The gift we get by studying the Sermon on the Mount every morning is that a whole new way of understanding those literal words comes to us. Fr Richard Rohr says that literal is the least honest way to understand, which I take to mean that to stay in the literal meaning of the Sermon's words is to miss the higher meaning hidden underneath.
This morning, I'm again at the place about not committing adultery, and I get that "adultery" is just a word covering all the "sins."
There are many for whom adultery, per se, is not on the table, but gossip, judgments, perfidy, et al., for sure are. All of our thinking, feeling, doing, being that we know is not spiritually fit are covered there.
Face it, there are those of us who love to hear gossip even as we sit with our lips sealed feeling sanctimonious. We love to sit in silent judgment, love our own anxiety, love not trusting God completely. We know we love these because we do them so consistently...all the while praying for God to relieve us of them.
The Sermon's literal directions are to pluck them out...throw them away. Our translation: "Upgrade your attitude, upgrade your problem." "Upgrade your thinking, upgrade your life." Change your mind.
It is self-confidence we want; it is God-confidence we need. We must beware of the arrogance of self-confidence, often a cover for insecurity. True self-confidence is self-acceptance and must include like acceptance of others.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding...or, Thy will, not mine, be done.
Thank you.
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