As we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount each Sunday, I am more attuned to things I read about this teaching of Jesus. In this article by R.W. Glenn, the topic of the Beatitudes is addressed. It is a wonderfully freeing thought:
"Jesus never tells us to be poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek, to hunger and thirst for righteousness. His beatitudes never demand that we be merciful, pure in heart, or peacemakers. And, of course, we aren’t commanded to be persecuted for righteousness’ sake. That doesn’t even make any sense! You can’t control whether or not people will raise their eyebrows, or their fists, at you for your faith.
No commands here. Just declarations — declarations of who the blessed people are and where that blessedness leads them.
So then, what is Jesus doing as he introduces the greatest sermon ever given? If he’s not giving us a checklist to complete that will lead to a blessed life, if he’s not giving us the rungs on the ladder we ascend to true satisfaction with God, if he’s not telling us what we must do in order to experience life in the kingdom — then what on earth is he doing?
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