Proclamation and Righteousness
Matthew 5 Sermon on the mount
Matthew 9:1-13, Luke 5:17-32, 7:36-48 “Sins are forgiven”
Matthew 6:1-6 Not as the hypocrites do
It has been noted that there is a challenge in walking the walk that makes the talk we talk. The talk we talk is eminently well illustrated by the sermon on the mount, which itself has been criticized as being too political. So, given what we know these two great ends are, proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind and the promotion of social righteousness, how do we connect them together?
I would suggest that we take a page, a day, a year, from the life of Jesus. Jesus proclaims the good news, indeed, he is the good news, and all that Christ does he does for the salvation of humankind. In proclaiming the gospel, Jesus displays social righteousness, by doing what? Tell us the stories of Jesus.
Tell us of the women, the lepers, the blind, the lame, the hurting, the untouchable, the outsiders, the sinners. Jesus proclaims and promotes out loud, in public, and among the people.
If we are indeed those who follow Christ, then what happens if we follow his way of living as well? Will we also proclaim the gospel for the salvation of humankind and promote righteousness, and do so out loud and in public, in the view of the world?
