And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Dear God,
I want to embrace the attitude of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. You are calling me to a surrender of will and service that brings me into the very Spirit and demeanor of Christ. I read it, and tremble. I read it and find comfort. How can this be--such contradictory responses in my heart and mind from the truth spoken by Jesus?
If I am to live out the virtues of Christ, the attitude of Jesus, my life will certainly run counter-culture! Ronald. C. Calhoun wrote: "On God's turf, mercy is the rule of the land. If we choose to be merciless, we accept the modus operandi of Satan's turf, rejecting and forfeiting the mercy that has been so generously offered us by God in Christ" (In Life in the Image of God, 2013, p. 39).
I will be singled-out for suffering by our culture. E. Stanley Jones understood that when he wrote, "Men love their chains and their clashes and think them a part of themselves... Anyone who disturbs them by loving aggression will find the world kicking back in persecution. Men hate to be disturbed--even for the better. The peacemakers must get used to the sight of their own blood."
Ronald. C. Calhoun wrote that "We, as Western Christians, have been sheltered from much persecution until now. Does it make us uncomfortable to read about such rugged joy in the face of severe persecution? Could we joyfully shoulder such abuse for Jesus' sake?" (In Life in the Image of God, 2013, p. 57).
Lord, work Your character deeply into my life. Empower me to live out the attitudes of the Beatitudes. May "loving aggression" rule my life. Then strengthen me to suffer the consequences of Christ-likeness.
In the Name of the One who is forever forming me into Your image,
Amen.
I will be singled-out for suffering by our culture. E. Stanley Jones understood that when he wrote, "Men love their chains and their clashes and think them a part of themselves... Anyone who disturbs them by loving aggression will find the world kicking back in persecution. Men hate to be disturbed--even for the better. The peacemakers must get used to the sight of their own blood."
Ronald. C. Calhoun wrote that "We, as Western Christians, have been sheltered from much persecution until now. Does it make us uncomfortable to read about such rugged joy in the face of severe persecution? Could we joyfully shoulder such abuse for Jesus' sake?" (In Life in the Image of God, 2013, p. 57).
Lord, work Your character deeply into my life. Empower me to live out the attitudes of the Beatitudes. May "loving aggression" rule my life. Then strengthen me to suffer the consequences of Christ-likeness.
In the Name of the One who is forever forming me into Your image,
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment