The Mount: Honor vs Contempt

Emmaus Road Church | Fort Collins, Colorado

Sermon Scriptures: Matt. 7:1-5

Jesus warns that anonymous judgment is dangerous to our hearts. Imagine the moral watchdogs, the fault finders, those who are ready to point the finger of judgment at others with no effort to involve themselves in helpful ways with the growth process to overcome these faults in those they condemn.

Honor is the call to recognize the value (Imago Dei) someone possesses. It enables us to esteem that person as God does, despite their shortcomings or failures. As we honor one another, flaws and all, we leave room for Holy Spirit to begin work among us, gently identifying and healing our flaws through our shared formation. As a result, we become communities experiencing God’s intended Shalom (right relatedness with God, others, and creation), thereby ushering the Kingdom of Heaven into the here and now.