Loving God, you call us into a community where all have as much as is needed and all are welcome through Christ.  Renew us in your love, that all who come near might be blessed, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

            Would you count yourself blessed if you are mourning the loss of a loved one?  Would you consider yourself to be blessed if you have been ground down by poverty and are feeling a need for God?  How about if you are working hard every day to seek justice and do what is right, only to be persecuted and slandered – would that feel like being blessed?  And how about being a peacemaker in a world that seems bent on war?  Would you count yourself blessed then?

         In most cases, when we wish somebody God’s blessings, or even say “God bless you,” or “Be blessed,” these are not the kinds of things we have in mind.  Sometimes, we might be thinking of simple blessings – having food, clothing and shelter.  We might be blessed with good friends or a loving family or even a good congregation.  We think of things like good health, and prosperity, and being successful.  And then Jesus comes along with what seems like a totally different concept of what it means to be blessed.

         The Greek word in today’s gospel is actually makarios, which means the highest state of well-being and happiness that you can imagine.  In English it is most often translated as either blessed or happy.  In fact, if you look up “the beatitudes” (which is the title you might find in your Bible above today’s gospel), the meaning that is given is supreme blessedness.  It sounds as though these people should be so blessed that they can’t even stand it anymore!  And yet, would we really want to be poor in spirit or mourning or hungering and thirsting or facing persecution and slander?

         As it turns out, all of these characteristics that are named in today’s gospel are not necessarily things that we are to seek for ourselves or for anybody else.  However, they do describe many of Jesus’ followers, and where Jesus is to be found.  Are there people who are working to make peace? – Jesus is there with them.  Are there people who are hungering and thirsting for God’s justice and righteousness? – Jesus is there with them.  Jesus is with the persecuted church and the poor in spirit and the pure in heart.  Jesus is to be found among the meek and the merciful.

         The thing is that all of these things that are named will characterize no one when God’s will is done.  Under God’s rule, there is no more persecution - no more mourning or crying or pain – no more conflict and war – no more thirsting for God or struggling for justice and righteousness.  The kingdom of heaven will be experienced in all of its fullness once God truly reigns.  However, what about now?  Does any of this blessedness show up on this side of the grave?

         In the book of Acts, it is recorded that the apostles were flogged and ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus.  After this happened, we hear that “they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name” of Jesus (Acts 5:40-41).  So, rejoicing when persecuted has actually happened.  There are also those who have received comfort while mourning, or who have caught glimpses of God, or who have received mercy.  Just like in today’s gospel, some is in the present, and some is in the future – and what a glorious day when we get to experience the kingdom of heaven in all its fullness!

         In the meantime, however, we live in a world that has very different values than those that were taught and embodied by Jesus.  When it comes to God’s reign, it’s not going to matter how much money you have or how powerful you are or what kind of car you drive or how big your house is.  It’s not even going to matter how strong you are or how many skills you have acquired.  It is the meek and the humble who will inherit the earth.  It is the pure in heart who will see God.  It is the last who will be first and the least who will be the greatest.  It is those who walk the way of Jesus who will be welcomed with open arms.

         We may or may not be blessed in the ways in which the world thinks of blessing.  However, when we continue to learn from Jesus and live with Christ-like love, both ourselves and others will be blessed beyond belief.  This is an appropriate sacrifice, for, “what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:8).  Jesus does not promise that it will be easy, but he does promise to be with us always and to give us the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  May it be so.  Amen.

Epiphany 4(A)                                  Matthew 5:1-12

January 29, 2023                             Micah 6:1-8

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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