Matthew 5:4-9… 4) Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7) Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9) Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. (NIV)
Often things do not happen quite like we anticipate. Met some folks the other day – strangers to us in many ways. Those meetings at the coffee shop or a gathering of friends does not always unfold as we had envisioned it beforehand. There are times when God surprises us as well. He comes to us in unexpected ways. We may have desired a lightening bolt or at least handwriting on a wall. However, we can expect God through numerous – amazing happenings – almost unnoticed and without fanfare.
No incident so shows the sheer courage of Jesus as His trip down the road to Jerusalem. One of the most dangerous things a person can do is to go to people and tell them that all their accepted ideas are wrong. Any person who tries to tear up by the roots a people’s theology is in for trouble. But that is what Jesus by design was doing. He showed that the spiritual road that people were travelling on was full of sin and wickedness, badly in need of repair.
It needs rebuilding, my time of mourning must be dealt with in a spiritual way. The dangerous backsliding must be straightened out. I need to face up to my time of mourning spiritually. I need do the right thing – To apologize when I have made a fool of myself – To be unselfish – Listen to good advice – Nothing wrong admitting I made an error – Which might mean I will have to face a sneer – To profit from mistakes and to think before I act – To subdue an unruly temper – To shoulder a deserved blame – It always pays – Believe me It is worth the effort.
When a person is called on to suffer something for their Christian faith that is always a crucial moment; it is the great occasion; it is the clash between the world and Christ. It is the calm before the storm. Those moments can be precious – a valuable lesson in how to glorify God To have a share in such a moment is not a penalty – but a praiseworthy moment” says Jesus, “and be glad in it.”
The Bible teaches that we must love God as well as our neighbours. Jesus said that on these two commandments… Old Testament prophets clung tightly to them. Can it be that loving God and our neighbour will cause us to keep the commandments? It is true. If we love God with heart and soul, we may just find ourselves keeping the rest of the commandments. And if we love our neighbour as ourselves, we will do those good and no harm. We will neither covet their possession, nor steal their goods, nor kill them, nor lie about them. Rather, we will be looking for ways to help them, and encourage them, and build them up. We will be treating them like we treat ourselves.
Jesus’ message of the day was to love God and neighbours It is the same message He brings to us today. He does not come with strong-arm tactics. It is not time for that. There is a day coming when Jesus will come as a powerful forceful challenger.
There is a day coming when He will judge all humanity. Today we are privileged to enjoying God ‘mercy and grace. Jesus comes to us, not with bullying, but with conviction… To persuade and encourage us to follow Him… To God Be the Glory Great things He Has Done…
Would you pray this prayer with me…? “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have peace in my heart. I really want that peace, joy, and happiness that I long for. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will bring honor to Your Name.” Amen
