Blessed
Matthew 4:1-12 (New Revised Standard Version)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.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2PV7JouGqw]
“Have a blessed day,”says the cashier at my neighborhood groceryand I smile at her“You too!”
Blessed
As I walk out into the heatof the South Florida dayI pass a fancy new carparked next to minewith an “I’m blessed” stickerpressed onto the shiny bumper
Blessed
On my Facebook feedI see postsfrom friends, acquaintances, family,excited about the blessings in their livesnew babynew homenew jobnew car
happinesspleasurecontentmentgood fortune
Blessed
Become a Better Youthe book cover tells usin the self improvement section
Your Best Life Nowwe’re promisedfor just $25.99
Five easy stepsto a profitable lifea prosperous lifea blessed life
And yet
Jesus stands on hilloverlooking the Sea of Galileehe stretches out his armsto the crowd standing below
who have comelooking for healingsearching for hopepraying for blessing
And Jesus offers thema worda word of blessing
Makarioi, he saysin the GreekBlessed are…
Makarioi, he saysFortunate are…
Makarioi, he saysTo be envied are…
Makarioi, he saysHappy are…
But the words we expect to followmakarioiaren’t the words we hearfrom Jesus’ lips
Blessed are thosewhose health is securewhose bank account is stuffedwhose marriage is solidwhose job is safe
Blessed are thosewhose position is powerfulwhose reputation pristinewhose appearance prettywhose career prospering
No
Makarioi, Jesus saysBlessed are…
The poor in spirithe says
and the people belowfurrow their browsturning to their neighborswith a quizzical look
“Did he just saywhat I think he said?”
Poor in spirithe saysand not just poornot just struggling,but crouching, coweringlike a fear-filled beggarDestituteNo resourcesNo prospectsNo hope
Blessed?
Makarioi, he saysBlessed are…
Those who mournhe says
and the people belowstart to lean forward in disbeliefstaring up at this manwho obviouslydoes not understandthe words he is using
The mourningthe grievingthe torn-in-pieces heartsbroken dreamsshattered livespainfully relinquished hopes
Blessed he saysare those whosehearts are blown openas they grieve the lossof someone in their lifewho understood themloved themcared for themsupported them
Blessed?
Makarioi, he saysBlessed are…
The meekhe saysthose who are mildand gentleand kind
And those listening belowstart to laugh“The meek!” they sayin a stage whisperheard by all those around them
“The meek!You mean the oneswho get walked onthe doormatsthe pushoversthe spineless soft toucheswho never get anywhere in this world?”
Blessed?
Makarioi, Jesus saysBlessed are…
Those whohunger and thirstfor righteousnesshe says
“Oh man,” they say,“this guy’s off his rocker!Hungeringand thirstingyearning for justice?That’s been us for years!
Trodden downabusedoppressedby this Roman governmentthat couldn’t care less about usAre we blessed?Is he crazy?”
Blessed?
Makarioi, he keeps sayingDigging himself even deeperBlessed are…
The mercifulhe says
People so fullof compassion and carethat they reach out in loveto those who are hurtingexpecting nothingnothing in return
This…this gives the crowd pauseas they remember the timesthey received mercyunlooked for forgivenessa healing worda hand that lifted them up
And…remembered the timesthey gave mercyand felt their own spiritsbuoyed by the giving
But… blessed?
Being mercifulthey thinkdoesn’t mean you’ll be treatedwith mercy
And whereafter allis the blessing in that?
Makarioi, he continues onBlessed are…
The pure in hearthe saysunmixed, unseparatedclean and spotless
Ah, finally, the crowd breathes outfinally, this makes sensein a world defined by Jewish puritya heart free from contamination of sinthat, the crowd says,that is a blessing
But…as these words sink into their earsinto their spiritsthey become angry again.
Becausewho can be that pure?And if not that purethenwho can be blessed?
This unattainable goalThis unachievable standardThis ridiculous, absurd, irrationallevel of perfection
Blessed?
Makarioi,he doesn’t give upBlessed are…
The peacemakershe says
The pacifiststhe peace-loversthose who seek harmonywho compromisewho avoid conflictwho shun battle
“The cowards”the crowd gasps“he calls the cowards blessed”
Then he goes even furtherMakarioi, he saysBlessed are…
The persecutedhe saysThose who have been put to flightwho are being chasedhunted downrelentlessly pursued
Makarioihe saysBlessed are thosewho are disgracedreviledinsulteddestroyed
Makarioihe says
Blessed
“Bless you!”we exclaimwhen someone nearby sneezes
After all these yearshas that blessing we’ve offeredreally been a curseall along?
Bless you!May you bea destitute soula broken heartviewed as weak by the worldtrampled by those who could care lessmockedlaughed atas weak and spinelessand absurd
Bless you!
Blessed
In the famous wordsof Inigo Montoya“You keep using that word.But I do not think it meanswhat you think it means.”
Jesus takes this wordand turns it upside downTelling me thatsadness and weaknessand grief and insultsare a blessing
Who has the right to speaksuch nonsense into my life?
Who has the right to speaksuch nonsense into my life?Such non-sense,such anti-sense,such gibberishfoolishnessjunk
becauseanyone can see thatthat kind of “blessed”
it ain’t blessed
Not the way we think aboutblessed
Who has the right to speaksuch nonsense into my life?
Jesus stands on a hillsideoverlooking the Sea of Galilee
Knowing…
Knowingthat he will soonstand in front of
not crowdslooking for healingsearching for hopepraying for blessing
but a tribunal of judges
Knowing…
Knowing that soon hewould be lifted up on a cross
This Jesus
who left behind the glory of heavento become poorwith usLiving a human lifeWalking our roadsDying our death
This Jesus
who mourned our statewho cried with the bereavedwho wept over our futureeven as he faced his own
This Jesus
who humbled himselfThe Son of Godwho became the definitionof meeknot even seekingto save himself
This Jesus
fully divineand fully humanwho hungered and thirstedfor justice for his peoplewho hungered and thirstedin his body on the cross
This Jesus
merciful and purewho on the crossof his agonycalled outfor us to be forgiven
This Jesus
whose entire lifewas one of making peaceof making wholenessout of brokenness
This Jesus
who was reviled and pursuedbetrayed and persecuted
And killed
Who has the right to speaksuch nonsense into my life?
This Jesus
Makarioihe said
Blessed
Blessed are wewhen we knowthat our povertypovertyin our walletspovertyin our spiritsis not the end of the story
Blessed are wewhen we knowthat our griefthat our lossesthat our torn-apart heartsare not the end of the story
Blessed are wewhen we knowthat our challengesthat our difficultiesare not the end of the story
Blessed are wewhen we knowthat injustice and oppressionthat intolerance and persecutionare not the end of the story
Blessed are wewhen we knowthat our sinsthat our impurityour imperfectionsare not the end of the story
Blessed are wewhen we knowthat we are understoodand forgivenby the God whois mercifulby the God who isthe peacemaker
Blessed are wewhen we knowthat even our deathis not the end of the story
Blessed are wewhen we knowthe end of the story
When we knowthat God’s loveovercomes all
Because our Godgave allto overcomefor us
Blessed are wewhen that knowledgeseeps and sinksinto every partof who we are
Blessed are wewhen that knowledgeso permeates our lives
that when we walk outinto the worldwhere Jesus’ words soundlike nonsense
that our lives would bea breathing testamentto the love of God
Jesus stands on hilloverlooking the Sea of Galileehe stretches out his armsto the crowd standing below
wholike ushave comelooking for healingsearching for hopepraying for blessing
And Jesus offers usa word…
Blessed