“When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you. – Mathew 5:1-11
Blessed are the poor in Spirit
Being poor in spirit, to me, means maintaining a deep desire and hunger for God, a constant longing, with the awareness that my pride and ego must never rear its head. I must never think that I have arrived in my growth in Christ. Oh, far from it, I must remain vulnerable before the Lord and depend on God’s complete help. Longing for God must be my greatest strength. Help me oh God to be and remain poor in Spirit. In this way, the kingdom of heaven will be mine. Poverty in spirit is mine and hence the kingdom of heaven in Jesus name. Amen.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth
I must let go of worldly power and the world’s way of thinking and handling every resource in my hand and within my phere of influence. The meek in Christ thinks and behaves differently from a worldly person. I do not always have to speak up to defend myself. There must be an inner surrendering of myself to God such that everything around is secondary to what I carry within me and secondary to what is guiding me from within. It is an irony that such meekness is what inherits the earth. The way of the world is dominance, force, oppression, wickedness, revenge, loudness and show of power. Yet, the one who is meek like Jesus will take the earth. At such moments, may I act like Christ; think like Christ and do what Christ will do and have an attitude like Christ.
You are the Light of the World
With the help of the Spirit, I can overcome timidity, fear, looking down on myself and lack of courage. Wherever I am, the light of Christ is there and so I can stand tall in Christ and speak confidently in and about Jesus. This speaking may not always be in words, but Christ must be seen in my words, actions, behaviours, attitude, choices, demeanor, and character. Where there is Jesus, the light of Christ dispels all darkness. I believe that the light of Christ in me would dispel every darkness wherever I find myself; at home, workplace, and with my associations. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I can remain light and be placed on a stand to the greater glory of God. This is the call of every true believer in Christ Jesus. It is no longer enough to be just a church going Christian. If Jesus cannot be seen in your life and mine, then we are no better than the heathen or unbeliever who is worldly minded, because all such end up in the same place – eternity without God.
Salt and Light
That a Christian is called to be salt and light is a message we hear often and which may be taken for granted. But I am learning that being salt and light of the world is ardent call to what I must be in the world. The life in Christ has a mentality that is different from that of the world. So, wherever I am, the life of Christ must shine as light in all matters I am involved in. I cannot engage in the things of the world with the mentality of one who belongs to the world. I am called to exhibit a difference, a difference that reflects after the life of Christ. Just as salt makes a difference, so I am called to bring in the Word of God into the things I do so there is a difference. Just as light reaches to everyone in the house, I must not hide who I am in Christ, but let my life speak and testify to the ways of God. May good deeds be abundant in our lives, and may our lives cause people to glorify God, in Jesus name. Amen.
Righteousness that exceeds that of Scribes and Pharisees.
The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, as we learn from scriptures, is that of show, pretense, mere fulfilment of the law, eye-service, lording it over others, hypocrisy, religiousity, fulfilling all righteousness, keeping to religious rules, regulations and practices, public lengthy prayers, washing the outside cup with wickedness inside, expecting others to ‘do what I say and not what I do’, expecting others to show them reverence for their position, and so on. But Jesus said, it must not be so among you. The righteousness that Christ exemplified far surpassed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees. It is the uprightness as shown by Jesus that can help me enter into the kingdom of heaven. The righteousness to which I am called is one that focuses on Jesus and not on being seen by others; it is one of humility, humble and loving service to God and humanity, fleeing from sin, prayerfulness, reading/study of the Word of God, showing love, compassion and forgiveness towards others, not identifying with the world and the distractions it has to offer, and obedience to God.
Better to lose one part of the body
“…And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell…”. The matter of inheriting God’s kingdom for eternity rather than going to eternal damnation is so serious that it is worth loosing anything that is not worth it. Cutting any part of the body is something that nobody wants. But for the sake of eternity, it is critical enough that I identify those parts of my life that do not align with God’s work and walk with me and in me. Associations, engagements, tendencies, behaviours, old lifestyles, attitudes and ways of thinking that do not align with God’s will and God’s word must be cut off. Nothing must be too dear to let go of for the sake of God’s kingdom on earth and in heaven.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for your word. A life of compromise with the world will take me nowhere. I give my life to you today. Forgive me. Help me to embrace the true life in Christ Jesus so that ‘it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me’. In Jesus name. Amen.
DISCLAIMER
The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.
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