For two millennia Christians have looked to The Sermon on the Mount for inspiration, comfort, and guidance. Some of the first scriptures that a Christian will memorise will come from the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh chapters of the Gospel according to Matthew. And many a sermon will be heard from this the most famous of Jesus’ discourses; leaving our hearts convicted and our lives changed forever.
It is hard to fathom that a man can come to Jesus’ teachings and that they fall on deaf ears. And fall on deaf ears they will if those who claim to be seeking the Righteousness of God are emulating the standards held by the religious leaders that Jesus condemned. Jesus warned:
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
Their system of righteousness relegated God to the position of a heavenly scorekeeper. They really did believe that God was happy with everything that they did and considered them the standard of all things righteous.
By contrast, those who know how spiritually destitute they are, feel their separation from God and seek reconciliation. Jesus promises that the seeker will indeed get the desire of their heart:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).
However, our minds are programmed for the mundane. Instead of accepting the satisfaction which comes from “hungering and thirsting for righteousness,” we worry ourselves into a stupor over food and clothing. Again, Jesus promises that the seeker will indeed get the desire of their heart:
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
So, the next time you are wondering how God responds to the true seeker, just remember:
“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:8).
John Staiger
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