The Adventures of Listening to Jesus

Matthew 7:21-29

Jesus’ Astounding Authority

Jesus: “Change your way of thinking, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Mt 4:17) Seek God’s kingdom! You don’t create it. It’s here, real! Do you know reality to see it? The change of mind is in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and his signs of healing and life.

People flocked to Jesus for healing power, but felt something more – authority. “But I say to you” unfolds a vision of God, of solid life, of faith and everyday practice. Doing “the will of my Father” is the same as “listening to these words of mine and doing them.”

Mighty Works by Your Name! ... I Never Knew You!

Saints of Old & Saints Today

Matthew 5:17-24

Who’s really Great in God’s Kingdom? – a real Saint!

Jesus: “Change your way of thinking, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” Thinking about Saint Patrick’s day. Also about the growth of faith in Jesus in Asia, Africa, etc. The distinctive forms of churches, music, organization, architecture.

Is St. Patrick a saint? In what sense? Someone canonized? Someone great in Christianity? What does that mean? The word “saints” is used in many NT translations. What does it mean? “Holy” (hagios)! Is that some special achievement in religion? Martyrdom?

Jesus and the Law and the Prophets

Many in Jesus time wanted to be God’s “holy people.” Most movements wanted to create a purified people. Especially the Pharisees with Teachers of Law, famous for rigorous obedience to Torah. They condemned Jesus’ lack of rigor – “tax collectors & sinners.”

The Quest of Love & Being Ourselves

Jesus’ Focus on Love. Enemies? Really?

Jesus: “Change your way of thinking, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” [Mt 4:17]Central and distinctive to this change/repentance is Jesus’ emphatic teaching on love.

The climax of Jesus’ six distinctives (“You’ve heard...”) is most striking. It starts with “Love your enemies” and ends with being “perfect.” Radical repentance, counter-cultural. It assumes good human love and pushes toward something more, being God’s children.

Healing – Transforming Love

Jesus stresses healthy self-love. I want my life! 2nd command –“as yourself” [Mt 22:35-40].But he’s very realistic. Self-love often distorted. We’re masters, victims, self-hating / glorifying. 1. Assume we’re broken & need healing. 2. Value God’s work / pearls.
3. Actively ask, seek, knock. 4. God loves us as a true Father his children: Gives Life.

God becomes central–God! I love myself as God’s beloved child. Center of ethical life.

Spiritual Disciplines of Life with God

What are Spiritual Practices for anyway?

Jesus: “Change your way of thinking, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” In the Sermon on the Mount he focuses that repentance/change of thinking. He talks about very basic challenges: anger, desire, truthfulness, enemies, anxiety, judging others, etc.

He focuses regular religious practices: alms, prayer, fasting. We often think of spiritual disciplines as a way of self-control, finding centering, peace, authentic self, etc.

Jesus always focuses on a living, vibrant dialogue with God. God who is intimate, hidden, knowing. The Abba who is life-giving creator, who is reality itself. The perennial dangers are self-centered distortion and the temptation to use piety as performance. Jesus’ concern is not my sense of authenticity, often distorted, but reality in relation to a God who knows me, who is and gives life. I save my life only by losing/giving it.

Real Prayer and Fasting and Dialogue with God

We begin this afternoon a period of Shared Prayer. Our community prayers flow from experience of personal dialogue with God. Very practical. Not new rules but focus on real relationship. Fathers in ancient world were often controlling, public-oriented. Jesus remakes “Father” as shared image for creative, intimate, challenging God.

God's Kingdom & Gaining My Life

Matthew 6:5-13

Simple Reality in a Relationship with God

Jesus: “Change your way of thinking, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Mt 4:17). “Kingdom” points to God’s “Anointed king” – Messiah – Christ. A challenge to every other kingdom: Herod, Rome, myself, the world. But the kingdom is of God’s realm, “the heavens,” permeating all reality, but unrecognized. To people, “kingdom” meant power, conquest, glory, taxing. In SoM Jesus shows God’s Kgd: self-giving love, grace, generosity.

Through teaching prayer, Jesus takes us to the heart of a relationship with God – simple, real. It’s heart is the secret place, pointing to the inmost self. God’s heavenly realm is there in secret. “Your Father” is present, sees, knows, and responds. God’s glory is not for show.

But the dialogue of prayer is profound, all-encompassing! We speak our desire to change our thinking to align with God’s will: God’s Kingdom coming on our earth as in God’s heavens. The union of God’s rule with God’s creation becoming reality personally and universally.

True Generosity with a Generous God

Shaping People to Learn the Kingdom of God

Jesus challenged people: “Change your way of thinking, for the kingdom of the heavens hascome near!” (Mt 4:17). Is it a kingdom rebellion against Rome? A new way to strategize?

But Jesus didn’t gather strategists or theologians, but fishermen! Not purification in the desert but crowds in the towns. His sign was not a Zealot strike force but healing for anyone.

People set Jesus inside their own understanding of life, good, power, justice. They loved himbut .... Those closest, like Peter, affirm him as Messianic King! But when Jesus tells what “Messiah” means, “No!” – they think Jesus doesn’t understand his own greatness. (Satan!)

Jesus begins training them/us to a new, challenging way to see / think about everything, a new way to live in the world – Sermon on Mt. To “think the things of God,” to see all thingshuman as a gift from God. To love and seek God’s kingdom! God’s love at the center.