Our Lives Together

The 6th Week of Epiphany, Year A

Scriptures: Psalm 119:1-8; Matthew 5:21-37

Key Verse: “I will thank you with a true heart, when I have learned your righteous judgments.” (Psalm 119:7)

The biblical text that we have for this week from Matthew 5 is a small portion of Jesus’ sermon from chapter 5 to 7. Biblical scholars gave this sermon a name, the Sermon on the Mount, because it was delivered on a mountain. The time it takes to read these three chapters isn’t that long but the contents Jesus covers require a significant effort to process. Were the people listening to Jesus’ preaching on that day overwhelmed? How did Jesus' disciples keep up with all his teachings and pass them down to their next generations?

We need to keep in mind that it was an oral period where the words and deeds of Jesus were committed to memory by the disciples and transmitted orally. Unlike us, they couldn’t take notes right away or record them electronically for future review or study. Unless Jesus’ teachings weren’t new to them, it might have taken a communal effort to memorize them and pass them down to the following generations.

There is a widespread belief that we can’t retain new information well if we just hear it, but we can remember it better if we see how it works, and that we come to understand it better if we practice it and implement it in our life. I would say that this belief is true to most of us.

So, I did a little experiment to see how I might feel by listening to Jesus’ sermon in one sitting and see if I can summarize Jesus’ sermon in one sentence. I thought that this exercise could be helpful if people asked me, “Jade, tell me! What is the Sermon on the Mount about? And how have Jesus’ teachings changed your life?"

As I was listening to the audio Bible from chapter 5 to 7 from Matthew, I summarized one or two verses at a time into one word or one phrase. After listening, I looked at the list of words and phrases I wrote down, then condensed them into one sentence. So, this is what I have: We will enter the kingdom of God when we teach and practice Jesus' teachings as we live our new lives together, which matters to God.

I give thanks to God for Jesus’ teachings that is meant for our lives together not just for my own private or personal life. It takes a communal effort to teach, to remind each other, to implement them, to love and to forgive, which I could have never done on my own. I give thanks to you, Christian fellows, churches, and my family where I see we are in this together. I feel being set free from the heavy responsibility that Jesus has entrusted all of us.

Towards the end of his sermon, Jesus bluntly pointed out that the road to the kingdom of God is narrow and hard. If they want to enter it, they’d better put Jesus’ teachings into practice. When Jesus was done preaching, the people were astonished. The people literally remained sitting there and couldn’t believe what they had just heard. Yes, it’s just a three-chapter sermon, but it takes great faith and commitment to pass it on.

I highly recommend you try it, too. You might have a different reaction from what I had after listening to these three chapters in one sitting. Please share your one condensed sentence with me by emailing me or posting it on my blog. I would love to see yours.

May Psalm 119:7 encourage us and motivate us to live as the people of God. It says, “I will thank you with a true heart, when I have learned your righteous judgments.” Please keep in mind that the word ‘righteousness’ won’t be meaningful if there isn't the component of a relationship, which refers to our relationships with God and with one another. May we see more and more of Jesus’ teachings being lived out in our lives together. Amen.