Sermon on the Mount, part 15

False disciples

‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Mat 7:21-23)

As in the instructions in Mat 5:21-26, this teaching prioritises compliance with the teaching on civil litigation and loving enemies above other ‘spiritual’ activities. Jesus taught that the way we show we are children of the Father was to love our enemies (Mat 5:44-45). If we call Jesus our Lord we should follow his laws concerning civil disputes, violence, litigation and divorce, and faithfully teach his laws. Sadly few who call Jesus ‘Lord’ realise that he viewed litigation, debt enforcement and re-marriage as very serious sins, and even fewer understand the wisdom of his teachings systematically.