Matthew 5:1-12
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside
and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he
began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
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 be shown 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 because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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 be shown 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 because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you
because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because
great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the
prophets who were before you.
I’m working through this passage in preparation for church
on Sunday. This section of scripture has meant so much to me in my life and
continues to challenge me as I go through every day. I imagine Christ walking up a hillside quietly
as people started to kind of drift off and go back to their homes or to set up
camp but those closest to him just keep walking following in his very
footsteps. Till all of a sudden he turns around and sits down. The words that
would come out of his mouth, being reflections of the very way in which he had
and would continue to live his life. How amazing would it have been to be
there. No iPhone going off no meetings to get too, no busyness engulfing me, simply
being able to sit at the feet of God and listen to what he had to say for each
and every one of our lives. Would I just sit there and take it all in? Would I
ask him all the questions I’ve always had? What would I say after I came down
from that mountaintop? Would it change me?
I guess that’s the challenge we still face today. We as
believers profess to know a God and to have given our lives over to him. We can
each identify the struggles in our own lives and usually even better at
noticing the spec in our brother’s eye. Does knowing the true and living God
who by his grace and his grace alone saved us from ourselves change anything?
Does that change how we are living our lives? Do we take the time to sit at his
feet and to take in his very presence through the word or through prayer or
through communion with him and with each other, or are we just too busy? For me this is not necessarily a revelation
but rather a gut check. How much of my time does God get? Or do I just go along
with my plan bringing him along for the ride. To put it another way, when am I
going to realize that Christ is still the main character in THE story and that’s
who the focus should be on? I’ll
continue to prep for Sunday praying and diving into his word. My biggest hope
and prayer being that may His word be spoken, may His will be done, and may I
not get in the way.
