Daily Devotional – Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Yet it shall not be so among you…
Matthew 20:26 (NKJV)
The Sermon on the Mount set the stage for Jesus to stipulate the principles upon which Christianity would operate. It was evident that He was starting a movement that would go against the moral and religious beliefs and practices of the day.
It Was Said…But…
On several occasions, Jesus stated, “You have heard that it was said…but…” (Read Matthew 5:21-22; 27-26; 31-32; 33-34; 38-39, and 43-44.) His was a kingdom of love, kindness, grace, mercy, and virtuous living as opposed to the hatred and vengefulness encouraged by the religious teachings of the day.
This was a call to be markedly different. How else would you describe a situation where one was required to love his enemy yet society lives by the ‘an eye for an eye’ principle? How would a Jew bring himself to love a Roman soldier, a symbol of the oppressive colonial power?
It Shall Be So
Two thousand years after the Lord preached that powerful sermon, He has not watered down the principles. He still expects us to behave differently from those who do not know Him. We are to be meek, merciful, peacemakers, pure in heart, and poor in spirit, however unpopular that will make us with those we interact with.
Whenever the world tempts us to adopt its popular but ungodly practices, we must heed the words of Christ to His disciples when they tried to adopt worldly attitudes and practices: “It shall not be so among you.” (Matthew 20:26). Which habits do you need to drop or adopt as you seek, by God’s grace, to model true Christianity?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, inculcate in me the principles you taught during the Sermon on the Mount.
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