However inconvenient - fresh snow does make for a beautiful landscape. But if you've been out and about in the UK this last week or so you will know that it doesn't take long for the whiteness to become a dirty grey and then black alongside roads etc. And once it starts to melt it goes to that grey slushy stage.
In our week long reflection on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) we reach 'blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God' (verse 8). The image of being washed whiter than snow is found in Psalm 51:7, a Psalm that David wrote on being confronted after committing murder and adultery. But if you're anything like me it doesn't take long before the whiteness starts to turn a little grey, and then a little bit more...
Psalm 24:3-4 tells us that it is those with clean hands and a pure heart who may ascend the mountain of the Lord. Psalm 119:9 tells us that it is as we live by God's word that we keep our way pure. But a clean heart is only possible through the work of God - when we ask Him (Psalm 51:10). And we need to keep on asking, coming back again and again for forgiveness. When we live this close to God Jesus says we will see him.
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Righteousness and Mercy
Next in our list Jesus teaches that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled. Clearly, when taken within the context of the whole gospel, or even within the context of this chapter (Matthew 5), Jesus is not talking about the self-righteousness of the religious establishment. This is not an invitation to try to live out the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount and then wear them as some kind of self-righteous badge of achievement.
Jesus is talking here about people who passionately desire righteousness - in the same way that you are passionate about eating and drinking when you are hungry and thirsty. This will include a desire to see justice done in the world - that individuals, corporations and nations do the right thing, not just the quickest, easiest or cheapest thing.
It will also involve a personal element - the desire for personal ethical righteousness and a separation from sin. This is something that can't be achieved in our own strength. We need God's help through the Holy Spirit working in our lives. We need God's forgiveness for sin and His empowerment to live the kind of life the Jesus is outlining for us here.
The righteousness that Jesus talks of is only possible after God has dealt with my failings. Rather than treat me as my sin deserves I can know forgiveness through Jesus' death - this is the mercy of God - not giving me what I deserve. And having experienced the mercy of God, Jesus commands his disciples to show that kind of mercy to others - blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7)...or does he?
Jesus' teaching here on mercy and elsewhere on forgiveness (e.g. Matthew 6:14-15) is not that because we have experienced mercy/forgiveness we should be merciful/forgiving (although that is true). Rather it is the other way around - if you show mercy/forgiveness then you will experience mercy/forgiveness.
A true disciple will be merciful - that is they will treat people in a way that they don't necessarily deserve. They won't look for revenge. They won't exclude people because of some offence. They won't pay back evil for evil. Instead they will assume the best and not the worst. They will give the benefit of the doubt. They will continue to show love and kindness even when those actions have been stamped on and abused in the past. They won't just give a second chance or even a third chance - instead they won't be counting or keeping a record of wrongs.
Jesus is talking here about people who passionately desire righteousness - in the same way that you are passionate about eating and drinking when you are hungry and thirsty. This will include a desire to see justice done in the world - that individuals, corporations and nations do the right thing, not just the quickest, easiest or cheapest thing.
It will also involve a personal element - the desire for personal ethical righteousness and a separation from sin. This is something that can't be achieved in our own strength. We need God's help through the Holy Spirit working in our lives. We need God's forgiveness for sin and His empowerment to live the kind of life the Jesus is outlining for us here.
The righteousness that Jesus talks of is only possible after God has dealt with my failings. Rather than treat me as my sin deserves I can know forgiveness through Jesus' death - this is the mercy of God - not giving me what I deserve. And having experienced the mercy of God, Jesus commands his disciples to show that kind of mercy to others - blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7)...or does he?
Jesus' teaching here on mercy and elsewhere on forgiveness (e.g. Matthew 6:14-15) is not that because we have experienced mercy/forgiveness we should be merciful/forgiving (although that is true). Rather it is the other way around - if you show mercy/forgiveness then you will experience mercy/forgiveness.
A true disciple will be merciful - that is they will treat people in a way that they don't necessarily deserve. They won't look for revenge. They won't exclude people because of some offence. They won't pay back evil for evil. Instead they will assume the best and not the worst. They will give the benefit of the doubt. They will continue to show love and kindness even when those actions have been stamped on and abused in the past. They won't just give a second chance or even a third chance - instead they won't be counting or keeping a record of wrongs.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Who dares wins
Given the number of verses in the OT that encourage the people of God to be strong (e.g. four times in just Joshua 1) it might come as a surprise to find that Jesus never commanded his disciples to be strong. That is not to say that strength is a bad thing - indeed Luke 2:40 describes the child Jesus as growing and becoming strong, filled with wisdom... (where as John the Baptist grew and became strong in spirit (Luke 1:80). Instead disciples of Jesus are commanded to be meek, to be gentle.
I'm sure that Jesus had nothing against physical strength - as a carpenter in the first century he would have had to be physically strong. Likewise the fishermen would have been strong men. But you can be both physically strong and meek or gentle at the same time. Meekness/gentleness is to do with attitude. It also has nothing to do with weakness. Jesus is described as gentle but he could never be accused of being weak. Facing the cross Jesus refused to argue back, he refused to call armies from heaven - he was God and yet he took it all - that's not weakness.
If Jesus had said that the strong would inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5) - that would be something we could all identify with. We are all too aware from the daily news programmes that we still believe, after all these years, that the way to be successful is to be stronger than your opponent - whether that works out as gun and knife crime on the streets or military campaigns on an international level. The world would want us to believe that you need to be strong in order to get on.
But Jesus tells his disciples that we are to be meek. Not domineering or aggressive, or harsh. Not trying to establish our own little kingdoms/empires at work... Not to assert ourselves over others to get our own way. But that does not mean that we will be weak. It does not mean that we won't confront injustice where we see it. It does not mean that we won't stand up and be counted...
I'm sure that Jesus had nothing against physical strength - as a carpenter in the first century he would have had to be physically strong. Likewise the fishermen would have been strong men. But you can be both physically strong and meek or gentle at the same time. Meekness/gentleness is to do with attitude. It also has nothing to do with weakness. Jesus is described as gentle but he could never be accused of being weak. Facing the cross Jesus refused to argue back, he refused to call armies from heaven - he was God and yet he took it all - that's not weakness.
If Jesus had said that the strong would inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5) - that would be something we could all identify with. We are all too aware from the daily news programmes that we still believe, after all these years, that the way to be successful is to be stronger than your opponent - whether that works out as gun and knife crime on the streets or military campaigns on an international level. The world would want us to believe that you need to be strong in order to get on.
But Jesus tells his disciples that we are to be meek. Not domineering or aggressive, or harsh. Not trying to establish our own little kingdoms/empires at work... Not to assert ourselves over others to get our own way. But that does not mean that we will be weak. It does not mean that we won't confront injustice where we see it. It does not mean that we won't stand up and be counted...
Monday, 11 January 2010
For goodness sake - cheer up
Yesterday, we started a series on the Sermon on the Mount, looking at Matthew 5:1-12 - a passage known as the Beatitudes, although we really only had time to look at v3, 'blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs in the kingdom of God'. Instead of rushing through the other seven 'blessed are the...' yesterday we're going to look at each one over the rest of the week - starting today with 'blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted'.
The kingdom that Jesus is announcing certainly is an upside down kingdom. It is the sort of place where those who mourn are blessed - something that is the very opposite of what we might assume. How can this be?
I wonder if you've ever been in a church where the person leading the service has criticised the congregation for looking too miserable or not singing enthusiastically enough - being told to smile, look like you're blessed by God, clap ...
There are times when those who are mourning and therefore who don't want to sing, or clap, or put on a fake smile may actually be closer to God than all those singing at the tops of their voices with their hands in the air. It is often when we reach our low points that we are able to become aware of the presence of God and be comforted by Him.
There are different reasons why we might be mourning. Sometimes our mourning is as a consequence of being poor in spirit - aware of our sins and failings all we can do is humble ourselves before God and cry out to Him e.g. Psalm 51, James 4:7-10. Often our mourning is a result of some loss, even a death. But even here for the Christian there is hope. So whilst mourning is a right response it is mixed with hope e.g. 1 Thessalonians 4:13.
And God can use all that we go through to shape us into the people He wants us to be. Those who have never experienced any hardship, struggle or loss are not the best people to come alongside those who have - everything is theoretical rather than personal. But when we have been through these struggles and started to come out the other side God is able to use us to bring His comfort and love to others, e.g. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
The kingdom that Jesus is announcing certainly is an upside down kingdom. It is the sort of place where those who mourn are blessed - something that is the very opposite of what we might assume. How can this be?
I wonder if you've ever been in a church where the person leading the service has criticised the congregation for looking too miserable or not singing enthusiastically enough - being told to smile, look like you're blessed by God, clap ...
There are times when those who are mourning and therefore who don't want to sing, or clap, or put on a fake smile may actually be closer to God than all those singing at the tops of their voices with their hands in the air. It is often when we reach our low points that we are able to become aware of the presence of God and be comforted by Him.
There are different reasons why we might be mourning. Sometimes our mourning is as a consequence of being poor in spirit - aware of our sins and failings all we can do is humble ourselves before God and cry out to Him e.g. Psalm 51, James 4:7-10. Often our mourning is a result of some loss, even a death. But even here for the Christian there is hope. So whilst mourning is a right response it is mixed with hope e.g. 1 Thessalonians 4:13.
And God can use all that we go through to shape us into the people He wants us to be. Those who have never experienced any hardship, struggle or loss are not the best people to come alongside those who have - everything is theoretical rather than personal. But when we have been through these struggles and started to come out the other side God is able to use us to bring His comfort and love to others, e.g. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
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