♪ theme music ♪
(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
an in-depth, interactive study
of the Word of God.
I'm glad you joined us today
as we continue a series of studies
on the Gospel of Matthew.
Our topic today: The Sermon
of Jesus on the Mount.
It's going to be a great blessing,
and we're especially happy
that one of our team, Stephanie,
is going to be teaching today.
Stephanie, we are looking forward
to a great study.
(Stephanie) Amen.
(Derek) And we're glad that each one of you
has joined us for our study today.
It's been a great series, hasn't it?
I notice people ask, "It's not
the same people every time?"
No, but we're all studying, and this
Gospel of Matthew, I think
the biggest challenge is we could take
a whole series of studies
on just one section,
like the Sermon on the Mount,
but we have to look at the big picture
and the message that Jesus is giving us
through His sermon in Matthew.
So, we want to pray that God would bless.
Before I do, though, I want to welcome
our Hope Sabbath School members
around the world.
Thank you for writing to us.
You can write to us at sshope@hopetv.org,
and we're always happy to know
how God is blessing your lives.
Gerald writes from the Cameroon.
He says, "Hi, Hope Sabbath School team.
I'm a church member in the Cameroon.
I like to spend my time studying
with Hope Sabbath School,
and I now have an iPhone, and I'm ready
to get the Hope Sabbath School app."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Well, I think we have the iPhone
Hope Sabbath School app in 137 countries,
and we have the Android app,
which is only more recent;
that's, I think, in 150 countries.
So, we're glad, Gerald, that you're
going to get the Hope Sabbath School app
for your iPhone, and it's great
because you click, and the most
recent program opens up.
He concludes by saying,
"Hope Sabbath School is like
a river of blessing for me,"
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) "...and I'm learning more
about the Word of God.
My dream is to be with you one day live
in this amazing Bible study."
Well, you know if you come over here
when we're filming, Gerald,
we would love to have you
on our team, but you're just as much
a part of Hope Sabbath School
right there in the Cameroon.
And I want to invite you
and everyone else watching
to think about gathering a group together.
You can download the outline,
the same outline that Stephanie
will be using today in our study,
from our website, hopetv.org/hopess.
You can download the outline,
or you can watch the program with a group
of friends; hold up your iPHone for them,
Gerald, but get a group of people watching.
We can share what we've learned together.
Here's a note from Pavel.
Anybody want to guess where Pavel is from?
(Team) Russia.
(Derek) He's from Russia, that's right.
How did you know?
He says, "Greetings, Hope Sabbath
School, from Russia.
We always watch the
Sabbath School discussion
and truly enjoy it.
Our younger daughter, Veronica,
Consistently asks me to send you a message,
so, here it is."
Here comes the message from Veronica:
"I was sitting in the kitchen
and enjoying your songs; I like you.
My name is Veronica, and I'm 5 years old."
Well, it's good to know
we have Hope Sabbath School members
who are 5 years old, right?
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Thank you, Veronica,
for your message,
and we hope you will sing our new
Scripture song, "Praise Him
in the Heights."
You can download that
from our website, too.
"I'm watching you every week,"
continues Veronica, "with my mom and dad.
Thank you for the songs.
I love them and I love all of you."
Well, thank you so much, Veronica!
We love you, too.
And your mommy and daddy, thank you
for being part of our Hope Sabbath
School there in Russia.
It's amazing what a variety of people
we have watching, isn't it?
Grace writes to us from China,
and she says, "I often translate
Hope Sabbath School for my mother
who teaches a Sabbath School
in a small church in Beijing.
So, this is what we are talking about,
making Hope Sabbath School available
in other languages.
It's already happening by individuals.
Remember a recent email from someone
in Russia. Her husband was
translating for her.
"Please pray for my family so that we
can all love and reverence God."
Wow.
"These days there are many temptations
for people of all ages,
especially young people.
Pray for us so that we can have
the wisdom to follow God.
God bless you."
Well, we'll do that, Grace.
God bless you there in
the great country of China.
May God bless your witness
to those around you.
Here's one last really encouraging
email from Christian.
Now, that name has special significance,
as you'll discover in a minute.
Christian is from Malawi, and Malawi
is right there in the heart
of Africa, right?
"Dear Saints," that's an encouraging title.
"Dear Saints, I'm happy to God
for using Hope Sabbath School
to bring a change to my life.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) This is wonderful.
"It has really made an impact on my life
since I grew up a Muslim, and I never
found the truth as I found it now.
Now I have decided to follow
Jesus and be baptized.
(Team) Amen! Praise God.
(Derek) Wow.
"As I am speaking, I am now
a true believer in Bible truth.
Thank you for the mission you're doing
in cooperating with Jesus Christ
in saving lost sinners like me."
Is that powerful?
(Team) Amen. Praise God.
(Derek) "May the Good Lord bless us all,
and now you understand."
He has another name, but he's
been given a new name.
His name is Christian.
Thanks for writing to us, Christian,
from Malawi, and we just want
to praise God for the way
He's leading you,
not only for your salvation but to be
a blessing to those around you.
Right now we want to sing
our Scripture song.
It's word for word from Psalm 148.
So, it's 3,000 years old, but it's got
a new tune; I hope you'll enjoy it.
"Praise Him in the Heights."
Let's sing it together.
♪ music ♪
(Derek) And, for those of you
who don't know,
in Hebrew "Praise the Lord"
is "Hallelujah!"
So, what a beautiful, ancient,
Scripture song with a message
with a message for us today.
And, Stephanie, as you lead us
in this important study, "The Sermon
of Jesus on the Mount," I know in the end
we are going to say, "Praise the Lord!"
because it's really encouraging news.
So, why don't you lead us in prayer
as we begin our study.
((Stephanie) Let's bow our heads.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much
for giving us this opportunity
to study Your Word.
We just ask that, as we study Your Word,
You would send Your Holy Spirit
to guide us and to direct us,
that at the end of the study, Lord,
our lives would be changed, and we
would have something to share
with those around us.
In Jesus' name, amen.
(Team) Amen.
(Stephanie) So, our study today
is on the Sermon on the Mount
according to Matthew, but we also know
that Luke records this Sermon on the Mount
as well, and there are some
differences that we see.
Before we go looking into looking
at some verses, we do some differences
between the account of Matthew
and that of Luke.
What can we learn from the differences
that we see?
Notice that Matthew is how
many chapters it spans over?
(Derek) Three whole chapters.
(Stephanie) Three whole chapters,
and that's over 100 verses.
And Luke spans over how many verses?
(Derek) I think there's 30.
(Stephanie) Just around 30.
So, what can we learn from the differences
that we see there, anyone?
(Derek) You know, Stephanie,
it's interesting that even in the 30 verses
of Luke some things are new.
So, that tells me that probably
neither of them has everything.
If Jesus taught all day on the mount,
that the Spirit's guiding
them to share some insights.
(Stephanie) Yes.
(Derek) It's not a video.
(Stephanie) That's right.
(Derek) Guided by the Holy Spirit,
which is interesting because then
we ask, "Why did the Holy Spirit
inspire Matthew to include what he did?"
but there's probably much more.
(Stephanie) So, we've learned that
it's thought-inspired right?
It's not exact word-by-word inspired.
Was there someone else?
Go ahead.
(Kyle) It's like the four Gospels
are all a little different because each one
has a different perspective.
God uses each personality
to bring a new insight,
and He puts it all together
for a more complete picture.
(Derek) And, Stephanie, I just want
to catch you because I understand
what you are saying about inspired
versus word-for-word.
I think Matthew and Luke are writing
down the words Jesus said.
(Stephanie) Yes.
(Derek) So, it's a little different
from the prophet being given a vision
like Daniel, and he writes it
in his own words, rather than
being dictated.
I think here Jesus may have said
different things in different ways
during the day, and for some reason,
which maybe we'll discover in our study,
Matthew decides, "I'm going
to record some of these."
By the way, he was there, right?
He was an eye witness, Matthew.
(Team) He was.
(Derek) Luke has to talk to eye witnesses,
and so he, guided by the Spirit, too,
gets some other insights,
but I think the Holy Spirit's definitely
giving us a reliable account
of what Jesus said.
(Stephanie) Amen.
Is there a difference in the audience
that Matthew and Luke are speaking to?
Yes, Olric.
(Olric) Matthew's Gospel,
from our research,
is more targeted to a Jewish audience,
so in his Gospel he tends to play up
more Jesus' kingship, and in his rendering
of the Sermon on the Mount it is
a little longer than Luke's version
because we know in those days
a king is the person invested
with the authority to enforce the law,
keep the law in the land like the lawgiver.
So he spends a little more time on that
as opposed to Luke, who was writing more
to Gentiles, but he wanted the Gentiles
to see the law in a way that was
more applicable to them.
So he did not include many of the things
that Matthew was about.
(Stephanie) So, would you say that
in Matthew some of the very detailed
renditions that Matthew shares
connects with the Jews?
(Olric) Yes.
(Stephanie) ...in a way that is powerful?
(Olric) Yes, indeed.
(Stephanie) All right.
Let's go ahead and jump into
Matthew, chapter 5,
and we'll read verses 17 through 19.
And, Joshua, if you would be willing
to read for us those first three verses
in Matthew, chapter 5,
verses 17 through 19?
(Joshua) Absolutely, and I'll be reading
from the New King James
Version; the Bible says:
(Stephanie) So, what are we
talking about here?
We're talking about the Law of God, right?
(Joshua) Yeah.
(Stephanie) This is the introduction
to the Law of God that Matthew
is talking about.
Let's go and look at a few more verses,
and then we'll consider some questions
as they relate to the verses that we read.
In Matthew, chapter 5:21-22.
Olric, would you read that for us,
Matthew, chapter 5, verses 21 and 22.
And then we'll read verses 27 and 28.
(Olric) Reading from the New
Living Translation:
(Stephanie) Wow, that's pretty strong.
(Olric) Verses 27 and 28?
(Stephanie) Yes, go ahead and continue on.
(Stephanie) So, do you see a pattern?
What is the pattern that you see
in these verses?
Go ahead, Tricia Lee.
(Tricia Lee) Well, first if we
were wondering, "Well, what law
is he talking about," it's clear
as we kept reading
that he's talking about the
Ten Commandments
that the people at the time believed...
(Stephanie) Yes.
(Tricia Lee) ...prided themselves in being
able to keep, and you start to understand
more about what Jesus meant when He said,
"I've come to fulfill," to give
a clearer understanding
of what it truly means to keep the Law.
And at the time, they were more concerned
about the outward physicality of behaviors
that proved that they
were observing the laws,
but here Jesus starts to point
to what's happening in our hearts,
in our minds, in our thoughts,
and kind of showing that
breaking the Law or even sin
doesn't just occur in an action,
it kind of starts in our hearts
and our minds.
So, again, in fulfilling that Law,
He's really kind of peeling back
what they thought was the reality
in showing that it's much deeper
than they thought in just the behavior.
There's something that's happening
in the heart that only He can come
and help them fix or
help them actually be.
(Stephanie, Team) Yes.
(Stephanie) Did you have a comment, Jason?
Go ahead.
(Jason) Yes, I'm looking at this here,
and it talks about how He didn't come
to destroy but to fulfill,
because Jesus could be accused
of these new teachings
as destroying the law,
but what He's saying is,
"Look, I'm not destroying the Law;
I'm showing you what it really means."
So, He's not saying what
was said of old is untrue;
He's saying what was said of old,
it is true, but also this.
So, you have a very limited picture
of what the Law is, but this is
a greater understanding,
a greater fulfillment
of what the Law truly is.
And that is what He is doing
here in the sermon.
(Stephanie) He's expounding on that.
Yes, Missy.
(Missy) From the fall of humanity,
you know, they had perfection in Eden.
Then came the fall.
They fell so far.
Humanity just, fell, fell, fell,
and so, step by step, through Scripture
you see how God is taking them
step by step back to His ideal
until you could see the fulfillment
of the Law in Christ when
He came to humanity.
And it was supposed to be a revelation
of who God really was.
You know, opening our minds
to what the Law really meant.
(Stephanie) Yes. Nathan.
(Nathan) Keep in mind that Matthew
is writing to Jews...
(Stephanie) Yes.
(Nathan) ...and Moses was
the great hero as the lawgiver.
Moses went up on the Mount Sinai
to receive the Law from God,
and then he gave it to the people,
and the people did their best
to keep the law, but Moses was the one
who lead them out of slavery
and into the Promised Land, right?
So, the "deliverer."
((Stephanie) Right.
(Nathan) Now Matthew is showing
Jesus is the One who went
up on the mountain
and now expounds upon the Law.
He's the new Moses, showing them,
"Okay, you received the Law
on the mountain from God
through Moses,
now up on this mountain Jesus
is saying, 'Let me show you what
this Law really means and how
it applies deeply inwardly,
and then you're going to be free,
not just from Egypt
but from the slavery of sin...'
(Stephanie, Team) Amen. Wow.
(Nathan) '...when we get to the depths
of what the Law means deep in the heart.'"
(Stephanie) And I want to go
to another passage
before we leave the teaching
of Jesus about the Law of God.
We'll move to Matthew 5:43-48,
and, Kyle, would you be willing
to read that for us?
Matthew 5:43-48.
(Kyle) I'll be reading from
the New King James Version.
The Bible says:
(Stephanie) Wow.
There's a lot in that verse.
What do you pull out from those verses?
Go ahead, Joshua.
(Joshua) I will say that it's this aspect
of Christianity that's the most difficult.
You know, if you compare this
sort of command from Jesus
in comparison to the Ten Commandments,
the Ten Commandments
actually look pretty easy.
You know, if you tell me I'm supposed
to love my enemies, do good to those
who are persecuting me, it's like,
"Are you serious?"
But at the same time we have to think
about the fact that people
outside of Christianity judge us
based on this sort of thing,
not simply how many times do you
go to church in a week or how many
Bible verses do you know,
but it's in our character and in the way
that we treat others.
(Stephanie) Wow, yes.
Go ahead, Juliana.
(Juliana) Actually this summer I was
traveling around in Europe and happened
to interact with an individual on a train.
And, somehow we got to talking
about this kind of stuff,
and he told me, "You know, Christianity
is supposed to be so much more
radical than it is.
So many people, they focus just
on the Ten Commandments,
but what about the Sermon on the Mount?"
And it kind of goes along with what
you are saying, like, people
from the outside are looking
at us, and, it's like, wow!
This is what Christianity
is supposed to be.
And I think that he was completely right,
that we should be looking a lot more
at the Sermon on the Mount for many
of the things of how we should
interact with other people.
(Stephanie) So isn't it interesting;
I think Jesus was trying to move us away
from just a head knowledge
to a heart knowledge, right?
(Team) Yes. Amen.
(Stephanie) A heart experience.
(Derek) You know, I think, Stephanie,
something Jason said earlier is
really important because some Christians
get confused and say the Ten Commandments
doesn't matter; we just need
to love, but that's absurd.
That's like saying, "Don't hate people,
but you can kill them."
"Don't lust after someone, but you
can commit adultery with him or her."
It's not that.
The Commandments stand.
But, as Tricia Lee was pointing out,
God is calling us to a much
higher standard.
In fact, to be honest, it's
an impossible standard
if we're going to do it
in our own strength because we know
how feeble we are.
(Stephanie, Team) Yes.
(Derek) It's going to take a miracle...
(Stephanie) Exactly.
(Derek) ...so that, as Joshua pointed out,
people will look, and they'll actually see
Jesus reflected, right?
Instead of us.
(Stephanie) And that happens as a result
of the head knowledge going
to our hearts, right?
And that's the next section that we
want to move into, this outward conformity
versus an inward conversion.
And, I'd like us to move
to Matthew, chapter 5, verse 20.
Go back to Matthew, chapter 5, verse 20,
and, Missy, would you read that for us?
(Missy) I am reading from
the New Living Translation:
(Stephanie) So, I think this is coming back
to what Juliana was saying.
People expect something more than
just a check off, right?
they want something real.
(Olric) But it's not just the realness.
Notice here he says,
"Unless your righteousness
exceeds their righteousness, what was
their righteousness that was
not sufficient for God?
Their righteousness...mind you,
righteousness means "right doing."
So, they had the outward expression
of doing right, but at the same time
the inward conversion was not there.
What they were doing was not from a heart
that genuinely loved God and loved people.
So you find that a lot
of what was being done
looked right to the folks on the outside,
but God knew that the heart
was not transformed.
So, Jesus is saying,"It's not just
to do right on the outside; I want
your heart to be in
the right condition also."
That means that your actions
will be inspired and motivated
by the right desires.
(Stephanie) So, it starts in the heart,
it starts in the mind, and then
our actions follow.
Go ahead.
(Kyle) I'm just going to add
onto what he said
because the Pharisees, they had
a scale of how...
They said, "Okay, this is a sin and this
is worse and worse and worse,
and this is a good deed,
and this one's really good,
and this one's really, really good."
And they almost would balance and say,
"If your good deeds outweigh
your bad deeds, then you earned
righteousness in God's sight."
So, it was this whole outward way
of building up themselves, basically,
to feel like they were good
and accepted by God.
But Jesus comes, and He says,
"That's not what it's about.
Every amount of human
righteousness is inadequate."
The only thing is the
true heart righteousness
that you were talking about, Pastor Derek.
That is only from the Holy Spirit.
And that's a total transformation
of character; true perfection
in God's eyes.
(Stephanie) By the way, those who
were listening, because we look at it,
and we say, "Oh, it has to exceed
the righteousness of the Pharisees."
Well, we know what the righteousness
of the Pharisees looked like,
but for those who were listening,
the Pharisees were on a high level.
(Team) Right.
(Stephanie) So, for them, they were
thinking, "Whoa!
For us to exceed that --
we can't even match them --
how do we exceed that?"
So, what is Jesus trying to teach?
And, also another question that I
would have, too, is that,
have you ever tried to earn
the favor of Christ, of God?
I mean, let's be real.
Have you ever been in that situation?
Please be willing to share, I hope,
a time when you've tried to do that.
What was that like?
Go ahead, Tricia Lee.
(Tricia Lee) Your first question
about how could they exceed the
righteousness of the Pharisees.
The Pharisees, you're right.
They were very good at doing
what the law required,
and the different requirements
that they made,
but they did not love God,
and they did not love other people
other than themselves.
And we find that that was what God
was trying to teach them was that,
at the heart of the commandments,
loving the Lord more than anything else
and loving your neighbor as yourself,
and they completely missed all of that.
So, the "checking of the boxes" meant
nothing because they didn't love God.
They crucified Him, tried to kill Him
at every chance they could.
They did not love their neighbors;
they were the ones walking past
the Samaritan on the road
and these people.
I think that it's hard because, as humans
and even as you grew up as a child,
you learned that if you study hard
and you get a good grade,
or if you do this then you get a reward.
So, it goes against the way even society
runs and functions, that,
if you do something then
you get something.
An action has an equal reaction.
But here God is showing us that
it really doesn't depend upon you
or me or us, it all has to depend
upon Christ, and that's where
the faith comes in.
So, it's the faith, it'is the obedience,
it's all depending upon Christ.
It's really His righteousness
that's working in us.
And I think what happens,
at least for me, is that...
and I'm sorry...it's just that
once you are honest with yourself,
and when you realize, "I keep
trying, and I keep failing,
and that's not good enough,"
at some point you just have
to get tired of trying and failing,
and you realize it can't depend
upon me anymore. I have to reach out
to somebody who I know
was successful in this life,
and it was Christ.
(Stephanie) And who has
the power to do it.
(Tricia Lee) Exactly.
(Stephanie) To get us out of the mess.
And I think we've all
been there, haven't we?
(Team Member) Yeah!
(Stephanie) We realize that we need Jesus.
Andrea, you wanted to share?
(Andrea) I only wanted to reflect
a little bit on your question, which was
how would we express if we have been
in a similar situation, and where we felt
we needed to do something in order
to earn God's favor.
And I recall I was a teenager and have sat
in church many times listening
to baptismal appeals and calls
to give our lives to Jesus.
And, as the pastor's daughter,
it was something I would
listen to very frequently.
However, I had the feeling or a tendency
of thinking that I have to be
very prepared to make that step.
So, for years I have resisted the call,
and I have considered that
I'm not ready yet, or
I'm not good enough...
(Stephanie) Wow.
(Andrea) ...until I was 17 when I started
to meditate more upon this decision,
and decided I have to make this step
even if I'm not feeling quite ready,
and the Lord will take care of the rest.
(Stephanie) Amen.
(Andrea) I cannot tell you how blessed
I felt afterwards.
It was the best decision of my life.
(Stephanie, Team) Amen.
(Derek) You know what Jesus said,
Stephanie, in the Sermon
on the Mount just a little later.
He said, "Seek first the Kingdom
and His righteousness."
(Stephanie) Yes.
(Derek) And really what Tricia Lee
is saying is righteousness is a gift,
back to that miracle of new creation
that we talked about in a previous study.
God is going to change us from the inside
so that we are motivated by love,
even in the keeping of the Commandments.
Love to God and love to those around us.
And that's a miracle of the new creation.
(Stephanie) And I believe John,
chapter 14:15 tells us
a little bit about that.
John, chapter 14, verse 15.
And, Nathan, would you be willing
to read that for us?
John, chapter 14, verse 15.
(Nathan) Right. I'm reading
from the New King James Version.
John 14 and verse 15:
(Stephanie) Wow.
Very simple, right?
(Team Member) Very plain.
(Stephanie) So, how does your attitude
towards God's law change when you have
this trusting, loving relationship
with Jesus as your Savior and your Lord?
How does that change?
Olric?
(Olric) You want to keep it because,
when you have this love relationship
with God, I compare it to a marriage.
You know, for those who are
married here on the set.
You know, you have your spouse,
you exchange vows and so forth.
And, you know, some folks, they
may be married for 7 years, 4 years,
50 years, and sometimes we question
and we ask them, "How did you "guys"
maintain that relationship,
that connection, the
obedience to the vows?"
And they just say to me,
"It's very simple:
I love the other person.
That's why I do what I do."
So, when you are in that love relationship
with God, you want to do the things
that pleases Him the same way He likes
doing things that blesses you.
So, you are motivated by a love for God,
that is what really propels
you to obedience.
(Stephanie) The heart's been changed.
(Olric) The heart's been changed.
(Stephanie) The heart's been changed.
Missy and then Nathan.
(Missy) I see Scripture as God
in continual pursuit of humanity,
"Look at me; look at my face;
look at what I've done for you.
Please, keep your attention on me.
Look at what I've said in My Word.
Get to know me."
(Stephanie) Yes.
(Missy) When we are able
to hone in on that,
the Law is a natural
result of the relationship.
(Stephanie) Powerful.
Nathan.
(Nathan) Well, I love this woman.
(Derek) You better tell the people
that that's your wife.
(Nathan) This is my wife, and, you know,
if I do something that
hurts her, that hurts me.
To see my wife hurting
because of something I've done
would break my heart.
So, when we're in love with the Lord,
we realize that when we break
His Law we're hurting Him.
He's given us His Law because
He wants us to be happy.
(Stephanie) Yes.
(Nathan) And when I wander away
from that Law that He's given, which is
a Law of freedom, a Law of liberty,
and it's a Law that brings joy to my life,
I know that not only am I hurting myself,
but I'm hurting Him.
(Stephanie) Yes.
(Nathan) So, my love for Him just propels
me into naturally obeying the Law
because I don't want to break His heart;
I don't want to hurt Him, as well.
(Stephanie) Okay, Joshua, and then
we'll go to Tricia Lee, and then
we have to move on.
(Joshua) I believe that we not only serve
a holy God but we serve a practical God.
So, when I look at His Commandments,
I see that even if I weren't a Christian
it would be in my best interest
to still keep these Commandments.
(Stephanie) Amen.
(Joshua) So, if you think about what it
would be like to murder someone, and what
you would have to live with after that,
and if you know what it feels like
to commit adultery and see the effects
of that trickling after, if you look
at each and every Law, you'll see,
"Wait a minute.
He's not telling me
to keep these Laws as
hoops to jump through
in order to make it into Heaven,"
but it's for our own good and for our
best interest to keep these Laws.
(Stephanie) Yes.
(Tricia Lee) Something that Missy
and Joshua mentioned
about getting to know God
and what's in our best interest,
I think that the Devil's deception is that
we would think of God as someone
who is out to get us, someone
that cannot be trusted.
And if He's a being that is not
to be trusted or, you know,
wants to hurt us, then I don't care
about what He's saying, I don't care
about His Laws, (that breaking them)
is not good for me.
When we do exactly what Missy is saying,
try to get to know Him, allow Him
to enter our lives, and we see who He is,
like, how Jesus came, the best example
and revelation of the Father,
He lived a whole life, when
we see the life of Christ,
how could we not want to be more like Him?
How could we not want to see
truly who the Father is,
and then everything He's saying starts
to make sense as things for our benefit,
as things that will help us be
in a loving relationship with Him.
So, even Christ coming and expounding
and fulfilling the Law
was us seeing the Father as who
He really is, not the deception,
not the lies,