The Beatitudes, the beginning verses of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, are among the most well known passages in the Bible. Jesus speaks of blessing for the poor, the meek, the humble, the downcast in society, or does he? What does that word "blessed" really mean anyway. It seems obvious that blessing has passed these folks by in this life, but what if the word we've translated at blessed really means something closer to honoured in a society mediated by honour and shame. There is more here than a pat on the head and well wishing. Jesus actually suggests a radical upsetting of society, a lifting out of the gutter, a new paradigm for living in community. This Sunday we will consider how Jesus words affect us and our lives.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Down is the New Up (Matthew 5:1-12)
The Beatitudes, the beginning verses of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, are among the most well known passages in the Bible. Jesus speaks of blessing for the poor, the meek, the humble, the downcast in society, or does he? What does that word "blessed" really mean anyway. It seems obvious that blessing has passed these folks by in this life, but what if the word we've translated at blessed really means something closer to honoured in a society mediated by honour and shame. There is more here than a pat on the head and well wishing. Jesus actually suggests a radical upsetting of society, a lifting out of the gutter, a new paradigm for living in community. This Sunday we will consider how Jesus words affect us and our lives.
