The word ‘demands’ is a word of strength.  It assumes that the person with demands is in a position of power and control.  Conversely, a person who is without power and control has no demands.

POTTER AND CLAY

This contrast exactly describes God’s relationship to His creation.  Indeed, both Isaiah (29:16; 64:8) and Jeremiah (18:6) informed Paul’s metaphorical reference to the total power of the Potter and the absence of power of the clay (Romans 9:21).

In every aspect of God’s creation He is indeed on total control; His power is absolute; supreme; sovereign; unchallenged.  With a word the universe came to exist (Genesis 1).  With a word it will be brought to an end (2 Peter 3:7,10-13).  There is only one aspect of His creation that He has chosen to give the temporary  right to choose: mankind.

DEMAND ILLUSION

Demands?  They are still totally one-sided; God-sided.  The demands of God’s creation? The only ones available are those they are given by God and only for the duration of time that He wills.  He sets the boundaries and the conditions of compliance and obedience

Bottom line: what God says goes. God has every right to make demands upon His own creation, including mankind.  And those demands are clear and understandable.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

So, when Jesus–Who, as God Himself, obeyed His Father’s commands (John 12:49-50)–tells us to obey His commandments out of love (John 14:15, 23) it is important to 1) search out His  commands, 2) identify them and 3) obey them.  The option of saying no and the freedom to demand independence is temporary, limited, fully under His control and doomed to fail.

This is a great paradox.  God tells us through His Son, Jesus Christ, that those who claim to have no demands are the ones who will be blessed and will inherit the kingdom of God.  To recognize Who is God and who is not God is very important to every person.  It is God who makes the demands.   To those who accept His demands, Jesus tells us they will be blessed.