Jesus

and the Kingdom of God and

you are hated for it…

 Rejoice.

But Jesus does not allow us to use

hate to alienate us from others.

Jesus says…

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:27-31

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES…

Jesus is not a promoter of hate

 unlike some politicians

on the right and left.

Jesus does not put a spin on the news

to make you reject others, but to love them.

Jesus recognizes social issues like

the disparity between rich and poor.

But those issues don’t get resolved with hate.

When we learn to love

(love is a choice, as is hate).

We exercise love…

 We find ways to meet needs.

Love is merciful even to the ungrateful and wicked

Luke 6:35 &36       

Jesus spends most of the sermon,

 verses 27 through 49, giving us

direction on how to love our enemies.

I hope you are challenged like me.

Next time I get angry at the Politicians

or the Media, I hope I will

 remember to love and pray.

To not let hate effect my attitude of love.

Yes, it is hard to be angry and sin not.

Ephesians 4:26

Beware of being political.

Be Righteousness.

Scripture Reading

Luke 6:27-49 NIV

27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.   34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 

39 He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

41 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."