A Right Position ~ Humility and Blessedness. Matthew 5.6-10
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God's approval.
They will be satisfied.
Blessed are those who show mercy.
They will be treated mercifully.
Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure.
They will see God.
Blessed are those who make peace.
They will be called God's children.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.1
Concluding with the last several beatitudes - it seems they can be summed up by a proper attitude and understanding of ourselves before God, and alongside our fellow sojourners - people with whom we 'do life'.
Humility is just that - a right view of our need for God
and living for his approval only.
And one sure indicator that we have relationship with God is that we desire to live in harmony with those around us.
Let's think about Paul, who had been a very arrogant, and an incredibly well educated Jew in the first century-he did an 'about face' after he met Jesus.2(Have you noticed that those two often go together? Arrogant and well-educated? Hmmm . . . No matter our level of education or powerful position in the world, our low position before a holy and just, all-righteous God does not change. Yet he is so good.)
Look what Paul then wrote about this attitude we ought possess: "As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."3
When the Jewish leaders tried to entrap Jesus, asking what the greatest laws were, he had a simple ready answer, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."4
In the last weeks, I have spent a lot of time studying and then teaching on the beliefs of the Muslims, then the Mormons, (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), and this past week, the Scientologists (the last Morning Briefing). In my study, I have read a lot on the founder/leader of each faith, as well as the doctrine and beliefs of each from their own writings ... but compared with the God of the Bible, the salvation offered through Jesus Christ, and what living life in and with him looks like . . . the rest is folderol.
Truthfully, it makes me sad to think of so many people-adherents in each of the 'religions' mentioned-striving, constantly striving, trying to work their way into
being good or righteous enough to earn their way
to Heaven.
I sat next to a girlfriend at lunch after Women of Passion last week who is currently reading through the Old Testament. She turned with wide eyes and said, 'Wow, it was crazy! And hey, why don't we offer burnt sacrifices anymore, like the people did back then?' Taking another bite of salad, I turned and said, 'Because Jesus became our once and for all sacrifice. He was the perfect Lamb.' It all seemed so casual, and yet, that sums it all up! Jesus did what we could not do for ourselves, and with Jesus, came freedom. 'Read Galatians 5.1,' I said.
These are the reasons we read scripture, and study the life and teachings of Jesus--such as the Beatitudes and how Jesus lived and loved. They serve as a guideline for life. We cannot let any religion or man-made construct move us to 'do service' or keep rules that encumber us. Christ came for freedom. As Paul said, "For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, We are his offspring."5 In Jesus, we are blessed.
1 - God's Word Translation
2 - Acts 9.1-22 is the account of Saul's conversion ('Saul' is the Hebrew name for the
same Greek name 'Paul')
3 - Colossians 3.12-14
4 - Mark 12.30-31
5 - Acts 17.28
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