March 12, 2015

Matthew 5:1-16

Now when He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountain and He sat down. His disciples gathered around Him.   And He began to teach them.

Blessed are the spiritually poor—the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Blessed are those who mourn—they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek and gentle—they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness—they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful—they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are those who are pure in heart—they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers—they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness—the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 

      And blessed are you, blessed are all of you, when people persecute you or denigrate you or despise you or tell lies about you on My account. But when this happens, rejoice. Be glad. Remember that God’s prophets have been persecuted in the past. And know that in heaven, you have a great reward.

     You, beloved, are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes bland and loses its saltiness, can anything make it salty again? No. It is useless. It is tossed out, thrown away, or trampled.

     And you, beloved, are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden. Similarly it would be silly to light a lamp and then hide it under a bowl. When someone lights a lamp, she puts it on a table or a desk or a chair, and the light illumines the entire house.  You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.

     This is the beginning of the teaching of Jesus recorded in the gospel of Matthew.  Two chapters before we have the words of John the Baptist calling the people to repent of their sins.  It is interesting that instead of cursing people or behaviors, Jesus told his followers how to live a blessed life, and began his teaching by lifting up values of the new kingdom, challenging the followers to look for people who are living like this, and be like them. 

     These are the people that Jesus lifted up as examples: the poor, those who feel grief and loss, those who are gentle, merciful, and compassionate, those who work for the common good, those who are open and sincere, those who work for peace and reconciliation, and those who keep seeking justice and refuse to back down.

     These aren’t the values of the world we live in!  The world tells us to do everything we can to be rich and powerful, spend as much time as we can thinking about ourselves and our happiness, do whatever it takes to move up to a higher status, be aggressive to get everything we want, strike back to get even, and guard our image so you’ll always be popular.

     Jesus began his ministry by upsetting the status quo – and he calls us to follow that example today.  We can’t be concerned with the norms of society; we must choose a different identity with kingdom values. Jesus warns that when we live "inside-out" in an "upside-down" world, we will pay the price for that choice.  People will lie about us, persecute us, and despise us. But the price we pay will bring abundant life in God’s kingdom. That new identity is to define who we are in the world.  

     We are to be the salt – like the salt that brings out the best flavor in food, we should bring out the best in our community.  Like salt, we will preserve the best, and keep the world from "going bad".

     We are also to be the light – to destroy darkness by radiating health, goodness, and well-being. 

     Let’s prayerfully consider the kingdom values lifted up by Jesus as the ways we are truly blessed.  How can we be salt?  And how can we be light?  If we accept this new identity offered us, everything will change for us.  Everything  will change!

Reflection by Brian McLaren.  We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation.   Jericho Books.  2014.