A third sermon on the Beatitudes preached at United Presbyterian Church in Lonetree Iowa on March 15, 2015
Within each of us is an echo of voice.
Biblical scholar NT Wright says the
echo of a voice within us can be heard in the form of our desire for
a better world. We all hope and long for justice, but we can't quite
get there.
Go to any school or playgroup where the
children are old enough to talk to each other. Listen to what they're
saying and pretty soon you'll hear someone crying, “It's not fair!”
They're are events such as earthquakes
or tsunamis that destroy entire countries and kill tens of thousands
of people all within a few moments. No one is to blame, they just
happen.
On of course the world is full of
global evils that make the world less than a just place to live.
Injustice, systemic racism, poverty,
oppression all of these factors seem to be fueling conflict and
turmoil between citizens and their police force in Ferguson,
Missouri.
And of course sheer evil is on display
in northern Iraq with ISIS slaughtering people who hold a different
faith, beheading captives to grab the world's attention, and forcing
young kids to shoot betrayers to purify the cause.
We know this is not the way the world
is supposed to be.
We have dreams, hopes, desires of a
different world altogether. These are echoes of a voice.
I like how NT Wright puts it in his
book, “Simply Christian”
The reason we have
the dreams, the reason we have a sense of a memory of the echo of a
voice, is that there is someone speaking to us, whispering in our ear
– someone who cares very much about this present world and our
present selves, and who has made us and the world for a purpose which
will indeed involve justice, things being put to rights, ourselves
being put to rights, the world being rescued at last.
That idea of the echo of a voice is one
reason why I find Jesus's words in in the beatitudes to be so
compelling.
They speak of a different world. An
echo of a world turned upside down. A world that by the power of
God's spirit has been, is being, and will be turned aright.
If you take the beatitudes and view
them with a variety of biblical stories and images I think you'll
begin to better hear and respond to those echoes of a voice within.
They'll fuel your imagination and help you catch a glimpse of what
things will look like:
When God's presence comes into our
midst.
When the Kingdom of God comes near.
When God's will is done on earth as it
is in heaven.
In his helpful commentary on the sermon
on the mount, Scott McKnight groups the beatitudes into three broad
categories which show us what the kingdom of God in our midst looks
like:
The first three bless the humility of
the poor,
The next three bless the pursuit of
righteousness and justice, and
The final three bless the promotion of
peace.
First, Jesus blesses the humility of
the poor 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.
Scholars say Jesus had in mind a group
of economically disadvantaged Jewish folks called the Anawin. These
folks were poor yet they trusted in God, they assembled together at
the temple in Jerusalem, and they longed for the Messiah who would
bring justice.
The gospel of Luke paints some
portraits of these folks including Mary, the mother of Jesus, and
Simeon.
Simeon is told he will not die before
his eyes look upon the Lord's Messiah and so everyday he goes to the
Temple until his eyes finally gaze upon the long expected savior. As
he takes the baby Jesus in his arm, Simeon cries out:
My eyes have seen
your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people
Israel.
Earlier, the young maiden, Mary, had a
similar experience. The angel came to her and revealed how she was to
be part of God's plan. Her heart sang out with the joy of the kingdom
coming into her midst, saying:
He has performed
mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in
their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good
things but has sent the rich away empty.
Simeon and Mary represents the sorts of
people whom Jesus blesses.
Those who are poor, meek, and lowly and
who long and hope for the kingdom to come into their midst. And when
it does come they can't help but sing and shout out for joy at the
promised work of God.
Second Jesus blesses those who
pursue righteousness and justice, saying:
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
Here Jesus blesses those who pursue
righteousness and justice. Those who check their own wills at the
door in order to do God's will, to further God's justice, and to be
part of God's work to establish his kingdom.
They long for a kingdom society where
love, peace, justice, and holiness reign. They live by Jesus' call to
do unto others as they would want done to themselves. Through
concrete actions of love, compassion, and grace they extend mercy to
those who have need.
Here I think of the story of the Good
Samaritan. The man from a despised people group who - rather than the
priest and another well respected religious leaders – surprises
everyone by stopping and helping a Jewish man who is beaten up and
lying on the side of the road.
By way of that story, you and I are
invited to consider that love of neighbor might include a stranger –
even someone who despises you – someone for whom you are called to
give a helping hand, an encouraging word, or even a prayer.
And we hear that the kingdom of God
comes through acts of love, mercy, and compassion.
Finally, Jesus blesses those who
promote peace, saying:
Blessed are you when people revile you
and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on
my account.
Here Jesus blesses those who promote
peace, who seek reconciliation instead of strife or warfare.
In Jesus day there was a movement of
Zealots which were part of the Jewish resistance movement. These
Zealots tried to pursue justice and liberation through the use of
violence.
In contrast Jesus says the kingdom does
not come by force. He blesses those who turn from retaliation to
reconciliation.
Later in
the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus will teach his disciples saying, “When
you come to worship God, if you remember that your brother or sister
has something against you, leave your gift and go; first be
reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your
gift.”
What else would Jesus say? In what
other way would he encourage his followers?
After all, he is the Prince of Peace.
He is the one who gave his life for our sake so that we might be
reconciled to God so that our relationship with God would be made
right.
I hope and pray that in these words of
blessing, in these beatitudes of Jesus you have heard whispers of a
different world. An echo of a world turned upside down. A world that
by the power of God's spirit has been, is being, and will be turned
aright.
I hope and pray that these words of
blessing, these beatitudes of Jesus have and will continue to fuel
your imagination, to help you catch a glimpse of what things will
look like:
When God's presence comes into our
midst.
When the Kingdom of God comes near.
When God's will is done on earth as it
is in heaven.
Lord Jesus, may it be so.
To the praise and glory of our triune
God, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, now and forever, Amen.
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