We've been looking at our Lord's description of the ungodly actions of the religious leaders, in contrast to those actions which ought to consistently proceed out of the hearts of those who are truly part of the Kingdom of God. This morning, we conclude this particular section of our Lord's sermon with His summary statement "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
Now, interestingly enough, our Lord concludes this section with an encouragement for His disciples to freely go to God, and to seek Him, recognizing that He delights in hearing from His children, and in meeting their needs. Unlike the gentile gods, the true and living God has no dependent need which His people must meet. We don't have to bribe our God, so as to appease His roaring passions, with the hope that He might then take notice of us, and bless us in some relevant way. And this is especially relevant for all that we have been going over, concerning the ungodly actions of the religious leaders, because when we are confident that we can trust in our God to provide for our needs; when we are confident and content to rest in God's providential care, we will not be driven to harm or abuse others. As the common illustration goes, a thief steals, in large part, because he doesn't trust God to provide for him. And at the very root of the wicked actions, and the sinful hearts of the religious leaders of our Lord's time, was the fact that they simply did not trust God, in truth. At the very basic level, they didn't trust in Him for their righteousness, and that spilled over into every other area in their lives.
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