The Beatitudes, pt.3

Matthew 5:1-12

Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when men 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 so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."

When we began examining Jesus' beatitudes from the Sermon on the mount, I pointed out that Jesus often uses contradictory language to teach us a spiritual lesson. The first three beatitudes bore that out: Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are those who mourn; blessed are the meek. Two weeks ago (the week before Father's Day, we looked at the next three beatitudes, and saw that they didn't seem so much contradictory, as just plain difficult--hungering and thirsting for righteousness, showing mercy, and being pure. This week, we'll look at the last two, which are also hard to live up to, and again, like the first week, seem somehow contradictory. So let's examine them:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
What does it mean to be a peacemaker? This beatitude is one that I misunderstood for quite some time. I always thought that it meant that I had to try and solve everyone's problems: from reconciling disagreeing friends to striving for the Nobel Peace Prize! Of course, my feeble attempts at reconciliation (Hey, "person A", here's all the things "person B" has against you. "Person B", here's why "person A" isn't too thrilled with you. You two should talk and work it all out!) never went too well! That's because peacemaking has to begin with us, in our own hearts and lives. This is why St. Paul writes, "If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all." We have to do our part to reconcile with others (and in the first place, to not tick them off!).

The promise that Jesus gives to this beatitude is a large one: "They shall be called sons of God." Living at peace with others, just like showing them mercy as we discussed last week, is crucial to our relationship with God! Jesus says later on in the Sermon on the Mount, "So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." At Mass, just before the Eucharistic Sacrifice is offered, we "Share a sign of peace" with each other. That practice is more than just a friendly hug or handshake, but has its roots in this Scripture. Don't just greet the people you like, but go out of your way to honestly and truly offer your peace to those whom you might have some grudge against! If you remember someone who isn't there, that you have an issue with, make a promise to God to set that right as soon as possible--and then do it!

When we live at peace with others, only then can we bring peace to others, and truly be peacemakers!

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Here's where we get back into the "What the heck are you talking about, Jesus?" beatitudes. How can one who is being persecuted--mocked, disowned, beaten, imprisoned, or even killed--blessed?! You're not making any sense here, Lord! But notice the promise: "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven." That sounds familiar! Hey, that was the same promise that Jesus gave to the poor in spirit! Coincidence? I think not!

Neither does Jesus. When He appeared to St. John in a vision (the Book of Revelation), He gave seven letters to seven churches. One of those churches, Smyrna, was a poor and persecuted church. Here's what Jesus says to them:

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
"'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.'"

Jesus first says that although the church at Smyrna was poor and persecuted, they were actually rich! And moreover He promises that if they stay faithful no matter what, they'll get a crown of life! That echoes the beatitudes, where they inherit the Kingdom (because, really, what's a crown without a Kingdom?)! Notably, the population of the city of Smyrna (in modern-day Turkey, a predominately Muslim nation) is still very much Christian! Today, in countries where Christianity is illegal, like China, the Church is thriving. This is because, as Tertullian, a member of the ancient Church remarked, "Martyrs are the seedbed of the Church."

Blessed are you when men 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 so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.
This beatitude is on the surface the same as the last one, as it is directed towards those who are being persecuted. This is why technically, there are said to be 8 beatitudes. It really is an expansion on the above beatitude.

But there are some very important things that Jesus teaches us here. Number one, He's stopped dealing in an absract "they". "Blessed are you," He tells us. "Are you talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me? I'm the only one here, so you must be talkin' to me!" (Sorry, couldn't resist!) That's right. Jesus is talking to you! You are blessed. When? Under what circumstances? When you get mocked, insulted, beaten, or even killed for your faith! Note that Jesus doesn't say, "Blessed are you if men revile you and persecute you." He knows that when you follow Jesus faithfully, with your whole heart, it's a certainty.

Today, throughout the world, believers are imprisoned and killed for their faith daily! We are fortunate enough to live in a country where we don't live with the risk of death for our beliefs. But that doesn't mean we're blessed! It's been noted that when we truly live for Christ, we make waves in this world--and the last thing the world appreciates is waves, and those who made them. When we take a stand for our faith, the Devil takes notice, and he gets the guns out and takes aim. It's hard to go against the grain, against the system, against the flow. As the saying goes, though, "Any dead fish can float downstream!" Christianity is counter-cultural.

In no situation is that more prevailant than in our current nation of Canada--and recent decisions that have been made. The Church has always held that homosexuality is a sin. But our noble elected officials have decided to proclaim gay marriage as perfectly, legally legit--the same in every regard as heterosexual marriage. (As an aside, it pisses me off to no end that I have to refer to marriage with the adjective "heterosexual"! To that end, "heterosexual marriage will from now on be referred to here as "Marriage" [with a capital M]). The gay marriage thing is just one in a long line of offences, like the endorsement and funding of embryonic stem cell research, legal abortion-on-demand, prolific divorce rates, and so on and on.

According to the laws of our wonderful land, this blog post could technically fall under the hate crimes act. If anyone wants to prosecute, I'll cite "religious freedom", and we'll see if the gov't and the judges recognise their guarantee in that regard!

I think of a couple summers ago when I was a security guard. I worked in Hamilton at a retirement community called St. Elizabeth Village. They had recently aquired a bit of land across the road and were going to make a small park out of it for the residents. One feature of this park was that there would be an outdoor Way of the Cross. Two old men had laboured in the community's woodshop constructing crosses with cases for the Stations of the Cross icons--Icons which came originally from Hungary, and were donated from St. Elizabeth of Hungary parish in London, Ontario (The same St. Elizabeth that the Village is named for). At the opening of the park the Bishop came to consecrate it. That night (my night off) vandals came and smashed the stations, catching the guard on duty unaware. It was written off as the work of teenage vandals, and nothing much was made of it.

A few months earlier, a mosque had been burned down, and the city was up in arms searching for the perpetrators of such a violent "hate crime"--and rightly so! But no one even suggested the possibility that it might be merely "teenage arsonists". When a very similar crime was done to Christians, as described above, albeit on a lesser scale, it's merely vandalism!

Persecution happens, even here. Maybe we'll never be killed from it (though as the case of Columbine--where 2 students shot up a school, killing 13--at least two of which were targeted because of their faith--in Colorado, 1999, shows us, even that is increasingly likely!), but we will be mocked, insulted, reviled, accused, put down, and attacked for our faith.

But Jesus doesn't just tell us that we will be persecuted. He tells us that we will be blessed when we are persecuted! How? We will be receiving the same honour as His prophets and apostles and saints of old!

The challenge is, then, if you aren't being attacked in any way for your faith...what are you doing wrong? Let us die to ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow after Jesus!

Impressed!

"Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching." --1 Timothy 4:12-13

Shortly after I began my job at St. Andrew's Church, Father Coughlin, the pastor here, asked if I would start and lead a Bible Study. It's not just for the youth, but for everyone in the parish who is interested. We've been going through the Gospel of John, and last night (Thursday), we studied chapters 14 and 15. I love the group, because it's a mix of people. Last night, for example, there were 8 people out. Three adults plus myself, and four of the kids in the youth group.

Because the kids all sat at the back, one of the ladies present remarked that they weren't actually here to study the Bible, but to goof off. I denied this, saying that she should have more faith in them. As we went on, we had a really good Bible Study, until we ended up in a debate about God causing suffering or merely allowing suffering--and the overarching question of whether suffering is ever God's will. We all agreed that God doesn't cause suffering, but does allow it. The debate was over whether or not suffering could be considered as "God's will" and yet not "caused by God." It was a debate that was fruitless and really went nowhere, because we meant different things by our phrases (as is so often the case).

Anyway, the kids all got frustrated with this display, so all four of them got up and walked out. We felt bad about this, but it prompted the lady who was critical of them initially to remark that if they were serious and mature about this, that they should have stayed and listened, or participated! I tried to correct her, and then we went on with the Bible Study. About five or ten minutes later, the kids all marched back in and sat down. I asked where they had gone, and they said, we went outside and finished the Bible Study questions by ourselves!

I could have cried. I was so proud of them. Rather than goofing off or being disinterested in Scripture, they cared more about what the Bible said than two know-it-alls who wouldn't shut up! (Yes, I'm one of those know-it-alls!)

"Let no one despise your youth." Last night, these four kids showed us real dedication and maturity. They truly did "set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

And it turns out, when I was talking to them afterward, that they understood the debate, had definite opinions on it, and just didn't want to get involved. In that regard, they modeled an injunction from Scripture that I would do well to keep in mind myself: "Have nothing to do with stupid, senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels" (2 Timothy 2:23).

Lauren, Mel, Joe, and Dez, you guys rock! Never let anyone look down on you because you're young!

God bless!

The Beatitudes, pt.2

Matthew 5:1-12

Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when men 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 so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Last week we looked at the first three of these beatitudes. In my mind, they seem like they could be divided up into categories. The first three are our attitude: an attitude of humility--being poor in spirit; an attitude of sincerity--being true in our emotions; and an attitude of meeknessness--being gentle and kind to others before yourself.

This week, the three beatitudes we're going to look at could be considered our virtues. They deal more specifically with our relationship and obedience to God. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness; showing mercy; and being pure. Last week we noted that Jesus' statements are often paradoxical. This week, these three seem a lot more straightforward. So let's look at them.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness? Righteousness is that quality of life, where what we do is what God wants us to do, or as the cliché goes, "What would Jesus do?" To be righteous is to live a life as close to the Heart of Jesus as we can. While it's incredibly hard to do, we can know that it is not us alone who do it, but Christ Himself, living within us, helps us to live righteously.

But it is not an automatic thing. We have to do our part, co-operating with the Grace that God gives us. We must also have a desire for His righteousness. Jesus compares this desire to a hunger or a thirst. I remember working a few summers on a nursery. (That's a tree farm, for those of you who are suddenly thinking I'd be a good baby-sitter!) During those summers there were days of blistering heat, and working out in the sun for 10 to 12 hours really made me appreciate the goodness of pure, cold water! There was one day I came home rather sick due to a lack of water. This is the kind of hunger, the kind of thirst, that Jesus is referring to here. He wants us to realise that a righteous life is something we truly cannot live without!

Psalm 42 begins by saying, "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after You, O God." Just like the deer, who has been running through the woods all day, has panted to drink at a stream of water, that is the desire that we need to have to see God's face! Jesus calls us blessed when we hunger and thirst for righteousness, saying that those who do shall be satisfied. Later on in His same sermon, the great "Sermon on the Mount," Jesus has this to say: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well" (Matthew 6:33). When we seek God's Kingdom and righteousness in our own lives, not only will He satisfy us with righteousness, but He will look after our other needs as well. As Father Watters loves to say, "I have everything I need, and even a few things that I want, as well!"

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Jesus is teaching us here not merely of the value of forgiveness, but the actual necessity. If we want to gain forgiveness, if we want to gain God's mercy, we need to be willing to show that mercy to others. When we pray the Our Father, we say, "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." When Jesus taught His disciples that prayer, immediately afterward, He said, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15).

Unforgiveness and bitterness have harmful physical effects, and doctors have begun to realise and analyse this fact more and more. But bitterness also has grave spiritual results. It can actually cut us off of the life of Grace that God gives to us. In the very same chapter as the Beatitudes (Matthew chapter 5 if you weren't paying attention!) Jesus has this to say, "So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (verses 23-24).

This is why, at Mass, just before we offer our gifts on the altar, when we prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we share with each other the sign of peace. This is more than a meaningless gesture oddly juxtaposed into the Eucharistic Liturgy, but a fulfilment of Jesus' instruction to make things right with those who have wronged us. If there is unforgiveness in your life, take that opportunity to make it right, by genuinely extending your hand in peace. Or, if they are not at Mass, tell God your desire to forgive, and after Mass, actively try to reconcile with your brother or sister or friend. Allow your merciful spirit to open up the door to the mercy of God to come and fill your heart!

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
I'd be tempted to say "Well, that's a given!" if it weren't so incredibly important! Do you want to see God? Do you really want to know Him, to be close to Him? Jesus tells us that Purity is the key! Like righteousness, this is again a gift from Jesus Himself--who, washing away our sins has made us whiter than snow. But, unless we co-operate with that grace, with that cleansing, we will quickly become soiled again!

Purity. Saying the word conjures up notions of chastity, abstinence, "sexual purity". While this is a crucial and important aspect of purity, ultimately purity is not equal to virginity. Jesus isn't just calling us to a purity of behaviour, or a purity of action. He is calling us to a purity of heart! It goes deeper than our external deeds, or "how far is too far?" It calls us to a sincerity of love and humility. True purity wouldn't even ask the question. It values other people as brothers and sisters, to be protected and cherished. It goes right to the motives behind our actions. Am I hanging out with "these people" because I'll be popular, or because they need a friend? Am I going to church because my parents make me, or because I want to be with Jesus? Purity is the opposite of hypocricy. We all hate hypocrites--except the one we see in the mirror! Being pure in heart is allowing Jesus to go through us, letting Him expose those places in our lives that we haven't yet given to Him, and choosing to surrender ourselves completely to His love!

It is the ultimate dying to self--and the One who was Crucified for you doesn't deserve or expect any less!

Thought on Prayer

I listen to a Christian Talkback radio show based in Oakville, on JOY 1250 (AM). It's on Saturdays from 1:00 to 5:00. It's called the Drew Marshall Show. More often than not, I'm busy on Saturdays, so I'm incredibly grateful for the website updates where I can listen to segments of his show (not to mention the weekly emails about upcoming guests.

Wednesday I got the email that his last Saturday's interview with Brennan Manning was now online. Brennan Manning is a former Fransiscan priest, who after serious struggles with alcoholism, is now having a serious impact with his ministry. He's written numerous books, such as "The Ragamuffin Gospel", which is popular even (especially?) among Evangelical Protestant Christianity.

When I was listening to the interview I was very challenged and inspired by Mr. Manning, especially when he was talking to Drew about prayer. Drew confessed that he didn't pray much, and saw it as a "waste of time." Manning's reply was straight-shooting and to the point:

Manning: ...I recommend 20 minutes of prayer each morning and 20 minutes in the evening. And surprisingly that 20 minutes in the morning will spill over into the rest of the day, you'll find yourself saying things you never dreamed you would say, suddenly a passage of Scripture will spring out of your mind...

Marshall: I...don't pray. Uhm, I mean I pray, but I don't pray, you know what I mean? I've never been a man of prayer. I've surrounded myself with great men of God who get up at 5 in the morning, 4 in the morning, who spend 3 hours on their knees begging, pleading, pouring out. I've tried New Resolution-y kind of things time and time and time and time again. I have a shocking prayer life. What's the prescription? More brokenness? I have to get more broken before I get on my knees?

Manning: Nope...Do 20 minutes in the morning, 20 minutes in the evening. [someone says] I'd love to, but I just don't have the time...Here's my suggestion. Go to your room, close the door, kneel down, and honestly say to Jesus, "I don't really enjoy spending time with You. I find it boring, I find it monotonous, I'm constantly distracted. I don't have any fierce longing to be with You. I just find prayer is a waste of time--I could be out helping somebody instead of praying. The real problem is, you have to move from "I should pray" to "I want to pray"

...

Marshall: To me it's the biggest waste of time there is. I would be motivated if I saw answers left, right and centre...but it seems like a big waste of time.

Manning: The moment you move from "I know I should pray" to "I want to pray," that's when you do it...The want is a gift from the Holy Spirit. So, in your prayer, you say, "Jesus, I really don't have any desire, any want, and longing to be with You, and I know I can't pull it off. So I'm asking You now, with all my heart, to plant the desire in my heart, to really desire to spend time alone with You." And that prayer gets answered.

Listen to the whole interview at www.drewmarshall.ca/listen.html#050604 It's powerful!
God bless!

Part two of the Beatitudes this weekend!

The Beatitudes, pt.1

I seem to like doing series. Over the next three weeks (including this one) we're going to look at Jesus' teachings known as the Beatitudes, taking three of them at a time.

Matthew 5:1-12

Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when men 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 so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."

When Jesus taught, He often used seemingly contradictory ideas to make His point about spiritual realities. When we look at the way God has worked in history, and especially at Jesus Himself, this shouldn't really surprise us--and yet, it still does! Think about it, though. What's more contradictory than God omnipotent coming to earth as a baby? Nothing I can think of, except possibly that this same God chose to win the greatest victory and save us from our sins by dying the most humiliating, painful, and seemingly defeated death, denied and betrayed by His friends!

Is it really any surprise then, that Jesus' view of how our lives should be is often the exact opposite of what we would expect? Nowhere is this Gospel Paradox more clearly seen than in the Beatitudes, with which Jesus began His famous Sermon on the Mount.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means that we realise that all we have in this world or the next is Jesus Himself. It means that our trust isn't in things, riches, or connections, but in the eternal richness that comes only from a relationship with God!

A few years back, when I was in Bible College, I went on a trip to Downtown Toronto, to work with the people living on the streets. It was a very immersive experience (one I hope to have St. Andrew's Youth participate in!) and I learned a lot. One of the most surprising things I learned was about the faith of the people who live on the streets. In my mind, I would anticipate that someone so down and out would be cursing God for letting this happen to them. But instead, I found strong faith and hope in God--indeed, for them, God was all they had left!

This is what it means to be poor in spirit. The rich person too often says, "I have everything I need. I don't need God!" Too often, we can take that attitude. The poor, on the other hand, realise that they have to depend solely on God for their very next meal--indeed, their very next breath! Being poor in spirit doesn't necessarily mean we're poor in wallet--but it does mean that we live our lives knowing that we, too, rely fully on Jesus for our next breath, and that He alone brings us fulfilment, peace and happiness--or, in a word, makes us "blessed."

This attitude is what brings us close to God. This attitude is why Jesus proclaims that those with this attitude have the Kingdom of Heaven!

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
How are those grieving, "blessed"? Simply because they are genuine. Too often we have a mentality that we need to be all spic and span for God--that our lives should be all put together. We should be happy, carefree--or else we don't have faith...right? Wrong!

When I was 18, in high school, a close friend of mine, David Ellis, died in a factory accident. At the time, his family, and many of his friends and the people of our faith tradition believed that it was wrong to mourn his death, and so the funeral was a "celebration" of his life, with upbeat praise songs and a "joyful" attitude. They wanted to express their hope that he was with Jesus--but because Dave was such a popular guy around school, there were many people at the funeral who had no such hope. Many complained to me that they felt ripped off, that they weren't allowed to say goodbye or properly grieve. Rather than drawing these people closer to God by our warmth, consolation, and compassion, we alienated them instead.

God doesn't desire Lego men, with their painted-on smiles. He wants real people who will really relate to Him. He wants people who will be unashamed to pour out their pain into His lap! This is genuine intimacy; this is real love! This is why St. Peter wrote, "Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you" (1 Peter 5:7). Faith is vulnerable. It trusts that God is there and that He cares about you. Jesus assures us that this is true, by promising that those who mourn will be comforted: Comforted by none other than God Himself!

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
To the more business-minded persons out there, this beatitude really makes no sense! Meek? Inherit the earth?! No no! You can only make it big in this world by climbing the corporate ladder--by using others as the rungs! But Jesus is challenging us to be meek, gentle, and humble.

Meekness in our world is often associated with weakness. An unwillingness to make an issue out of standing up for ourselves is seen as an inability to. But Jesus is trying to drive home the point that when we were freed from slavery to sin, He made us instead slaves to righteousness. A slave doesn't have rights. In a similar way, Jesus has made us citizens of Heaven, and not of earth. Again, this really puts a limit on our rights in the here and now. Jesus challenges us to live accordingly, and "turn the other cheek" (and no, that doesn't mean moon them!). We have the power to stand up for ourselves--in fact, in Christ, we can do everything! But, like Christ, we must have an attitude of gentle humility in everything that we do.

As a reward, we, who have forsaken our rights and status in this earth to become citizens of Heaven, will gain the earth as our inheritance as well!

Coming up in the summer will be various opportunities to demonstrate our Poverty of Spirit through acts of service. Through the Knights of Columbus, we have the opportunity to serve those in need in Hamilton, with the Brothers of the Good Shepherd. The 1st Saturday of each month, we can go down and serve in the food lines! Coming up for the Civic Holiday, there will be another big fundraising dealy to raise money for the Brothers! Let's take advantage of these opportunities to put feet to our faith, and make a difference in this world!

God bless!