Monday, June 13, 2016

Praise the Lord, O my soul, all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits … Psalm 103:1

Begin your time with God this week by offering your praise and thanksgiving.

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:1-12

One of my old seminary professors once asked, “How long does a good sermon last?” Those of us in the class took turns offering answers. 25 minutes? 30 minutes? Or, 45 minutes? (None of us could imagine giving a sermon of over 45 minutes!) After all our guesses, the professor said, “A good sermon lasts until someone does this…” and he looked at his watch as if late to catch a bus. And after years of both listening to and delivering sermons I think in one way he was right. When the listener stops listening a sermon is effectively over. But, in another way, that sermon can stay alive for days, weeks, even years in the listener’s heart as the Holy Spirit does his work. One of the most rewarding things in a preacher’s life is when someone calls or emails looking for a sermon they remember from years back and want to hear again – because it means God enabled that sermon to last much longer than 25 minutes.

In our current sermon series we are studying Matthew 5-7, a portion of the teachings of Jesus often called the “Sermon on the Mount.” While scholars differ in opinions as to whether Jesus actually delivered this passage as one complete sermon – or that it is a collection of that which he often taught throughout his ministry – they all would agree that this “sermon” has lasted for over 2,000 years! 

The question I begin with is why? Why did Jesus’ words have such impact on those that heard them 2,000 years ago? Why did they remember these words, repeat these words, and then record these words so that we would have them today? Of course the most obvious answer is simply because God wanted them to, which is true. But I think if we look a little deeper we will see that people remembered the Sermon on the Mount for the same reason we remember sermons today – God uses the words to speak to us where we are. God uses the words for impact!

So why would Jesus begin with a sentence like, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”? Any speaker/teacher knows that you only have a few precious moments to capture the attention and hearts of your listeners. If you don’t use your first few sentences wisely – it doesn’t take long for people to start thinking about dinner plans or to look at their watch and wonder when you will be finished!

Jesus began this way for two reasons: First, he knew that many of the men who were following him (the disciples) already felt “poor in spirit.” That is, they had left their boats and nets and tax-collecting booths to follow him as their Rabbi. It is likely that some of their own family members had started to question their sanity. It is certainly true that the “religious establishment” of the day was already looking on Jesus and his rag-tag group of followers as a kind of unsavory cult. These men knew what it was to feel discounted and disconnected – and therefore they were desperate for God. So Jesus began by saying, “When you are at the end of your human wisdom, understanding and strength – when you are desperate for God, you are blessed!”

Second, Jesus begins with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” because he knows that it is true. He knows that his Father pours out his grace and favor on those who are desperate to know him and follow him. He knows that it is only when we are desperate for God that we can humble ourselves to receive his forgiveness and grace – and therefore his salvation. 

In what ways are you “poor in spirit” today? In what ways is your heart desperate for God? Spend some time in prayer and confess your spiritual poverty to God and ask him to make you deeply aware of his favor and his blessing. 

Brian Coffey