Blessed Are YOU

“Blessed Are YOU” – Matthew 5:1-12

Rev. Erin Dickey – January 29^th, 2016

Our scripture today comes from the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 5, verses 1 through 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.”

The Word of God, for the people of God.

Will you please pray with me?

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, our Rock and our Redeemer. In these ancient words, may we find a living word. Amen.

As Jesus addresses the crowds that have been following him, he chooses this message – a message not of condemnation or conditions of salvation, but a promise of God’s blessing. Imagine, of ALL the many words Jesus could have begun his ministry with upon that mountain, he chose to begin with a blessing and not just ANY blessing, but a blessing for those who are experiencing affliction – those who may be feeling far from blessed. He begins,

“Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs in the Kingdom of Heaven. When you feel separated from God, when you feel forgotten by God, when you feel powerless, and when you feel empty, HOLD ON. Don’t let go quite yet, God will use your emptiness and fill it with the Spirit. God will use your hopelessness to show you what true hope looks like. Your willingness to know God and your longing for the Spirit will bring about the Kingdom of Heaven. Remain dependent on God. Keep the faith. Keep praying. Stay obedient. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to YOU.

Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. God hears your cry and feels your pain. Through your mourning you will come to rely on God and there you will find comfort. Just look at Abraham and Sarah! They mourned for what they thought would never be theirs but through their faithfulness, they became the mother and father of Israel. Your grief is temporary; death in only temporary. I have come to bring you comfort. I have come to bring you life.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth. If you are free of malice, if your spirit is kind and not condescending, if you are gentle, if you have self-control, then you will inherit all that God has created. Listen closely, meek does not mean weak or powerless. Meek means that you do not exploit others. You do not oppress others. You are not violent or malicious. Your meekness is to be regarded as a gift.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Hunger and thirst are the most basic cries for satisfaction. If you long for God in the same way that you long for water and bread, you will be filled. When you long for righteousness, when you long to be seen as ‘good’ within the eyes of God, you will know a satisfaction like none other.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. The merciful understand that not everyone is perfect. They understand what it’s like to feel inadequate, dependent, and at times, weak. Blessed are the merciful because they know how to show forgiveness and compassion. Because they have been shown mercy by God, they choose kindness over hostility towards people in need and strive to heal wounds.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. If your decisions and choices are unselfish, untarnished by sin, and done in a way that is pleasing to God, then in turn you shall see God. Beginning with a pure heart, you will see how God works through all circumstances and events in your life.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. God is the God of peace. God’s plan of redemption is to bring about peace for those who were once alienated from God. However, there is strife and conflict with little hope for peace and unity but those who strive for peace, those who strive for unity, those who first reconcile with God, THEY shall be called the children of God. They strive to establish peace that reflects God’s desire for peace. They are dedicated to promoting the Kingdom of God, reconciling adversaries, quenching hated, uniting those who are divided, promoting true understanding and doing all through love. Peace is not easy, but it is necessary.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. When people try to live peacefully or encourage righteousness, they are often met with opposition by those who prefer power, privilege, and possessions. Don’t give up. That’s not the power you need. There IS power is being righteous. There IS power in seeking the Kingdom of Heaven. Yes, you may feel persecution now, but just wait until the Kingdom of Heaven enfolds you.

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. There is a cost to following me, but the cost is minimal compared to the reward. You will face critics, you will feel hopeless, but keep going. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

If I’m being completely honest, preaching on the Beattitudes today is HARD. Right now, we are seeing a little too much persecution, and not enough peacemaking. When we look at who Jesus was preaching to on the mountaintop, we remember that Jesus surrounded himself by those who have long awaited some type of peace or welcome. The Sermon on the Mount was intended for the nation of Israel, though it’s immediate audience was the disciples – those whom Jesus expected to be the “new Israel” – the ones who would bring about the Kingdom of Heaven by teaching, preaching, and DOING what Jesus called them to do. But just because this was Jesus’ intended audience doesn’t mean that there isn’t a word in here for today’s audience. There is a reason we pray for a living word amongst these ancient words.

If hearing some of these ancient words made you feel uncomfortable like they did for me, then good – the Gospel isn’t supposed to make us feel comfortable. The Gospel is supposed to call us out of our complacedness and mobilize us bearers of the light of Christ. If we feel like we’re wearing fuzzy socks and drinking hot chocolate as we read the Gospel, then we’re too comfortable and need to read it closer.

 Jesus was a radical who preached for discomfort and who preached in hopes of creating viable change. Jesus surrounded himself by questionable people and raised eyebrows wherever he went. In fact, Jesus probably thought everyone’s face naturally looked like this. (MAKE FACE)

Jesus wasn’t actively pursuing the popular vote; instead Jesus was looking to ruffle some feathers, to get people’s attention, and to start a revolution where, at last, all of God’s children could be united as one. Jesus taught us that if anyone is declaring that we are to hate, fear, or reject someone in his name, then they must have not listened very closely to him.

Jesus challenged the status quo, questioned authority, and at times went directly against the law – like healing on the Sabbath or speaking to the Samaritan woman. Jesus’ first public declaration wasn’t just a blessing – it was a blessing to the very people who were being persecuted, forgotten, rejected, and criminalized by those in power. Jesus spoke directly to the disenfranchised and assured them that their suffering was not only impermanent, but they are the ones who have been chosen to build the Kingdom of Heaven.

The disciples also faced oppositions as they carried out the name of Christ and proclaimed that there was a kingdom of righteousness and peace that was spiritual and eternal. The disciples took a vow of discomfort the second they laid down those fishing nets and chose to follow Jesus.

As Disciples of Christ, we too have taken a vow of discomfort. Being a follower of Jesus isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it means disagreeing with our family and friends about social issues. Sometimes it means holding our tongue when we want to lash out, and speaking up when our words will not be welcome. Sometimes it means disagreeing with people in positions of power even if it’s risky. Sometimes it means aligning yourself with those that others may deem “scary” or “untrustworthy” but you know they’re really just misunderstood. No, being a follower of Jesus isn’t always comfortable, but we can take that discomfort and turn it into action.

So, from these ancient words, I propose these new, living words as our call to action:

“Blessed are those who feel like giving up and like the light of Christ has grown dim, for they are the ones who recognize that this is not the Kingdom of Heaven that Christ envisioned.

Blessed are those who long for a time of hope and grieve the sins of our world, for comfort will be found after they wipe the tears, stand up and declare, “No more.”

Blesses are the meek – the ones who do not let fear or anger control their actions but instead choose the higher road of compassion, forgiveness, and understanding – for they will make the world a better place for tomorrow’s children.

Blessed are those crave justice and demand righteousness, whose well being depends on their ability to be like Jesus, for they will know what it’s like to truly be fulfilled.

Blessed are those that welcome the stranger, the immigrant, and the refugee, for they know what it was like to once be lonely or new in this place, and choose to extend the same grace to others.

Blessed are those who are guided by kindness, who choose to see God’s face in each one’s reflection, for they are the ones who truly grasp the vastness and bounty of God’s love.

Blessed are the peacemakers, because they sure have their work cut out for them! Blessed are the peacemakers who long for bridges instead of walls, neighbors instead of strangers, and a welcoming table instead of a locked door, for they are doing the work that God expects of God’s children.

Blessed are those who are persecuted out of fear – whose lives are being placed in danger by no fault of their own, for the kingdom of Heaven will be their sanctuary and they will at last know the meaning of being safe.

Blessed are you when people spit in your face because of your skin color, call you a terrorist because of your country of origin, or condemn you to Hell because they choose to hate what they don’t understand – and yet they do it all in my name. Don’t give up hope. Stand tall. Be courageous, I am still rooting for you. You are still welcome at my table. You are not the first to be persecuted, and you will not be the last – but through it all, you are MINE. And I am proud of you.”