Be an Outlier

Jesus covers a wide range of topics in this brief message delivered on the side of a mountain. It appears that the beatitudes were 8 bullet points, with little elaborations on each one constituting the next part of Jesus' message.

But before expanding on the beatitudes, Jesus reminds His disciples of their identity and mission:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Blending in is not an option. Jesus wants and expects His followers to be unlike the rest of the world. He wants his disciples to be outliers, and only this brings out the best the world has to offer.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus paints a portrait of life transformed by obedience to the living God. This image is holistic, with a scope that covers every facet of our lives. This image is surprising, challenging our basic habits and assumptions. And this image is revolutionary in its consequences. Life as an outlier is the road less traveled, and it most certainly makes all the difference.

As future posts will reveal, "the standards of the Beatitudes are neither readily attainable by everyone nor totally unattainable by anyone." Striving after them should define our lives, and God wants us to embark on this adventure today.

(The last quote was paraphrased from John Stott's The Beatitudes: Developing Spiritual Character. It's, hands-down, the best study guide I've ever used.)