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Last week we read in Matthew 3 God’s pronouncement concerning His Son, “this is my Son in whom I am well pleased.” This week’s chapters continue exploring that theme with a slight twist. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus dissects the heart of man. With surgical precision, he lays our hearts bare and reveals to us that we do not have what it takes within us to please God. It is a painful reality, but it is truth. We lust, we get angry, we boast of our righteous acts, pray to be noticed, and judge others who aren’t behaving as we think they should. Plain and simple, we fall short, we miss the mark. Notice the mark Jesus sets – it’s not the Ten Commandments; He says we need to be as perfect as God the Father. Our ship is sunk. Who can live up to that? Believe or not, Jesus words are meant to lead us to this conclusion. Who will ever turn to a Savior unless they know they need to be saved?

In chapter 6, Jesus shines light on the most critical issue within the heart of man – where his treasure lies. Jesus gives only two choices, God or money. Our allegiance is going to be to one or the other. We can’t do both. This certainly raises a question – aren’t there other elements in the world vying for our affections? How about power, or status, or pleasure? Yes, these things are real, and they tempt us daily, but they are not at the core. It is either God or money. Doesn’t Paul tell us that the love of money is the root of all evil? The love of money is the way of the world and it is the essence of idolatry. It is no wonder we get anxious about tomorrow and worry about money? Jesus provides an alternative. Instead of seeking money, seek His kingdom and His righteousness. He knows what we need and has promised to provide it to us – “all these things will be added to you.”

Jesus is the One who will fulfill the Law on our behalf and make things right between God and man. He is the One who will rescue us from our sins, and change us from the inside out. He is our hope. We are hopeless in and of our selves. That is why we need to look to Him, which is the point of the Sermon. So He says ask, seek, and knock. God the Father will give to you what is good — Jesus Christ. This message resonated with authority to the listeners that day. It was distinctly different. Not the same religious stuff they were used to hearing. How does it hit you, and if you are listening, are you willing to put what He says into practice? It’s almost as if God is asking us if we are pleased with His Son.

If you need more proof that Jesus is the one to turn to, chapters 8 – 10 provide ample evidence. He heals the sick, raises the dead, stills the storms, and casts out demons. He is definitely not of this world. No one like Him has ever walked this planet. He stands head and shoulders above the crowd, yet, it is the crowd He is interested in. He reaches out to people at their point of need. To the leper He said, “I am willing.” To the centurion, “I will come.” He had compassion on the multitudes and to the paralytic He showed that He could meet the deep needs of our soul: “Take courage, my son, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus is the real deal. He tells us to follow (to put our full weight of trust on) Him. To the one who walks away from their old life, they find true life in Jesus, a life filled with things that are not of this world.

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