Fr Mike's Message - 1/29/23

The Gospel: ​Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“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. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Prayer: Lord, you have promised that when two or three gather in your name you will be present with them. We depend on that promise this morning and pray that you will move among us. Lord, we pray that you have inspired Mike's preparation, that you will enliven his presentation and that you will empower our application. Amen

The Message: ​We return to the Gospel of Matthew this morning and find ourselves reading one of the most well-known and familiar passages of scripture. Yet this is one of the passages that I believe most of us find challenging. Can I just say if we don't find the Beatitudes challenging then perhaps we need to examine these verses a little more closely?

Perhaps we should begin this morning by asking the question what is the context of what Jesus is saying here? 

So, briefly, let's look at what has been happening and what has led to Jesus making these extraordinary comments 

The Beatitudes appear in two places in Scripture. Here in Matthew and also in the Gospel of Luke. Both times the scene we witness is preceded by a time of hectic ministry. Both Matthew and Luke record the story we heard last week about Jesus calling Peter, Andrew James, and John then launching into very public ministry.

In Matthew at the end of chapter 4, we read:
"He came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them."  

In Luke, it says: 
"He came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them."
Crowds of people - both Matthew and Luke describe it as a multitude -  milling around, miraculous healings happening, unclean spirits were cured. 

This is the picture of a vibrant and raucous crowd with Jesus in the center of it all publicly displaying what he had spoken of last week in Matthew - The Kingdom of God has come near!

Then in both Gospels, there is an abrupt change in the tone of the crowd and also in Jesus' demeanor. It is almost as though a hush came over everyone and it suddenly becomes a very intimate moment. Just something between Jesus and his closest disciples. 

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

Luke is even more abrupt: "Then he looked up at his disciples and said:"

There is a poignancy and a sense of awe about this moment. If it were an opera there would be cashing of symbols, a thundering of drums, and a blaring of trumpets. Then abruptly silence!

Into that silence, into that quiet poignant moment, with a deep sense of the awe of the majesty of God Jesus says:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
 “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. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

In my mind, this moment reminds me of the story of the disciples in the boat surrounded by and tossed by the waves terrified that they are about to perish, and then Jesus stands up and says "peace, be still" and the wind and the waves obey him. Utter silence.

Or the other moment that comes to mind here is God in the midst of creation in Genesis. Into the chaos that is the beginning of all things God speaks and things are changed. Out of the roiling and thunderous cacophony that is described at the beginning of Genesis God speaks and order appears. Then God declares it good!  

Jesus speaks to the disciples. Following the volatile and to some degree chaotic moments of the reality of the ministry of Jesus meeting the needs of the crowds. He speaks to them and declares a new order of things and a new understanding of how the Kingdom of God should operate.

These are not words casually spoken, these are not directives for the crowds, and these are not instructions for the general populace. This is an intimate conversation with his closest and dearest friends. Jesus is imparting great spiritual truth to disciples. He is seeking to help them grasp a glimpse of "The Kingdom of God." 

We get to experience this moment because, by the grace of God, it is recorded for us to read and to hear it read to us. Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that most of the people in the crowd never heard these words? They didn't, ever, get to know what Jesus said to the Disciples that day. We do get to hear them. We get the opportunity to apply them so ourselves and our lives.   

If we, are Jesus' modern-day disciples, then what are we supposed to take from hearing these words? What are we supposed to understand because we have heard these words today?

Can I ask you, have you ever felt poor in spirit, have you ever mourned, have you ever felt meek, have you ever hungered and thirsted for righteousness, have you ever had to be merciful, have you ever been pure in heart, have you ever been peacemakers, or been persecuted for righteousness sake? 

Do you feel blessed today? Can I tell you that I don't always feel blessed? 

But when I come right down to it the reason I don't feel blessed is that I don't like it when people revile me and persecute me. I don't like it when people utter all kinds of evil against me. I often forget that what people say falsely against me only has value if it is on account of Jesus. 

If I am being really honest I find it very difficult to rejoice and be glad, or to remember that my reward is great in heaven when I am being accused of things that I know are not true. I find it hard to remember that "in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Suddenly the words of Paul in our reading from Corinthians, this morning, have a new relevance: 
"Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Or perhaps the words from Micah are a simpler and more direct way to understand how we are blessed: 
"He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
 and to walk humbly with your God?"

How blessed are you today? Can you judge your circumstances by the Beatitudes or are you judging the Beatitudes by your circumstances?

Perhaps you are feeling the chaos and the uncertainty of your world at the moment. Perhaps you need Jesus to say: Peace be still. Then as Jesus speaks quietly and directly to you this morning do you hear him assuring you that you are his blessed?