Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
May 22, 2002 Randall Caselman
A Challenge To Graduates
Graduation. Commencement. New beginnings. One stage of life is completed and the door opens to another. When this happens we naturally look for guidance to help us along these new paths. Jesus reduces life to a heart condition... Attitudes-to-be. Eight attitudes which will bless us.
The word
"blessed" in the Greek is
"makarios." A word used to speak of the happiness of the gods as opposed to the state of mere mortals. Worldly happiness is based upon circumstances and situations in life: education, occupation, affluence, sexual satisfaction, etc.; but Jesus teaches us that genuine happiness is to be found in correct attitudes, heart conditions.
Blessed... Happy are the poor in spirit.
Spiritual poverty is seeing ourselves as we really are, sinners lost and without resources to save ourselves. We sing, "Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling." This is the language of the poor in spirit. Solomon tells us that God hates a proud heart, but gives happiness to the humble.
Blessed... Happy are those who mourn.
Only those who see themselves as sinners before God can ever hope to enjoy the happiness Jesus brings in total forgiveness. It's one thing to acknowledge our spiritual poverty; it's something else to grieve and mourn over it. This is the Biblical sorrow that leads to repentance. David said, God is looking for the broken contrite heart.
Blessed... Happy are the meek.
The Greek word praes is used to describe a horse broken to ride. Meekness is not a broken spirit, but a disciplined one. Meekness is not weakness, but is strength controlled. Both Jesus and Moses are spoken of as being meek, yet they are the strongest personalities in the Old and New Testaments. Their meekness came from the fact that they disciplined themselves according to God's will through His Word. Paul tells us that God did not give us the spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Blessed... Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Such spiritual hunger is characteristic of all God's people. Our supreme ambition is not material but spiritual. Jesus tells us that we are not to be engrossed in the pursuit of possessions, but to seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness. Righteousness is doing right. Righteousness in the Bible has three aspects: legal, moral and social. Legal righteousness is justification, a right relationship with God. Moral righteousness is righteousness of character and conduct. Social righteousness means that we are concerned for others.
Blessed... Happy are the merciful.
Mercy is one of the weightier matters of the law. It is a trait of God Himself. Happiness is found in serving others, showing mercy to the hungry, the sick, the outcast, the weary, wounded and the lost. Did you notice this is a boomerang beatitude? We will be shown mercy to the extent we extend mercy to others. It is a serious matter when we become indifferent to the sufferings of others.
Blessed... Happy are the pure in heart.
Solomon says, as a man thinks in His heart so is he. Jesus tells us; out of the heart comes the issues of life. If the heart is pure, life is pure. If the heart is pure, love is pure. If the heart is pure, religion is pure. Jesus is making a plea for sincerity rather than just ceremony. We must be pure in heart, doing the right things for the right reason. Jesus uses a good portion of the Sermon on the Mount to show the contrast between pure-hearted religion and the outward show of religion practiced by the Pharisees.
Blessed... Happy are the peacemakers.
God is a peacemaker. Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. Peacemaking is a Divine work. The peacemaker is opposite of the whisperer, the gossip, the meddler, the busybody, the tattler, the mischief-maker. In fact Scripture tells us, God hates those who sow discord among brethren. There are three ways we can apply our hearts to peacemaking: by refraining from those things that cause conflict; by helping resolve conflicts that have already ruptured relationships; and by evangelism, making peace between God and man.
Blessed... Happy are those who are persecuted for righteousness.
Jesus is not saying happiness belongs to those who have a persecution complex, but those who are accused falsely and made fun of because of their faith in Him and His Son. Paul tells us that all who live godly will be thusly treated. We must know that God still reigns, and He will see that the persecuted are rewarded... Rejoice in it for great is your reward in heaven.
The message of the Sermon on the Mount is that Christian graduates are called to live in an up-side-down world. They are called to practice an inside-out righteousness, and live in a counterculture. Will we accept the challenge?
Randall Caselman
