Matthew
5:1-12
Seeing
the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples
came to him.
2 And 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 satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for
they shall receive 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 others
revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on
my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your
reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before
you.
One of my
favorite All Saints Day lessons. Jesus starts out by putting each of us in our
place. These remind us not only how we are failures, but what God has given to
us anyway. I know there are many ways, thoughts, and teachings about these
simple words. And I will not go through them all, but will simply say you are
blessed.
Think of
every evil thing you have done in your life. Think of the worst thing you have
done. Think of the worst person you can imagine. Place all the attributes of
these things, actions, and people in the blank. “Blessed are the ________, for
they have been forgiven in Christ Jesus.” “Blessed are the _____, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
This is a
message of shortcomings and a message of hope. God sent his Son to redeem you
of your sins. You suffer and are persecuted because of your sins, or because
you are speaking the truth as the prophets before you. But either way Jesus
Suffered and died for you.
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