The high ethics of jesus

Jesus turned the world upside down with His teaching.  Matthew 5-7 records what's referred to as the Beatitudes.  A simple read through this great text will draw your attention to one thing.  Jesus has raised the standard!  Love your enemies.  Do good to those who hurt you.  Pray for those who despitefully use you.  Even here we must make the point that Jesus does NOT expect this behavior in order to achieve salvation or eternal life.  His audience is clearly those who already believe in Him.  I believe in Him and find that daily it's a decision to follow this high ethic.  Cecil Alexander wrote a great hymn entitled "Jesus Calls Us".  The second stanza of that hymn is a insightful reflection on how I think the Beatitudes can be integrated into our lives.  Here's the stanza:

Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, “Christian, love Me more!”

The word of God is simple.  Three chapters after the Beatitudes (Matthew 9:13) Jesus was talking to the Pharisees.  He literally told them to "go and learn what this means", then quoted from Hosea 6:6 and Micah 6:6-8.  What's the quotation?

I desire mercy and not sacrifice
The call of Jesus is to believe in Him.  The response to Jesus is to live for Him!  Praise God!