The Spice of Life

When we read scripture, we often have a terrible habit of paying attention to the verses and sections. When the Bible was originally written, it didn't have the section and paragraph breaks. In fact, Greek didn't even have punctuation to separate one sentence from another, let alone paragraphs and chapters and verses.

Now usually, the editors do a good job of breaking things up. They'll usually leave a complete thought a complete thought. But sometimes, even a paragraph break can throw us off. I think the break between Matthew 5:12 and 13 is one such break. When we read this section, we typically read the Beatitudes as if they stand alone, then verse 13 starts a completely new section, only minimally related to the Beatitudes.

What I hope you'll see today is that what Jesus says in verses 13 through 16 is inseparable from the Beatitudes. Without verses 1 through 12, we are tempted to think that the way Christians are "salt" and "light" in the world is by fighting in the political arena for our beliefs and correct doctrine and making sure the Ten Commandments stay in courthouses.

But when we read verses 13 through 16 in light of verses 1-12, we see a different picture. The Beatitudes are Jesus' new proclamation about the nature of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God in so many ways is diametrically opposed to the way the world does things. The world is about pride and confidence, the Kingdom stands up for the poor in spirit. The world is about boldness, the Kingdom finds strength in meekness and humility. The world is about coercion and deception, the Kingdom is about purity of heart. So many things about the Kingdom are so different from the world, it's often hard to see how they can co-exist.

So as we read Jesus' challenge to be "salt," we must read it in light of the Beatitudes. How are we salt? Is it by buying into the latest ideas of the world? Not really. Is it by fighting the way the world does? Not at all. But the way we are salt, is by living out the radical, self-sacrificing love of Jesus in the world. We are salt when we love our enemies. We are salt when we, in real and practical ways, stand together with the poor and broken. We are salt when we, more than anything else in life, seek out right relationship with God and our neighbors.

That means not buying in to the culture that tells us we have to have the best job, the nicest house, the most "successful" and athletic kids or the busiest life. It means we become willing to sacrifice the "stuff" of life for the people in our life.

Salt is important in our day, but it's not nearly as important as it was in Jesus' day. For us, salt adds flavor (and usually iodine) and that's it. But salt was a hot commodity in the ancient world. Salt did two things.

The most important use for salt in Jesus' day was as a preservative. Today we have refrigeration. Back then they had salt. When someone would kill an animal, seldom could they eat the whole thing before it went bad and killing a cow for one meal was awfully expensive--even for us. So when they would kill an animal in order to eat, they would take what they needed and cover the leftovers in a thick coat of salt. The salt would preserve the meat long enough not to let it all go to waste.

As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, how are you partnering with God to preserve the world? Of course, this requires activity. As saw earlier on the post on compassion, it's not enough just to feel compassionate or feel like you should work to preserve the world. What matters is that you actually make practical, proactive steps to do so. How do you do that? You embody all the values of the Kingdom Jesus mentions in the Beatitudes.

The second thing salt does is it adds flavor. Now too much salt is not a good thing (as my son finds out every now and again when he tries to apply his own salt), but in just the right dose, it enhances enjoyment.

I think this also applies to our job as Kingdom people as well. Our job is not necessarily to overpower other people's gifts until all they see is us, but to help them understand who God created them to be. People will get more enjoyment out of life when they're living out who God intended them to be. I'm not talking about God planning out people's lives, I don't believe that's the case. But what I am saying is that he created each of us with unique gifts, interests, passions and dreams. Over time all these natural, God-given qualities tend to get overrun with the expectations people have for us or the inevitable failures of life. When these things happen, we begin to feel that we're something other than God's intentional, good creation.

As Kingdom people, we can breath life back into dead people by reminding them of who God created them to be. I think the Beatitudes, one by one war against the very things that try to convince us that we are not good enough or that somehow, God made a mistake in creating us. If believers actively live out the Kingdom and seek to be salt in the world, we fulfill all that God intended for us.

How are you living out Jesus' teaching to be salt in the world? What keeps you from stepping out and being proactive?

In good company

At the end of the Beatitudes, we have the only couplet that is explained further. For those who don't know, a couplet is a type of poetic verse that contains two lines that complete a thought. In the Bible, we usually find the two lines contrasting with each other--especially in the Proverbs. In the Beatitudes, we find the couplets that are cause and effect. "Blessed are...FOR they shall..."

The last line breaks up the couplet streak by expounding more. The couplet I'm talking about is in verse 10, but the thought continues on into verses 11 and 12.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The second part (verses 11 and 12) are actually an explanation of verse 10. What does it mean to be persecuted? Why should anyone think persecution is something to be celebrated? In an earlier post, we looked at what it means to be righteous. Suffice it to say (if you haven't read it) that righteousness is a relational term. It's not about following rules to the "t." It's about being in right standing with God and the people around us. When we're in perfect relationship with people, we are complete. We are what God intended us to be. When our relationships are broken, we are broken.

Looking at righteousness in this way, it seems as though Jesus is talking about persecution that comes about because of our right relationships--particularly with God. But here's the real kicker. It's because of our relationship with God that we allow ourselves to be persecuted in the first place. Here's what I mean.

When I am in right relationship with God, when I live as a citizen of HIS Kingdom, I do things His way. His way is the way of the "peacemakers." His way is the way of the merciful (and we show mercy, not just to people who are our "side," but we show mercy to everyone. Later in Matthew, we'll read that Jesus challenges us to love our enemies and "pray for those who persecute" us.

If I am inclined not to do things God's way, I don't allow myself to be persecuted. For one thing, I might hide or downplay the thing--like a particular belief--I would be persecuted for. Or, on the other hand, I may become "militant" about my beliefs, challenging and fighting against anyone who would dare disagree with me. This second way was the way of the zealots.

The zealots were Jewish freedom fighters. They, like most Jews, were tired of the Roman occupation and believed that God gave them a mandate to fight against their captors. The zealots were also expecting that the Messiah would be a political or military ruler that would overthrow the Romans and against establish Israel as a free nation--God's people. But of course, when Jesus came, He redefined everything they believed about the Messiah

For the zealots, winning was conquering. For Jesus, victory came only in laying down His own life for His "enemies." So when we're persecuted, whatever that persecution is, we don't come out with the gloves on. We love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. When we do, Jesus says we're in good company and great is our eternal reward!

Are we "passivists?"

Continuing through the Beatitudes, we've come to "blessed are the peacemakers." This is another one that we would be tempted to say Jesus wants us to be peacemakers. I think it's actually true that Jesus does want us to be peacemakers. We'll get to the "blessed" (good news) part later, but first, let's talk about peacemakers.

We're all familiar with the debate over war and peace. I would guess that most people would come down on the "just war" side--that there are just times when war is a necessary evil. The question I've wrestled with over the last couple of years though is if it's ever OK for Christians to resort to violence to solve anything. More and more, as I look at the teachings of Jesus, I'm thinking more and more the answer is "no." This particular beatitude is one reason why.

The most popular (and most convincing) argument against "pacifism" is that we are called to defend the defenseless. Pacifists are seen as "passivists." This is why, more and more people are abandoning the label pacifism and turning to something like "peace theology." True peace theology, in the spirit of Jesus is not passive, it's very active. Peace-makers are not passive when it comes to justice for the poor, the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, etc. In fact, I would go out on a limb and say that peace-makers are much more concerned with issues of justice than most people who condone war in its various forms.

While many peace theologians will respect a government's authority to "wield the sword," they would say it's never appropriate for a follower of Christ to do so. Governments can be very effective at achieving their goals through the use of force. The goal of government is self-preservation and the well-being of its people.

I guess you could also say that the goal of the Kingdom of God is also self-preservation, but the difference is that I believe when the church turns to the sword to advance (like in the Crusades and Inquisition, et al.) it actually ceases to be the Kingdom of God and becomes something else-it becomes another king of Kingdom.

But you might ask, "How can the Kingdom of God (or Kingdom people) possibly achieve any kind of justice without resorting to using force or coercion?" Great question, I'm glad you asked. Very well, actually. The concept is very simple, but it's not easy, nor is it quick.

I like the way Greg Boyd frames the conversation. He says the power of the state is "power over." It's coercion. It's the sword (or gun). It's passing legislation. Now there may be a place for these things. In Romans 13:4ff, Paul tells us to submit to our "secular" government because "he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. he is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer..." General George Patton once said, "The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." That's "power over," and its the power of government.

But the power of the Kingdom is "power under." It's Jesus emptying Himself of all the perks and powers of being God and living among the poorest of the poor. It's wrapping a towel around Himself and washing His disciples feet. It's Jesus bringing "justice" by going to the cross and dying for us.

Power over squashes people. Power under lifts people up. Power over forces others to bow down. Power under kneels before others in order to lift their head. In Matthew 20, Jesus describes the difference between the two approaches when He's teaching His disciples:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great mong you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

So while the "power over" stance of government may fight injustice a certain way, by laws, coercion, etc. The Kingdom fights injustice, but does it in a much different way--incarnation. Power over creates an "us vs. them" mentality. WE are the good guys, THEY are the bad guys. Power under always seeks reconcilliation. So rather than simply punishing the bad guys, Kingdom people become willing to stand with the victims; to identify with them in their struggles and oppression.

When the church has tried to do it any other way, they may have saved some from oppression, but became oppressors themselves. I would argue that this is reason enough for Christians never to resort to coercion, manipulation or violence. Coercion, manipulation and violence do not breed peace. Only peace breeds peace.

But here's the catch; peace, as a means takes time. Coercion and violence can bring about quick results, but will be unsustainable. Grace and peace will always take more time, but will be much longer lasting. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, "Love never fails." It may SEEM like it's failing, but the reality is that peace works from the inside out. If we have peace on the inside, it will follow on the outside as well.

This is why Jesus says in the Beatitudes, "I have good news for the peace-makers." They need good news because it's just those who see peace as a means, not just an end that may become discouraged because the results are slow in coming. In fact peace-makers will suffer more and even die in their efforts to bring peace and justice, but their suffering and death will never be in vain.

Jesus' words are meant to encourage those who may be tempted to think they're going about things the wrong way. While the violent and the politicians are thriving, the peace-makers are doing things the Kingdom way and seem to be achieving nothing. Ultimately, they are the children of God. The children of God have observed and learned to do things the way their Father does them. Whether they "achieve" what they set out to achieve or not, their reward is to hear their heavenly Father congratulate them for a job well-done.

How to get rid of double vision.

I have a friend who has just about perfect vision, but still wears glasses. No, it's not because he thinks he looks good in glasses. Sure, he's a good-looking guy, but that's with or without glasses...anyway. The reason he wears them is because without them he sees double. I'm not sure if they really know why, they just know that if he wears lenses that are prisms, he sees just fine. So his glasses have no prescription, just prisms.

Some things are better in twos. Bicycles are better than unicycles. Eyes are better when you have two. So are legs. Anyway, you get the picture. Sometimes two is better. When it comes to vision, however, you only want to see one. When it comes to the Kingdom of God, one is definitely better than two.

In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." The obvious question to ask here is what does it mean to be pure in heart?

In the Beatitudes, when Jesus says "pure," it uses the Greek word katharos. This is the origin of our word "cathartic." We often think of the word cathartic in terms of therapy. What it actually means is to purify, to get rid of all the things that don't belong and return something to its original state--the way it was intended to be. When everything is in its place, everything works right.

Of course the heart, both in Jesus' culture and ours represents the center of our being-both physical and spiritual. When we see someone who's unconscious, what do we check? We check for a pulse, of course. The heart is what makes us go.

So what Jesus is saying is "Good news for all you whose hear is free from all the things that don't belong there." The key to the Beatitudes is to remember that it's not that God will reward the people who are pure in heart or poor in spirit, etc. but this is just the way things work in the Kingdom of God. It will certainly feel like a reward, but the good news Jesus talks about in the Beatitudes are the natural result of Kingdom living.

Of course, the natural result of living with a heart free from impurities is a clear vision of God. But when our heart is corrupted by impurities, our vision of God is also impure. It's almost as if our heart is the lens through which we see God.

How does it work? Well, if my heart is basically set on God, but a little on my desire to be rich, it might result in me seeing God as the means to financial gain. "God wants me to be rich," I'd say, ignoring the stern warnings Jesus gives about love of money. If I allow sex to be close to the center, I may think God doesn't really care about pornography or lustful thoughts. If I have bitterness in my heart, I might have a judgmental attitude thinking God sees me as right despite the evidence that's obvious to everyone else.

Of course, this exposes a dangerous catch-22. I continually amazed at the number of people who can be so sure they see or rather, hear God clearly. Often, no matter what someone else says, they're so sure they hear Him right. They've made up their mind and no amount of counsel will convince them otherwise. Such situations emphasize the importance of two things: submission to Scripture and Christian community.

The Bible gives us the clearest vision of God of any other source. It's not a secret message-it's right out there for anyone to read and study and discuss. But what's important is that we're willing to submit to its message; its entire message, rather than picking and choosing what we read or study. This is why it's also important to study scripture together. We learn from each other. It's in hearing other perspectives that our biases and "impurities" are exposed.

When I rid myself of these impurities I can see God clearly. When I can see God clearly, I can look at myself clearly and honestly as well. It's only then I can be who God created me to be and my double-vision will disappear.

Feeling bad won't get you to heaven!

True or False: It's the thought that counts? If you think it's true, try to explain that to the homeless guy who hasn't eaten today. Is it really the thought that counts? Can your thoughts miraculously make a sandwich appear in his mouth? This is the question that is at issue in Matthew 5:7.

If you really want to study the Bible in-depth and pull out all of the nuances of what it says, it's helpful to know how to use the Bible study tools (or know the original language, but how many of us really know that). Matthew 5:7 is a case in point. In the English language today, we don't use words very precisely, so when a Bible translator wants to express the full thought behind a Greek word, he's left with limited options. Many times, these limited options can leave us confused.

One great example that's pretty well, known is the word "love." In English, I can use the word love to describe how I feel about my wife or how I feel about peach smoothies; exact same word. If I were to guess, you would probably know figure out that I don't treat my wife the same way I treat a peach smoothie (and vice versa).

In the Greek language, however, there are three different words for love...eros, phileo and agape. "Eros" is where we get our word "erotic." It's the sexual, sensual form of love. "Phileo" is the root of the word "Philadelphia Cream Cheese (which I love). OK, but it IS the root of Philadelphia--the "city of brotherly love"-how ironic is that? If you didn't catch that, phileo is "brotherly love." It's the solidarity of humanity when we're living in harmony. Finally, there's "agape," the deep, deep love of a father for a son or the mother for a child. (I don't know which of these I'd use for my love of peach smoothies!) In any case, you can see that the Greek words are much more precise than the english word. I don't know if this is always the case, but sometimes it is.

Same thing with this word "mercy." When we think about the word mercy, I would guess that most people would equate it with the word "compassion." The two go hand in had in our world and they did in Jesus' day as well. When we look in the Bible, we find that the words that are translated "mercy" and "compassion" are very different words. Biblically speaking, compassion is a feeling, mercy is an action.

The that's translated as compassion is sometimes oikteirō and sometimes splanchnizomai. Oikteiro just means "feeling pity" or "feeling sorry for someone." Splanchnizomai means "bowels." Yep, you read that right, bowels. I'm not sure I completely get this one, except that many cultures back then used "bowels" the same way we use "heart." Thus, "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my bowels. Where? Down in my bowels...you get the point." Wait, I've just thought of another love song. Who can forget the Extreme song, "There's a hole in my bowels that can only be filled with you...and this hole in my bowels can't be filled with the things I do." Nice thought, huh? (Makes me glad we made the switch to heart.)

Anyway, compassion is a feeling that comes from deep down inside. Compassion says, "my heart goes out to them." (There's another one...It just sounds wrong to say, "my bowels go out them." I'll stop now.) It's great to feel bad, but it's not enough. Now, compassion isn't a bad thing if it motivates us to action. Any time the gospels use that word for Jesus, the feeling is followed by action. The people were hungry so Jesus fed them (Mt. 15:32). They were sick, so He healed them (Mk 1:41). Jesus' splanchnizomai is always followed by action.

However, we know this isn't true for us. There are many times we feel bad for someone, but that's about as far as it goes. We don't really lift a finger to help because we think it's the thought that counts. Good Christians should feel bad when bad things happen. Well, this isn't Jesus' way.

So when we get to Matthew 5:7 and Jesus says, "blessed are the merciful," He uses the word eleēmōn. Eleēmōn is not a feeling. It's not just pity for others, but taking the initiative to do something about it. Action is built right into the word. So the people listening to Jesus could make no mistake, feelings weren't enough. Anyone can feel bad, but the Kingdom is filled with people who show mercy with action.

As with every other beatitude, there's a particular Kingdom blessing that comes with each one. Those who mourn will be comforted, the meek will inherit the earth, etc. In this case, those who actively show mercy will actively be shown mercy. Perhaps the corollary to this is that God will just "feel sorry for those" who only "feel sorry."

In the world today-as it was in Jesus' day-the ruthless win. "Show no mercy" is the motto of the business and political world. When you have someone down, you go for the kill. But in the counter-cultural world of the Kingdom of God, things are upside-down.

In the last post, I wrote about how I think we should refine our idea of righteousness according to Jesus' teaching. This passage makes me think that all the more. We tend to think that things like murder, stealing, and lying are sins, but bitterness and lack of mercy are just character flaws or "something I have to get over." But Jesus says very clearly here and in other places that we receive mercy from God only in so far as we show mercy to others. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus calls mercy one of the "more important matters of the law."

So the question for me is, "Where do I need to show mercy?" This question is not just a hypothetical-remember mercy is not a feeling, it's an action. Where am I an agent of God's Kingdom mercy?

Refining Righteousness

Working through the Sermon on the Mount (up to this point, just the Beatitudes) has been a great thing for me. Often times, the greatest problem long-time Christians have in reading the Bible (again) is to keep looking at it from the same perspective we always have. In a way, that's only natural. We all see life from a particular perspective; either the perspective we were taught when we were being raised or the perspective we chose to take when we started rebelling against the perspective we were taught when we were being raised.

Regardless, we often get stuck looking only through the lens of what we already know, rather than seeking to go back to a passage with new eyes--a clean sheet of paper, so to speak.

I mentioned at the beginning of this study that my lens was always the lens of a semi-fundamentalist upbringing that defined sin as the outward acts like smoking, drinking, dancing, going to movies, playing cards and failing to read your Bible. Often times, spiritual growth comes when we, holding loosely to those ideas, we become open to looking at the Bible from a different perspective.

If you only look at one side of a coin, you'll describe the coin as a round, flat piece of metal that has the picture of some guy's head on it. That's it. Some people never explore the coin from a different perspective and thus fail to see that there's another side to it.

Some people will object, "but if we don't "hold firm" to what we believe, we run the risk of believing anything and become wishy-washy Christians." Is this criticism valid? Only if we don't continue to go back to Scripture and allow its message to shape us. I actually think it's more dangerous to hold too tightly to our particular interpretation of scripture and not continue to re-examine scripture, re-evaluating our lives in light of it. We actually make our pet doctrine or interpretation of Scripture to be the authority rather than Scripture itself.

I have to admit, all of this is a set-up. It's a set-up for you to open yourself up to a new understanding of "righteousness." Defining "righteous" by referring to the rules of religion places you squarely in opposition to the teaching of Jesus Himself on this topic.

We all know the Pharisees and the religious leaders were Jesus' "enemies" (if you could call them that). What was it about the Pharisees that upset Jesus? It was not that they made rules-not entirely anyway. It wasn't that they followed rules. It was that they focused on the rules and made them the measure of the spiritual life. They majored on minors.

For instance, in Matthew 23 Jesus' goes off on the Pharisees. They are hypocrites, they make religion a burden with all their rules, they do everything to be seen by people, they love the place of honor, etc. They look beautiful on the outside following all the rules, but are full of filth on the inside.

Take the example of verses 16-22. One practice of the Pharisees was that of "corban," or an oath to the temple. Corban was a way of recognizing the gifts God gave by committing a certain amount of money back to the Temple. This, in itself isn't a bad thing. However, when it gets out of focus that's where the problem starts. For the Pharisees, their oath to the Temple was so binding that if they had some money they committed to the Temple, but afterward found out their own parents were starving, they wouldn't even help them.Jesus says, "Corban is great. Tithe is fine. Just don't forget about the important things." There are just some things that are more important than the rules.

Back in Matthew 5, after the Beatitudes, but still in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Most people who heard this, who didn't really get it yet would have certainly been thinking it was an impossible task. How could anyone surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the law? The Kingdom of Heaven is completely out of reach for the average person stuggling along.

But remember, we're looking at the Beatitudes here which proclaim "good news" for those whom religion has left behind. So while this may have seemed like a daunting task to people hearing it for the first time, later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains what He means by "righteousness," and it's not really what the people were expecting.

While we'll look more in-depth at how Jesus describes righteousness later on, suffice it to say it has less to do with rules and more to do with "love"-pure, relational, self-sacrificial love. Righteousness is to be in right standing with God and neighbors. When people long for it, or as Jesus says, "hunger and thirst for righteousness" they will be filled.

Whereas, all the people's efforts to obey all the rules and laws left people isolated and prone to judgement and separation when other people didn't live up their standards, Jesus' redefinition of "righteousness" gave freedom and led to reconcilliation. Instead of being responsible only to care for ourselves and make sure we're following all the rules, we're free to forget about ourselves and care for others.

What does it mean to be filled with righteousness? Listen to Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13:12. As we grow in love, here's what happens. "Now we know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." Does that sound like right relationship to you? Does to me.

Blessed are the Meek

There's a commercial campaign for a line of cars that encourages us to "grab life by the horns." Of course it's for Dodge trucks. I can only assume they mean that if I buy a Dodge truck that's exactly what I'm doing. When I do, I will be a success. This is a common sentiment in our day and age. If I'm aggressive and take control of my own destiny, I will be considered a success.

I actually think there's a sense in which this is true. I know a lot of people who sit around and mope and feel sorry for themselves, feeling they are just the victim of circumstance. Passivity becomes their way of life. It's on this backdrop that I move on to the next line of the Sermon on the Mount..."blessed are the meek."

The word Matthew uses is praus, which means "gentle, enduring all things with an even temper, tender, free from haughty self-sufficiency, tender of spirit." When we read the definition, we could be convinced that Jesus is saying there is a virtue on being meek. I think this would be accurate as long as we make a distinction.

There are some people who are intentionally meek. For some, it's part of their personality. They're just quiet, humble, unassuming people who can take things in stride. This is the result of a quiet spirit that's confident of their place as a child of God. But for some, meekness is not necessarily a virtue. This is what I believe Jesus is referring to here.

For some people, praus (meekness) is a learned behavior. It's not that they learn something and decide to make a change for the better, it's more like a Pavlovian response to life. After people get beaten down for so long, they begin to feel like they're not worth anything. If a harsh husband tells a wife she's good for nothing for long enough, she begins to believe it. When circumstances keep working against a person they can be prone to believe God doesn't love them. When these things happen, confidence is eroded and some people hide. Those are the meek Jesus is refering to.

Of course, meek people don't take the initiative; they don't "grab life by the horns," and as a consequence, society leaves them behind. This was certainly prevalent in Jesus' day--society had a way of leaving people behind. But in the middle of this, Jesus says, "Good news to you who life as beaten down!" The Kingdom is good news to people whom society has left behind.

I think the interesting thing in this one comes in the next line: "for they will inherit the earth." First of all, it doesn't say, "you'll get yours in heaven." He says they will recieve the earth. Maybe their reward will come later, but Jesus doesn't talk about a strictly "spiritual" reward. Second, notice how they will "get" the earth. It's an inheritance.

While the bold and the brash seek to conquer the earth and take it by cunning, force and manipulation, the meek recieve it as an inheritance. This is the ultmate plot twist here. The people who are really seeking to be important, the ones who have the power, resources and cleverness to take over the world ultimately will end up with nothing. God owns it all and no matter how powerful or rich or manipulative anyone is they cannot have what God doesn't give them.

The sad reality is that too often in its history, the church has been the ones seeking to take the world by force. The crusades, the inquisition among other things are evidence that the church has not always been among the meek. We've sought power and reputation as the way to accomplish "God's will." But such efforts are detrimental to the Gospel. Think of the vast numbers of people who reject God or the church today for this very reason.

While it seems like the agressive always win in life, the greatness of the Kingdom is that some day order will be restored. There will be justice in the overall scheme of things.

In the meantime, we followers of Christ should work feverishly to proclaim the Kingdom is here now! We don't just wait for things to be restored in the end. We are salt and light now to proclaim the radical upside-down nature of the Kingdom. We work toward justice, not by power, but by identifying with the meek, knowing that one day, the earth will be ours.

When we trust in what Jesus says about the Kingdom, we can be free from the power games of society. Trust says "I believe and will commit to God's way of doing things," rather than "grabbing life by the horns."

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

Blessed are those who mourn is one of those phrases that make us believe Jesus was doing more in the Beatitudes than telling us how our attitude should be. A key to interpreting the Bible well is for us to remember that the Bible was written FOR us, but not TO us. In other words, whenever we read the Bible, we have to look at it in its own context. When Paul wrote the book of Romans, he wasn't writing it to Hillside Wesleyan Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. When Jesus preached the sermon on the Mount, He wasn't thinking about Kory Kleinsasser in 2009. I can learn from what He taught, but Jesus was saying something very specific to the people around Him.

In many ways, we always assume Jesus is talking to us--the middle class Americans. I think Jesus' message in the Beatitudes does have something to say to us, but he wasn't really talking to us. So whenever we read we should try to figure out who He's talking to and what are the issues He's addressing. We can learn a lot about a passage when we try to learn about the history and culture surrounding any given teaching.

When we hear the phrase "blessed are those who mourn," we often just move on to the next "beatitude" because unlike the other beatitudes we really can't think of why mourning would actually be a virtue to Jesus. Well, just like the rest of them, Jesus isn't saying that mourning is a virtue-that somehow you're better off in the Kingdom if you're always sad about something.

Remember when Jesus says "blessed are" you can substitute the words "good news!" So Jesus is saying, "I've got good news for you who are poor in spirit. I have good news to those of you who are mourning!" Of course, what is the Gospel if it isn't good news?

Jesus comes proclaiming good news to those who mourn. In Jesus' day and age we can be certain that this was the majority of your average, everyday people. In fact, when we look over the course of history in most societies, pain, suffering and mourning are the rule rather than the exception. We tend to forget this (or intentionally forget this) because mourning is the exception in our American society today.

People in most societies throughout history have lived in close relationship with death. Infant mortality rates were high life expectancy was low. Disease and war were rampant and grotesque. We have been "blessed" (for lack of a better word) in our society that suffering and death is very seldom a part of life. When we do face death, it tends to be hidden or sanitized. We've used our technology to distance ourselves from suffering.

But it's not just our society today that's done this. Anywhere at any time, if people could do the same thing, the would. There were rich people in Jesus' day that could, to some degree, separate themselves from pain and suffering as well. But there are always those who cannot get away from suffering, pain and mourning. To those people, Jesus says, "Good news! The Kingdom comforts people like you."

The question we have to ask then is "how?" How does the Kingdom comfort mourning people? My temptation is to answer that question by talking about heaven. Sure there is pain and suffering here on earth, but if you just keep your faith, when you die you'll have the rewards of heaven. I believe that's true and it should be a consolation to all of us who suffer here. But I also see a couple of problems with dismissing the question in such a trite way.

The first problem is the struggle we have with the idea of fairness. Sure, heaven is a reward for people who suffer here on earth. But there are some people here on earth who suffer very little in comparison to others and yet, they too get to go to heaven. Where is the equity in that? If you can go to heaven without all the suffering, why does anyone need to suffer? So while there is consolation in the hope of heaven, its not necessarily the answer to the question of how the Kingdom comforts those who mourn.

The second problem with jumping right to heaven is that Jesus taught the Kingdom is not just "out there" but He taught that the Kingdom is "HERE." How is the Kingdom a present comfort to those who mourn now? I think the answer comes when we think about the idea of "blessing."

How often do we pray and thank God for the many blessings He has given us? If you're like most Christians probably at every meal and when your church takes the offering on Sunday morning. Actually, we often stop to thank God for the way He has "blessed" us. But if that's all we think about blessing, we don't have a Biblical view of blessing.

In the Bible (Old and New Testament) we find that blessings are not just for us to enjoy. Take the blessing God promised to Abraham for instance. God promised to make Abraham a "great nation" -- his descendants would be like the sands on the beach. Of course, this would have made Abraham a happy guy. But what was the real reason for Abraham's blessing? Was it for him to enjoy? Genesis 18:18 says this: "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him."

So you see the blessing Abraham received had a purpose that was greater than just Abraham's enjoyment. He was blessed to bless others. Over time, Israel forgot this purpose as we're all prone to do. Not only this, but it's usually the blessing itself (i.e. money, leisure, good health, etc.) that keeps us from being the blessing to others.

The point I'm making here is that the Kingdom of Heaven is good news to those who mourn because God blesses people in order to bless others. Kingdom people with good health, are healthy in order to bless the sick. Kingdom people with wealth are wealthy in order to bless those who are poor. Kingdom people who are happy are happy in order to bless those who mourn. In the Kingdom, it's about the relationship.

Too often, instead of using our wealth to care for those who are poor or those who mourn, we use it to avoid pain. We think we are blessed in order keep ourselves from pain or at least inconvenience. But any glance at the teachings of Jesus should tell us that Kingdom living requires that we enter into the suffering of others. (e.g. Matthew 25) We are blessed to be a blessing to those who may not be. I'll get more into Matthew 5:13-16 in a later post, but read these verses now with a mind toward the beatitudes. Why do you think Jesus talks about our status as salt and light right after the beatitudes?

Are the beatitudes true because of you? Are you working toward fulfilling Kingdom purposes in the world? Do you use the time when you're not mourning loss to identify with and bless those who are mourning? How are you using your wealth to insulate yourself from the suffering of others? How can you change this?