We the people of the United States of America in order to form a more perfect union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America is probably one of the most memorable statements in American history. It states succinctly the ethos of the nation-to-be and provides a summarization of the articles of the constitution to follow. In Matthew 5:1-16, in a very similar way, the Beatitudes serve as a type of preamble to the Sermon on the Mount, but they are an even more memorable treasure for humanity. They give a succinct statement of the ethos of the kingdom of heaven that Jesus has announced and summarize the principles of kingdom life that He will articulate in the sermon that follows.
Everyone has an ethos. Webster’s defines this as “a distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution.” Each of us has a guiding set of beliefs (good or bad) that defines who we are. Our belief system is based on truths that we have adopted throughout our lifetime. What we believe will translate into commitments and ultimately how we live our lives.
In Matthew 5:16 Jesus says, “Let your light shine before others.” What He is teaching here is that His life and message of salvation bring light to those in darkness. The good that we do is produced by the light and life that come from God. It is not of our own making, because disciples possess kingdom life that produces good deeds from a changed life. All of us are leaving a legacy based on either a good ethos or a “not so good” one. Where are you today with your ethos?
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