I am a Jesus pusher! As we progress through the Sermon on the Mount, we must always return to the overall view. We began with the ingredients of the Kingdom, “The Formation of the Kingdom” (Matthew 5:3-12). We are “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). We are destitute in all resource, and we dwell in a state of helplessness, which causes our “mourning” (Matthew 5:4). We must have a consistent consciousness of our condition. The One who comforts unites with us! God forms the Kingdom in this unity between Himself and man. We are comforted, meek, filled, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and victorious in persecution (Matthew 5:4-12).
We can see the imagery of salt and light in “The Function of the Kingdom” (Matthew 5:13-16), a state of being! The world “sees” because we “are” in the merger with Him. God presented this dream in the Old Covenant and now fulfills it in the New Covenant. Jesus proposes a beautiful picture, “The Fulfillment of the Kingdom, Acknowledged” (Matthew 5:17-20), every law, proposal, and intent of the Scriptures. The Living Word and the Written Word are united in one presentation.
What does this look like for us? The final section of this chapter is “The Fulfillment of the Kingdom, The Application” (Matthew 5:21-48). As we step into this section, beware of the jolt. Jesus compares man’s best effort with the best effort of God and man united in the Kingdom. There are six major areas of comparison. Merger with Jesus causes Him to live out His life in every relationship! I am a Jesus pusher!