It has been said, “There are no idle rumors. Rumors are always busy.” There is a rhyme with these words, “Guard well thy tongue - it stretches far, for what you say, tells what you are” (Kn. 411). Reviling is the most sensitive subject in the Sermon on the Mount. It is one of the worst sins man commits on a regular basis. And we are all guilty of having spoken ill of some one at one time or another. Particularly, our Western Culture thrives on ridiculing others for fun. Far too many make a living by ridiculing their fellowmen.

Let us look, for a moment, at such issues as prayer and Bible readings in schools. These appear to be areas in which the Biblical followers are regaining some lost territory. Forget it. That too is an illusion. First of all, this kind of persecution, Christians have brought on themselves. And one major reason is that they were forcing their belief on others. Then they assumed that the government of this country was going to back them. They began to argue that our secular leaders had left the path of our Christian fathers. Some of the fathers may have been Christians, but they never intended this government to be Christian; rather, the government sought to protect and leave all religions alone. The fathers believed that a strong political union could protect all the rights of its citizens and not just particular one group. Unfortunately, some groups have induced lawmakers to interpret the Constitution in their favor and that will lead to serious repercussions. By now, Christians should have become cognizant that a return to Biblical principles shall continue to remain an illusion.

Peace is an elusive idea. We always have it at our fingertips, but not quite in our hands. The problem to lasting peace has been the "small-scale individual" (Wa. 1801). His world has no room for anyone else but himself. And when we have two such individuals, we have conflict and destruction. It has become an inevitable way of life in which the fittest survives. To the Old Testament Preacher, there was "a time for war and a time for peace"(Ecc. 3:8). Herodotus had come to the conclusion that man would see the error of his ways and realize that it was foolish to choose war over peace. "For in peace sons bury fathers, but in war fathers bury sons"(S.S. p.185). Benjamin Franklin had lived through such a time and concluded, "He that would live in peace and at ease, must not speak all he knows, nor judge all he sees"(S.S. p.184).

Peace has and shall continue to be elusive because humans keep on negotiating from strength. The man with the big stick is no longer a threat to the small man with a nuclear weapon. It does not matter how many long-range missiles one nation has. It matters how many lives it cares to lose. We are playing a game that no one can win because we may not be around to enjoy some victories. The rhetoric of superiority is not only harmful, but it is also senseless. It no longer intimidates those that dislike us but insults them. Our diplomats, politicians and world leaders keep adding oil to a fire when they should be extinguishing it. Curbing the provocative language alone would open doors to more acceptable ways to peace. Benjamin Franklin, the first diplomat of the USA, lived through such a time and concluded, "He that would live in peace and at ease, must not speak all he knows, nor judge all he sees" (Do. 184). James, half-brother of Jesus, appears to have influenced Benjamin, “If anyone thinks he is wise and does not control his tongue, he fools himself and ruins his own reputation (Ja. 1:26). He also was familiar with Jesus’ warning. “Why do you look for a speck in your brother’s eye when a log blocks your own sight? How can you tell your bother, ‘let me take out the speck’ when your own log disables you from removing the speck? You prove yourself dishonest by trying to correct your brother, when first you should correct your much larger fault” (Mt. 7:3-5). Using fault finding to reach an understanding is like feeding what is sacred to dogs or throwing pearls to swine. It insults the other party and the stronger one turns and tramples on the weaker one (Mt. 7:6).

Solomon's trouble was not with the people. He was popular and admired. They loved his liberal thinking and permissiveness. But that was precisely why he was in trouble with his religious convictions. They did not allow the clattering of his heart with foreign gods and wives. This cost his son the kingdom and the deterioration of his dynasty. Solomon ended up following his heart rather than the ordinances of the Lord. No matter how good the heart may feel, it cannot govern itself without principles or set laws. The heart does not always know what is best. It even amends laws at times to suit its own desires. A case in point was Moses' permission for a man to divorce his wife. He had yielded to the hardening of the heart of his fellow men and violated the law of God. Jesus corrected this error by insisting that God had made the union between a man and a woman and no one could separate them except infidelity (Mt. 19:1-9).

It was Helen Keller who wrote that the best and most beautiful things in the world could not be seen or touched but felt in the heart. The heart is like a deep ocean. There are many things beneath its surface. More than often, it is difficult to fish in the waters of the heart that are clouded by obstruction on the surface. Like the sea, the heart goes through stages of turbulence and calm. It is when it reaches these moments of serenity that it reveals its purity. It then becomes that instrument in man that can best perceive God. Jesus himself declared: "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God" (Mt. 5:8).

Being merciful has a tremendous affect on a community. One kind act can mushroom into a multitude of kind deeds. According to James, by helping one member correct his erring ways, we cover a multitude of sins (Ja. 5:20). Jesus held that to return just one lost individual to his community brings joy in heaven (Lk. 15:1-10). It is not that these erring individuals deserve the mercy of a community, but that the community heals them by being merciful. For as long as one of its own is in disrepute, the entire community bears his stain. Paul the apostle urged the Corinthians to restore the offender to avoid further disaster and more serious consequences (II Cor. 2:5-11). By keeping the offender within the community, they could keep him from further hurting others and himself.

Mercy is a sister to justice. It is difficult to have one without the other. Mercy is also a mother to forgiveness. Without it, we would demand and be demanded to pay unfair compensation for our mistakes. And mercy is to man what grace is to God. Just as God is gracious so man must be merciful. Who then can be merciful? The people that foster a “blessed” or “makarioi” attitude can be merciful and dispense grace, the most precious gift man desperately needs.

Fear is respect and it has to be taught. Moses was instructed to teach it to the children (Deut. 4:10). The leaders were to be guided by the fear of the Lord (Lev. 25:43). Without fear justice would be perverted, favoritism and partiality would become a way of life (Lev. 19:15). Jethro, Priest of the Most High and father-in-law to Moses gave this advice regarding a criterion for leadership, “But select capable men from all the people - men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain - and appoint them as officials over the people" (Ex. 18:21). The fear of God was a thermometer to Israel and it should be one to us. Moses warned his people that when they stop fearing God, they would experience the plagues of Egypt and be scattered among the nations (Deut. 28:15-68). After the death of Joshua, whom Moses had selected and appointed as leader, Israel no longer feared the Lord. Israel did evil in his sight of God (Jud. 2:10). The nation would do well under God fearing men like Samuel and David and poorly under godless leaders. The historians repeatedly cited the cause as a lack of fear in the Lord (II Ki. 17:25-34). Ultimately, Israel was plagued by invasions and carried off into captivity never to return. Later, Judah suffered the same fate; but a remnant was allowed to return and rebuilt the land. Christianity that seeks to bypass God’s Law shall face a similar fate (Ro. 11:22).

“Blessed Are Those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Mt. 5:6). Jesus was not talking about righteousness or righteous people, but about those that were harmed and hurt without recourse. They were then and shall always be the victims of a justice system that is blinded by convenience and reciprocation. It is extremely difficult for a judge with a beam in his eyes to render justice to a victim that is guilty of a speck. Such an act is throwing what is holy to those that are not, and when it is their turn to be judged they will turn on their own judge and destroy him (Mt. 7:1-6). Justice is a two-edged sword. The rules a judge uses in sentencing shall also be used to sentence him (Mt. 7:2). The dispensing of grace in justice is one of the most difficult tasks.