He knows some are there because they have a deep longing for truth and righteousness. Maybe sees someone meek shyly lurking near the edge. For the first time in my life, I certainly related to being “poor in spirit.”Īnd Jesus continues his way around the crowd, next finding those who are mourning. Who are the “poor in spirit,” after all? I never really knew, until I heard a sermon about this Sermon during a time I was being treated for anxiety and depression. Unless it’s actually the most beautiful way to speak to someone there could possibly be. He gestures to a group gathered nearby and says, “Blesses are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I can imagine a lot of eye contact and a few deep breaths before Christ, who sees into their souls and knows every cell of their bodies, speaks right to their hearts and the issues of their life that have brought them to his feet. He goes to a higher place from which to see them, then sits down and rests among them. And in an introduction, it’s common to address your audience directly. We know because this is the Introduction to the largest uninterrupted session of teaching we have recorded from Jesus. He’d been teaching and healing and proclaiming the good news, and many are gathering.Īnd what kind of people are in this crowd? I think we know. The first thing Jesus has to say after he “saw the crowds” from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan referenced at the end of Chapter 4. These are the FIRST WORDS of The Sermon on the Mount. I don’t think that’s what this text is showing, though. One of those examples of upside-down living in the Kingdom of God that we know were part of Christ’s teaching. More than that, knowing these words came from Jesus, it sounded as if The Lord was commanding his followers to be mourners and peacemakers, merciful and persecuted. But the people listed here didn’t sound very happy to me.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |