I am a Jesus pusher!!! “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ . . . But I say to you” (Matthew 5:21-22). The New Covenant focuses on the inner spiritual attitude demonstrated in physical action, changing our approach to “correction!” If I want a life change, where do I start? I have to get off of these drugs; I must go to some meetings and quit drinking; I must stop killing people. I will buy a punching bag, put a picture of the person I hate on it, vent all my murderous thoughts on that picture and beat it to death. This therapy may eliminate the physical act of murder, but it only temporarily calms my murderous desire. That may be better than no correction at all, especially if I am the one you want to murder. However, this approach does not solve the problem. The problem is in the spiritual attitude. We need a nature change in the depth of our being. All other corrections are a bandage, not a correction. We go to counseling, take anger management classes, and attend twelve-step programs. These only help us if they bring us a nature change in our spiritual attitude.
Jesus proposes we embrace our helplessness so the Spirit of Jesus can merge with us. His nature fused with our nature will radically change the source of our outward actions. That is not the management of our anger but the elimination of it. One might protest, “This is impossible.” That merely proves the premise of Jesus’ sermon. We are helpless. He must come and saturate our lives with Himself. His heart and my heart must become one. We have moved from rules to a relationship, from law to loyalty to a Person. Jesus is the answer! I am a Jesus pusher!!!