+ 4th Sunday after Epiphany – February 2, 2020 +
Series A: Micah 6:1-8; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12
Beautiful Savior Lutheran
Milton, WA
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The first word out of Jesus’ mouth in his sermon on the mount is a word of Good News. Blessed. It’s a word of blessing. A beatitude we call it.
The first four of Jesus’ beatitudes point to our life in Christ before God. The poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
That’s a rather strange way to begin a sermon, don’t you think? Jesus doesn’t say blessed are the powerful, the strong, the happy, healthy, wealthy and wise. No. Blessed are the poor in spirit.
To be poor in spirit is to discover our own spiritual bankruptcy. As Luther once said, we are all beggars this is true. To be poor in spirit is to cry out, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. Blessed are those who have nothing to offer God but our sin, our messed up lives, and our broken hearts. Blessed are those who look at the inventory of the commandments and come to the conclusion, “I have nothing.” Blessed are those who realize they haven’t kept a single commandment in thought, word, or deed not matter how good they might look to the world. Blessed are those who, join the tax collector in confessing, “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Or as St. Augustine once said, God gives into empty hands.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
This beatitude doesn’t seem like a blessing at first. Aren’t Christians supposed to have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in our hearts? And yet, there is sadness in this life. We mourn the chaos of sin and death in our world. We mourn the martyrdom of brothers and sisters in Christ. We mourn the lawlessness in our streets, and the anarchy of sin in our hearts. And yet…Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again…for you to comfort you.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Once again Jesus’ beatitudes are the opposite of what we’d expect. He doesn’t say blessed are the strong and mighty. No. Blessed are the meek. How’s that going for us? Not great I expect. We’re not always meek or humble. Thankfully, Jesus is meek for you. “Come to me, all you who are weak and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Hopefully by now you’re seeing a pattern. The beatitudes are all about Jesus. Jesus is meek. Jesus loves his enemies. Jesus turns the other cheek. Jesus lays down his life for the ungodly...for you Jesus humbles himself to the point of death on the cross for you. And in Jesus, you receive these blessings.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Hunger and thirst, no problem. Go to the fridge. But righteousness? Again, for that, we need Jesus righteousness.
The next four beatitudes turn us to our neighbor. Blessed are the merciful, the pure-hearted, the peacemakers, the persecuted. We reflect the merciful, pure-hearted, persecuted Prince of Peace who is their Savior and Lord. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
God gives us his mercy every Sunday in his Word, water, body and blood. “Lord, have mercy,” we sing, knowing that Jesus is mercy. Jesus calls us, who receive his mercy, to be merciful to others in their physical and spiritual needs.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Here’s another difficult beatitude. Maybe you’re like me and you squirm a bit when you hear this. After all, Proverbs says, “Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”? Not a one of us.
Create in me, a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Jesus takes our heart of stone and replaces it with a new heart whose life-blood is in the blood of the Lamb, a pure heart that beats in rhythm with God’s Word and promises.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
For many, peace is a political or an emotional word. The peace Jesus brings is different. It’s the proclamation of Good News that in him the kingdom of God has come; that through his death and resurrection we are reconciled to God. Jesus reconciles all things having made peace by his blood shed on the cross. That’s true peace, shalom. Sins forgiven.
On our own we’re not peacemakers. Our old Adam is constant rebel, seeking to overthrow the Prince of Peace. But in Christ, in your Baptism, by his blood shed for you; you are at peace with God, and called to declare that peace to others. That’s what Jesus sent out his disciples to do.
Though sadly, wherever this message of Good News and reconciliation and peace in Jesus is proclaimed sooner or later, persecution follows.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you, the baptized believer, child of God, and heir of the kingdom. Blessed are you when others revile you, persecute you, slander you because you bear the name Christian. Blessed are you when people laugh at you for believing in Jesus.
We hear this and think…really? How’s that a blessing? It’s not the persecution that’s the blessing; it’s Jesus’ promise in the face of suffering that is the blessing. Jesus promises to be with you and never leave nor forsake you. And nothing and no one can snatch you out of his hands.
From his first word to his last, Jesus’ beatitudes words of blessing and good news for you. Jesus is the One who became poor in spirit, though He was rich. He is the One who mourned over our Sin. He is the meek One, who turned the other cheek, and gave himself up for us on the cross. He hungered and thirsted for our righteousness, and in His hunger and thirst we are filled. He is the Merciful One, whose mercy knows no bounds. He is the pure-hearted One, innocent of all sin, whose heart overflows with love. He is the peacemaker, the One who made peace by his death on a cross. He is the persecuted One, who absorbed this world’s hatred and buried it in His death.
Rejoice and be glad! You are blessed in Jesus, now and forever.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment