During devotions this morning at the Police Department, in trying to explain the beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-11) to a friend, the following occurred to me as a way to read the core teaching of Jesus:
Happiness isn’t in wealth.
Peace doesn’t come from never having friends and family die.
There is no rapture in having the world cower at your command.
You are not full just because you have plenty to eat and drink.
Just because you’re tough, doesn’t mean you’re content.
You aren’t blessed because you keep religious rules.
The serene life is not necessarily one with an absence of troubles.
Cheerfulness doesn’t come from never being harassed by people .
If people never put you down or slander you, it doesn’t follow that you are upbeat.
You may be blessed even if you are poor, mourning, humble, hungry, thirsty, wore out, struggling with faith, persecuted, or just not feeling it. Blessing doesn’t come from an absence of negatives but from the presence of Jesus.
0 Responses
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.
You must be logged in to post a comment.