A More Beautiful Song | Desire, Disordered (Constraints & Commitments) (February 23, 2025)
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This morning we conclude a deep dive on Jesus’ theme of desire in the Sermon on the Mount.
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Elements from this morning’s gathering
Call to Worship
from James 5
Are any among us suffering?
We will pray.
Are any cheerful?
We will sing songs of praise.
Are any among us sick?
We will call on the name of the Lord.
Have any walked in the way of sin?
We confess our sins to each other.
Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, set up your Kingdom in our midst.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
Holy Spirit, breath of the Living God, renew us and all the world.
Amen.
Scripture Reading
Selections from Matthew Chapters 4-6
From that time Jesus began to announce:
“Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!”
You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden…
But I warn you — unless you practice a greater righteousness than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of the Heavens!
You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
So if your eye— even your good eye —causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into the fire of gehenna. And if your hand — even your stronger hand — causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into the fire of gehenna.
You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.
You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows… But I say, do not make any vows! Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’
Your Father already knows all you want and need, so desire the Kingdom of God above all else, and live right by God and others, and God will give you everything you need.
