Book Review: The Sermon on the Mount
This month I have enjoyed rereading this classic book by Emmet Fox with a book group at the Congregational church. The content of this material is so close to Christian Science that the minister there, whom I know from my interfaith work in Ridgefield, invited me to join them. I was so glad she did!
It has been years since I have read this book, and I give it an enthusiastic five stars. Earlier this month, I quoted Emmet Fox in this post. Even if you have read this book before, I suggest you reread it as well, and if you have never read it, I encourage you to do so!
Rather than quote the whole book, I’ll share here two choice bits:
- “The plain fact is that it is the Law of Life that, as we think, and speak, and act toward others, so will others think, and speak, and act toward us. Whatever sort of conduct we give out, that we are inevitably bound to get back. Anything and everything that we do to others will sooner or later be done to us by someone, somewhere. The good that we do to others we shall receive back in like measure; and the evil that we do to others in like manner we shall receive back too. This does not in the least mean that the same people whom we treat well or ill will be the actual ones to return the action. That almost never happens; but what does happen is that at some other time or place, often far away and long afterwards, someone’s who knows nothing whatever of the previous action will, nevertheless, repay it, grain for grain, to us. For every unkind work you speak to or about another person, an unkind word shall be spoken to or about you. For every time you cheat, you will be cheated. For every time you deceive you will be deceived. For every lie you utter, you will be lied to. Every time you neglect a duty, or evade a responsibility, or misuse authority over other people, you are doing something for which you will inevitably have to pay by suffering a like injury yourself. ‘With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.’ Now, is it not obvious that if only people realized all this being literally true, it would have the profoundest influence on their conduct? Would not such an understanding do more to decrease crime and raise the general moral standard of the community than all the laws ever passed by parliaments, or all the formal punishments meted out by judges and magistrates?”
- “In the Bible the term ‘Christ’ is not identical with Jesus, the individual. It is a technical term which may be briefly defined as the Absolute Spiritual Truth about anything. Now to know this Truth about any person, or condition, or circumstance, immediately heals that person, or condition, or circumstance, to the extent that such Truth is realized by the thinker. This is the essence of spiritual healing, and thus we see that in the widest sense, and altogether independently of the special and unparalleled work that was done by Jesus himself, it is true that the Christ comes into the world to redeem it and save it.”
For a refreshing look at the basic teachings of Christianity, I highly recommend this book. It gently makes me want to be a better person, which is always a worthy result. If more people read this book and followed its advice, the world would be a dramatically better place.
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