Beatitudes 4 – Salt and Light | Psalm 112:1-10; Isaiah 58:6-12; Matthew 5:13-16

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Gary Rivas, a minister from Lonehill Johannesburg was tasked with preparing us ministers who were leaving John Wesley College at the end of 2006. He kept saying to us: "The local church, is the hope of the world…"

He was trying to remind us how important the work we were being prepared to do was.

"The local church is the hope of the world…"

This little crowd of Christians, meeting in this place, on a Sunday morning at 9h00 (or 5 past nine). Could we be the hope of the world?

* * *

If that is the case. Is there much hope for the world?

* * *

In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus basically says the same as what that minister said to us in the chapel at John Wesley College (Page 7 of the Pew Bibles):

13 "You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it.

14 "You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead he puts it on the lamp-stand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

* * *

"You are like salt for the whole human race…"

"You are like light for the whole world…"

* * *

Could we be the hope of the world?

* * *

For the past few weeks we've been looking quite closely at the Beatitudes in Matthew's gospel, Matthew 5:1-12. A set of sayings of Jesus that mark the beginning of his ministry in Matthew's gospel.

In these sayings Jesus outlines the wisdom on which the Kingdom of God is built… the world where God is King and the powers of this world are not. In it the poor are the honoured ones, the mourners will be comforted, the meek will inherit the earth, the pure in heart will see God.

God's Kingdom values are wholly different to the values of so called worldly kingdoms. Worldly Kingdoms exist for the sake of commerce, taxation and empire building – especially in Jesus' time…

Jesus paints a picture (echoing themes from throughout the Old Testament) of what some people have called an upside down Kingdom. In God's Kingdom the poorest and weakest are most honoured… they are the wealthy and the powerful.

Jesus promises in the Beatitudes that this Kingdom is inevitable, even though the route to getting there might be painful… We might be persecuted for righteousness / justice sake, people might say all sorts of things – it might cost us a lot. But, a reward is promised.

Mourners will be comforted.
Hungry for righteousness will be filled.
The meek will inherit the earth.

* * *

After teaching his disciples all this wisdom – Jesus tells them that they are the hope of the world. Salt for the whole human race, and light for the world.

* * *

These two images, salt and light had special significance for people living at the time of Jesus.

Salt

Salt was a valuable and essential commodity, in Jesus day salt was an essential part of food preservation and preparation, and even for medical needs.

Meat had to be preserved using salt – there were no fridges around in Jesus' day.

For religious purity sake salt might also have been used in the preparation of Kosher food. Rubbed on meat it could draw excess blood out of it – making it ritually fit for consumption.

But once the blood had been absorbed by the salt, the salt wouldn't be any good any more and would have to be rubbed off and thrown away.

Salt was also understood to have cleansing properties – used to disinfect and treat wounds. New born babies were rubbed with salt. In 2 Kings 2:21 we read about how Elisha sprinkled salt into a spring of water – declaring it pure and good to drink in the name of the Lord.

* * *

To be the salt of the earth – the salt for all people means to be a preserving, cleansing, healing presence in the world. And perhaps also a little bit tasty.

We – the disciples of Jesus – when we make his values our values are the hope of the world.

Light

The other image used is light.

With regard to light we're a bit spoilt, when there's no load shedding we light up our gardens our houses, our streets at the flick of a switch.

In Jesus day light was much more valuable.

On a dark night travellers scrambling to make it into the safety of a city would be filled with hope at the sight of the city's lamps burning brightly on the hill.

Light symbolised hope, civilisation, order. A beacon guiding travellers home to rest...

God's first act of creation in bringing the world to order was to say: "Let there be light…"

* * *

But light has to do also with what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 5:1-12 (the beatitudes). A lot of what Jesus says reflects the prophet Isaiah. In Luke's gospel Jesus first sermon comes from Isaiah 61:1:

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives…"

- Isaiah 61:1

In Matthew's gospel Jesus repeats the same themes – when he says blessed are the poor and the oppressed – it is good news for the poor, the oppressed, the mourners.

* * *

Isaiah in Chapter 42 and 49 also speaks of Israel being a light to the nations. In Isaiah 58:6-12 the prophet carries God's message (Isaiah 58:6-12):

"Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

True religion God is saying, is not just empty ritual, but it is made known in what we do – in the difference we make in the world, no matter how small:

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard."

- Isaiah 58:6-8

The promise is repeated in 9 to 12:

"If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday."

* * *

Isaiah's prophecies – prophecies to which Jesus is probably referring as he preaches this sermon on the mount - tell us that when we bring God's righteousness and justice to our world – then we will see light, and we will be light.

* * *

When Jesus says 'you are the light of the world' he is quite clear about how that means we are going to be doing something.

"Your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven."

- Matthew 5:16

* * *

He's not just talking about having a sunny disposition.

He is speaking about a life that reflects God's righteousness and justice into the world around us.

Then people will begin to see what God is like, and they will be left with no choice, but to praise our Father in heaven, because who he is, really is reflected in who we are.

* * *

The scrolls of Isaiah end with people flocking from all over the world to worship God in the temple in Jerusalem. Matthew's gospel ends with the instruction to the disciples to go out to all the world and baptize them, teaching them (by word and deed) to obey everything he (Jesus) has commanded.

* * *

Today, more than ever, we need to be that light of justice and mercy and that salt of purification that begins to transform the world around us, and usher in God's Kingdom reign. You and I are the hope of the world.

* * *

No pressure.

* * *

The pressure is off because we are not alone in this. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:11 that the same Spirit of God (that raised Jesus from death) lives in us and will give life to us… we are empowered and enlivened by that Spirit to live God's way, as hope for the world.

We are not alone in this because even as a small body of believers we are the body of Christ… where I have weakness you make up for me. Where I have strength I make up for you. Together we enable one another to do what God calls us to do. And in some mysterious way – as we remember when we partake of his body and drink of his blood – we are a part of Christ himself.

We are not alone in this, because when we work with God – we have an unfair advantage… He created the world to be this way.

Working with God we are salt and light – we show the way out.

* * *

You see, I believe that we are the hope of the world… all we need to is trust in Christ and begin to work with him in bringing God's Kingdom to bear on the world.

Beatitudes 3 - Matthew 5:1-12 - June 22 2008

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We've been looking at the Beatitudes in Matthew's gospel over the past two weeks.

In week one I spoke of how the beatitudes are the 'constitution of the Kingdom of God.' God is restoring the values that these beatitudes represent to us.

In the second week I spoke about the hope we hear in the Beatitudes – hope for an eternal reality in which we will receive what we are promised.

We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, and because of that – what we count as valuable is quite different to what is normally considered appropriate.

Today I want us to take a moment to reflect on the scripture, line by line... as we make it more and more a part of the values system that underpins our lives.

Blessed

Like most Christian words we use blessed a bit casually... when something good happens to us we say we were blessed. What we mean then – I hope – is that even though we didn't deserve it we got something good – and we're saying that it was God who blessed us.

* * *

In the world of Jesus' day the term blessed was used of the wealthy and powerful. The well educated and well healed. The respectable members of society.

In Greek it was like a title – there goes 'blessed Matthew' - someone who is favoured and important.

* * *

If you wanted to do well in life, just like today – it would be good to be connected to those who were blessed.

On the other hand, the poorest of the poor are worthless... you'll get nothing from them.

* * *

Jesus words of blessing are the exact opposite of what anyone would expect. He begins to turn the world we know on its head... taking our conventional wisdom and replacing it with God's wisdom.

And so he begins:

Blessed are the poor in spirit...

In Jesus' context the poor in spirit are the physically poor the phrase also implies that they have lost hope, they are tired. Their life's breath has been sucked out of them – spirit is the Greek word for breath.

Jesus wants them to know that the prophecy of Isaiah 9:2 is coming true:

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light..."

Most Kingdoms are for the sake of accumulating power and making money... Kings are interested in the Rich and the Powerful, they are keen to exploit the poor and weak.

In God's Kingdom the poor and weak are the rich and the powerful.

And this Kingdom is not tomorrow – or just now, it is right now. Among the citizens of God's Kingdom the poor and hopeless are most favoured.

Blessed are those who mourn...

To mourn is to know the searing pain of loss. To be bereaved. It is having known something – having seen a speck of hope or light – and feeling doomed never to see it again.

In mourning the Psalmist sings:

"By the rivers of Babylon – there we sat down and there we wept... How could we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?"

- Psalm 137

The vision for Israel was magnificent – the laws they had revolutionary, they protected the weakest in the land – they ensured provision for the poorest of the poor and even a sabbath day of rest for slaves and animals.

The vision was great – but it was almost always a giant and gaping hole in the heart of the poorest Israelites because other – more powerful nations were constantly dominating them. Even their own Kings constantly railed against the laws of the Kingdom.

The promise is – that they will one day be comforted. Comfort for a mourner is getting back what they have lost.

Blessed are the meek...

In the Psalm which we read this morning the Psalmist proclaims:

"Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land,
and delight themselves in abundant prosperity."

- Psalm 37:10-11

The whole of Psalm 37 reminds the meek and the gentle that they will eventually be rewarded. Power and wealth is just temporary.

In Matthew's gospel – the word for meek or gentle is used 3 times, the next time it is used is in the verse:

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am meek and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

- Matthew 11:29-30

And the third time, as Jesus rides into Jerusalem for his crucifixion:

"Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, meek, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

- Matthew 21:5

The kind of gentleness we are talking about is the gentleness we see in Christ. A difficult gentleness, one that leads to crucifixion. But that is accompanied by the promise of a future hope... the gentle, the meek, the oppressed will eventually inherit and rule the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...

In this slide I've used two pictures – a picture of a person kneeling and praying, and a judges gavel.

The word for righteousness often makes us think of holiness or 'religiosity'. Keeping all the purity laws – we mostly have negative images of what we would call 'righteous' people. They're always telling you how much they pray – or fast – and they speak an irritating blend of English and Bible.

Scripturally speaking, religious righteousness is not separable from practical justice. Righteousness and Justice are the same word...

Do we hunger and thirst for a just world?

Do we hunger and thirst for being made right with God?

The two are the same.

Jesus tells us that loving God is just like loving your neighbour...

(Matthew 22:38 & 39)

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy...

In the Bible justice and mercy are cousins.

In Micah 6:8 the prophet writes:

"He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

- Micah 6:8

Mercy – or kindness dresses the wounds inflicted by injustice. Mercy has to do with helping people and not expecting anything in return from them. Not putting them in debt to yourself.

It also means forgiving them their sins and debts. Loving them – just the way they are. Christians are known for being judgmental... Christ calls us to be merciful.

Jesus encourages us to be merciful as God is merciful. If we are not – we risk not receiving the mercy which God might have for us. Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:14-15 to practice forgiveness – because if we don't – we risk not being forgiven ourselves.

Blessed are the pure in heart...

In Psalm 24:3-4 the Psalmist asks:

"Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?

Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
They will receive blessing from the LORD,
and vindication from the God of their salvation"

- Psalm 24:3-4

The pure in heart, the beatitude tells us – will see God. To see doesn't necessarily mean to physically see – although that is our hope. But it is also to perceive, to see God at work in the world.

The pure in heart will see that Jesus is God – because they are willing to allow him to challenge their preconceptions and move them into a new direction.

So often we who are corrupt, and not pure in heart close ourselves off to Jesus as soon as we hear how difficult or challenging his teaching is.

But the pure in heart – will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers...

To be called a son or a child of God in scripture means to share the nature of God. Children inherited their parents work, their parents identity – to be a child of God is to be like God.

Peacemaking is something that God does.

In Jesus time many factions are arguing with each other about who holds the correct interpretation of the scriptures – the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealots, all with different ways of seeing things, often trying to catch each other out in arguments.

Jesus rises above all that – reminding people of their one goal – the Kingdom of God.

He makes peace between people, and between heaven and earth by showing the way of forgiveness and grace.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake...

The 11^th and 12^th verse expand on this one.

As I explained earlier righteousness is not religiosity, but pursuing the kind of justice that God wants for the world. Pursuing this sort of justice is not always in our interest.

Often we live off injustice and those around us do too... we like cheap deals, we like cheap labour.

We don't always ask where what we're buying comes from – because if we asked too many questions we might find that what we are consuming is a product of injustice.

If some of us stood up for justice we might face losing our jobs.

* * *

Christians like to feel sorry for themselves. They make an absolute pain of themselves trying to force their religion down other people's throats – and when with good reason those people don't like them they claim to be persecuted.

* * *

When we stand up – at great expense to ourselves – for what is right – the Kingdom of God belongs to us.

* * *

When we make these values – our values we will begin to see the Kingdom of God in this place.

Beatitudes 2 - Matthew 5:1-12 - 15 June 2008

[Slide]

Introduction:

Last week we began a series on the Beatitudes… a series which we will still be looking at for another two weeks.

What we call the beatitudes are most famously known as Matthew 5:1-12, the passage that we read this morning.

I introduced this passage by quoting Gandhi – a man who challenged Christians to be a little more faithful to their beliefs.  He is said to have said to Lord Irwin, the viceroy of India:

"When your country and mine shall get together on the teachings laid down by Christ in this Sermon on the Mount we shall have solved the problems not only of our countries but those of the whole world."

*  *  *

As we observe the situation in the world today, in Africa, South Africa, in the middle East – I think those with their eyes open could not agree more… if we adopted these values from the sermon on the mount, if the values of God – outlined in Matthew 5:1-12 – were our values and were more than just ideals.  We would begin to see a world fundamentally changed.

As we watch the news I think many of us are starting to say that we might just become the physically poor that Jesus is speaking about in the beatitudes.

I spoke also of how these beatitudes are not just some 'spiritual ideology' a how to get to heaven formula.  They are practical words – Jesus practices what he preaches.

*  *  *

This is possible

My argument was that, making these values our own – and living by them, is not impossible, because - when we reach out to Christ, to God, in faith, God begins to transform us. 

And that transformation is not from something we are into something we are not.  But rather the other way around – it is a transformation from something we are not… money, power, obsessed, sinful people into something that we are… caring and compassionate – pure in heart… people with God's heart at the centre.

God transforms us into the people we were created to be.

Like it is written in Genesis – we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and that's certainly not about the way we look.  Paul says in Romans that we've sinned – fallen short of that glory – but because of Christ we can be restored to that glory (Romans 3:21-31).

The beatitudes are not just about the present, they are about the future:

Matthew brackets the beatitudes with two verses in the present tense, what we call an inclusio… the phrase 'for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.'  The first beatitude:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

And the eighth:

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  

This way of writing lets us know that that's what all the beatitudes are about – they are about the Kingdom of God.  The kind of world we would see (as the theologian Marcus Borg puts it) if God was King, and the rulers of this world were not.

Although these two beatitudes are in the present tense, indicating as Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is here.  The other 6 are written in the future tense:

Mourners will be comforted.
The meek will inherit.
The 'hungry for justice / righteousness' will be filled.
The merciful will receive mercy.
The pure in heart will see God.
Peacemakers will be called children of God.

These are all promises of a future hope.

*  *  *

In Theology we call the study of what's popularly called 'the end times', 'eschatology' – that exciting end to which we believe the world is moving.  Put simply, using a common phrase from scripture:  "The day of the Lord", or as another good theologian puts it:  The day on which God will put the world to rights.

We see good creation at the beginning of the story and at the end of the story of the Bible – a good rebeginning.  A new heavens and a new earth.

*  *  *

Unfortunately there are many people who masquerade around pretending to know more about the end of the world than anyone else, often even Jesus himself.  There's no time for them now, but when you see them coming, my advice is that you run and run quickly!  They twist the scriptures, deceive people and take their money – and lots of it.

*  *  *

Although the beatitudes speak practically, their bulk speaks of a future hope for those who suffer now.

*  *  *

This hopeful language is not unique to Jesus, or to Matthew's gospel.  It is the language of Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-4) and many of the prophets – the language of the belief that ultimately, God's way will win out, even when it seems less than likely.

These verses echo the belief that a day of justice is coming, and on that day the mourners, the meek, those hungry for justice, the merciful, the pure and the peacemakers will be vindicated.

And those who are the opposite of all this will also be brought to justice.

The promise is that the experiences of this life, especially when they are for the sake of the Kingdom of God are not for nothing… we will be comforted, rewarded, consoled.

*  *  *

In Philippians 3 Paul echoes this hope:  He speaks of how his greatest aim – his goal in life is to imitate Jesus – to follow the Way of Christ.  Paul aspires to being crucified with Christ, putting to death all of the desires of the flesh… living completely for the life after this one.

He did this, he said, because for him our citizenship is in heaven (we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven).  Because we are citizens of the Kingdom of heaven we have a different currency.  What is counted as valuable in this reality – is nothing in that reality.  In the Kingdom of heaven the poor are blessed, the mourners are comforted, the cross is something towards which to aspire.

Jesus teaching overturns our conventional wisdom.

But Paul reminds us, the treasures of the Kingdom of heaven, in contrast to the treasures of this world are 'eternal.'

Paul warns his readers in Philippians 3:18, that many live as enemies of the cross… Their god is their belly – their bodily desires. 

Paul warns that that desire leads only to destruction.  (The Good News Bible says they will end up in hell… unfortunately for the GNB that's not even close to the Greek - In the Greek the words are telos (meaning ultimately) and apooleia (meaning destroyed or wasted)).

In contrast, Paul says that the citizens of heaven wait for Jesus the deliverer, the rescuer to restore us to the glory for which were intended.  And to put all things under his authority – putting the world to rights.

*  *  *

The Beatitudes speak of a future hope.  A hope that those who suffer for the sake of the good in this life will be eternally rewarded by God, a belief that God will bring the world to justice, and those who have been done down will eventually be vindicated.

*  *  *

In the adaptation of the Nicene Creed which we say at Baptisms we say about Jesus: "He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead."  As Christians we firmly believe that there will be a day of justice – but do we live our confession?

What to do:

Every Sunday I am grateful for those words from 2 Corinthians 13:13 which we say to each other… The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit…

They remind me – after I have been challenged by the scriptures, by our prayers, and the presence of God as we worship together that we are not alone in trying to live into the reality which God sets up for us.

We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, called to have a very different set of values to those around us. 

To help us to live with these values – Jesus gives us community.  Each other, people who remind each other, who pray with each other – who see the world differently together.

Next term we hope to get our fellowship groups going again – will you make discipleship a priority for you and get involved?

Another way to make these values a part of your reality is to pray – to take a minute or two – or half an hour… maybe a minute every hour.  And remind yourself that God is God and God is working out a story in this world.

Finally – study the scriptures.  Learn what these values which Jesus sets up for us mean.  Let your reality be defined by God's story.

Getting in on God's dream…

The field we are playing on slopes towards God's goal posts, we are created in the image of God (all of us) and God is on our team.

Desmond Tutu says in his book God has a dream that when he was at the front of a small crowd, intimidated by a powerful army, himself quite small in stature and unarmed – he would shout to the soldiers with their weapons and heavy trucks: "Come and join the winning side."

Because Tutu believed firmly that God is on the side of justice.

 

The Beatitudes - Introduction and ‘Blessed are the poor…’ | Psalm 1; Isaiah 61:1-6; Romans 3:22b-26; Matthew 5:1-12 | Page 1/3

Introduction:

There is a story that when Lord Irwin, the British governor of India, asked Gandhi what he thought would solve the problems between England and India Gandhi picked up a Bible, opened it to the fifth chapter of Matthew (The Sermon on the Mount) and said: "When your country and mine shall get together on the teachings laid down by Christ in this Sermon on the Mount, we shall have solved the problems not only of our countries but those of the whole world."

“When your country and mine shall get together on the teachings laid down by Christ in this Sermon on the Mount we shall have solved the problems not only of our countries but those of the whole world.”

The Beatitudes are some of the most widely quoted words in scripture. These beautiful words of Jesus convince many of us that he is indeed who he said he was - the Son of God.

They remind us of what God is like - and I think most of us respond in worship: If this is the heart of God, then this God is worthy of my devotion.

* * *

So over the next four weeks I want to do something a little different to my usual by way of preaching. I want to look at Matthew’s gospel - specifically the Beatitudes - which are an introduction to the famous and challenging, Sermon on the Mount.

* * *

If you’ve got one of those Bibles where the words of Christ are in red, you’ll be able to see quite clearly how Matthew’s gospel is divided broadly into sections, sections in which Christ teaches, and sections in which he acts.

Jesus’ actions emphasize the fact that his gospel is not just spiritual - it is also practical.

* * *

Constitution of the Kingdom of God

Matthew’s gospel probably functioned as a teaching document which prepared early Christians for baptism, the act of admitting new citizens to this Kingdom.

The Sermon on the Mount, particularly The Beatitudes frame the teaching of Jesus contained in this gospel, setting out the fundamental norms and values of the Kingdom of God. Maybe you could call it the

‘Constitution of the Kingdom of God’.

* * *

Gandhi was critical of the British, a so called Christian Nation because of the way they treated the poor in India. He was also critical of South Africans, another so-called Christian nation because of their policies of Apartheid.

(With shame I say that when Gandhi tried to visit a Methodist Church in Durban, he was turned away on account of the colour of his skin.)

Gandhi challenged people who went to church every Sunday and claimed to be a part of the Kingdom of God with their own scriptures, asking why - if you believe that this Jesus is the Son of God and his words carry the authority of God himself do we so called ‘Christian Nations’ not live into these words?

* * *

We’ve come up with a couple of excuses.

* * *

Our inadequate idea of what it means to be ‘saved’

One of these excuses is the old bumper sticker: “I’m not perfect, I’m just forgiven.”

Part of our problem has been the inadequate idea that we’re ‘saved by faith alone’ and that salvation is simply a spiritual thing that means that our sins are forgiven and Jesus loves us. This is partly true, but it is not the faith which Jesus taught… Jesus lived out his teaching - not by praying and being holy, but by being active, actively working for the Kingdom of God. In Matthew’s gospel his teaching is matched with action.

Just before he sat down to teach the Sermon on the Mount the scripture tells us he was going through Galilee, teaching, and proclaiming, and curing… He was the Word made real - and his message was about real and practical change in the world.

From Christ we know that Christianity is a lot more than just believing something difficult to believe and going to heaven on a cloud.

James challenges us about our faith when he says in James 2:17:

“So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”

Belief must always result in action.

* * *

A couple of weeks ago I spoke about Genesis Chapter 1. I spoke about creation and about how it is intrinsically good - there’s a refrain throughout the creation narrative: “And God saw that it was good.”

As the crown of all creation God creates people in his own good and perfect image, both male and female (Just in case you thought God was all male).

People (like you and me) are created with the potential to reflect the ‘glory of God’. Jesus gets it right - Hebrews 1:3 tells us about Jesus: “He is the reflection of God’s glory…” Jesus shows us what people are capable of.

* * *

Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23 that in spite of this potential with which all people are created: “…all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Or in another way of saying it - “All have sinned and lack the splendor of God.”

We have cracked the image with which we were created with our decision to sin.

But, Paul tells us the good news in verse 24 that we are made right because of the gift of Christ.

Our cracks are not just covered over - they are repaired because of what Christ has done on the cross.

Salvation is not just some sort of spiritual thing where we accept Jesus as our Lord and then we wait till we die and go to heaven. In Salvation we are actually transformed by God into the people we were created to be. We begin to take God’s values into our lives, and live in them ourselves.

* * *

Poor in Spirit

And so we’re ready to come to the first of the beatitudes of the Kingdom of God:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus first (short sermon) recorded in Luke is straight from Isaiah 61 -

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.”

In Isaiah 61 the prophet speaks of a day on which a rescuer will come to the people of Israel. The nation is in trouble, the people are oppressed and in exile; the prophet says that one day God really will come through for them.

In the Beatitudes of Matthew’s gospel Jesus tells us that this prophecy is fulfilled he begins doing exactly what he said he would do in Luke - he brings good news to the poor:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus announces the gospel telling the poor and broken of the world that he is here for them, and the Kingdom which he proclaims is finally theirs.

* * *

Can we who are relatively rich and powerful be a part of this Kingdom that is for the poor?

For the Hebrews and for Matthew the word for poor does not just denote physical poverty - it also speaks of a kind of spiritual poverty.

Are we poor, broken and oppressed by the world we live in… are we willing to admit it. Are we willing to acknowledge that all of us, all of our wealth, all of our goodness belong to God?

Then we too can count ourselves among the poor and be blessed.

But as soon as we are blessed, we have to become a blessing to others… straight after the beatitudes Jesus quickly tells these poor and downtrodden that they are light to the world and salt of the earth.

Once we are blessed we have to bless.

* * *

And so begins a cycle of redemption… Jesus raises the poor up, he dies and rises again - the Spirit is given to the disciples and then through all the generations up to us now and we continue as the raised up poor to raise up the poor. We die and go on to glory and the poor that we raised up raise each other up.

And slowly… inch by inch, person by person the world is restored because of what God has done.

* * *

When we begin to live the teaching of Christ as a church, then I truly believe we will begin to see the Kingdom of God in this place.

Amen.