The Owner's Manual to Life
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St. Augustine says the Sermon on the Mount contains everything we need to know to live as a Christian, to become perfectly happy and holy.
Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount Jesus saying:
'Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. 'For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
Taken at face value this sounds like Jesus is a harsh guardian of the law who will keep track of every little offense
If this saying of Jesus strikes us wrong, it is because we misunderstand the law. The moral law is an expression of our design as human persons. To live according to the moral law is to live according to our design. To break it is to break yourself. So Jesus says, I will not allow you to betray your design. In fact, I want you to achieve it fully. I’ve created you for nothing less.
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God created the human person with an exquisite design.
The Sermon on the Mount is just God explaining our profoundly beautiful design. We were designed with powerful emotions like anger to resist evil and overcome what is arduous, not to tear down and destroy. We were given the passion of love to give ourselves permanently in marriage to have the joy of a family. We were made to live radical sexual fidelity even in our thoughts; not to use and discard one another. We were designed to speak the truth and live honestly and not to gossip about one another. We are designed to love, that is, to do what is good for others, even enemies. God created us for a profound friendship with Him through prayer. To not be slaves to money but to take care of one another, especially the poor and live a life of mercy and generosity. He designed us not to live in fear and anxiety for the future but live peacefully in the present moment, knowing Our Father in Heaven cares about and will provide for our smallest needs. He designed us not to get fixated on the behavior of others but stay focused on one’s own business. As Jesus said, “So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus says, “I will not allow you to get rid of even the smallest part of the law because it is your design and it is exquisite and if you live it you will live a profoundly beautiful life.
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The Sermon on the Mount, moral law, and the laws of the Catholic Church are all the same things. They are our design – it is you. But we erroneously think the moral law or the laws of the Church are restrictive.
Imagine I just bought a new car – a red Ford Mustang
As soon as I got it home I read the owners manual which told me
● Change your oil every 3000 miles
● Inflate the tires to 35 psi
● Use unleaded fuel only
Imagine me flying into a rage: “Who does Ford think they are! This is my car, I own it. I am free to do whatever I want with my car. And you know how expensive gas is these days. But hey, wait, the grocery store down the street is selling kool-aid for 24 cents a gallon
So I use my freedom and my last fumes of gas
● And I drive to the store and buy enough green kool-aid to make 15 gallons
● and I put it in my gas tank.
Was I free to do this? Yes. But now what am I?
● A pedestrian!
Ford wasn’t trying to deny my freedom by giving me the owner’s manual. Ford designed the car. They knew how it worked. Ford wanted me to know what I needed to do
● so the car would reach its full potential.
● So that I would be happy
● And tell other people to buy a Ford
The moral law is a reflection of ourselves, of our design. If we break the moral law, we break our design, we break ourselves.
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I can’t speak for you, but I read the Sermon on the Mount and I think – I can’t do this, it is impossible.
Yes, it is impossible on our own. But with God living through us it is possible and that was the original design.
That is why Jesus offers himself to us in the sacraments so that He can live through us.
However, he made us free, so He won’t take over, He expects us to cooperate with Him. We learn to cooperate by daily meditation, reading and thinking about the Word of God and then forming a resolution to put into practice what He teaches. That is how we learn to let God live through us.
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The Sermon on the Mount teaches us the goal of life, to be like God and live like God forever.
Many people, however, don’t know the meaning of life let alone how to pursue that goal. But in the Sermon on the Mount we are given the goal and the means to achieve it.
And what is the means? Read and think about each point of the Sermon on the Mount, apply it to your life and form daily concrete resolutions to put it into practice. End each day with an examination of conscience to see how you did and make corrections.
But do not go it alone. Receive Jesus as often as you can in the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Let the Son of God enable you to be and live like a son of God.