(Matthew 5:1-12) When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught 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 receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you._______________________________________________
The late John V. Taylor, Bishop of Winchester in England, writes of running across an alternative version of the Beatitudes:
Pathetic are those in any sort of need,
for they are obvious failures.
Pathetic are the sorrowful,
for they embarrass the rest of us.
Pathetic are those of a gentle spirit,
for they shall be kicked around.
Pathetic are those who hunger after justice;
they are crying for the moon.
Pathetic are the ones who show mercy;
everyone will take advantage of them.
Pathetic are those whose hearts are pure,
for they miss all the fun.
Pathetic are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called wet.
Pathetic are those who suffer persecution in
the cause of right.
A bit of conventional wisdom, one might
say. The originals, Jesus' Beatitudes, were
counter-cultural and challenging when he first
spoke them; and they are counter-cultural and
challenging today as well. In fact, his whole
way of seeing the world was different from
the conventional wisdom of his day. That's
why he provoked conflict and hostility.
We see that conflict especially between Jesus and those whom the Bible calls the scribes and Pharisees. The scribes and Pharisees were the primary religious teachers in first century Israel. In so many ways what they taught about God and humanity was the mirror opposite of what Jesus taught about God and humanity.
The Pharisees saw this as a fallen and profane world. They believed that people are essentially born sinners, and if left to their own, will live lives that are sinful, unclean and often evil. The only hope for us, therefore, is to be guided in the right way, if we will be guided, and forced if necessary. There are laws. There are absolutes. There is right and there is wrong, and we can know the difference with confidence, said the Pharisees. They searched the scriptures and codified right and wrong. Those who followed the laws of scripture were righteous. Those who did not or could not, were sinners.
The Pharisees believed that the most important thing in the world was to be obedient to the laws of God. If one was obedient, then God would bless you. They saw as signs of God's blessing -- prosperity and wealth, health and well-being, a large and orderly family.
It was believed that if you punished the disobedient appropriately, then the disobedient would become obedient in order to avoid punishment. There were strict punishments for breaking certain laws. Those who could not straighten up and become observant would be shunned and outcast at best, or, in extreme cases, stoned as blasphemers.
Their vision of God was consistent with their vision of righteousness. God was the ultimate judge, rewarding the good and punishing the bad. And for any issues of justice that couldn't be taken care of in the present, God was keeping score and there would come a day of reckoning. Many looked forward to that day as being the day of the Messiah, when God would reward his chosen people and punish or destroy the others.
On nearly every point, Jesus' view of God was the mirror opposite of the Pharisees. Jesus reached out to every human being with love, not law. He took all of those laws that the Pharisees had collected and subordinated them to love. "Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. On these hang all the law and the prophets." Then he took it a step further with his simple, new commandment, "Love one another."
He had such empathy for those who were sinners, that he made forgiveness rather than judgment the centerpiece of his ethic. "How many times should I forgive?" his disciples asked him. In colorful language he said, "As much as it takes." He had special empathy for those who were weak, ill, broken, or unclean, the ones the Pharisees shunned. He had compassion for them; he touched them; he healed them. He crossed the boundaries between clean and unclean, reaching out with empathy and care toward foreigners, tax collectors, lepers and women.
He reversed the expectations of the Pharisees. His story about a Good Samaritan helping an injured person was pointedly critical of the priest and scribe who crossed to the other side of the road. He told a shocking story of a rich man who dies and is tormented in Hades and a poor, unclean beggar from his front door who sits in Abraham's bosom. Every gospel has a story of his generously feeding multitudes. He defined his mission to bring abundant life to all. All. Not just the righteous. And he celebrated the goodness of all creation, inviting everyone to trust a generous and loving God by becoming generous and loving ourselves. His God was not the angry judge; his God was the intimate, loving parent, whom he addressed with baby talk -- Abba.
His word was almost diametrically opposite to what the Pharisees believed. And Pharisees didn't disappear centuries ago. The church and the culture has always experienced a tension of whether we will follow the God of Jesus or the God of the Pharisees. Pharisees are still around today, dividing the world into righteous and sinner, us and them, good and evil. Today's Pharisees have their own set of Beatitudes.
The Pharisees say, "Blessed are the
competitive, for they shall become strong."
Jesus says "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
The Pharisees say, "Blessed are the winners,
for they shall enjoy dominance."
Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted."
The Pharisees say, "Blessed are the
aggressive, for they shall be powerful."
Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, for they
will inherit the earth."
The Pharisees say, "Blessed are those who
are certain of right and wrong, for they shall
judge others.
Jesus says, "Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness, for they will be
filled."
The Pharisees say, "Blessed are the upright,
for they shall get what they earn."
Jesus says, "Blessed are the merciful, for
they will receive mercy."
The Pharisees say, "Blessed are the rule
followers, for they shall be rewarded."
Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they shall see God."
The Pharisees say, "Blessed are God's
warriors, for they shall defeat evil."
Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God."
The Pharisees say, "Blessed are those who
give public witness to virtue, for they shall be
honored."
Jesus says, "Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven."
The Pharisees say, "Blessed are you when
people revile you and persecute you and utter
all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account. Rejoice and be glad, for God will
send them to hell."
Jesus says, "Your reward is great in heaven."
Jesus intends no conflict toward the Pharisees, he only invites them to a more expansive vision of God and humanity. It's just that God is more loving than they can imagine just yet. And it's all right. They are forgiven. We're all forgiven. Always. There is no point in thinking of the Pharisees as enemies. Besides, Jesus taught us to love our enemies. The Good Shepherd is intent on finding every lamb and bringing all into the whole flock, freeing every human being from their bondage, including those of us in bondage to our good intentions.
The way of God is the way of love, not law. It is foolishness to some. But God insists on bringing blessing and happiness to the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and so forth. That's frustrating to those who have their laws and their certainties to live by. Thank goodness, God's love is everlasting. How many times shall God forgive? As much as it takes. Like the trickle of water that breaks down mountains, so the love of God shall prevail over every form of human folly. We're invited to live immersed in the waters of love. To do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. It's a bit different; a bit counter cultural. But it is the way of blessing; it is the hope the healing of the world.
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