Minute Meditations

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, ”Most people are willing to take the Sermon on the Mount as a flag to sail under, but few will use it as a rudder by which to steer.”

The teachings of the Master are not just a creed to be believed but a life to be lived. It’s one thing to sail under a flag of high ideals, it is quite another to use these principles as the rudder of our ship. It is incredible that people will put their hand upon a Bible in being sworn into office when in that very Bible in the ve”y Sermon on the Mount that Oliver Wendell Holmes mentioned, Jesus says, ”Swear not at all.” He tells us to let our ”communications be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

This is an excellent example of just how much this Sermon on the Mount is used as a rudder. It isn’t even used as a flag to sail under! Jesus meant what he said. He meant for us to practice what he preached. His words are easy to understand. Why are they ignored? He said, ”Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them.” Why then do we paste stickers on our doors saying ”We Gave” to this charitable organization and wear a little red cross in our buttonhole to show that we contributed to that one? Why do we find plaques in the halls and on the doors of rooms of hospitals and colleges stating that this room was furnished by so and so and that wing was built by such and such?

We hear Jesus saying ”Resist not evil” but we find those around us fighting for their rights. We listen as Jesus says, ”If any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.” Why then do we discover the court dockets jammed with pending law suits? We all know Jesus said to turn the other cheek but we find that even killing is justified if done in self defense. We know that Jesus said to ”love your enemies” but evidently few believe that he really meant for us to do it.

Why are these plain teachings of Jesus ignored? The answer is so simple it is missed. These things are just the opposite of what we want to do. After all, when we give, we want everyone to know how great we are. When someone wrongs us, we want to fight back. When there is a conflict between what we want to do and what Jesus has told us to do, it is obvious that most people cater to their own designs. We can look around and see that the Sermon on the Mount has never been hoisted up the flag pole, let alone used as a rudder.

Now it’s time to stop looking around to notice how everyone else is ignoring Christ’s commands. It is now time to look within our own hearts. How do we fit these easy to understand principles into our everyday life? There is no satisfaction in knowing that everyone else ignores them. Noah’s drowning neighbors could see their friends choking, gasping and sinking too, but that is no comfort to one going down for the third time. Misery may love company but we don’t want to be miserable and we don’t have to be either.

True happiness, true peace comes from obeying from the heart the things Jesus plainly taught. If we truly belong to Christ, then we ”have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

Crucifying the flesh has never been easy or popular but it brings great rewards. Let us follow our Master who not only taught us how to live but showed us. With him we say to our Heavenly Father, ”Not my will but thine be done.”