Perspective: Blessed New World

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.
Comments are always welcomed.
If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

Blessed New World

Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:10 (NKJV)

They say in Heaven love comes first
We'll make Heaven a place on Earth

From "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that, one day, Jesus ascends a mountain and delivers a sermon to His followers.¹  This sermon, which is known as the Sermon on the Mount, begins with the Beatitudes, a series of announcements of blessing.  These blessings are for people who, in this world, would not normally be considered blessed.²  Scholar Frederick Dale Bruner describes the Beatitudes as "Jesus' surprisingly countercultural God-bless-yous to people in god-awful situations."³

A blessing is more than a mere complimentary statement about someone.  Henri Nouwen writes in his book Life of the Beloved,
To give a blessing is to affirm, to say "yes" to a person's Belovedness.  And more than that: to give a blessing creates the reality of which it speaks...  A blessing touches the original goodness of the other and calls forth his or her Belovedness.⁴

If a blessing calls forth a new reality, as Nouwen suggests, then what kind of new reality is Jesus calling forth with His blessings?

It has been noted that, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus' teachings are arranged into five major discourses.  Some have suggested that, given the implicit comparisons made between Jesus and Moses in this Gospel, these five discourses parallel five books of the Torah, the Jewish Law.⁵

The first discourse in Matthew's Gospel is the Sermon on the Mount.
The first book of the Torah is the Book of Genesis.

The Sermon on the Mount begins with the Beatitudes.
The Book of Genesis begins with a poem about the creation of the world.  In this poem, God speaks into existence the world an all life that dwells upon it.⁶

Is it possible that Jesus is speaking a new world into existence through His blessings?

When Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," maybe He is also saying, "Let there be a world that people who are currently downtrodden may call their own."

When Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted," maybe He is also saying, "Let there be a world where people who are in pain can find comfort."

When Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth," maybe He is also saying, "Let there be a world where even the timid can get their fair share."

When Jesus says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled," maybe He is also saying, "Let there be a world where people who are desperate for justice finally find what they are seeking."

When Jesus says, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy," maybe He is also saying, "Let there be a world where people treat each other with kindness."

When Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God," maybe He is also saying, "Let there be a world where people's eyes are no longer clouded by selfishness."

When Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God," maybe He is also saying, "Let there be a world where people live in harmony as brothers and sisters, realizing that all people are God's children."

When Jesus says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," maybe He is also saying, "Let there be a world that people who are currently treated unfairly may call their own."

The "new world" that Jesus is calling into existence is the world as God always intended it to be.  This world is known as the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven because it is a world where God reigns and where God's will is done "on earth as it is in heaven."⁷  This Kingdom is a reality that has been described as both "already" and "not yet."  Though it has not yet been fully realized, it can already be glimpsed among people who truly seek to do God's will.


Notes:

1. Matthew 5:1-7:27
2. Much of this perspective is based on Matthew 5:3-12.  Quotations from this passage are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.
3. Frederick Dale Bruner.  Matthew, a Commentary: The Christbook, Matthew 1-12.  2004, Eerdmans Publishing Company.  p. 165
4. Henri J.M. Nouwen.  Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World (Tenth Anniversary Edition).  1992, Crossroad Publishing Company.  p. 69
5. Wikipedia: "Five Discourses of Matthew"
6. Genesis 1:1-2:4a
7. Matthew 6:10 (NKJV)

The image featured in this perspective was created by Gerd Altmann who has released it to the public domain.  The artist is in no way affiliated with this blog.

Introspection: Remembering God's Help

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.
Comments are always welcomed.
If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

Remembering God's Help

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.

Psalm 40:1 (NRSV)

God, You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand

From "Let the Waters Rise" by MIKESCHAIR

For nearly nine years, my daily Bible study has been guided by the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings.  Included in this three-year cycle of daily Scripture readings are the passages heard in many churches on Sunday mornings and also related readings for the rest of the week.  Listed for most days are a Psalm or poem from the Hebrew Bible, another passage from the Hebrew Bible, and one or two passages from the New Testament.¹  Typically, I select one of the listed passages for the day, read it, reflect on it, and record my reflections in my devotional journal.

For a number of years I haven't selected the Psalms for my daily Bible study, thinking that the Psalms are better prayed than studied.  A little over a week ago, I ended up reflecting on the Psalm for the day, because the other two listed passages were a little too familiar to me.  I was glad I decided to read that Psalm, because I felt like I had personally lived it.

In the poem we know as the Fortieth Psalm, David recalls a time in his life when he cried out to God amid a desperate situation and when God heard his cry and helped him.  David begins,

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.²

When I read these words, I too remembered a time in my life when I asked God daily to help me out of a bad situation and had to wait patiently for God to act.

David continues,

He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.³

The "desolate pit" or "miry bog" in which I found myself was my first job as a professional computer programmer.  During the summer after I graduated from college, someone reached out to me on behalf of a company in my town and told me about a job opportunity.  After an interview, I was offered a job as a software engineer, and I accepted the offer.  This company produced video slot machines and other such games of chance.

I did not aspire to work in the gambling industry, but, having no prior professional work experience and having heard a lot during my senior year about the outsourcing of tech jobs, I figured that I needed to take whatever I could get.  I figured that, if I didn't like the job, I could get the two years of experience required by most employers and then move on to something better.  What I ended up hating about the job was not the work itself but rather the growing sense of shame I experienced for working in an industry that generates revenue by exploiting people's weaknesses.

Less than one year after I accepted my job, my first major crunch period made me realize that the company wanted more from me than I was willing to give, and I wanted out.  On the one hand, I was afraid that simply quitting my job would make finding another job difficult, since apparent "job hopping" looks bad.  On the other hand, I was hesitant to start looking for another programming job, as I was not sure that I still wanted to be a computer programmer.  Feeling utterly stuck, I started to pray every morning before work that God would somehow call me out of my job.

Like David, "I waited patiently for the Lord," and, months after I started praying for a way out of my job, God seemingly "inclined to me and heard my cry," providing me a reason to leave my job.  The company for which I worked acquired another company in a neighboring state and consolidated offices.  Because I was unwilling to relocate, I was terminated.

God "drew me up from the desolate pit" by getting me out of the job I hated, and God "set my feet upon a rock" by leading me to my current job.  When I started looking for work, one institution in my town stuck in my mind, namely the local technical college.  I checked the college's website for job openings and saw a programming position for which I was qualified.  After two interviews, I was hired as an application analyst.

David continues,

He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.⁴

David goes on to pray,

I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
see, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O Lord.⁵

In the same way that David wanted to sing when he was delivered from his desperate situation, I was full of joy when I started my current job.  I was grateful to finally have a job in which I could take pride, and I was grateful for the opportunity to use my programming skills for the common good.  Not long before my previous job ended, I started blogging, so I shared my "glad news of deliverance" on this blog.

The reason that David is remembering God's saving him in the past is that he is in yet another difficult situation and is in need of God's help once again.  He prays,

Do not, O Lord, withhold
your mercy from me;
let your steadfast love and your faithfulness
keep me safe forever.
For evils have encompassed me
without number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
until I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.⁶

I have been working at my current job for more than thirteen years, and, truth be told, I don't always feel as grateful for my job as I felt when I first accepted it.  A lot of things have changed in recent years, and my job has become more stressful, as the retirements of my supervisor and one of my coworkers have required me to take on additional responsibilities.  All that said, despite the changes, difficulties, and uncertainties of the present, the things I once loved about my job are still true.  I can still take pride in my work, and I am still able to use my skills for the common good.

Amid uncertain circumstances, we need to remember how God has helped us in the past.  David can be confident that God will help him out of his current predicament, because he knows that God helped him in the past.  Likewise, I can be confident that the God who helped me and guided me in the past will continue to help me and guide me in the present and in the future.


Notes:

1. The Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings can be found here: http://www.commontexts.org/publications/
2. Psalm 40:1 (NRSV)
3. Psalm 40:2 (NRSV)
4. Psalm 40:3a (NRSV)
5. Psalm 40:9 (NRSV)
6. Psalm 40:11-12 (NRSV)

The photograph of the pit has been released to the public domain.  The photographer is in no way affiliated with this blog.

Perspective: Choosing a Harder Life

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.
Comments are always welcomed.
If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

Choosing a Harder Life

It's impossible to please God without faith because the one who draws near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards people who try to find him.

Hebrews 11:6 (CEB)

Surely life wasn't made to regret
And the lost were not made to forget
Surely faith without action is dead
Let Your Kingdom come
Lord, break this heart

From "The Power of Your Name" by Lincoln Brewster

Toward the end of a message addressed to the Hebrews, the author tells the stories of numerous people in the Hebrew Bible who demonstrated great faith in their lives.¹  One of these heroes of faith is Moses.

The author of Hebrews writes, "By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months when he was born, because they saw that the child was beautiful and they weren't afraid of the king's orders."²  Moses was born at a time when his people, the Hebrew people, lived in Egypt as slaves to the Egyptians.  In the Book of Exodus, we read that, when Pharaoh feared that the Hebrew population in Egypt had grown too great, he ordered that all boys born to Hebrews be drowned in the Nile River.  When Moses was born, his parents defied Pharaoh's orders and hid him.  When they could hide him no longer, his mother crafted a waterproof basket, placed him inside it, and set it on the bank of the river amid some reeds.  When Pharaoh's daughter went to the river to bathe, she found Moses and decided to raise him as her own child.³

The author of Hebrews continues,
By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter when he was grown up.  He chose to be mistreated with God's people instead of having the temporary pleasures of sin.  He thought that the abuses he suffered for Christ were more valuable than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking forward to the reward.⁴
To be honest, I cannot help but think that maybe the author of Hebrews is telling a somewhat idealized version of Moses' story.  The Book of Exodus does not tell us that Moses made a conscious decision to reject a life of wealth and pleasure in Pharaoh's household and to accept a life lived in solidarity with his suffering people.

In the Book of Exodus we read that one day, after Moses had become an adult, he went out and observed the enslavement of his own people.  He watched an Egyptian slave driver savagely beat a Hebrew slave, and, when he thought that nobody was looking, he killed the slave driver and hid the body.  The next day, Moses discovered that someone had indeed witnessed the murder, and, when word reached Pharaoh about what his adopted grandson had done, Pharaoh tried to have him killed.  Moses then fled for his life to the land of Midian, where he settled down, started a family, and made a life for himself.⁵

According to the author of Hebrews, "By faith [Moses] left Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger.  He kept on going as if he could see what is invisible."⁶  The author seems to be suggesting that Moses defiantly left Egypt, yet we read in the Book of Exodus that Moses fled Egypt because Pharaoh was trying to have him killed.  Again, I think that maybe the author is telling a somewhat idealized version of Moses' story.  Perhaps the author is telling us that people who live lives of great faith, as Moses did, will be remembered not for their shortcomings but for their faithful actions.

It took great faith for Moses to return to Egypt, to confront Pharaoh, and to lead his people out of Egypt to freedom.  In the Book of Exodus, we read that one day, while Moses was in the wilderness tending the flock of his father-in-law, he noticed that a bush was burning but was not being consumed by the fire.  He stopped to observe the burning bush and, God began to speak to him through it.⁷  God said to him, "I've clearly seen my people oppressed in Egypt.  I've heard their cry of injustice because of their slave masters.  I know about their pain...  So get going.  I'm sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."⁸

Whether or not the version of Moses' story we read in Hebrews lines up perfectly with the version we read in the Book of Exodus, I think that the author of Hebrews makes an important point about living a life of faith.  Sometimes faithfully following God's call means rejecting a relatively easy life and accepting a life that is much more difficult.  Sometimes following God's call means rejecting a comfortable life and accepting a life lived in solidarity with people who are suffering.  Moses surely understood this truth, for, when God called him to leave his life as a shepherd and return to Egypt to liberate his people, he initially employed every excuse that came to mind in an attempt to get out of his calling.⁹

The author of Hebrews writes, "By faith [Moses] kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, in order that the destroyer could not touch [the Hebrew people's] firstborn children."¹⁰  In the Book of Exodus, we read that, when Moses initially confronted Pharaoh, Pharaoh responded by making the lives of the Hebrew slaves even more difficult.¹¹  God then sent a series of plagues against the stubborn Pharaoh and his people, of which the last resulted in the death of the firstborn child of every household in Egypt.  Moses gave his people special instructions from God that would cause their households to be "passed over" on the night of the final plague.  Finally, Pharaoh, having lost his firstborn child, orders Moses to take his people and leave Egypt.¹²

The author of Hebrews writes, "By faith [the Hebrew people] crossed the Red Sea as if they were on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were drowned."¹³  In the Book of Exodus, we read that, as the Hebrew people were leaving Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind about allowing them to leave.  He mobilized his army and pursued them so that they were pinned against the Red Sea.  At God's command, Moses held out his staff over the sea, and the water miraculously parted so that the Hebrew people could cross on dry land.  When the Egyptians tried to follow them, they were drowned in the sea.¹⁴

I'm not sure we really know what we're saying when we say that we want to know God's will for our lives.  Following God's call can be an adventure, but it can also be very difficult.  Moses had to leave behind a relatively safe and easy life as a shepherd to accept God's call to lead his people out of slavery and through the wilderness.  Countless other people have had to make similar choices.  To live a life of faith, as Moses did, we have to trust that following God's call is worth the difficulties it brings.

Living a life of faith might not meet all of our expectations.  Moses led his people out of slavery and through the wilderness, but he was not able to lead them into the land promised to them.  He did have the privilege of ascending a mountain and viewing the land from a distance before he died.¹⁵  The author of Hebrews writes, regarding heroes of faith like Moses, "All these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them."¹⁶

Each of us has but one life to live, so let's make our lives count.


Notes:

1. Hebrews 11
2. Hebrews 11:23 (CEB)
3. Exodus 1:1-2:10
4. Hebrews 11:24-26 (CEB)
5. Exodus 2:11-22
6. Hebrews 11:27 (CEB)
7. Exodus 3:1-6
8. Exodus 3:7, 10 (CEB)
9. Exodus 3:11-4:17
10. Hebrews 11:28 (CEB)
11. Exodus 5:1-21
12. Exodus 7:14-12:32
13. Hebrews 11:29 (CEB)
14. Exodus 14:5-29
15. Deuteronomy 34:1-7
16. Hebrews 11:13a (CEB)

Moses Before the Burning Bush was painted by Domenico Fetti in the early 1600s.

Perspective: The Kingdom of Children

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

The Kingdom of Children

Some people brought children to Jesus so that he would place his hands on them and pray.  But the disciples scolded them.  "Allow the children to come to me," Jesus said.  "Don't forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children."

Matthew 19:13-14 (CEB)

They say that I can move the mountains

And send them crashing to the sea

They say that I can walk on water

If I would follow and believe

With faith like a child

From "Like a Child" by Jars of Clay

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that one day the Disciples ask Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Jesus replies by calling a little child over to them and saying, "I assure you that if you don't turn your lives around and become like this little child, you will definitely not enter the kingdom of heaven."¹

The Kingdom of Heaven - or the Kingdom of God, as it is called in other Gospels - is a kingdom unlike any the world has ever known.  It is best understood not as the divine realm we call Heaven but rather as any place where God reigns.  Jesus has taught His followers to pray, "Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."²  With that in mind, we might also think of the Kingdom of God as the world as God created it to be, before it was corrupted by sin.  It is both a reality yet to come and one we can glimpse already.  Jesus seems to be telling the Disciples that the Kingdom of God is a place for children and the childlike.

So what is it about children that would make them the most prepared for the Kingdom of God.  Maybe I should ask, what is it about the Kingdom of God that would make it more suitable for children?

Jesus gives us a few clues.

Jesus continues, "Those who humble themselves like this little child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."³  The Kingdom of God is evidently a place for the humble.  Children live at the bottom of the societal ladder, making them naturally humble.  They have done nothing to entitle themselves to anything.  In the words of Brennan Manning, "Children are our model because they have no claim on heaven.  If they are close to God, it is because they are incompetent, not because they are innocent.  If they receive anything, it can only be as a gift."⁴  If there is a place for us in the Kingdom of God, then we must receive it as a gift, like a child, since there is nothing we could have done to deserve it.

Jesus then has some strong words for people who would mistreat children and the childlike.  He says, "As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and be drowned in the bottom of the lake."⁵  Children have always been some of the most vulnerable people in society.  They are not wise to the ways of the world, so they do not realize that they have to guard themselves against people who do not have the best intentions for them.

Perhaps we can deduce that the Kingdom of God is also a place for vulnerable people - or maybe we can say that it is a place for people to be vulnerable.  In other words, perhaps it is a place where people do not have to guard themselves.  If the Kingdom of God is indeed a place for people to be their true, unguarded selves, then it must also be a place where people treat each other with kindness and grace.  It must be a place where all people are treated with the love and respect befitting a child of God.

Jesus goes on to say, "Be careful that you don't look down on one of these little ones."  Speaking in a parable, He then asks, "What do you think?  If someone had one hundred sheep and one of them wandered off, wouldn't he leave the ninety-nine on the hillsides and go in search for the one that wandered off?"  Finally, Jesus says, "In the same way, my Father who is in heaven doesn't want to lose one of these little ones."⁶  Children are important to their parents, and, because we are all God's children, all of us are important to God.  In the same way that the shepherd in Jesus' scenario cared about each and every one of his sheep, God cares about each and every one of us.  That said, the Kingdom of God must be a place for all people.

Jesus says that, if we want to see the Kingdom of God, we must turn our lives around an become like little children.  We must become humble, realizing that we are no more important than any of God's other children.  We must treat all people with care and kindness, especially those among us who are the most vulnerable.  We must finally take it to heart that all people matter to God and treat all people with the respect due to them.  If we do all of these things, then maybe we will catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God in our midst.


Notes:

1. Matthew 18:1-3 (CEB)
2. Matthew 5:10 (KJV)
3. Matthew 18:4 (CEB)
4. Brennan Manning.  The Ragamuffin Gospel.  2005, Multnomah Books.  pp. 26-27
5. Matthew 18:6 (CEB)
6. Matthew 18:10a, 12, 14 (CEB)

Jesus and the Little Child was painted by James Tissot in the late 1800s.