Becoming – Matthew 5:1-16
This passage concludes with; “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” and it began with the Beatitudes – Jesus’ list of “blessed be’s”. I think from this passage and many of Paul’s teachings it is clear that our blessedness is to be apparent to the world.
If you were asked to describe what God’s blessing looks like, what comes to mind? Who comes to mind? Do you consider yourself blessed? Hopefully our answers will align with Jesus’ views. Let’s crosscheck. Here is Jesus’ list: You are blessed if you; are poor in spirit; mourn; are gentle; are hungery and thirsty for righteousness; are merciful; are pure in heart; are a peacemaker; have been persecuted or have been slandered. So, how blessed are we?
There is a blessed be that is conspicuously absent in the Beatitudes. Did you catch this? Jesus never mentioned material wealth. I mentioned theological tension yesterday. There is a good deal of it around the topic of money within Christianity. Jesus could have resolved a great deal of it if he simply said,
Blessed are they with material wealth for they shall have comfort and security.
While this is a blessed byproduct of the American dream, Jesus, for some reason, left it out. The truth is we in western culture added this one on our own. Yet, in his silence on this topic, Jesus has spoken much. In the midst of the tension between our mindset and His Word, He leaves us with His Spirit to watch over our heart’s with all diligence. With the One with Whom we have to do it is always,
Where is your treasure little ones?
I proposed the idea Thursday that the Truth was in the tension and that we should not fear it nor flee from it. While flight might be a temptation, it would probably be wiser for us to defer to our Alpha and Omega who is taking the long-view in regard to life. From His vantage point, this life is just the blink of an eye.
I suppose in a world infected with darkness Truth is not only in the tension, Truth is the source of it. In our minds, which are to be progressively renewed, tension may indicate the presence of Truth knocking on our heart’s door. So, my prayer is….
Father, may Your Spirit prevail in Your claim on our minds and hearts. May we surrender our perceived rights in this world to You. May You be truly glorified by our lives as we explore the infinite dimensions of blessing, demonstrating them before a world lost in the illusion of the finite. Amen.