Magna Carta
Matthew 5:1-12
What a strange Magna Carta! The Jewish people are under the yoke of Rome. They are oppressed and longing for freedom. They hoped and expected that the Messiah would shake things up. There was a strong expectation that Messiah would overthrow the Romans. "Things are going to be different around here. A clean broom sweeps clean." In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus declared that he came to free the captives, throw off the yoke of oppression, heal the broken and declare the year of the Lord's Jubilee. As he lays out the constitution for the new order you would expect values of freedom, self actualization, empowerment. Instead Jesus tells them that the status quo is a "blessed state".
If you are destitute rejoice! You are truly blessed. The kingdom of heaven belongs to you. If you mourn, be glad! God himself will comfort you. If you are a plain old, humble, lowly, ordinary blue jeans and t-shirt kind of guy, that's great, cause you're perfectly positioned to receive an inheritance from God! Are you the kind of person who is distressed and troubled by all that's wrong in the world? You long to see things set right and you yourself long for righteousness? I guarantee, you will receive your heart's desire! Are you the one who stops to drop a dollar in the beggar's cup? When you see someone in need, you have to take action? When you see the picture of the starving children, you take out your checkbook? Great! God is going to shower you with mercy! Have you guarded your heart to keep it pure? You steer clear of pornography. When the pretty girl passes by you don't do the double take - that's awesome. You're going to see God! Do you work hard to help people live in harmony with each other? You are sooooooo blessed! God will call you "my dear child!" Are people out to make your life miserable and destroy you because you follow me? Throw a party! God's kingdom belongs to you! You are in good company! God's servants throughout the ages have been treated the same way.
Jesus' disciples must have been perplexec by his words. Is this what the Messiah is about - submission, happy acceptance of the status quo. Jesus is advocating "embracing" a life full of hardship. Can this really be the road to blessing? YES!
12:25:07 AM 
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