In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus preaches five sermons and the first one begins here in chapter 5, with the beatitudes.
Sometimes we hear verses 1-12 as a checklist of the admission requirements for heaven or the criteria for earning God’s favor or love. Matthew doesn’t include the “woe” statements that we get in Luke, but we imagine that whoever isn’t on this list is not in a good place.
So we start listening to Jesus’s words and immediately turn inward, wondering, “Am I included in this list?” “Does God bless me?”
And in that moment, we have stopped listening.
Martin Luther describes this being turned or curved inward on ourselves, instead of outward toward God and others, as sin. It is our human condition and we must recognize, that left to ourselves, we will fall to its influence every time.
But Jesus frees us from sin, teaching us to love God and love others, changing our hearts and transforming our lives.
So instead of hearing these verses as criteria for winning some kind of ‘super-Christian’ award, let’s be curious about what Jesus is saying and why.
One popular answer is that Jesus is telling us which virtues will be rewarded. But being poor or grieving, meek or hungry aren’t virtues we seek to achieve. They are the unfortunate circumstances that far too many people endure every day.
Another answer is that Jesus is telling us what reversals will take place when the kingdom of heaven is realized. But being a peacemaker or merciful aren’t things we want to stop doing, or roles we want to see reversed. If anything we want to multiply the numbers of people perpetuating peace and mercy in the world!
So maybe something else is happening here.
First, Matthew is presenting Jesus as the new Moses; in the same way that Moses gave the Law to Israel to teach the people how to live in relationship with God and with each other, Jesus preaches this Sermon on the Mount to his followers. But he doesn’t seek to replace the Law; instead he wants to engage it more fully so that it’s more relevant than any checklist of dos and don’ts.
Whenever we reduce God and faith to a list of prohibitions and “Gotcha” moments, we have lost the Good News.
The heart of the Gospel is always the abundant love of God in Christ Jesus that frees us to love generously.
Second, Jesus is addressing his sermon to the whole community, not just the group of twelve who travel with him and know him well, and not even a group the size of our congregation. Remember this sermon happens when Jesus and his disciples are surrounded by “great crowds” who have been following them throughout Galilee. (4:23)
Bishop Mike Rinehart notes that
the first four blessings go to those who suffer and the second four blessings go to those who help the suffering….and then the ninth beatitude socks us [the ones listening to Jesus] in the eyes.Jesus goes from talking to the crowd about other people in the third person to suddenly talking to you and to me, saying,
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”
Now he has our attention. If we were still waiting to see where we would show up in this sermon, here it is:
Be the ones who listen to my Word and follow me.
Be the ones who take a stand even when it’s unpopular.
Journalist and Catholic Dorothy Day is quoted as saying, “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint; When I ask why they are poor, they call me a Communist.”
Day was asking hard questions about why we have the poor among us — questions we are still asking today.
We have feeding ministries that serve hungry people six days a week in uptown Shelby and we have three shelters for people who need safe places to live. Many of our schools have clothing closets and now a half-dozen schools have virtual clinics that work with doctors to provide care for students. Those are all good measures that are trying to address needs. But why in this county do we still have 17,000 people who qualify for indigent healthcare? Why are one in three kids still not sure where their next meal is coming from? Why do we have people living without electricity and running water blocks from where a 20-million-dollar jail expansion is being built?
Jesus calls on us to ask hard questions for the sake of the world.
Following Jesus, and speaking up for the dignity of those Jesus calls blessed, isn’t easy. And a whole lot of people won’t have the courage or be willing to risk persecution.
But it is who we Jesus-followers are called to be and what we are called to do. In this season of Epiphany, we have been listening to stories about how Jesus brought the Good News to the whole world, as a light to all nations, but in today’s gospel he tells us,
14 You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.(5:14-16)You and I are the lights that shine on the kingdom of heaven that it might be known throughout our community and world.
The question Jesus leaves us with today is will we stand so that our light can be seen? Or will we be content to let it light our corner of the world and not reach any farther?
Let us pray…
Holy, merciful and loving God,
Thank you sending your Son Jesus into the world as a light to all nations.
Help us follow Jesus and by your Spirit show us how to be beacons to our community and neighbors.
We pray especially for those who are poor, low in spirit, mourning, persecuted, hungry or in need of any kind.
May they know Your abundant love for them.
We pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
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