"Aiming High"

In a previous post on July 30 I stated my interest in understanding and interpreting Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, where Jesus lays out HIs view of how His followers are to live. Certainly we are to seek a "higher righteousness" in our lives, even though we will always fall short. If we do attempt to reach the goal of living a Christ-like life, won't we at least live better lives?

Jesus proclaims in Matthew 5:20 "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." In Matthew 5:48 Jesus says "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." In Matthew 6:33 we read Jesus' words, "Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Obviously, Jesus is calling for His followers to aim high. We are to aim for a performance that is greater than the most zealous followers of the Lord. We are to make our target nothing less than God-like perfection as we put God's kingdom first.

Jesus' emphasis on "aiming high" relates to many voices that we hear in society today. In our United States society we have settled for mediocrity. We have set such base-level standards, in education for example, that our most talented and able individuals have not been challenged. Our emphasis has been too much on bringing everyone up to speed and not enough on using our talents and gifts to the fullest.

I do not want to confuse society and politics with Scripture and theology. On the other hand we need to follow the great Protestant theologian Karl Barth's admontion to keep the Bible in one hand and the daily newspaper (news outlet) in the other. Are we not challenged by Jesus to "make the most of our time and abilities and opportunities?" Doesn't Scripture call for us over and over to not only fulfill what God wants us to do, but to exceed it? And even if some of Jesus' statments are hyperbole (over-the-top challenges to do what we cannot do alone), don't they lead us to not settle for medicrity?

Christians may well understand that aiming high will not be enough in seeking to do what God wants with our lives. We will need God's forgiveness for us when we fail. We will need God's help in reaching any goals, even minimum goals. We will need the team (fellow rightneousness seekers through Christ) to begin to be faithful to this quest.

This does not mean we should "give up the quest." Rather, we are to be those who strive to live Christ-like lives. Sometimes this will mean "turning the other cheek, going the second mile, resisting not the one who is evil." At other times it will mean standing up for ourselves, refusing to do what is wrong, and saying "no" to even normally good authorities. We need to discern the Spirit to lead us to know which way we ought to go. But more than anything it will mean, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer did when interpreting these texts, "counting the cost of discipleship."

Hebrews 12 challenges us: "Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith." So we must "aim high" in our Christian life today, following Jesus' perfect example. May we make it our minimum goal today and always to "seek first the kingdom of God and God's righteousness."