We’re been exploring the contrast between the Magi and the Priests and Scribes who advise King Herod.  The priests and scribes, the insiders, do nothing, and give nothing to the Messiah they have supposedly studied in depth.

While Magi, the outsiders and travellers, do something and give their gifts of treasure and worship, and make great sacrifices to do so.

None of us here are as powerful as Herod, as knowledgeable as the Magi or Scribes and Pharisees, but as you can see it’s not just about knowledge, it’s about our openness to God acting in our world, even in unexpected ways, that really matters.

We have something to learn from the contrast between the Priests and Scribes and the Magi.  Given the same knowledge and experience, the Magi and Priests use it very differently.  So we, given knowledge in this world, also have choices as to how we will use them.

We are given the knowledge that the message of Jesus Christ will change the lives of our family and friends for the better.  He will transform our world from one ruled over by fear and manipulation to one ruled over by love and peace.

What will we do with it?

Like the priests and scribes, will we have all the info, and do nothing?

Or like the Magi, will we go to all possible lengths to worship this God, giving him our very best gifts?

Giving of our time, resources and even our power, to greet him as our Lord.

So today, with the same history presented to us, we decide how we will go down in history…as knowing much but doing nothing, or as worshipping the true King of love and peace.

Challenge: Explore Jesus this coming year – take c101, get in touch with me.  In the process,s you can see if Christian faith is wise, rational, etc. for yourself.

Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community – so check out today’s reading here.

Reminder: The best way to grow spiritually this year is to join our Christianity 101 in the Cafe Course in Pickering starting January 22nd. Register for you and a friend today!

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - April 16, 2013

Tuesday - Study It - Perfection

Sermon on the Mount

In Matthew 5:48 Jesus said, Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. What's your reaction? Do you laugh? Yeah, right, I'm supposed to be perfect like God! Or do you feel guilt? I'm so not perfect…but I should be. Do you try to rationalize it? He doesn't really meant that? It's not a mistake. This idea comes up elsewhere in the Bible. i.e. Be holy as I am holy. Leviticus 11:44 Holiness is God's quality. Good, perfect, godly. Is Jesus really asking us to be like God in some way? If people were trying to redefine holy to get around this passage from Leviticus, Jesus makes it clear. I really mean I want you to be perfect and holy. By our usual definitions, it seems overly idealistic. Something for young, dreamy-eyed people. But have you ever tried to follow all God’s laws to the letter? The Sermon on the Mount can be discouraging if we treat it this way, and this line is the cherry on top. We'll see tomorrow what this means. Question: Jesus seems to expect the impossible of his followers. How do you react to this?

From Series: "Sermon on the Mount"

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