The Radical Change

When I was in high school, as part of the school’s track & field team, it was tough for me to find a field event. The track part was easy since long distance running came easy to me but the field events were a bigger challenge. One field event in particular I remember trying was the high jump. I could do that some but then right after I cleared one height, they would raise the bar. I always felt that this was demoralizing for someone like me that struggled to achieve at all in this event. Think about it. The high jump and pole vault are the only events I know where even the winners end in failure.

These were the issues that Jesus was addressing in his sermon on the mount when he challenged his hearers that their righteousness needed to exceed that of the Pharisees. How could that be? People must have wondered. These guys held the record but Jesus looked at their record and said, “It’s not sufficient.” And then he raised the bar. Jesus looked at the righteousness of those considered to be very religious in His day and He raised the bar to a level most would have considered impossible. It must have been a shocking statement those who heard it.

Please feel welcome to join us as we explore this radical statement that Jesus made and the radical change it calls for.