Beatitudes

I'm not very good at reading my Bible as often as I should. I know - this is probably shocking news for everyone. One would assume that as the intern I would be perfect in every way. But, that would be a wrong understanding.

I have various reasons for not reading my Bible. Most often I just forget, or I get distracted, or I'm "too busy," or any other number of excuses. But sometimes I just don't want to read the Bible. Sometimes it's hard to view the Bible as a message of love. After a lifetime spent with this book, and with the people who read it - sometimes I just get really discouraged. I get really furious at the people who misrepresent the Bible to justify their own hate. It makes me really sad to think of all the terrible things throughout history that have been justified by the Bible. It makes me sad that people are still using the Bible for this purpose. It breaks my heart that people who have only read a few select verses feel that they can speak for all of the Bible and for all of Christianity. And sometimes I blame all of this on the Bible itself.

Which, to be honest, that's a really childish response. But, childish or not, it's what I've done for a long time. But I realized a few years ago that there was one part of the Bible that I could always turn to. When things are really bad in my life, when my faith is in tatters, and when the world is really dark I can always turn to this one small section and I can be filled with hope again. Let's turn to the beatitudes and read them today.

:: Matthew 5:3-11 ::

The beatitudes are the opening stanza of the Sermon on the Mount.

They say that the most difficult part of writing a book is writing the first sentence. It's really intimidating to write the first sentence of a sermon as well. Some pastors always start with a joke, others give an update on their lives. I had a pastor once that would always start by talking about the most recent football or basketball scores. It really is unnerving to stand up in front of people and begin a sermon. I feel that it's like jumping in to a swimming pool - it's better to just jump in and get used to the water right away rather than to wade in slowly. Jesus not only jumps into the water - he dives head first into the messy swamp of humanity.


Some call this particular sermon Jesus is preaching, The Upside Down Kingdom. Jesus takes the whole world and turns it upside down.


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Jonathan and I were roommates in University. We were very close friends and we would talk almost every night until we fell asleep. A lot of the time we would talk about happiness and how to be happier. I was happy while I was in school. I had good friends, a nice apartment, a wonderful church family, and I enjoyed my classes. But I felt that my happiness should depend on what was going on around me. If I got good grades I would be happier. If I ate thick, juicy steak I would be happier than if I ate a more meager diet. I was happy being single, but I felt that if I could just be in a healthy relationship that I would be truly happy.

I was letting outside influences dictate my happiness, not only that but the thoughts and opinions of others also played a huge factor. I didn't like steak more than chicken - but other people thought I should ... so I did.

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Last year I got a phone call from my friend Jonathan. His call was not a happy one. He was calling to inform me that he had been diagnosed with stage four cancer in several parts of his body. They were measuring his life in months or weeks - not years. There were a lot of unknowns. I just remember vomiting until I was dry heaving. I couldn't keep food down for days. My body and my mind were in shock.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,for they will be comforted.

These aren't some far off promises that some day life will get better. Jesus says, "You are truly blessed when you find yourself mourning." It's not that right now you are mourning, but some day you will be blessed. In this moment of mourning - find yourself blessed.

And we did. Throughout this last year Jonathan has suffered unbelievable hell. He has taken chemotherapy treatments that should have killed him. And through it all his faith in Christ has grown deeper and he has taken a stranglehold on joy. Through this year we have been taught to live in the joy of Christ. We don't try to be happier, we just enjoy the joy that being a small part of God's creation brings.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.

These blessings come with promises. In our meekness we are blessed and we will inherit the earth. In our hunger for righteousness we are blessed and we will be filled.

The promise isn't that we are going to get better. Jesus never promises that we will live up to earthly standards. The poor won't win the lottery, the meek won't become star athletes. But Jesus promises that they will have a much greater reward.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.


Because we feel so certain that we know how to define success. The new Ukrainian with the bodyguard and the super sexy trophy wife - man, he's living the life. But Jesus challenges us on each assumption. He forces us to look at the beggar with no legs or the blind woman playing her accordion and he makes us see that they are blessed. That God loves them. That we are rewarded for being merciful to them, that we will see God when we can look at them with pure hearts and love them like God does.

If we see anything less than Jesus when we look at these people, we have missed the point. In the beatitudes, Jesus writes an autobiography. Jesus is our model, our example, and our guide.


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

Who is God's son? Who is the child of God? Who came and lived among us and died that we might find peace with God?

Jesus is the peacemaker, and because of him we too can become peacemakers. We can make a difference in the world around us. Our humble lives of peace lived in service of Jesus of Nazareth will change the world. Jesus shows us the way to live the upside down life - to truly turn the world upside down.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Don't think for a second that you can turn the world upside down without some consequences. When you reject the world's standard of success, the world will reject you.

People will hate you and you will not fit in.

But you will be blessed. You will be a child of God and you will inherit the Promised Land.

Blessed are you!