"And He Opened His Mouth"

CONSECRATE Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.  Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you.  Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.  HEAR Matthew 5:1–2 ESV Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: CONSIDER Are you ready to continue Gospelling today? Gospelling means walking together—Jesus as our teacher and guide—through the Gospels as we walk out our lives in the world. And I just want to make sure you got the memo—you are reading the whole of chapter 5 prior to reading/listening to the days Wake-Up Call entry.  We come now to three chapters (for us three days) in the most famous teachings in the history of the world—what is commonly referred to (though never biblically named) as the Sermon on the Mount. It is the right-side-upping of the upside-down teaching of Jesus. If you are looking for a piece of biblical property on which to build a second (or first) home (or at least park an RV) this is super prime real estate. I could make the case they are the most significant 2,326 words ever spoken. It is a manifesto on scriptural holiness—a master class on becoming a real human being in the image of Jesus. (See the P.S. for more on this.)  Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him . . . Does this remind you of anything? Yep! Moses on Mt. Sinai and the Ten Commandments. No one could come anywhere close to that mountain. Jesus invites us to sit down with him for an afternoon of tea and transformation; indeed a lifetime of revelation and response. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: . . . Yesterday it was "every word that comes from the mouth of God." Today it is every word that comes from the mouth of Jesus—who is, yes . . . God. Yes, following Jesus means every word every day. Moses brought us the Big Ten. Jesus gives us the Great Eight. These writings must be recovered as sayings; which is to say, they must be spoken again–out loud. Faith comes not by reading but by hearing—and hearing by the Word of God.  When our children were growing up we taught them these eight sayings in a way I call "versing" (think audible texting in person).  Me: Blessed are the poor in spirit, Kids: For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Me: Blessed are those who mourn, Kids: For they shall be comforted. Me: Blessed are the meek, Kids: For they shall inherit the earth. Me: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, Kids: For they shall be filled. Me: Blessed are the merciful, Kids: For they shall be shown mercy. Me: Blessed are the pure in heart, Kids: For they shall see God. Me: Blessed are the peacemakers, Kids: For they shall be called the sons and daughters of God. Me: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, Kids: For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  I'm starting this up now with our students at Gillett Methodist every Sunday night.  It brings me to this last bit of treasure from my late mentor Oswald Chambers. (I maintain for every living mentor one has they need at least two dead ones.) "Our Lord's teaching was always anti self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a person—his purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure." (My Utmost for His Highest, September 2) My rough translation: Don't ask me how these words of Jesus are relevant to your lives. Show me how your lives are becoming relevant to this revelation. The gospel is not self-improvement. It is transformation, which is transcendent formation. It comes not by information but by revelation.  PRAY Father, thank you for your Son, Jesus, the Word of God turned into human flesh. Jesus, thank you that to hear you speaking these words is to also see you living them out—every word, every day. Come, Holy Spirit, and translate these words into a transformed life, my life, our lives, every word, every day; so much so that when they see us they see you. Praying in Jesus's name, amen.