Luke 6
Whether it's the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew or the one I read in Luke, I'm always challenged from the teachings of Jesus found in these verses. It goes against the flow of our culture and what my flesh is naturally wanting to do. Not many will think that it is a blessing to be poor, hungry, weeping or to be hated, excluded, insulted or rejected by others. In fact, these are situations I would want to avoid. Loving our enemies and not judging others seems to go against the fleshly reactions to those I find unpleasant and might not always get along with.
These words from Jesus are a good reminder that although it's not easy to live this way, they are the building blocks for a strong foundation found in verses 46-49. If I am not intentional in building a strong foundation by doing it God's way, then I will collapse. I was reminded of the importance of a strong foundation from my son, Elliot. In his tech ed class, the students were told to build a bridge that would be tested later on to see if it will hold up to some weight. Elliot's bridge ended up collapsing under the weight. He re-figured what changes he needed to make and attempted to build a second bridge. Thankfully, the second bridge was stronger and withheld the weight!
If I want a strong foundation that will withhold anything that will come my way, I need to live according to the teachings of Jesus and not to the teachings of this world. The logo on this shirt was popular during my college years. Going against the flow of culture when it contradicts God's Word is never easy, but that is what it takes to build a strong foundation. Maybe this could be our next life group tshirt logo :)
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