The Blessed

Matthew 5:3-10:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
       for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
       for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle,
      for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
     for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
     for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
     for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they shall be called sons of God.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount begins with a group of beatitudes, which describe the qualities of heavenly people. To those who have dwelt in the kingdom of darkness, and adapted to its ways, the message of Christ is a radical otherworldly idea. Yet, the Lord wants to communicate that in the heavenly kingdom citizens are blessed on account of their lowly circumstances. Christ’s message is a great reversal.

The kingdom of darkness offers unlimited supernatural prosperity, but the poor in spirit possess the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of darkness searches for a pampered carefree existence, but those who mourn shall be comforted. The kingdom of darkness desires greatness but the meek shall inherit the earth. The kingdom of darkness is filled with self-absorbed consumerism, but those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are satisfied. The kingdom of darkness says, “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” but the merciful shall receive mercy. The kingdom of darkness has everyone doing whatever is right in their own eyes, but the pure in heart shall see God. The kingdom of darkness wages crusades against infidels, but the peacemakers are called the sons of God. The kingdom of darkness navigates around taking stands that polarize people, but those who are persecuted for their righteousness possess the kingdom of heaven.

God made the world, but man fell into sin. Christ came to save man from sin, and show them the way back to God. How far have the sheep wandered far from the Garden of Eden, but the Shepherd has come to saved those who have been lost. Christ enables us to restore a right relationship with God and enter into the kingdom of heaven. Those who belong to the heavenly kingdom, have a blessed quality about them. They know their spiritual poverty, mourn over our sin, swallow their pride, seek righteousness, show mercy, have pure hearts, make peace, and stand for truth no matter the cost.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grappling with the Craziness of an Election Year with the Book of Kings

Image
Well this is another election year, which makes the Tuesday after the first Monday in November the terminus ad quem for all the political madness that comes beforehand in the USA. With all the mudslinging, rioting, and overall incivility, it is hard to believe were still have over five months to go. I am going through the Book of 1-2 Kings at the moment, and the refrain “Only the high places were not taken away” caught my eye, and as I began to meditate upon them, I found them to be a bit helpful in grappling with all that goes on during these turbulent election years. Here a little background is needed. After the days of Solomon there came about a civil war that divided the children of Abraham living in the promise land into two nations—the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. There eventually came about a series of rulers in the kingdom of Judah whose reigns the biblical writer describes this way: Jehoash did right in the sight of the LORD…Only
Read more

The Good Thing About God and Judgment

Image
Today, I was continuing my trek through the extensive Paul and the Faithfulness of God by N.T. Wright. There is so much content in this extensive two-volume work, I can only soak in a small percentage of it. Working through Wright is always a work in progress. He is just one of those astute theologians who leaves no stone unturned in developing a point. Wright makes this observation about the way the larger story of the New Testament conveyed in Paul’s works concerns God’s judgment in the world, which is part of the way he has come to setup his rule over the world. On p. 481 Write notes,  The word “judgment” has of course been allowed to slip into negative mode in the contemporary western world, with “judgmentalism” one of the classic postmodern villains. But even a postmodernist whose car has been damaged by a drunk driver wants a court to pass “judgment” against the offender. “Judgment” is in fact a positive thing. It is what restores health to a society, a balance
Read more