Perspectives

Matthew 5:3-12… 3) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 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. 10) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11) Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12) Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NIV)

Have you ever tried in a gentle way to change a person’s theology? Well if we do, we must make sure we wear some Biblical safety gear to protect ourselves; we are about to receive a rather rough welcome when all our Biblical principles are displayed to those folks we are about to challenge.

There have been occasions when we were in the coffee shop and we hear someone we know, (that is sitting at our table) who has been ill advised concerning Biblical truths. Trying our best to teach what we believe is according to Scripture, we must be careful and tender hearted; however, watch the sparks fly. Wow!! Do we ever get a wake-up call! It can get rough out there. And that reaction is coming from some of our Christian friends.

But just think what it would be like among those who have never accepted Christ. That was what Jesus was doing and is still doing today. He is taking that worldly theology, a theology that contradicts Christ, and turning it inside out. He is saying we must start from the inside, from the heart to transform a human being… not from the outside working inwards. The only way that I can have a productive Christian life is to take care of the spiritual issues within my heart.

Matthew 5: 3-12 has some real life giving or, maybe I should say, “Life saving thoughts”. It is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. As we study Scripture, we find that this old world has not even come close to catching up with its principles. Unbelievably, some folks claim that the Sermon on the Mount is their way to heaven, leaving Jesus Christ out of the picture completely. But here we have Jesus teaching His disciples.

Perhaps these Beatitudes teach us… That we need not be afraid to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to give us the courage… To apologize when we have hurt someone. Not to be selfish. Listen when good advice is given. Not to be afraid to admit that we have made a mistake. Today we hear world leaders shouting untruths, never apologizing; they do not know how to shoulder a deserved blame; but they sure do know how to blame others. But we ought to be wiser, yes, we should try to avoid mistakes, and when we have slip-ups, we must profit from those mistakes; because we feel a whole lot better when we shoulder a deserved blame, and it will make it a lot easier for others who follow the teaching of Scripture, for them there will be one less struggle to be encountered in their Christian journey.

This is the message that Jesus conveys to us today. He knows that some of us have all kinds of faults; some find it hard to keep away from the bottle, there are those who use language that is not pleasing to Christ; gambling, swearing, losing our temper… this type of behavior grieves the Holy Spirit. But we know that Jesus Christ does not come to us today with an ultimatum. No! It is not time for that. One day He will come as a Judge to judge humanity. But until that day, we live in the age of grace; thank goodness for that! Today Christ Jesus comes to us, not with condemnation but with conviction. He speaks to our heart to come as we are to the cross. We are invited to hear and respond.

Maybe we need to take a moment to consider what has been said… Can we hear Christ’s voice as he speaks to us today? Can we hear as He whispers to our heart to follow Him to the Cross where your sins, my sins, our sins can be forgiven? Are we ready to share the Good News with others that Christ died for them too?… 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 don’t 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 honour to Your Name.” Amen