Do you project your shame on God? Are your sins punishing you for ignoring them? That is why confession is so critical. Reflect on this passage from 1 John and consider your confession to God.
The average person doesn’t spend a lot of time assessing the core values and beliefs that largely determine how they act. We all have them, we all know that we have them, but seldom do we actually go through and consider them anew.
Jesus’ most extensive teaching anywhere in the Bible is in the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. Years ago I read somewhere that people believe this may be the only sermon of Jesus recorded in its entirety.
The reading from Matthew today offers a sharp contrast to the Jesus pictured in this scene. The meek, the poor in spirit, the merciful . . . the Beatitudes must be seasoned with a picture of Jesus that is driven, committed, and even stubborn.
