Summary:
The Beatitudes
Verses 7-12
Blessed Reward
5. Merciful Will be shown mercy
6. Pure in heart Will see God
7. Peacemakers Will be called sons of God
8. Persecuted because of righteousness Theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are you when people insult, persecute, and speak falsely against you because of Jesus Christ. Rejoice, because your reward in heaven is great as the world treated the prophets similarly.
Salt and Light
Verses 13-16
"You are the salt of the earth." (Verse 13a) If salt loses its saltiness, how can it become salty again? It then becomes good only for being thrown out and trampled by men.
"You are the light of the world." (Verse 14a) You can't hide a city on a hill. You don't put a lamp under a bowl, but on a stand, so that it lights up the whole house.
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Verse 16)
Lori's Thoughts:
The Beatitudes
5. Those that show mercy will receive mercy. "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:31) Another way of looking at this is: what you do to others will be done to you. Some call it kharma. God calls it justice. If the love of God is in your heart, your actions, your words, and your attitude will reflect it.
6. The pure in heart will see God. We are being refined by fire, that is by trials and tribulations.
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (I Peter 1:6-7)
Sanctification, which comes after justification once you accept salvation, is the removal of all evil and earthly desires. Like gold ore that is beat of all impurities until it is perfect gold, so are we being molded. When people ask why bad things happen or why life is hard, you know that it is either because the devil wants to shake your faith in the One he hates or because God is molding you. Without suffering, we would not lean on God.
Paul is the best example of a sanctified man. He began as a murderer of Christians. Then, he was known as Saul. When he accepted Christ, he was transformed into Paul, one of the greatest apostles of Christ. He went from persecuting to healing. (See Acts 28:7-10)
Even he suffered. "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (II Corinthians 12:7-10)
Wow. Currently, I just weep because of my weaknesses. I hope to get to the point where I, too, can delight in weakness, because I depend on Christ that much more.
7. The peacemakers will be called the sons of God. I imagine that this must be the most difficult position to have. To create peace, there probably is a lack of peace, and a peacemaker will have to throw themselves into the line of fire. This might cost them their lives. If it means salvation for others, so be it.
" 'I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.' " (Ezekiel 22:31)
We must be willing to stand in the gap to bring peace between humans and God. This is the opposite of jihad in the Muslim religion. They lay down their lives to destroy what they believe is evil. I think that our freedom of religion angers them. Maybe it is American lifestyle - our sensuality and greed. However, I do not believe God tells us to kill others. We must be willing to die so that others might be saved, just as Jesus did!
Salvation only comes through the blood of Christ. We must be willing to lay down our lives to bring others to Him. Whether or not we do die is up to our heavenly Father. Give Him the reins of your life. Believe me, it's the scariest thing you will ever do. But, it must be done if we are to be used by Him.
However, "rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20b)
8. Those that are persecuted because of righteousness will gain the kingdom of heaven. People will be attracted to the Jesus in you. Other people will hate you for it. They may not even know why, as they are influenced by the evil one. Christ guaranteed that we would suffer for serving Him. Why? This is not our home.
" 'If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.' " (Luke 15:18-22)
Christ came to show the world the difference between sin and righteousness, that is being an enemy of God or a friend. If we are friends of God, we will be enemies of the world. They hate us because they know they sin, but refuse to give it up.
We must give up our lives on this earth. If we are fully committed to God, then anything extra - marriage, family, career, possessions are gifts from Him. If we seek these first, we love the world. We must be willing to have nothing to gain right standing with God.
" 'But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' " (Matthew 6:33-34)
Revelation 21 tells us what we can hope for in the next heaven and earth, which exist without sin. Then we can just live.
" 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.' " (Luke 9:23-27)
Salt and Light
We have hope, therefore we give the world flavor and illumination.
"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." (Psalm 34:8)
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105)
We get this flavor and illumination from God. It is our job to light the fire in the lives of others. God has given us the amazing gift of salvation. Be bold. Share it. Ask Him how.
Let His light shine through you.
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