Have you ever had the bar raised on you? I’m not talking about the tollgate that gets raised when you pay the toll, I’m talking about the bar that depicts the minimum expectations for an acceptable job. Maybe you’re a student, and you’ve discovered that the effort that used to get you an A now only receives a C. Maybe you’re a worker who used to be praised for a job well done, but is now told that you’re barely meeting expectations. Perhaps you’re the owner of a business that used to be thriving, but now have to change you’re business model to stay afloat. Or maybe you’re discovering that the income that used to provide you with a comfortable life is now barely making ends meet.
No matter what your situation, it’s never fun to be told that the bar of expectations is being raised. It is with this in mind that many of us squirm in our seats when we read the second half of Matthew’s 5th chapter and discover that Jesus has raised the bar of acceptable morality in our world. On a series of topics that are common to us all, Jesus tells us that what has been said by tradition has now been replaced by a new standard.
Is this just another example of the bar of expectations being raised to an unreasonable level? Is God just trying to put the kingdom out of our reach? Or is a New Path to Aliveness being offered to us? Join us Sunday in person or online as we continue our Lenten journey of faith through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
