BEAUTIFUL ATTITUDES FOR UGLY TIMES
Micah 6: 1-8
Matthew 5: 1-12
We live in what could be called an “Era of Ugliness”. It seems that wherever we look, we see constant bickering, fighting, schemes to increase the wealth and power of those who already have it, a continual lack of respect for one another, and the erosion of values, morals, and ethics. This list could go on and on. Consider, if you will, the following headlines, taken from various Internet media outlets throughout this past week: “Misconduct in the FBI”, “Egypt in Crisis”, “Tea Party Hoping to Sway Senate”, and “Romney Jabs at Obama on Economy”.
It is safe to say that we live in a world that is full of division amongst human beings.
Jesus’ world was also a world of division. There were sharp divisions over political matters, over religious matters, and an enormous gulf between the very few wealthy and the very many poor. Although the world has changed drastically since Jesus’ time, human begins have changed very little. The attitudes with which we approach life and how we relate to one another today seem remarkably similar to the attitudes
of those in Jesus’ time and the way in which those people related to one another.
Is it any wonder, then, that Jesus’ central message, from the beginning of his public ministry all the way through his Crucifixion, was “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near”? Jesus’ call, to them and to us, was to turn toward God, because God’s Kingdom is closer than we think. Fortunately, Jesus has done us all a huge favor. He has told us what the Kingdom of Heaven looks like; what we can use as identifying markers for the Kingdom of Heaven. He does this at the very beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. Although the Sermon on the Mount is one of Jesus’ most extensive recorded teachings, its points are relatively simple. In fact, Jesus makes those points in the very beginning; the rest of the next 2 ½ chapters simply expound upon eight little points in the beginning. These eight points, what we call the Beatitudes,
can then be further divided into two distinct, but interdependent, categories.
The first category of the Beatitudes deals with the first few points Jesus makes.
If we look at them, we get the idea that these Beatitudes can be summarized as “internal feelings”.
They are those things we feel inwardly; unknown to others, unless we make them known.
John Wesley called these inward feelings the “honorable dispositions of holiness”. In other words,
they are the internal attitudes that make it possible for us to witness the Kingdom of God.
Before we look at what Jesus says, though, perhaps it would be helpful to notice what is absent from what Jesus teaches. Jesus doesn’t say, “Blessed (some translations use the word happy) are those who have it all together”. Jesus doesn’t say, “Blessed are those who have nothing to worry about”. Jesus doesn’t say “Blessed are those know just enough about God”. Instead, Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek”. The meek can be said to be those who trust in God for all things and are content with what God has given them. In a world that is constantly telling us we need more and more and more of _______ (fill in the blank!), Jesus proposes that those who are truly
happy are those who are satisfied with what they have, knowing that it comes from God.
Jesus then goes on to propose that blessedness belongs to those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness”. I’m guessing that a common attitude in those days was one similar to what we see in our world today; an attitude of “I know enough about God and what God wants from me”. Jesus’ words, though, proclaim blessing upon those who desire God beyond all things; those who are not content with an outward religion but a desire to touch, to feel, and to know God. Happiness, according to Jesus,
comes from growing closer and closer to God each day.
Jesus proclaims blessing upon those who are “poor in spirit”. Poor in spirit is another way of saying “humble”. To flesh out Jesus’ words a little more, “blessed are the humble, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Blessed are those who see themselves as no greater than another and see nothing as greater than God. Humility before God and others is a hallmark of the Kingdom of God.
Where there is pride or elevation of oneself, it is impossible to witness the Kingdom of God.
These dispositions summarize the internal feelings that make possible the witnessing and experiencing of God’s Kingdom. They also make it possible to live out the second category of the Beatitudes. As these first few points point inwardly, the second group point to outward actions; they are things that can be seen by anyone. They are the living out of the “beautiful attitudes”. Those actions that Jesus elevates—showing mercy, seeking peace, and enduring suffering for faith—are not anything new for the people who heard Jesus. They are, in reality, not new concepts for us. They are a restating of Micah 6:8, in which God, through the prophet, declares that God’s desire for God’s people is the doing of good, loving of justice, and walking humbly with God. What would the world look like if everyone saw this as a starting point in our relationships with one another?
My guess is that things would be a lot less ugly than they are now!
Jesus’ purpose in including the Beatitudes in his teaching was not just to point out the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. It was also to give people of faith (you and me!) a tangible way to witness and live into God’s Kingdom in the here and now. They were/are a way for you and me to see the Kingdom of God here in our world, no matter how ugly it is at times. The Beatitudes were intended to be lived, not just put into a pretty list and hung on the wall.
They are a reminder that the Kingdom of God is nearer than we think…it is in each of us.
Never do we witness that Kingdom more clearly
than we do in the life and death of Jesus Christ…(lead into Sacrament of Holy Communion)
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