This week we took a look at the Beatitudes and explored reasons why Jesus might have been saying this stuff to begin with (!)
The passage (Matthew 5:1-12) on one level gives us a basic guide as to how we should react as Christians when life isn't going the way we'd like. More than this though, it is Jesus telling us that if we want to bring his Kingdom on earth (when we talk about the "Kingdom," what we mean is trying to make God King on earth; so living the way he wants us to live, which will show everyone around us what it really means to be a Christian... In other words, the way we live now should reflect what Heaven looks like), we will be blessed. He says that living this way will be tough at times, but that God is with us and he understands. It is a passage that lets us know how our hearts should be, but also what this looks like in action.
Reading this passage usually brings up questions, like: "What on earth are you talking about, Jesus?!" This is because what he is saying is completely different to the sort of thing we would expect. After all, who feels 'blessed' when someone dies? Or when people hate you for what you believe? Jesus is not trying to say that these things in themselves are good, God doesn't want you to suffer but he knows that, whilst we are on earth, we will and doesn't want us to give up when we do. The way we respond to tough stuff (here comes that "Kingdom" idea again!) will show that God is with us and changing our hearts for the better and will start to bring his Kingdom on earth. Non-Christians will look at us and want to know how we can handle things so well and when we tell them it's because we have Jesus with us to share the load, hopefully they'll want to get to know him too!
Lois and Eleanor
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