Instruction
Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12
What does a saint look like? As crowds gathered to Jesus He
healed their sick and cast out demons. He also spent time teaching them. This
reading is the beginning of an extended teaching time called, The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus began this
sermon with a series of statements that describe what a blessed person is like,
but many of these statements seem counterintuitive to the world’s definition of
being blessed; this highlights that the kingdom of heaven is different than the
kingdom of this earth. In the context of All Saints’ Day celebrations, this
text reminds us that God’s agenda is very different from the world’s. His goal
is that we will be saved and live in Christ, not by our own sufficiency or
power.
Teaching
When is a person blessed? Most people would say that being
blessed means we have good things in our lives, pleasant things are happening
to us, we have sufficient or abundant wealth, and overall we don’t have
problems. Jesus says something different. He talks about being poor in spirit,
mourning, meekness, longing for righteousness, and even being persecuted. How
can that be?
Jesus looks at blessedness in relationship to a person’s
connection to God. A person is blessed with they recognize their need for God.
They’re blessed to know that they are not sufficient in and of themselves, but
God, who is sufficient, acts on their behalf to save them and make them
righteous. They’re blessed to believe that the best thing a person can have is
God Himself, and God provides what they really need.
Life
It is hard to feel blessed if we look for the wrong signs.
Jesus points to some very humble marks of blessedness. It is the hard and
unsatisfying situations in our lives that signal our need for Jesus.
The world teaches us to long for all kinds of things that do
not last: wealth, comfort, pleasure, prestige, etc. Jesus is showing us that
when we long for what God wants to give us we will be satisfied, no matter how
hard our lives are now. He always comes through for those who trust in Him.
Prayer
Lord, blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the
meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in
heart, the peacemakers, and even those who are persecuted for righteousness
sake. All of these run to You to save them, provide for them, take care of
them, and to be their God. They will not be let down.
Thank you for giving us hope in the midst of struggles, and
for looking upon us with love in our humble state. Thank you for coming to us
to show that we need not be the most competent or powerful to be part of Your
kingdom. Thank You for blessing us with weaknesses the drive us to You.
Forgive us, O God, when we hate the things in our lives that
drives us more close to you. Forgive us for longing for self-sufficiency and
our own glory. Forgive us for feeling hard-done-by when things do not go our
way, forgetting that You bless the humblest acts of faith. Forgive us for
avoiding persecution and for not recognizing how great a blessing it is to
confess our faith in You in every situation.
Please bless us with those things you long for us to have.
Give your people those things that will draw us closer to you. Help us to lived
blessed lives. Help us to know You are with us always. Amen.
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