Blessed Are...

Blessed Are…

Our New Testament reading today comes from the Gospel of Matthew, which has the most Jewish tone of all three of the Synoptic Gospels and it is clear to emphasize the validity of the Law, the Torah, as a guide to moral behavior. So before we read of Jesus words, we read that he has gone to a mountain. And it is no accident that the biblical authors tell us that Jesus went up to a mountain. Do you remember another time when something special comes from a man on a mountain? That’s right Moses, in the book of Exodus goes up to Mount Sinai to offer the Ten Commandments. So, here is a man on a mountain offering some more holy commandments, but these ones are called the beatitudes. Does anyone know why? Beatitudes comes from the Latin word beatus, meaning "blessed" or "happy". And so Jesus begins his sermon and tells us who the blessed ones really are.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

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 receive 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 for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

He said a lot of things in crowded rooms, in stuffy caves filled with people, packed in so tight that they could hardly breathe. He said a lot while standing on stumps and platforms and stairways, he said a lot to crowds hungry for words from him. But not this time, this time he wanted his words to be heard with silence, he wanted his words to ring from the hillsides and echo into their souls. He wanted his words to be soaked up and soaked in so they knew them like their own.

The mountain was silent. It was not at all what they were expecting to hear. They were waiting to hear of royalty and warriors. They were waiting to hear of abundant feasts and tables spilling of milk and honey. They were waiting to hear of heroes and emperors. They were waiting to hear of greatness…And instead they heard, Blessed are the poor in spirit…

You see that is probably why Jesus took them away from the hungry crowds to the holy silence of the mountaintop. He knew they would have their worlds turned upside down. He knew that it would be as if they were meeting God again for the very first time. This God, that Jesus points us to, this God, this Ground of our Being, this Source of all Life, this Presence, has a way of turning our worlds upside down. We tell ourselves that those who have it all are blessed, those who are full are blessed, those who lack for nothing are blessed and our God says, blessed are the poor in spirit… We tell ourselves that happiness is the goal, that personal bliss is our aim and our God says, blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. We tell ourselves that bright and big and bold lives are where it’s at and God says, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. We tell ourselves we who are living righteous , pious lives are blessed, that those who have it figured out are blessed and our God says, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. We tell ourselves that we know what is right, we lower the gavel and say our piece and our God says, blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy and blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. We tell ourselves that we are making ourselves safe and secure and free and that we are willing to do this at any cost and our God says, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. We tell ourselves that easy lives are the way, that what is best for us is the life we deserve and God says that if we are following Jesus truly, we might struggle. Jesus says, blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

In God’s eyes, the world looks entirely different. That’s what Jesus is telling us. It is Jesus who also told us with God nothing is impossible. It is Jesus who told us he came to proclaim liberty to the captives, release for the prisoners and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. It is Jesus who pointed us to our God, this God who turns our world upside down. And did you notice something special about Jesus’ words on the mountaintop? Did you notice that the first four lines are about reversal? They are about turning everything around and challenging expectations. You might be joining the disciples, thinking to yourself, well I am not poor in spirit and I am not mourning, I am not meek, I am not longing for righteousness. And Jesus says that you are blessed too because you can be his hands to those who are. Jesus says that you can cultivate a merciful heart, you can work for peace, and you can be willing to suffer for those who have nothing. This is Jesus’ political speech. This is his invitation to the whole world. On that mountaintop, he set aside all manner of categories. He didn’t extend blessings based on income bracket or race. He didn’t extend blessings based on work history or education level. He didn’t extend blessings based on anything other than the fact that you are. Bless you, just as you are, beloved child of God. He extended blessings to all of us. If you are hurting, know that God is with you and if you aren’t, know that following Jesus means joining those who are. And that is why he ended with the words, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven…” In Jesus’ heart, the very meaning of heaven is the place where his words come together. It is the place where human hearts meet. Blessed are those who are aching and blessed are those who dare to believe that they might be an answer to the prayer of an aching heart. Blessed are you who try to see the world as God does. It is a world turned upside down. As Jesus says later when God’s will is done, “the first shall be last and the last shall be first.” May we work to make this so as disciples of Christ. Amen.