People of faith throughout history, in every age I suspect, have been labeled foolish, naive, out of touch with reality… People holding power and exerting control over the lives of others operate out of a functional morality – employing whatever works to serve their purpose and to keep themselves in their niches of privilege. If laws favor them, fine. If not, bypass the law. If force and intimidation maintain their position, so be it. If not, pretend to foster harmony.
Jesus, in the gospels, lives and teaches another, a different Way. Speak the truth. Live true to what you believe. Love everyone, even those who are attempting to destroy you and all you hold dear. (This doesn’t mean you accept or condone the evil that they are doing!) See no-one as an enemy. This is so much more rigorous than those who go along trying to be nice and not cause a disturbance.
If we want to be a builder of God’s Reign, Jesus invites us to go far beyond simply obeying the rules. Christian faith embodies a huge challenge. To see all as sister / brother, beloved child of God. Think of the implications. No human being can be reduced to a label – especially not “sinner.”
In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus is pictured as the New Lawgiver. The first section of collected sayings is called the Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5, 6, 7). The placement of this teaching near the onset of Jesus’ ministry indicates, “If you can accept this teaching, you can be my disciples.” The opening of Jesus’ “New Law” is known as the Beatitudes with the repetition of the phrase, “Blessed are…”
Blessed are those who know deep inside that they need God, who see life through the eyes of faith; believing in God’s absolute fidelity and goodness – no matter what; This is not how the rest of the world operates; blessed are those who don’t need anything or anyone, who can do it by themselves, independent.
Blessed are those who can feel loss, weep and grieve for all that is hurtful and wrong. Instead of blessed are those who are tough, armored against any pain, unmoved by all that is wrong around them.
Blessed are the meek, those who know that their strengths are real and are gifts from God, who don’t need to prove to others how great they are, what they can do, or how much they know. Rather than blessed are those who make sure everyone around them knows their power, competence, abilities, superiority…
Blessed are those who hunger, thirst, ache for what is right and just, too often replaced by blessed are those who care more about their own comfort and status than about all those who are suffering from discrimination and inequality.
Blessed are those who show mercy to others, and to themselves, as opposed to blessed are those who relish punishing or use cruelty to gain advantage over others.
Blessed are the single-hearted, whose personal integrity is very important to them, instead of blessed are those whose choices are solely based on what they feel will benefit them the most. Their word cannot be taken seriously.
Blessed are those who work for peace, rather than blessed are they who promote, supply, and use war for their personal profit.
Blessed are those who endure hardship and persecution because they stand up for what is right and good, replaced by blessed are those who persecute others because that proves that they are stronger and better than the rest.
People who do what they can to live according to Jesus’ Beatitudes are the ones who are truly blessed. That’s the way it works – with God.