The Blessed

The opening words to Jesus' famous Sermon on The Mount are a parallel to the giving of the Law of Moses. Just as the Ten Commandments mark the character of God's holy people, Israel, the Beatitudes mark the character of Christ's new kingdom, the church.

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:3-16)

The disciple of Jesus is blessed with an abundance of life within through the love of God and the grace of Jesus. The Beatitudes name many of the kind of followers of Jesus who are blessed. We are the poor in spirit, those who acknowledge how impoverished we are in our hearts compared to the riches of Christ. We are the comforted, the merciful, the meek, those hungry for God right ways, pure in heart, the persecuted and the peacemakers. Blessing from God comes to disciples in ways mysterious and bold, in ways subtle and yet powerful.

From this wealth of spiritual blessing, the disciple's life is empowered to live in remarkable ways. the Sermon on the Mount is considered to be a code of conduct for the Christ follower. Reading through Matthew chapters 5-7, you will soon discover great difficulty in imagining yourself living fully according to this teaching.

John Wesley remarked that if a person aspired to be a true Christian they would reflect the teachings on the Sermon on the Mount and embody love as described in 1st Corinthians 13.

Reportedly, a communist leader once remarked, "The only problem with Christianity is nobody has ever tried it."

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried” – G. K. Chesterton

As we struggle with Christ's claim on our life we are reminded that He is not simply our savior, He is our Master and Lord. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commands." (Jn 14:15) Keeping these commands in Matthew 5-7 seems impossible and maybe even foolish. It requires an incredible generosity of spirit and a tremendous trust in God to provide for our every need. It requires a changed heart, by the work of God's grace through our faith in Christ. It takes a heart that knows it is blessed beyond compare to any earthly prize or pleasure. Only through Christ's love and power at work in us can we even hope to live out all of His teachings.

Love your enemies.

Pray for those who persecute you. 

Give to those who beg from you and expect nothing in return. 

Turn the other cheek to your abusers. 

Give more to the one who steals from you and the one who forces you to do their will.

These commands are difficult and feel unnatural. They make us vulnerable. Faith calls us to trust that God is with us and He will protect and provide. Faith makes us courageous lovers of God and of everyone else.

Allow me to end with some thoughts from Rev. Steven Manskar of the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship. This quotation is from an article he published called, Opening Ourselves To Grace: The Basics of Christian Discipleship.

Christian faith is more than agreeing with a set of doctrines or creeds. It is
more than outward appearances, signs, and symbols. It’s more than saying “I’m a Christian.”

Christian faith is ultimately about what is happening on the inside. It
is a matter of the heart. It is a heart changed by an encounter with the living God
who comes to us in Jesus Christ. The changed heart makes a difference in the
way we live our lives in the world. This life begins with forgiveness of our sins.
When we acknowledge who we are (sinners in need of forgiveness), we can
begin living into the lives God desires for us as his beloved children. With
forgiveness comes freedom – from sin and death – so that we can love God with
all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love those whom God loves; as God
loves them, in Christ. All this is God’s gift to the world – grace.

As we live this life, we become channels of grace for the world. As we walk
with Christ in the world, he gradually removes the blockages to grace we have
built up. As the barriers come down, his grace can flow through us for the world.
Walking with Christ in the world changes us from the inside out into the human
beings God created us to be. He forms our character into a reflection of his. The
goal of this life is to “have the mind of Christ” (Philippians 2:5). God does this in
us as we “work out our salvation” (Philippians 2:13).