Golden Chain for Life
The last two Sunday mornings we have spent looking at the Sermon on the Mount in general and the Beatitudes in particular. We have observed that the heart of the sermon has to do with a righteousness that is greater than the scribes and pharisees (Matthew 5:20), a foundation on which we can really build our house (Matthew 7:24-27) and a righteousness to be thirsting for (Matthew 5:6). Last week we noted that the character of those who long for this righteousness is like a golden chain around their neck comprised of being poor in spirit, mourning over sin and brokenness, producing a meekness that is not unlike our Savior (Matthew 5:2-5, also cf. Matthew 11:28-30). The fruit of this golden chain will be mercy toward others, purity of heart and peacemaking (Matthew 5:7-9). The world will not appreciate these characteristics and will oppose them both physically and ideologically (Matthew 5:10,11).
The final thought I want to share with you on these Beatitudes (perhaps this came out in preaching, perhaps not) is that this golden chain of Beatitudes is not something that we only approach early in our Christian life, or at some point more or less mastering it and then moving on to the graduate classes of discipleship. No, this golden chain is a lifelong pursuit and is a school from which we never graduate. Daily I am to trace this path through my life. I was reminded of this fact this week in the way my own heart responded with pride and arrogance to various situations. I wondered if those I interacted with saw the meekness of my Savior in me. I also was on the receiving end of some harsh interactions with those who claimed Christ yet definitely lacked a meekness. The Beatitudes are a way of life, a deep well from which we will always be able to draw. They are a path to walk daily, and a path that always leads us closer to the heart of the Savior.
The Beatitudes are the gateway. This week we will see Jesus moves from the character of the Christian to how the Christian is to engage the world. Pastor Addison will be looking at Matthew 5:13-16 in helping us contemplate these crucial questions.
Photo by Vishnu Prasad on Unsplash