Muse: Kingdom blessings ~ Matt 4:23-5:12

Acknowledging the hope of His gospel and His unmatched authority over diseases and afflictions, great crowds followed Jesus - "...from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan." (4:25)

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain (5:1) and took the opportunity to address His disciples.

The following parts of Matthew 5 should thus be read in the context of the above. Otherwise, the beatitudes would read as a checklist of requirements that one would have to fulfill in order to be blessed.

And God would sound like a sadist.

A mean and spiteful one. Hard and cold-hearted.

Are you poor in spirit? Yes? Good. You are blessed.
Are you mourning? Yes? Good. You are blessed.
And so on...

The truth is this: God blesses us - not only when we are poor in spirit, mournful, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, in need of grace to forgive, purified, facing conflict and persecuted. Afflicted, needy and oppressed. I used to read the beatitudes this way. It was depressing.

In other words, we don't have to whip ourselves in order to be blessed. Good times, good relationships, health, provisions and rest are good things that we can and should enjoy when we can - expressions of God's mercy and grace.

But it was as if Jesus was also saying to His disciples on that mountain: "Look at those who are coming to Me - the afflicted, the oppressed, the needy... They come, and therefore, they shall be blessed."

Blessed. The Greek word (Makarios) was used in Greek literature to describe (1) gods; (2) those who had died and had therefore reached the world of the gods; and (3) fortunate persons who were considered to live up to the ideals of Greek philosophy, which worshiped an affluent, happy culture, and were therefore in enviable positions. The Kingdom that was at hand - the heavenly one which was now and yet to come on Earth - was to turn the world and its ways upside-down. The afflicted, oppressed and needy could now be the recipients of divine favour and joy in their coming to Jesus Christ - bread of life, the Word made flesh.

Circumstances. It is the difficult ones which tend to make us feel forsaken by God. But it is in these difficult situations that God intends us to rejoice even more because they are opportunities for Him to yet bless us... and opportunities for us to taste even more keenly His mercy and grace toward us, whether or not our difficulties lessen (or even intensify).

Yes, we will taste. God's grace is not meant to be merely some abstract thing that we need to brain-wash ourselves into imagining present. In the most difficult times of my life, I have experienced it in its various manifestations. Encouraging words, presents, friendship, the commitment of a friend to pray with me throughout the season or buy me a comforting good meal, healing in unexpected places, reconciliation, etc. 

Again, Jesus and not the pain relief is the reason we are blessed. This is what God's Kingdom is about. 

Jesus, the Giver and centre of Life eternal.

Jesus, the source of all hope.

Jesus, the One who walks with us, even in our loneliest moments.

Only when we understand what it means to be Kingdom people can we be salt of the earth and light of the world (Matt 5:13-16).

Because we are meant to be salt and light... not only when the times are good.