You took the high road, made a sacrificial choice, and seemed to lose while the other guy played dirty and made some gains because of it. Sound like your life? Then you might be encouraged by one of history’s greatest sermons, preached by One who knew quite personally what it felt like to make sacrificial choices and seemingly lose in the short run.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught about a broad range of relevant topics – legal issues, anger issues, worry, how to deal with enemies, prayer and fasting, divorce, and money. But there are some running themes that can be traced throughout the message and one of the biggest is… God’s got this! He knows. He’s got your back. And if you’re willing to trust him enough to make the hard choices, he’ll make sure everything is equitable from eternity’s viewpoint. Read this bullet-point summary of his sermon and see how many times Jesus seemed to have your number…
- Poor in spirit? It’s okay. Yours is the kingdom.
- Mourning over your situation? It’s okay. God will comfort you.
- Hungry for justice? It’s okay. God will satisfy your hunger. He is just.
- Persecuted for doing the right thing? It’s okay. It won’t last. Heaven will.
- Mocked and jeered? It’s okay. God has a reward for you.
- Angry at someone? Don’t strike back. God will handle it.
- Enemies on your heels? Love them. God will handle them.
- Turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, give them the shirt off your back. God keeps accounts. He knows.
- You don’t have to be seen giving, or praying, or fasting by other people. You don’t need their approval. God sees. God knows. And God will reward you.
- You don’t have to waste time judging the hearts and assessing the motives of others. God sees through everyone.
Read the entire sermon in Matthew 5-7.
God’s got your back. He loves his kids. While he doesn’t always prevent pain or spare us from suffering, he is always watching, always keeping an account of our lives, and remains steadfastly committed to his own promises.
For all who are purchased by the blood of his Son, for all who will receive Christ by faith, he promises immeasurable grace and incomprehensible glory forever in his company.
And never forget, it isn’t just the other guy who doesn’t deserve mercy. It’s all of us. We’ve all blown it. We’ve all been the offending party. And there is grace enough for all of us, even the one who seems to be getting ahead at your expense.
The real heart question is, do you want him to experience grace? Or is he a little less deserving than you?
