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THE SERMON...

Blessed are the... blessed are the... blessed are the...
-- Matthew 5:3-11

It is the greatest sermon ever preached. Spoken on a hill long ago by the greatest preacher to ever live. The words of THE WORD (who became flesh).

As I begin to write on the Beatitudes, I am struck by everything written and said up to and following this past Tuesday's election. So a brief aside...

I do not believe the election season created a divide in our country. I believe it further revealed a divide in our hearts. I won't slide into the political because frankly, I do not think politics are the problem or the answer.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the...

     poor in spirit...

     mourners...

     meek...

     ones hungry for righteousness... 

     merciful...

     pure in heart...

     peacemakers...

     ones persecuted for righteousness..."

Neither political party can create anything resembling the kingdom Jesus describes. But the Kingdom of Heaven is a reality to be experienced. Though, on this side of eternity's door we see only glimpses; real and powerful, but fore-shocks of the earthquake of love, peace and joy to come.

In the eight Blessed's..., Jesus describes the heart that both experiences and is formed by his love. A President, Congress, or Supreme Court cannot usher in a kingdom. Nor can they ultimately bring healing to a fractured culture. People are divided and broken because we are not meek or merciful, we are not pure or poor. And only THE WORD can speak the words that reform hearts and bring healing.

Blessed are the...

God, let these words form and describe my heart.

For now...
D

TEMPTED

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted... and the tempter came...
-- Matthew 4:1,3

The life of faith is not necessarily an easy one. Some might propose it to be. Their doctrine is Christianity-light. Worse, they may expound that the true person of faith should not know pain, sickness, loss, or crisis of belief. And if he or she experiences these, it is due to lack of faith. This is not the real world. And this is not true Christianity. Some feel-good prophets go as far to claim they are above (or beyond) temptation; and that this is a goal of the Spirit-filled life.

Only one whose feet have touched the dust of this earth has lived perfectly. Yet none has more deeply known rejection, slander, or loneliness.

He was despised and rejected by men, 

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

-- Isaiah 53:3

And none who has come since (or before) has known temptation to the degree that Jesus was tempted. His ministry began with temptation - in a lonely wilderness; and it ended with temptation in a garden. (I don't think I am reading too much into the spiritual, emotional and physical battle that produced bloody sweat drops.) 

Jesus taught us to pray that we not be led into temptation (Matthew 6:13). Yet he was. Why? He didn't, with his wilderness victory, win the right to be Messiah. That is who he was. He was the Word become flesh, the Creator become creation. He had nothing to prove. No, I believe his temptation was for our benefit. 

Through Jesus' temptation we understand:

• Temptation is not a mark of failure. It is not sin to be tempted. We all, he included, know temptation. As long as we breathe we will face temptation's subtle allure.  
• He understands our weakness. We have a ...high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses... (Hebrews 4:15). And though he never failed, he loves us in the midst of our failures. 
• We too can overcome. We can overcome because Jesus overcame - not just temptation, but death, sin and hell. And the Great Overcomer stands with us in every circumstance. 

Much later, Jesus' brother James wrote:

Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee. --James 4:7

That is exactly what Jesus did in the desolate wilderness. And it is what he calls us and empowers us to do still. 

Temptation is inevitable. And that is a good thing. It means we are alive. It means our spirit is alive and struggling daily to follow our Creator. 

Two final thoughts:

• Though temptation is inevitable, failure is not. 
• However, when we do fail, we never fail beyond the reach of God's grace.

God, lead me away from temptation. But I won't fear it when it comes. You are with me. And you have overcome.

For now... 

D

NEAR

...for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
-- Matthew 3:2

The people gather on the shore to hear a wild man. There is truth in his words - a compelling passion, a call to something higher. They are drawn, but oblivious. Drawn by his words... oblivious to the one standing among them listening (in my mind, with a knowing grin). He is the giver and the focus of John's words.

The message of repentance is startling. It does not feel-good (and if you read further, it gets harsher for the self-righteous crowd). This makes it easy to miss an important element - actually the most important - of the message. Why should we repent? Why should we change our minds and attitudes and actions? Why should we rethink the direction and trajectory of our lives?

...the kingdom of heaven is near...

Nearer than we can imagine.

That day one walked anonymously among the crowd. He is the maker of the crowd. He built eyes and ears and noses. He wired brains. He created emotions. He wrote and implanted the script of love. (By the way, ask the atheist someday, "Why did evolution produce empathy, why is there love?" I don't think he can provide an adequate answer.)

...the kingdom of heaven is near... because He is here. Powerful but unnoticed. Immanent yet unknown. The author of creation is here on the shore... wearing sandals.

It is popular among Christians today to discuss the end of things; in a sense, how near we are to heaven. I think a more important thing to understand is how near heaven is to us.

...the kingdom of heaven is near... 

Just beyond what we can see and touch; a breathe beyond what we can smell, hear or taste... heaven is near.

And the King of this kingdom invites us to join. He calls us to participate. He winks and motions us over to experience his presence, his life... true life.

Why would I not change my mind (repent) to be a part of something like this?

God, You are near (nearer than I know).

For now...
D

A CHANGE OF MIND

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
-- Matthew 3:1-2

The message isn't culturally sensitive. As a matter of fact it comes across as confrontational and brash. And the wild-man-messenger's delivery and outfit don't help much.

But often, what we WANT to hear and what we NEED to hear are completely divergent things.

Each of us is created with incredible capabilities. Among the greatest - and one that is often overlooked - is the ability to change one's mind. I am not talking about wishy-washy indecisiveness. I am referring to the open-minded capacity to seek, assimilate and process new information and perspective; and based on this, to make new and better decisions.

The Greek word translated repent is "metanoia" which means "to have a change of mind." (Just a note: the bulk of the New Testament was originally written in Greek.) The word carries an idea of doing an about-face - a 180*. But the change of direction begins with a change of mind. Biblically speaking, repentance begins with an understanding of scriptural (God's) perspective about a matter, attitude, action, etc. This understanding brings about decision; first a change of mind, then a corresponding change of behavior.

Now here is the truly exciting part: God's perspective is right. It is correct. It is true. It is truth. When we align our compass to the True North of God's perspective, our paths become clearer. Our journey begins to take on deeper purpose.

There is a way that seems right to a man,

But it's end is the way of death.

-- Proverbs 14:12

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

-- Psalm 119:105

Finally, what is the result of this change of mind and heart; this repentance?

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

-- Jesus, John 8:32

We may not like the message. It often comes with pain. Sometimes we detest the messenger. (And messengers come in all types: human, circumstances, events, etc.) But God has given us an incredible capacity. We can change our minds, and thus change the direction and trajectory of our lives. 

And a word of comfort to close: the opportunity for repentance is based solely in the depth of God's grace toward us. This God who formed us and sacrificed for us gives us the gift of repentance for our good. 

... the kindness od God leads you to repentance.

-- Romans 2:4

God, grace me to change my mind to agree with yours.

For now...
D

WISE MEN

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem...
-- Matthew 2:1

WHAT MAKES WISE MEN WISE?

We don't know their names. Though the song states there were three and that they were kings, we don't know that. We really don't know anything about the identity or background of these mysterious visitors. Well, we do know this: they were wise men.

Why are they identified as such?

It could be that they had deep scientific - especially astronomical - knowledge. Obviously they noticed the anomaly in the heavens on the evening of Christ's birth. They knew it was not completely natural and was worth investigation. But I don't think that's (all of) it.

It could be that they had a deep understanding of the Scriptures (Old Testament). They knew the prophecies of the coming Messiah. As scholar-philosophers, they probably had access to ancient scripts of all kinds. And in their study, they found a uniqueness in this word from God to his people. And at it's center, a promise of One who would come as a demonstration of the Creator's love. But I don't think that's (all of) it.

It could be that they were simply wise. After all, they outfoxed that fox Herod - as Jesus later called him - by rerouting their return to the East; sensing his obsessive compulsion to power. But I don't think that's (all of) it.

Why were the wise men called wise men? They certainly had background, knowledge and smarts. But I think the wisdom of the wise men is truly demonstrated in their search. They are wise because of their quest. Ultimately, the wise men were wise because they were seeking Jesus. Their wisdom is demonstrated in their unabashed, focused, unapologetic, obsessive, singular and sacrificial search for the One who gives wisdom.

It is the same today. Wise men and women still seek Him.

Will we be wise?

God, I search for you.

For now...
D

Listen & Do...

Now... an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise..." And he rose...

-- Matthew 2:13-14

I can complicate things. I am the type to buy an Ikea dresser and go it alone. Instructions are for needy. After all, what use to me is the input of the furniture's creator?

You are ahead of me, aren't you?

We often go it alone. I'm not saying we turn our back on God. I am not saying we lose our faith. It is possibly worse: we claim a faith that has no impact. We acknowledge a God with our mouths, but deny his power - or at least his nearness - in the way we live. 

Joseph was told what to do and he did it. He didn't write a song (or a blog) about it. He did it. He didn't talk about how to discern the will of God, or ask for prayer. He did it. (None of these, by the way, are bad things. Allow an old preacher to over-stress in order to make a point.) 

Here is the point: God spoke... Joseph acted. We see the same in the lives of Abraham, Hannah, Moses, Mary... and on it goes. God speaks. The faithful listen and do.  

Now it is easy to say, "But an angel appeared to Joseph..." True. But Joseph couldn't read the Sermon on the Mount. He couldn't hear the Spirit speak through the Apostle Paul. We have the opportunity, ability and responsibility to listen and do every bit as much as Joseph. I would propose we have even greater opportunity, ability and responsibility. (And Christ's words throughout John 14 would support this.) 

The deficiency in my Christianity is seldom that I simply don't know what to do. More often, the issue is that I know and don't do. Or, I struggle to simply listen. Eventually, ears can become dull.  

We have the inspired Scripture available to us in any and every media format imaginable. And we have the abiding Spirit of God with (and within) us who speaks and empowers.  

Our part is to listen and do. 

God, I will listen and do.

For now...

D