Pastor Ken Reflects More on the Beatitudes
“No Pain No Gain” was the motto in the 1980’s for the burgeoning industry of health clubs and exercise videos. Following our Lord Jesus Christ is like that or is it? Chapters 5-7 of Matthew are known as the Sermon on the Mount with 5: 1-12 specifically called the Beatitudes. The word “beatitude” derives from Latin and refers to blessings. Unlike our North American understanding of what constitutes “blessing,” these are traits that constitute character attitudes for those seeking to follow Christ in every aspect of daily living. In other words, these are a Christian’s “attitudes to be!”
It must be emphasized that are the Beatitudes are NOT to be envisioned as climbing up life’s ladders to reach out to God in order to earn God’s love and respect. RATHER, we are to experience walking with Christ along life’s paths through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
The context of the Matthew passage is a “snapshot” of Jesus addressing ONLY His disciples NOT crowds. It is a portrait of disciples “walking with,” i.e., living with their teacher, their rabbi. Today’s equivalent would be the experience of teachers and students at a boarding school. Examples familiar to us would be the Rabbi Jacob Joseph Yeshiva in south Edison, the Lawrenceville School near Princeton and the Valley Forge Military Academy outside of Philadelphia.
Jesus addressed His disciples in the tradition of OT prophets as Ezekiel and Micah, Hosea and Amos. Jesus reiterated that His disciples must NOT take for granted their chosen status as the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In the back of Jesus’ mind would have been the following passage from Micah 6: 8:
“This is what the LORD requires of you: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Jesus begins the Beatitudes with “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is kingdom of heaven.” The African Bible Commentary reflection on this Beatitude challenges the reader on how the obsession to possess things does distract one from Christ’s Kingdom. The so-called “Name It-and-Claim It Prosperity Gospel” afflicts North America as well as Africa. This Beatitude calls believers to counter the spirit of acquisition with the spirit of generosity. It summons disciples to continually ask one self: “Do I really need____?!”
Mother Teresa, in the spirit of Jesus stated that the poverty of spiritual growth that she observed in Westerners is worse than poverty of things.
Next month, we will continue with the Beatitudes.