Be faithful...

Matthew 5: 27-30

27 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.”²⁸But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

The breaking of the lifelong vows of commitment is common today and it was common in Jesus time and place also. You will remember that the term ‘heart’ in the Sermon on the Mount refers to our principle awareness of our identity; who we are deep down at our core. Our practices of disloyalty and the breaking of vows is another example of the self-fulfilling vicious circle of addiction that haunts the life of human beings. The breaking of vows and the practice of disloyalty leads to separation and finding ourselves ‘East of Eden’ as it is described in Genesis 3.  It’s not just the act of disloyalty that leads to separation it’s a condition of the heart; it’s a deep rooted problem at the core of our being. What is the solution?  We are instructed by Jesus that to be participants in the Kingdom of God we have to deal with the deep down issue. We have to be ruthless with practicing the opposite of our tendency to do the addictive thing.  There are no recorded communities of one armed disciples in the history of the church! Jesus is teaching us using symbolism that is, He is teaching us that cultivating the opposite of adultery that is faithfulness is that which leads to participation in the Kingdom. It’s not a matter of ‘not looking’ it’s a matter of re- making ourselves, cutting ourselves off from our life controlling issues; its what’s in us that’s the problem. We need to perceive and come to judgements in the new ways taught by Jesus.  Read Mark 9: 42-50. Jesus is again teaching these practical Christian ethics and here He concludes that faithfulness and care for the community in which we live can only be achieved by being at peace. Physical, social, mental and environmental peace! Anyone for faithful living and peace-making? It’s time to practice the teachings of Jesus together and collectively be the people we have been created to be; Faithful. We could begin with practicing our recovery; ‘Reserving a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.’ No more excuses for not spending time with God and His word. This is the basis of Romans 12:2 ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect