Level Ground

Thunderously, inarguably, the Sermon on the Mount proves that before God we all stand on level ground: murderers and temper-throwers, adulterers and lusters, thieves and coveters. We are all desperate, and that is in fact the only state appropriate to a human being who wants to know God. Having fallen from the absolute Ideal, we have nowhere to land but in the safety net of absolute grace. ~ Philip Yancey 

I was slow to believe in the level ground concept.

For most of my life my thinking was something like this: I’m not perfect but at least I’m not like ______. I may sin (you know, just the small stuff) but I would never ______.

I lived a fill-in-the-blank spirituality. As long as I could find a sin worse than my sin, my sin didn’t really need grace, it just needed a good excuse.

Mixed in with my self-righteousness were days of self-recrimination when I felt hopelessly less than. That was equally un-level ground sloping in the opposite direction.

Having fallen from the absolute Ideal, we have nowhere to land but in the safety net of absolute grace.

When I finally found my footing, grace became both my comfort and my counsel.

I learned that I need grace.

And I learned that no one has ever needed it more than me.

That’s level ground.

The Be Attitudes

Thunderously, inarguably, the Sermon on the Mount proves that before God we all stand on level ground: murderers and temper-throwers, adulterers and lusters, thieves and coveters. We are all desperate, and that is in fact the only state appropriate to a human being who wants to know God. Having fallen from the absolute Ideal, we have nowhere to land but in the safety net of absolute grace.  ~ Philip Yancey

The most well-known portion of The Sermon on the Mount are The Beatitudes. Beatitude means supreme blessedness or happiness. Is Jesus saying that our experience of blessedness or happiness is not contingent on our particular brand of sin; we’ve all fallen equally short of the Ideal, but on our attitudes? He delineates the blessed attitudes, I’m adding the woes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
Woe to you who are proud
Blessed are those who mourn,
Woe to you who are cold-hearted
Blessed are the meek,
Woe to you who are harsh
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
Woe to you who are indifferent
Blessed are the merciful,
Woe to you who are unforgiving
Blessed are the pure in heart,
Woe to you who are self-centered
Blessed are the peacemakers,
Who to you who are instigators
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
Woe to you who are cowards

Jesus didn’t just say, have this attitude. He said, be this attitude (blessed are you who are).

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Having fallen from the absolute Ideal, we have nowhere to land but in the safety net of absolute grace. What a wide, wonderful net it is!