I took a new interest in the Beatitudes after hearing Brian McLaren talk about them at the 2013 Festival of Homiletics in Nashville. He challenged Christian leaders to give the Beatitudes some of the same energy that we have for the Ten Commandments (e.g. with monuments, catechisms, etc.) The nine Beatitudes of Jesus are given in the Sermon on the Mount (in Matthew 5:3-12. There’s also a different version of some of them in Luke 6:20-23.) Then as now, they are both very countercultural and very relevant.
I believe the world is looking for happiness and blessing, so I think the Beatitudes speak to our times. And they point us to some deeper discoveries too, since Jesus didn’t invent the beatitude genre. He was building on an Old Testament tradition that He inherited. There are a couple examples that came to mind recently…
It also speaks of a blessing associated with fear, but the “fear” is not a puppy-dog kind of trepidation. Rather, it’s a reverence, an honoring of God that is rooted in a love for what He teaches us about Himself and life and the common good. It inspires us away from a fearful and worrisome mode of living (112:7-8), so that we can be generous and compassionate as Christ is (112:5,9; cf. Matthew 5:7).
The alternative to this bad detour is to trust in the Lord. This opportunity is anchored in the memory of all that God has done for us; hence what follows in Psalm 40:5 is a prayer to God: “Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” The bottom line is this: God’s blessings are all around us. If we’re observant enough to see and remember some of them, we’ll know there’s no reason not to trust. We won’t be fretful, anxious, or troubled; we will be blessed. Let’s think of the content of these beatitudes put together: On the one hand, there’s the risk of a bad detour in the direction of ego and idolatry. On the other hand, there’s this yearning for God’s teaching, and for who He calls and empowers us to be (cf. Matthew 5:6). Have you ever been down a wrong road that took you into a bad neighborhood? Were you scared? Were you delighted when you got out of there and got on the right track? That’s what the path of blessing is like. We follow Jesus, and we know He is gracious. We know that He is leading us in the right way. God bless you. Pastor Andrew McHenry
0 Comments
|
Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
February 2024
Categories |