Perspective: Blessed New World

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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.