November -The Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount-November

 

The Attitude of Jesus Toward the Law:  Jesus was teaching “to the test”. My great-grandmother used to use this wonderful phrase about getting ready for “the finals”. In life, Jesus taught that we live with a dichotomy within ourselves. There is the self that lives by the rule of laws that are man-made. These are “Caesar’s laws”.  Then there are the Ten Commandments:

1) Thou shall have no other Gods but me; 2) Thou shall not have any idols before you, nor make or bow down to any idols; 3) Thou shall not use the name of the Lord in vain; 4)  Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy; 5) Honor thy Father and thy Mother; 6) Thou Shalt Not Kill; 7) Thou shall not commit adultery; 8) Thou Shalt Not Steal; 9) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor; 10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor or thy neighbor’s wife, nor anything that belongs to thy neighbor.

 

These were the laws that Moses brought down from the mountain and were taught to Jesus and by Him to others. He simply said to follow God’s law.

 

The Law on Murder: Jesus says, “Don’t be a ‘Rebel without a cause!” Don’t let passions rule your life. If you use reason and temperance, cooler heads shall prevail.

 

Reconciliation with Friends: (and Enemies): You can’t go through life carrying anger and harboring resentments if you want to practice Christian Living. Learn to forgive and heal yourself.

 

Law on Adultery: Pretty simple, Jesus said, “Just say No!”

 

The Law on Divorce: Jesus sets Marriage up as a commitment for Life.  In today’s society where one out of two marriages now end in divorce, this is a serious matter to contemplate when thinking about getting married!

 

Law on Oaths: In today’s society, this may be the most difficult of all! I suggest the old idea where you put a nickel (a quarter or a dollar with inflation!) into a jar for each time you swear. This may get to be a healthy savings account or a nice trip before you decide to stop, but it just may stop you!

 

Law on Revenge: Practice this with people you really don’t like! If you have been sued or in a heated argument or disagreement, (or a divorce!)...or have worked with people you don’t want to see outside of work, practice this-Don’t give short shrift to anyone who asks for help. Remember the old adage: “Walk a mile in their shoes”. Try to put yourself in their position and give to him that asks.

 

Love for One’s Enemies-Sure, it’s easy to love your friends and families. And people who like you! How about those “other” people? Do you know your true capacity for love? Go the extra mile. This may be the hardest thing for a human to do, but it is the essential part of Christian Living.

 

Pious works: Don’t show off. Period. The antidote for braggadocio is to take a big daily dose of humble pie!

 

Almsgiving: Hypocrisy and hypocrites! I believe they may be the worst thing in Jesus’ estimation. You should learn how to give of yourself and to others, but not to make a big, huge deal about it!

 

 

 

Introduction to The Zen Christ website: Monthly Goals from "The Guide Book for Christian Living"

*Note: Originally published online in 2007 by Mary L. Johnson, the "Guide Book for Christian Living" is reprinted here on a monthly basis as part of The Zen Christ website.

 

 

*Introduction

 The purpose of this book was based on my long-time interest in self-esteem. After working as an educator, I had attended a workshop on self-esteem that left everyone feeling great about themselves. That translated to an interest in developing and working on programs about raising self-esteem. The Goals Book evolved as a result of this. Goals are, in my humble opinion, something that everyone needs in order to achieve anything in life and have a true sense of self-worth.

 While I was researching a book on self-esteem goals, I actually had a friend who said to me, “First, you have to let people know what a goal ‘is’.” I was left with a rare loss for words! I couldn’t imagine anyone not knowing what a goal is.  I have always had goals in my life and I live in a family of over-achievers who thrive on setting the bar very high for themselves and  everyone around them.

  But after thinking about it, I realized she was right. Some people may never have encountered the “five-year” rule where you plan your life and envision where you’d like to be “five years from now”. Some people wander through their lives and clash into problems and relationships and make routinely poor decisions over and over again. Others map their lives out like generals planning an invasion, with charts and calendars and memo books. How many people set goals for their lives and actually live their lives following a plan? I wondered a lot about that. And it worried me because I knew a young man who died without realizing his dreams and ambitions because of poor decisions and low self-esteem.

 I thought about other young girls and boys  who have so many problems that seem to stem from a lack of caring and feeling good about themselves.  These types of problems often manifest themselves in drugs and violence and poor lifestyle choices for teens and young adults.

 

After starting to write this book,  I was gathering information from different sources, including the self-help gurus. But the writings that were most prominent and most satisfactory in everyday problem-solving were the writings from scripture. And after looking at the source, the only logical teacher for these and all of life’s problems was and is Jesus Christ.

  Jesus Christ was known as “teacher” to his followers.  He was the “beloved counselor” to so many that it became obvious that we need to invoke his teachings in any guide for everyday living. If the Bible is the ultimate source of wisdom, then the New Testament Gospels can be seen as the “Reader’s Digest” for the common man!

  “The Goals Book” is a monthly guide for everyday living. It can be used by devout Christians and anyone interested in studying and following the teachings of Jesus. The applications of his teachings serve as a contemporary guidepost that is relevant for the here and now.

 

 In my opinion, self-esteem awareness is an important aspect in every person’s make-up and spiritual growth.  And the only human that ever lived with a completely balanced psyche and spiritual make-up was Jesus Christ. Jesus also taught others to live as He did.  Through his parables, one can take away something every day and every hour of every year to obtain a better understanding of Christian values and ideals.

 

 Here is a guide book for Christian Living. Let your goals be set through out the New Year as you strive for a deeper understanding of your life as a Christian. And as the year progresses, we can all strive and learn knowing that as imperfect as we are, we are loved and our journey to share in His love will never end!

 

Excerpt from Goals Book for Christian Living-September

The Lamp-September

 

 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16 (Luke 8:16-18, Mark 4:21)

 

Let your light shine! Is this a contradiction if we are to be humble and at the same time boast about our “good works”?  No, because we don’t boast about our good works, but we must put ourselves out there so men can “see” our good works!

 

If we have a talent, we must use it. “Whole body” Christianity takes effort. We can’t sit in a darkened room and brood if we are to carry on the Lord’s work. Genius, as they say, is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. So if we are to fulfill the Lord’s plan for us and for mankind, we must use our lives and put forth the best effort. We cannot go about the act of living in a half-hearted and faint attempt to shield ourselves from pain and suffering.

We must engage in life as a contact sport.  The “light” is our lives and it is also the light of full disclosure. If we live our lives with dark secrets in our souls, we cannot go about the business of our Lord. Full disclosure means that we must, above all, be true to ourselves and not live a lie. We cannot live our lives trying to please others and trying to become someone we don’t know and don’t even want to know or like!

Truth begins with self. Look at yourself in the mirror and critique your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t fudge or lie about what you alone know about yourself. Then go about using your strengths and even your weaknesses to shine a light on what you know you can do well.

Others will know the truth of your life in your works and your deeds. Jesus was not into “phonies” or weak-willed characters.  Strength of character is not something that comes to one overnight. It is a trait to be developed and molded and emulated. You can begin today to shine your light before others that they may know your good works!

 

Father: Teach me to shine my light upon the world. Show me how I may best serve the Lord through my strengths. Help me to overcome my weaknesses and know my true worth as one of God’s servants.  Help me to be honest with myself and others. Help me to know myself.

Show me the way to nurture the best in myself and one day mentor others. Help me to become a role model for others.  Teach me how to use my whole self and learn how to master “Whole-body” Christianity. Amen.

 

Monthly Goals & Reminders

 

· Make a pledge that you will reveal and display your best attributes and strengths.

· Reminder:  At church and in your community, you should do something that you have

       been putting off or have feared.  Don’t hide your light anymore!  You have Jesus’

       permission not to be afraid.