Jesus went up on the mountain, like Moses. He sat down like a teacher and gathered His matheteis - student followers. (This is the first time they are called that in Matthew).
Jesus used the word makarioi - happy, to be envied, blessed. It was not about being blissful, but rather having God's favor, and not MORE blessed or HIGHLY favored above others. It was not about some sign of God's favor either, but about trust in God's love for justice and God's movement to reconcile and restore. These human actions and situations render them blessed in the Kingdom of God because they are living God's Kingdom values. The worldly empire values within which they must live render many people anything but blessed. Their situation is all about being oppressed because of the actions of oppressors of the empire (i.e. Rome, the corrupt Temple Cult leaders and King Herod). Emmanuel - God with us - the Messiah - is saying that these folk who exhibit personal qualities in alignment with God's Kingdom values have a promise of future transformation - the reversal of their current situation due to empire - God's Kingdom come and God's Will done. These human actions are inspired by Kingdom values and honor God, and they will be honored by God as part of God's reign on earth.
First, we lift up those with certain characteristics due to their situation...
The "poor in spirit" does not refer, like we have learned so many times in our embedded, personalized theologies, the depressed or those in personal despair. It refers to the poor, the destitute, rendered so by being oppressed and exploited by the powerful elites of empire. These are those of Deuteronomy 24:19 and Leviticus 19:10, 15. They are crushed in spirit because they lack what they need. They have no Shalom- completeness, wholeness, well-being. They also have no hope if the values of empire continue to pervade life in the society. They are the victims of economic injustice.
But in God's Kingdom come, there is a reversal. If Jesus' way is lived in the world there are no more poor (see Acts 4:32-37). There is a redistribution of the finite resources of the world, so that all have ENOUGH. Then, people understand their dependence upon God and in humility live with enough in thankfulness, rather than some hoarding more than they need for themselves out of hubris, while others are humiliated and barely survive because they lack enough. The Kingdom of God belongs to the poor.
"Those who mourn" are those who react in grief to the losses they know because of the impact of imperial power and injustice. (see Matthew 2:16-18; Jeremiah 31:15) Oppression comes from "above", from the elites. Mourning comes from below, among the lowly. Oppression itself should be mourned, because it does not unite or lift up community, but divides and separates one from another, and some from God. In God's Kingdom come there is no weeping due to murders, unjust incarcerations, deportations, discrimination, violence or being kept from having well-being in any way. These will be comforted when God's Kingdom values are lived, rather than worldly empire values.
"The meek" are not just the shy by nature. They are the powerless who have been humiliated due to the abuses of power by those who live empire values. They have had their voice taken away. They have had their land stolen by the very religious leaders who claimed to represent God, who gave out loans and when the inevitable inability to pay off the loans came because of high taxes and because their crops were swallowed up by the occupying Romans, those religious leaders took the lands for themselves, rendering the people with less status than once they may have had, leaving them powerless and voiceless in society. They will inherit the earth, because it belongs to God and God values them in the Kingdom. It is jubilee for them when God's Kingdom comes, because of the redistribution of resources and land in justice.
"Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (justice)" literally hunger and thirst. They cannot be satisfied by the current situation of injustice because it renders them among the denied, compared to the "entitled" (to the most and best) among the elites. God punishes those who deprive others to the point of hunger and thirst. Justice is restored when all people have enough. They will be satisfied, being no longer denied what they need, because those are God's Kingdom values and they have "come near".
Now, we lift up those whose human actions have value in God's Kingdom...
"The merciful" are those who "get" Grace. They are not oppressive or punitive - minded. The love Jesus commands for enemy and for "the least" is equally valued among them. They bring healing from un-wholeness and incompleteness. They work toward well-being among those not considered to deserve such treatment by society. The Greco-Roman worldly values did not include these in their empire. The corrupt Temple Cult leaders adopted and reflected those values now and were merciless along with the Romans and the King. But God values mercy. Jesus demanded it. (see 9:10-13). They will receive mercy (Grace) from God. But the merciless, well, in the juxtaposition of the blessed with regard to the sheep and goats in 25:31-46, we will see what they get. (also see 18:23-35)
"The pure in heart" are those not committed to the false. They are not double-minded. They worship God, but not within empire values, like so many elites do. The view of people at that time was that thought, will, decisions and action come from the heart. Being pure in heart means that one is guileless in motive and lives no hypocrisy. If one's heart is pure, one knows the one to whom one's love belongs. (see 6:19-24) No duplicity in devotion, no giving lip service to God while serving mammon, no claiming Jesus' name while serving only self and no doing what Jesus says in order that one might gain personal reward. Karma means "doing the right thing for the right reason." These will see God, and not only at the end of the age. They see God who is the reason for their doing what is good, just and loving here and now.
"The peacemakers" are not those who live with a serene detachment from what is going on around them, those who see peace as only a lack of violent conflict or those who value the Pax Romano kind of peace of Rome, that is built on force, imposition, coercion and the taking of liberties away for the sake of "security". Elites use that kind of peace to gain prosperity and keep it by force. It is an abuse of power and therefore, no real peace. The real peacemakers work toward the things that make for Shalom - justice, equality, equitability, respect for all. These bring completeness, wholeness and well-being. God's Kingdom represents REAL peace in a time of false peace. Being in right relationship with one another brings us in right relationship with God, and in that is peace. These are the children of God, in the end, who live the Agape that Jesus commands toward the Shalom of all.
"You who are persecuted for righteousness'/justice' sake" (Plural "You") are those who together speak for, work for and suffer for justice to be done, by working to bring about different societal relationships and equitable distribution, access to resources for all people. Empire crucifies such people. Those who value God's Kingdom values will be hated by those who hold to empire values. The response is not to give up, not give in and not retaliate like those who value empire, but by rejoicing that we are in right relationship with God and one another and continue to speak, write and demonstrate God's Kingdom values in the face of those who value empire. We need to rejoice that we are in the good company of the prophets of old, John the Baptist and Jesus, as well as those disciples listening to Jesus teach this. God values those who suffer for saying and doing the right thing for the right reasons - those who value Shalom for all.
The sides being drawn in the Beatitudes are the sides that we see at the judgment in 25:31-46. Those who live God's Kingdom Values and suffer for it because of those who live worldly empire values are those blessed by God, children of God, heirs of the Kingdom. When we are only minded toward heaven, however and toward a personal salvation based on purity or holiness, our worship and praise and giving tithes, we are not living God's Kingdom Values in THIS PART of God's Kingdom, here and now. (see Matthew 15:1-9 - Isaiah 29:13, 14 - Amos 5:21-24) Personal salvation is not the goal for disciples of Jesus. Living God's Kingdom values here and now, in THIS PART of God's Kingdom is the goal. It gives for me new meaning to the words "seek first the Kingdom of God, and God's righteousness/justice, and all 'these things' shall be given to you." God's Kingdom comes and God's Will is done as we live God's Kingdom Values in THIS PART of God's Kingdom, here and now.
In which "empire" do we most live? Which values do we most reflect in our living?
Have we suffered because of our words and actions that express a value for God's Kingdom values?
How do we live Agape Love so that those who are downtrodden, marginalized and held down, back and out by empire are truly among the blessed, since we are to live within God's Kingdom here and now?
Are we, who claim to be disciples of Jesus, learning what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us on how to live God's Kingdom Values? Are we living them as "salt" and "light"? (5:13-16)
I don't know about you, but I am thankful for Grace, everyday. And I am striving...
Pastor Jamie
No comments:
Post a Comment