Scripture Reflections

In his sermon on I Corinthians 1 and the Beatitudes. Michael alluded to something that is worth wrestling with: things aren’t what they seem. What makes sense from the perspective of this world doesn’t make sense from God’s perspective.
 
Consider the Beautitudes:
 
Spiritual beggars are blessed—they can claim the kingdom of heaven as their own.
 
Those who weep for the brokenness of the world are blessed—a shout of joy is coming!
 
The meek, humble, and gentle are blessed—the promised land is their particular inheritance.
 
Those who are desperately hungry for righteousness are blessed—they will someday be given an abundance of the righteousness for which they long.
 
The merciful, those who give themselves to the hurting rather than take care of themselves, are blessed—they will be given the mercy they need.
 
Those with pure hearts are blessed—they will actually be allowed to look upon God!
 
Those who step into the midst of conflict to find peace will be blessed—they will discover that they are God’s sons and daughters.
 
And those who are persecuted are blessed—like the spiritual beggars, they can claim the kingdom of heaven as their own.
 
Each of these statements challenges the way we think, what we value, and what we pursue. I have never seen a commercial that said, “Be the spiritually poor,” or, “Be meek.” Instead, our commercials and culture say, “Be assertive! Treat yourself! Get what you want!” Even the values Jesus mentions that our world claims to believe in—mercy and peacemaking—fly out the window when showing mercy or pursuing peace means losing one’s identity, voice, and goals. We might admire Mother Teresa, but people aren’t lining up to take her place. Self-sacrifice is only desirable in the abstract; the assumption of our world is that we need to take care of ourselves first.
 
Yet Jesus is explicit. It is these people who are blessed—not the spiritual millionaires, nor the cynical and callous, nor the confident and assertive, nor the “I’m satisfied with the way I am,” nor the “I’ll take care of myself first,” nor the “I don’t need to change; I just need to be true to myself,” nor the apathetic and uncaring, nor the one who won’t stick out his neck for righteousness because of fear of criticism. To pursue the world’s values is to risk losing the blessing of God. Things aren’t what they seem.
 
It takes faith to trust Jesus in this. But if you find yourself feeling spiritually poor, or weeping for the brokenness of the world, or wishing you could mediate between two people who are fighting, don’t be frightened! Step forward in faith as a spiritual beggar, a mourner, a peacemaker, and assume that God will bless you in a place that does not make sense!
 
Steven+