Blessed... Really?
Notes
Transcript
How are you doing?
Seriously, How are you doing?
In any given week we are bombarded by all sorts of different stimuli - we hear children laugh and cry, we hear of the plight of homelessness and the booming economy, we are excited about a good health report and we’re devastated by the word cancer, we hit a new fitness goal and we discover a new pain, a couple gets married and we celebrate - another gets a divorce and we grieve, a baby is born and there’s joy, there are complications and we feel the weight of the uncertainty...
This is the world we live in. And Jesus says we’re blessed.
Blessed. Really?
Blessed!
What are we missing?
We read in the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:3-11
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
If we take a quick look I don’t think anyone of us would want to be described as poor in spirit, mourning, meek, wanting, and I know none of us wants to be persecuted nor reviled.
Yet, this is how many feel in the midst of the bombardment of everything that is going on any given day.
At least that is what people say...
I ask, “How’re you doing today?” and from many I get back, “fine, and you?”
But many do not answer that way. Reflecting on the answers I’ve heard this past week so many have been less than fine. Here’s just a sampling of some of the answers I’ve gotten, “Tired,” “Exhausted,” “Overwhelmed,” “Frustrated,” “Busy,” “Buried,” and “Meh, okay I guess.”
To be clear, I’m well aware that people struggle, and we should be open about how we struggle and willing to ask for help. Yet I also hear a world in need - A world that is suffering and hungry for something more.
Does that describe the world to you?
Does that describe you?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the poor in spirit - those who recognize they are in need of God’s help. Their is the kingdom of heaven.
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth:
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
There is hope on the other side. It’s a matter of our perspective - ours is to be an eternal perspective. Paul continues:
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
What is our perspective, are we focused here, or on the eternal?
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
This is perhaps one of the most difficult. Most of us have endured the loss of a loved one, a parent, a good friend, a sibling, perhaps even a child. Many of us have suffered the loss of job. All of us when we have honestly faced up to our own sins have mourned the way their cost and the wounds they have inflicted on others and on our Lord who bore our sins.
We grieve the loss of a loved one because deep inside we recognize it’s not the way it’s supposed to be - death truly forces us to recognize at its root is biblically is our sin. And we have to face up to our sin and repent.
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
The meek are those that don’t assert themselves over others for their own agendas. They are the ones that truly seek God and trust that God will direct the outcome of events.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
This is an amazing promise. Those who really long for God’s righteous character to be evident in people’s lives will recognize God is also the source of that righteousness in their own lives.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
This is sort of a “what goes around comes around” sounding beatitude. the idea is that if you are merciful you too will receive mercy from others - and from God.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
We know that even our most righteous acts are as filthy rags to God, those who seek to have a pure heart shall see God. This isn’t just looking pure, it is truly being pure. It’s fulfillment is in Rev. 22:4 where the children of God will see God’s face. It also speaks of thos recognizing the person of Jesus as the son of God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Contrary to our worldly standards of those who quiet down the fray, these are those who promote God’s shalom. That is, total well-being both personally and communally. These are the ones who will receive the ultimate reward and be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
These are the ones who are wrongly treated because of their faith. Notice they receive the same reward as those that are called “poor in spirit”. So the question arises, are these each describing different groups of people, or the same group of people?
Lastly,
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
If you stand for anything, you will likely be challenged. This is not saying that you are blessed when you are reviled and persecuted for your opinion. What it says is that when others revile and persecute you and say all kinds of lies about you because of your belief in Christ.
So often our focus is on the wrong thing. Our focus is on the here and now, and we lose sight of the eternal perspective.
I bring you back to the passage from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians:
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Jesus said,
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Whose yoke are you carrying?
Blessed…Really?
Blessed…Really?
Blessed. Really!
Blessed. Really!