WATCHWORD:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the [a]earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God. Matthew 5:3-8
Meditation:
I know, just the other day, I listed all of the Beatitudes, why am I singling out these few, for special attention? Well, I got to thinking about how this part of the Sermon on the Mount seems to be setting a standard that one, early in their walk with Christ, could lead to discouragement.
First, I don’t know that I’m poor in spirit, and I certainly know from experience about mourning. I would like to think that I am meek, and I do hope and wish for righteousness in this world. But I wonder about my sense of mercy in so many small acts during the course of my life. Then we come to the big one, blessed are the pure in heart. Oh, how I fall short.
If we go back to the first two verses of Matthew 5, “He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them.” This is Jesus, the Teacher, laying out, point by point, the importance of a life in the spirit. And he is recognizing in his disciples, and in us, our own poverty of spirit.
Think of the Beatitudes not so much as a set of standards, but more like a ladder, and the first rung of that latter is this whole matter of poor in spirit. And if we view poor in spirit as in poverty of spirit, then we could relate to that. This is where we all start in our Christian walk.
A ladder, if it is to be of any use, must have its first step. What if the first step was “blessed are the pure in heart”? That would have left many of us in the dust of discouragement. Beginners in the Walk of Christ could not understand or make a claim to such a standard.
In Tuesday’s My Utmost for His Highest, Chambers reflects on the frustration that many of us feel when we fall short of the standard our Lord seems to set for us. And then he makes the point that I can really relate to. If we do look at the Beatitudes as the standards that were supposed to meet, or if we view Jesus as our teacher and only as teacher, yes, we are going to get frustrated.
Chambers tells us that “I must know Jesus Christ as my Savior before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of a lofty ideal which only leads to despair. But when I am born again by the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus Christ did not come only to teach—He came to make me what He teaches I should be.”
I think we do an injustice to our Christian walk when we use certain terms to communicate our belief in Christ. What I mean by that is that too often we talk about accepting Christ, and that may communicate that Christ invites us to come follow him. But it doesn’t seem to communicate what a life change experience that is. We come as beggars to the throne of God, saying “Please fill me with your spirit”. And because poverty of spirit is an absolute prerequisite for receiving the Kingdom of Heaven, that is the starting point of our new life.
And so, the teaching begins. Filled with the Spirit, we are assured, even in loss, and we are comforted. Then, step by step, we climb the ladder. We learn humility, we seek righteousness, we reach out in mercy, and in so much of life, we see God, and His work right there before our eyes. And our lives are changed, at first subtly, and then more clearly, and gradually, we become the person He teaches us to be. Praise the Lord. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
We can do no great things, only small things with great love. Mother Teresa
One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of
love, friendship, indignation and compassion. Simone De Beauvoir
Sometimes all a person wants is an empathetic ear; all he or she needs is to talk it
out. Just offering a listening ear and an understanding heart for his or her
suffering can be a big comfort.
Roy Bennett
Prayer and Blessing:
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.
Psalm 23, New Living Version
May the Lord bless us and keep us; May the Lord make His face shine on us
and be gracious to us; May the Lord turn His face toward us
and give us His peace. Amen.
