Blessings…
Sit for a moment and think what comes to mind as you read that word…
One morning recently, I was sitting with the LORD, thinking about the full day that lay ahead—hike and lunch with my Bible study girls and then dinner with other friends. I was asking God to help me to listen for those things that are unique to each one, the things that make them lovely for me, the things I treasure about each. I asked Him to help me be a learner that day, to be open to new ways of seeing and being aware, to practice pausing before speaking, and to inject real joy into the moments.
“I am so rich in my friendships”, I realized!
“Thank you, God, for so blessing me!”
Ah! There's that word—blessing—and it is about positive things.
I wonder if you thought of things like that as you sat. When we think of blessings, we tend to think of good, lovely things. The word blessing carries for us the idea of positive things. And in a sense, they are their own reward.
But Jesus put a different spin on blessing, one that can be hard for us to understand and accept: “Blessed,” He said, “are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the hungry …”
How do we enter the reality of Jesus’ blessing?
We are planning to blog on all Jesus’ words in Chapters 3-5 in Matthew, linking the teaching to one of these blessings—or maybe more than one. How do the teachings that follow the Beatitudes broaden and deepen our understanding of them? How can we make both the blessings and rewards a reality in our ordinary everyday lives?
Come with me for a few moments and explore the blessing of being poor in spirit through the story I shared. Could I have received the blessing of being poor that day? That is so much more challenging! Can I embrace poverty, and, if I do, what does it look like? Maybe it looks like me coming home that day and realizing I talked too much but I didn't listen as I wanted to, that I didn't pause, that I didn't mine the gold or the genuine in each of my friends. Can I embrace poverty right now, Lord, in the sense that, apart from You, I'm set up to do the things I don't want! That reminds me of Paul’s words in Romans 7, which I also read that morning! “Who,” he cried, “will rescue me from this body of death?”
Several things come to mind as I think of this. One is Jesus’ parable of His being the vine and we the branches. “If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Another is His saying to the disciples, “I will not leave you orphans...I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth."(John 15:16, 18)
Is this what we are to discover on this journey—a whole new relationship with the Holy Spirit? I wonder…
Rewards...
The other facet to explore before we jump into Jesus’ teaching is that each blessing has an associated reward. We will unpack these more as we continue, but for now, let’s look at the reward for receiving the blessing of being poor in spirit— “Yours is the Kingdom of heaven.” Immediately obvious is the present tense of the verb—not something future, but right now, as you experience being poor…wow!
What, then, is this Kingdom? For Jesus, it was central in His teaching as He walked from village to village, “preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people." (Matthew 4:23).." It is an invitation into a new way of living, under a different authority—God Himself. Paul tells us, “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans: 14:17)
So, for me, as I considered my time with my friends, as I recognized my poverty of spirit, as I confessed my need for the Spirit’s presence and help, the Kingdom became mine. That is both sobering and wonderful. I started my day, asking God for help with the things that I know are traps for me—too much talking, too little listening, forgetting to practice pausing before speaking (which I find a brilliant idea!). I am aware in those moments of my need for help—"LORD, please
journey with me”. But what happens as I walk out into my world? Do you, like me, forget your purpose as you get caught up in the busyness of the moment? I remember when I was on staff at a church, going home for lunch and realizing I hadn’t talked to God all morning! What is that about???? How do I live as a Kingdom subject in my regular day? What is the invitation from God here? Jesus promised His Spirit, who would be with us always as Counselor and Comforter, who would reveal to us God’s will.
Perhaps, as you read these words, you are responding with the thought, “We can’t focus on God all day long.” But I wonder if the gentle invitation is to do life with His presence and see how the ordinary becomes extraordinary as you partner with the indwelling Spirit.
What does your ordinary day look like? Is there a way to invite God into your different activities? Pause for a moment and think about what could/would be different if you did just that. Maybe choose one thing in your day and commit to inviting God’s presence—maybe loading the dish washer, cleaning your teeth, changing the baby…let gratitude creep in and an awareness of blessing from this God who loves you more than you will ever understand.
Are you open to the possibility that the Spirit's presence within could bring meaning to your day in ways that are beyond your imagination?
In the Beatitudes, Jesus is inviting us into a different way of being in our world, with a different look at blessing and reward. This is the adventure we are on, to deepen our relationship with God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), and with one another. We invite you to share our journey into life, and that more abundant!
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