If you have ever seen many of the Hollywood depictions of Jesus in years gone by, you might notice a common thread that runs through most of them.  In most of these movies that span decades, Jesus always seems to be somewhat sad or somber and is barely affected by what is going on around him.  Philip Yancey called this the Prozac Jesuswho had little emotional reaction to the world around him, as if he were perpetually medicated.  I suppose the film directors thought that demeanor made him look spiritual or “other worldly.”  One of my favorite depictions, however, was the Gospel of Matthew with Bruce Marchiano. First of all, Marchiano looked Jewish instead of being tall with blond hair and blue eyes.  But more than that, he was emotional.  He was alive and animated. When someone hurt, he hurt with that person.  When someone laughed, he laughed.  When someone was healed, he was just as excited as the person who suddenly saw colors and shapes for the first time.

I like that because when we see someone set free or healed, we get excited.  I love to see someone experience Jesus in that way.  What we need to remember is that it is important for individuals to experience Jesus rather than simply experiencing healing or the one through whom Jesus healed the person.

When it comes to healing, I believe that the more we point people to Jesus, the more healings we will see.  Paul declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom.1:16). There is power in the gospel and the gospel directs our faith to the one who heals.

Healing is obviously a great evangelistic tool. We always hear reports about great revivals in third world countries where hundreds or thousands are healed and come to Jesus, but healing should be even more available to God’s people than to the lost in those nations.  Faith is the currency of heaven and faith resides in believers.  Spiritual gifts were given to build up the body of Christ including the gifts of healing. The psalmist declares that God forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases (Psm.103:3).  Speaking of Jesus, Isaiah wrote, “Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed” (Isa.53:4-5).  Isaiah is clear that Jesus died and bore not only our sins, but our infirmities and diseases as well. James also promises healing to God’s people.  “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (Ja.5:14-16).

I think that sometimes we believe God is more willing to heal the lost, so that they might come to Jesus, than he is willing to heal the saved.  But the principle is that God’s gifts are reserved for his people first and, then, for those outside the family. We are told, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Gal.6:10).  Remember when the Gentile woman came to Jesus asking for him to cast a demon from her daughter? His reply was that he was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel and that is wasn’t right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs (Matt.15).  Of course, she replied that even the dogs get the crumbs and, because of her faith, Jesus healed the daughter.  The point is, however, that God reserves his gifts first for his children like any good father.

As the gospel is shared and people are pointed to Jesus, faith has the opportunity to rise in that person and as they accept Jesus, the gift of healing becomes more available to them that before because it is part of our New Covenant with God.  A fair question then is, “Why does it seem that more unbelievers are healed in great crusades than believers in churches?”  I believe it is because, by and large, we have not taught the full gospel to the church.  The gospel should promise not only the forgiveness of sins, but the healing of infirmities and sickness as well since Jesus bore all of that on the cross for his people.  Strictly speaking, we should believe in healing every bit as much as forgiveness. Both are promised as a result of the sacrifice of Messiah. A biblical study of “salvation” indicates that salvation does not just provide blessings after the funeral but on this side of the grave as well and includes not only forgiveness but provision, protection, freedom, and healing.

The power of the gospel is that it produces faith for all the things the blood of Christ purchases for us.  Pointing people to Jesus – his love, his sacrifice, and his intercession – is a great prelude to healing.  So…as we get excited about healing or any of the other gifts, we should not forget the giver of the gifts but clearly point people to him before they ever unwrap what he is giving them.

Is there ever a time when a person is clearly demonized but deliverance is not in order?  We all want to help.  We all want people to experience the goodness of Jesus. We all want to push back the borders of the dark kingdom.  But is deliverance always in the best interest of the person? There is probably a part of each of us that initially says, “Of course!”  But Jesus shared a story that raisesa caution flag in this area.

After being accused of casting out demons by the power of Satan and then being asked for a miraculous sign, Jesus said, “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first” (Mt.12:43-45). He then compared the nation of Israel to that man.

A lot of believers find this story disconcerting. Without understanding the issues, it creates fear about deliverance and the enemy coming back in force.  The issue for the man in the story was not that he had been demonized and set free.  The problem was that the demonic spirit left a vacancy that was not immediately filled by a new tenant. The new tenant should have been the Holy Spirit, so that when the demon returned, he would have found a “no vacancy” sign.  Any demon that is cast out is likely to return in an attempt to reclaim his territory.  If the same demon that was cast out doesn’t return, another will come along.

There is an old adage related to spiritual warfare that says,” The first battle is getting free; the second battle is staying free.”  The key is in understanding what gave that spirit a place in that person’s life in the first place.  Demons set up a habitation in men and women because something has given them a legal right and an open door to do so.

The danger in just ministering deliverance to someone is that the individual may have a wide open door in the spiritual realm that will allow that demon or others to quickly return.  Before deliverance, some discipleship is usually in order and, for none believers, an introduction to Jesus.  We need to remember that the demonized individual has probably coexisted and functioned with the demon for years, so a few more days or weeks won’t be the end of things. (A person tormented by a spirit of suicide might be the exception if they seem unstable.)

There are three main entry points for demons: persistent, unrepented sin in the past or present, generational sins and curses, and trauma.  If a person has lived a life of sin in the past or has been involved in the occult, demons may have set up residence then and, even if the person has repented and come to Jesus, there may still be a demon or two to deal with. The door may be closed to new residents, but the old residents may still be renting out a room.

If a person is currently in a sinful relationship or hiding secret sins such as an addiction, the door is open.  If the person is divisive, angry, a chronic gossip, or has refused to forgive someone, etc. then there is currently a wide open door. If they do not acknowledge their sins and repent, the door will stay open, the demon will return and, perhaps, bring others, so that the person may be worse off in the end than in the beginning.

Sins of the fathers as well as curses coming down to the children to the third and forth generation may also constitute open doors that need to be closed before deliverance.  A great deal of demonic oppression comes down through bloodlines. Curses established by the words or actions of ancestors carry demonic assignments.   Until the sins that established the curse are renounced and the curse is broken, those demons will have a legal right to continue to afflict the person. Occult involvement, violence, and sexual sins of the fathers seem to be primary doors for demons to establish a stronghold in families.

Demons also seem to find entrance into the mind and emotions of individuals who have experienced trauma. Prayers for healing and the touch of Jesus to mend broken hearts is often in order, as well, before deliverance.

The warning related to the words of Jesus is not to rush in and create spiritual vacuums that may be refilled by the enemy because they remain vacant.  Spending some time discovering the broken places in an individual, past life styles, ungodly relationships from the past or present, generational sins, family patterns that suggest a curse, and, especially, unforgiveness is time well spent. In addition, exploring whether or not the person you are ministering to is actually saved is always a good idea. Many demonized people go to church and identify as Christians, but have never actually surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus.  Until they do, they have no defense against the enemy. Dealing with sin, curses, and trauma closes the door so the enemy can’t return. Asking Jesus to fill that person with his Spirit takes care of the vacancy.

If a person is not willing or is not ready to repent of sins, exit an ungodly relationship, forgive someone who hurt him or her, or is not ready to make Jesus their Lord, deliverance might make things worse rather than better and you may want to pass on setting them free – at least for the time being.  The same is true for physical healing.  The same things can get in the way of physical healing that get in the way of deliverance, so visiting about those issues and aligning the person with Jesus may increase the number of people who actually get healed when you pray and the number that maintain their healing.  Spirits of infirmity are behind many physical illnesses so deliverance may also be needed before physical healing can be accomplished.

So…to parody Hamlet…To deliver or not to deliver…that is the question. Take your time, pray about it, and visit with the individual.  Ask pertinent questions.  If you free a person and the demon returns, they will assume that deliverance doesn’t work or isn’t even a real thing. It may even be difficult to cast out a demon when that spirit’s legal right to afflict the person still stands. If they cannot get free or experience nothing as you minister deliverance, then they may not be open to deliverance again. Just know that it is not always in the best interest of a person to minister deliverance until some basic discipleship and discovery occurs first.

I was browsing through the third chapter of John again this week.  It’s is one of those chapters that, no matter how many times you have studied it, you always know it contains so much more than you understand.  But one thing was evident to me as I read the words of Jesus again as he spoke to Nicodemus.  We should never underestimate the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer and in the Kingdom of God.  When you say it, it sounds trite – as if everyone knows that.  My experience, however, is that most believers don’t know that because they treat the Spirit as a minor player in the Godhead.  He gets an honorable mention on Sundays as one who, perhaps, played a significant role 2000 years ago but since then has been rather tame.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  I am reminded of that when Jesus cuts to the chase with Nicodemus.  Nic was a Pharisee as well as a member of the Sanhedrin.  But to his credit he was a truth seeker, although he still cared a great deal about his position and what other members of the  “good old boys” club thought of him.  He came at night so that he would not be seen with this “questionable” Rabbi. He represented another group within the Pharisees or the ruling council who were not quite ready to condemn Jesus because Nicodemus said, “We know you are a teacher who has come from God…” He came with a list of questions representing this little group.

We must speculate on where he was going with his questions because Jesus sidetracked his dialogue and began to speak about his own agenda.  However,  I feel confident that Nic was going to ask a series of questions about the Messiah and about the nature of miracles and so forth. That would have been an amazing discussion to hear and a spiritual discussion at that.  However, Jesus knew it would have been a futile discussion because this brilliant theologian and descendant of Abraham would not get it.

Jesus simply said. “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Clearly, for Nicodemus, that must have seemed like a hard left turn that, perhaps, was leading to nowhere.  What an enigmatic statement that seemed to just come out of left field.  Nic tried to track with Jesus a bit and so protested that a man could not be born again when he is old. Then Jesus added to the confusion by saying that no one could even enter the kingdom unless he was born not only of water but of the Spirit. Here was a man who all his life had been taught that knowledge of the Torah, love for the word of God, and good works would gain him entrance into the kingdom. Jesus simply said that entrance was not based on anything we could do but solely on the basis of what the Spirit would do.

When Jesus said that a man could not see the kingdom,  he meant that a man could not understand, perceive, or experience the kingdom without being born again.  An equally valid translation would be that he could not see the kingdom unless he was “born from above.”  That birth from above was by the Holy Spirit.  In the same way that Jesus was born by the Holy Spirit coming on Mary, we can only be born again by the Holy Spirit coming on us and we cannot see, perceive, understand, or experience the kingdom without the work of the Holy Spirit. If our initial realization of the kingdom comes only by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, then all other experiences and insight into the kingdom can come only by the Spirit as well.

If we place limits on the Spirit, we place limits on our understanding and experience of the kingdom.  In an effort to make God understandable, we miss out on understanding.  In our efforts to keep the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts from being abused, we abuse our own experiences with God.  In order to enter the kingdom, we must be born from above.  In other words, it is not just an intellectual exercise of acknowledging who Jesus is, but God has to do something to us. A new creation (2 Cor.5:17) means that suddenly, we are different and distinctive from the rest of creation. I believe that someday science will be able to measure a shift in brain function, DNA, or genetics that occurs the moment someone is born again.

I do not believe that being born again, being born from above, or being born of the Spirit is simply a metaphor for us as we somehow take on a new philosophy of life. When the Spirit comes power is imparted.  Radical transformation is initiated. Positions shift in the heavenlies as we are seated with Christ. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is rumbling around in us waiting to get out.  All of that begins with the Spirit of God and continues with him until the Spirit himself raises us from the dead. The Spirit is immeasurable power and wisdom and can only be capped or quenched by us.

In too many places, the church still quenches the Spirit in the name of doing everything “decently and in order.”  In my Bible, when the Holy Spirit showed up, fire erupted, people spoke in tongues, people went out and preached in the streets, buildings shook, everyone had a revelation or a tongue or a prophecy, people got healed, and demons got cast out. Some even dropped dead in church for lying to the Spirit.  All that doesn’t seem to fit our definition of  “decently and in order.” Many of our churches could benefit from a little disorder orchestrated by the Spirit.

We have even elevated intellect over spiritual gifts and spirituality.  If you don’t think so, check out the classifieds in a Christian journal where churches are looking for staff members and pastors. The qualifications are rarely based on spiritual gifts, spiritual maturity, intimacy with Jesus, or how many people a person has led to the Lord.  They are most often based on degrees earned in an accredited university or business experience in the corporate world. Jesus himself nor his apostles should even bother to apply. They would not meet the qualifications.

Although the Spirit points us to Jesus, Jesus points us to the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is God along with the Father and the Son.  We should pursue Him with as much passion as we do the other members of the Trinity.  If we fail to do so, we may enter the kingdom as a newborn, but we will remain in that same condition for years to come.  Our problem is not that we don’t know enough scripture, but that we haven’t experienced God enough.  That experience comes through the Holy Spirit.  Maybe we should make a real effort to get to know him.

This is our 7^thand final installment of the Beattitudestaken out of the beginning of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.  Again, these are important teachings because most scholars believe that Jesus taught the principles and commands in the Sermon (Matthew 5-7) over and over during his ministry.  Repetition suggests that he thought these were not elementary, but rather essential teachings for every follower of Jesus, so it is wise for us to revisit these teachings from time to time.

The last two beatitudes are in an interesting juxtaposition.  Blessed are the peacemakers and blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. The positioning almost suggests that peacemakers can anticipate persecution.  That is the bad news.  The good news is that they are in good company.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons or children of God.  A son or child of God is one who has the character of God.  “Like father, like son” is the old expression.  A peace maker is one who has a heart for peace, harmony, reconciliation, and unity.  A peacemaker is not a pacifist in the sense of avoiding conflict at all cost. Jesus is the Prince of Peace but he had numerous confrontations with the Pharisees. He is also pictured in Revelation as the commander of the armies of heaven going out to war.  The idea is that this person’s first desire is peace. He or she will endure a personal wrong and not insist on his or her rights in order to maintain a relationship. This person will be forgiving, longsuffering, and patient in order to maintain peace.  He or she will constantly work toward reconciliation as long as there is the possibility and even sacrifice for the restoration of a relationship.  That is also the heart of God who gave his only Son so that the world might be to reconciled to himself.

The reason peace making often invites persecution is because peacemaking often appears to the world as weakness.  When you turn the other cheek, bless those who curse you, and do good to those who despise you…those whose hearts are hard and self-centered will see you as timid or a pushover and will often move quickly to take advantage of your willingness to be wronged without striking back.

I have noticed that, for the most part, when we obey Jesus, we are put in vulnerable situations in which people can “use us” or take advantage of us.  Jesus taught that if someone sues us for our coat we should give him our cloak as well.  If we are compelled to carry something one mile, carry it two. Our vulnerability requires us to depend on the Lord for protection, provision, and vindication. Paul knew the risk better than anyone but pointed to peacemaking as long as it was possible.  “Do not repay anyone evil for evil…If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Rom.12:17-19).

The peacemaker must trust God, perhaps more than anyone, because they will be vulnerable in many situations. Note that Paul said to be at peace as much as is possible.  Even for the peacemaker, there is a time to go to war when all avenues of peacemaking have been exhausted and evil will prevail if not confronted. Remember, we are to resist the devil and seek justice for the weak.  We are to care for the widow and the orphan.  Jesus sternly confronted the Pharisees because their legalistic perversion of God’s Law was keeping men and women from a relationship with the Father. Paul often confronted sin and wrongs in the churches he had planted because the toleration of such things would eventually infect the church and put the salvation of other believers at risk. He did so after an extended time of pleading with patience for those in sin or those tolerating sin to repent. He would rarely oppose evil on his own behalf but would certainly “go to war” on behalf of the church or the weak when his attempts to make peace were rejected.

Peacemaking will eventually invite persecution or, at least, will put us in a position to be taken advantage of. Our desire for peace and reconciliation reflect the heart of God so that we can be counted as his children, but remember that the world hated Jesus and will eventually hate those who carry his image. The “up side” is that vulnerability and persecution force us to maintain a true dependence on God which then draws his presence to us.  The presence of God reveals the glory of God and his glory reveals his goodness. His goodness always blesses. There is clearly a price to be paid for his presence, but it is s always worth the cost.

Jesus gave us a list of things that create a state of blessedness for his people.  They are clearly counter-cultural but the kingdom always is. We all want to be blessed but blessing often comes with risk…of not being like everyone else or of placing ourselves in vulnerable positions.  My problem is that I want to be at peace with the world while I am at peace with heaven as well.  Biblically, I can’t pull that off. The world and the kingdom are at odds. I must choose one and if I want to live under a state of blessedness, I must choose the kingdom.  If you search through the Sermon on the Mount, the message of choosing is imbedded in the texts.  Our challenge is to choose Jesus everyday and then trust the rest to him.

We are looking at the “beatitudes” of Jesus that are presented in Matthew 5, the beginning of what we call the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus declared that a number of attitudes will bring a state of blessedness to our lives. As we reflect on the passage, we realize that these, like the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, are attributes of God that he wants to see reflected in his children.

In Matthew 5:8, Jesus declares, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”  The word translated as pure is the Greek word katharos. It means clean, unblemished, unsoiled, and so forth.  At its root, it means unadulterated or unmixed – like !00% pure olive oil. It is comprised of a single substance with no additives.  God longs for our hearts to be unmixed and to be fully set on him.  In Psalm 119, this theme comes up over and over.

         Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.(Ps. 119:2).

         I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. (Ps. 119:10)

         You are my portion, O Lord; … I have sought your face with all my heart. (Ps. 119:57-58).

This theme of seeking God or serving God with all of our hearts or wholeheartedlycomes up over and over in scripture.  It stands opposite the idea of serving him half-heartedly. James refers to as being double-minded and says that a “double-minded msn” should not expect an answer to prayer.  I was a minister to single adults back in the day.  It wasn’t unusual to see a guy “sort of breakup” with a girl while he pursued another woman that he thought might “be the one.”  At the same time, he didn’t exactly finish the relationship with the first girl in case this second relationship didn’t work out.  He kept the first girl on a string as his backup plan. He was double-minded or half-hearted in both relationships and usually ended up loosing both girls.

Sometimes we treat God that way. We declare our hunger and love for him while still keeping one foot planted firmly in the world in case the world offers us something we think might be better than what God can offer.  How many times do believers compromise their faith for a relationship?  They do that because they believe the relationship offers more love, happiness, and security than God. How often do believers pursue career, wealth, fame or power so that their service to God and even their family is neglected?  It’s because they believe wealth or fame or career offers more for their security and happiness than God does.  While doing that, we still proclaim our love for God as we give him only the leftovers of our time and energy.

I ran across a valuable paradigm at a conference in Chicago one time.  It was the paradigm of aspirationalvalues versus actualvalues.  Aspirational values are those we aspire to have because we know we should hold and serve those values.  Actual values are the ones we actually pursue and they show up in what we do – how we actually spend our time and money or in the ways we treat other people.  The deception is in believing that our aspirational values are our actual values when they are not.  We can convince ourselves that we are loving God with all of our heart while we offer him our leftovers or keep him as our “backup” relationship in case our romance  with the world doesn’t work out.

The psalmist is clear that we will only see God’s face when we pursue him wholeheartedly with an unmixed, undiluted, or pure heart. Our wholehearted pursuit of God is what produces an unstained heart or a morally pure heart that God also desires. If we truly want to see God, then an assessment of our priorities is in order and probably some repentance.  We need to sort out our actual values over our aspirational values and make them the same thing. If we could stand back and think about what other people would assume our highest values are, based on the way we invest our time, our money, and our emotions, what would they say?  What if we asked the people who know us best what they think we actually value most based on our behaviors, what would they say if they were brutally honest? They would probably be right and most of us could stand to make some adjustments…myself included.  Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

We are continuing to work through the “beatitudes” of Christ as presented in Matthew 5.  We’re doing so because Jesus taught these things over and over as essential qualities in the life of a believer.  These qualities are really fruits of the Spirit that increase our intimacy with God which, in turn, increases our authority and anointing for ministry.  The declarations of Jesus that I want to consider this week is…

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

 We need to notice that blessedness comes from developing qualities that belong first to the Father and making them our own. Mercyis one of those qualities that is almost wholly assigned to the Father in the Old Testament.  “For the Lord your God is a merciful God” (Dt. 4:31). Mercy carries with it the idea of having empathy for the plight of a person and not requiring perfection in order to continue a relationship.  Related to mercy is the realization that men are but flesh and blood and will all stumble at times – even the best. Because we are imperfect we cannot require perfection of others.  That constitutes judgment rather than mercy. Righteous judgment sees to it that s person gets what he or she deserves.  It is the opposite of grace through which we receive underserved favor. I don’t know about you, but I definitely don’t want to get what I deserve but rather grace and mercy that overlooks my great imperfections and failings. Jesus is saying that God will extend mercy to us in the same proportion we extended it to others.

A definitive illustration of mercy is found in Matthew 18. You know the story.  Jesus tells of a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. These were servants to whom he had entrusted money for investment or to whom he had loaned money. One of his servants owed the king ten thousand talents and, when the time came, was unable to repay the king. The king ordered that the servant, his wife, and his children to all be sold as bond servants to pay off part of the debt. The text says, “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the enormous debt, and let him go.”

The king recognized the servant’s inability to keep his financial commitment and that he would never be able to pay back the debt with his own earnings. The servant had taken the money, promised to pay it back, and then had made foolish or even unethical decisions that caused him to loose much. If not all,  of the money. The king had every right to jail him or sell him into slavery but decided to forgive the servant for his immense shortcomings. The twist comes when the forgiven servant goes out immediately and demands that another servant, who owes him a small amount, pay him immediately.  When the servant couldn’t pay, the forgiven servant had him jailed.  When the king discovered what had happened, he called the forgiven servant, and rebuked him saying, “You wicked servant…I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”  He then revoked the mercy he had originally shown and turned the man over to the “tormentors” until he could repay the debt. Jesus went on to say that that is how God will treat us if we do not forgive others from our hearts – not just the words but sincerely.  The story illustrates the connection between forgiveness and mercy.

The parable reveals that forgiveness flows out of the mercy we extend to the imperfections of others.  We are to extend mercy to others because God has had great mercy on us.  The psalmist said, “The Lordis compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love…he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities…As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lordhas compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust” (Psm.103:8-14).

We tend to reserve our mercy, our forgiveness, our charity, or our empathy for those that we believe ”deserve it.”  James tells us that mercy triumphs over judgment (Ja.2:14).  The truth is that when we withhold mercy, we  have judged another person as unworthy of our care and concern.   Jesus warns us when he says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Mt.7:1-2). Mercy triumphs over judgment because when we show mercy, God withholds judgment from us.  There are two aspects of God that must always be satisfied – holiness and love.  Judgment relates to his holiness that demands payment for wrongs.  Mercy relates to love and is considered a higher virtue than even righteous judgment because the greatest of qualities is love.  The cross has satisfied judgment so that I;n love he can extend mercy.  He fully expects us to do the same.

There is a true blessedness when we give up the role of judge and release all of that to the Father for his perfect judgment. When we judge others we always fall into the trap of comparisons.  We judge that we are more righteous, more deserving, smarter, etc. so that we somehow have the right to condemn or point out faults that we presumably don’t share. As we do, we will always be measuring ourselves against others and either feel “less than” or we will have to justify our shortcomings in order to judge another. Both of those options leave us in a bad place with God. Blessedness comes from our freedom from comparison, judging, and justifying.  We simply extend mercy because God extends it to us and there is a blessedness and peace in knowing that we live under the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father who does not treat us as our sins deserve. Jesus has covered our weaknesses and failings. Like the forgiven servant in Matthew 18, we should be quick to extend that mercy to all who cross our paths.

We are in a series on the beatitudes which are the opening verses of Christ’s “Sermon on the Mount”z beginning in Matthew 5. The next two beatitudes spoken by Jesus are:

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

There is no more counter-cultural statement in the New Testament that the promise that those who are meek will inherit the earth. Another way of saying this is that those who are kind and gentle will win in the end.  Clearly, those who appear on The Viewand similar talk shows do not subscribe to this teaching. The beatitude of this slice of our culture would be, “Blessed are those who rail, who scream, who attack and who label those with whom they disagree.  Blessed are those who are “in your face” and who angrily impugn the character of others.  Blessed are the slanderers and the bullies for they shall ultimately get their way.”  That seems to be the bent of our culture at the moment and the role models our children are be offered for how to get ahead in the world.

Jesus, however, calls his people to be meek.  In both Hebrew and Greek thought the word does not mean “weak.” It is, in fact, strength under control. It could be used of a wild horse that has learned to control his power under the direction of a bridle. In our case, the bridle would be the Holy Spirit.  Jesus used the word to describe himself. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt.11:29). The KJV translates it as meek and lowly in heart.  Jesus was no weakling and neither was he timid.  He was, however, gentle and kind with the weak and the broken of this world. Moses himself is described in that way. “ Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (Num.12:3). Moses was also not a timid man to be pushed around.

Individuals who are meek do not demand their way. They do not push to the front of the line. They do not Lord it over people, insist on winning, or demean others while getting in the last word.  They can talk about hard issues and even point out sin when needed, but they do so in a kind and gentle way.  However, they can also push back and “take the gloves off” when the moment demands it.  Jesus did not mince words with the Pharisees when their “religion” had become a yoke of bondage for the masses and when their hypocrisy turned people away from the Father.

These are men and women who believe that God is directing their steps and if they deserve recognition or promotion, God will make the arrangements. They are not concerned about getting their way but only about the needs of others being met or God’s way winning the day.   We can aspire to have each of the qualities Jesus calls us to develop in our lives because, like the fruit of the Spirit, these are the qualities that Jesus possessed and, subsequently, that the Father possesses. Jesus is simply calling us to be like our heavenly Father. Graham Cooke, an international speaker with prophetic gifts, often says that God is the kindest person he has ever met.  As we become more like him, our intimacy with him increases and then so does the blessedness that comes from being in his presence and the confidence that he will always be there for us.  Meekness, like these other sources of blessing, is a fruit of being dependent on God.  It is a fruit of the Spirit that harnesses our egos, our demanding nature, our anger, and our sense of entitlement Ultimately, meekness will be a quality that defines the inhabitants of heaven and eventually will be clearly evident in those who rule over a restored earth with Jesus.  They truly will inherit the earth. They do win in the end.

As soon as he calls us to meekness, he calls us to hunger and thirst after righteousness.  Many of us believers want to settle for a morality slightly better than the world around us as if we get to heaven on a graded scale. We sort of  think that if we can live a more righteous life than 70% of the population we will gain entrance into heaven…sort of like a spiritual SAT.  None of us really believe that theologically, but we tend treat righteousness in that way. There may a part of us that doesn’t want to be too righteous or we might be rejected all together by co-workers, friends, and even family.  I think there may be a part of us that even suspects that a life lived too righteously might take all the fun out of everything and so we push back against too much.

We feel that way, however, because we view righteousness as a set of do’s and don’ts rather than as a state of heart that always wants to respond to God’s love by pleasing him. Remember that Jesus hung out with the prostitutes and tax collectors.  He hung out where people sometimes drank too much.  He attended weddings.  Jews always dance at weddings so I think he danced. I think he laughed. I think he got giddy when people were healed and smiled mischievously when he walked across Galilee. Jesus had fun, but without sin.  It is possible because he always did those things that pleased the Father…even when those around him were not.  Righteousness is not keeping rules but aligning our hearts with the Father in every circumstance.

We also need to remember that righteousness is not about pointing out the sins of others. It is about loving God, pleasing him, and demonstrating the richness of life that comes from doing so. Jesus made righteousness attractive because by living to please God we are blessed and live free from the bondage of guilt, shame and selfishness.  When we hunger and thirst, our highest priorities are to please God rather than trying to fill a hole in our soul by pursuing all the empty promises of the world.  When we hunger to please God, the empty places inside will surely be filled and our needs will surely be met. That is blessedness.

The second “beatitude” that Jesus spoke in his “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt.5-7) was, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Mt.5:4).  If we truly reflect on this promise, it is very counterintuitive. Most of us who have mourned a loss or grieved in the midst of a tragedy have not felt blessed at all. If we equate blessedness with happiness, this verse becomes even more challenging. If we make happiness rather than blessedness the measure of God’s love, then many believers will live with a sense that God betrayed them when he didn’t give them what they thought would make them happy.  We need to consider whether there is a difference.

Blessedness is, I believe, a state of peace, tranquility, or well being that comes over us when we are in the presence of God.  It is a moment when we feel his goodness touching us and know that he is caring for us no matter how dark the season.  When Moses stood on the top of Sinai, begging God to show him his glory, God agreed to show Moses his goodness.It is almost as if God is equating his glory with his goodness. Happiness seems to be about enjoying the moment when everything is going our way, while blessedness seems to be the assurance of God’s goodness which is made up of his love, care, and faithfulness for every moment.

As a pastor I have sat with many families in the midst of tragedy and crisis.  In those dark moments, I have seen the grace of God bring peace and an assurance that the sun will shine again in the hearts of those overcome by sorrow.  It truly is a peace that passes understanding. It is supernatural and it is a state of blessedness where the presence of God promises that weeping may remain for a night but joy will come in the morning (Ps.30:5; Lam.3:22-23). It is a presence that imparts hope when everything seems hopeless. It is a light shining in the darkness. It is grace that is poured out that enables God’s people to praise in the midst of sorrow.

So, how does that relate to “blessed are those who mourn?” On one level, it seems to be a promise that when we mourn we can expect the presence of God and the blessedness that comes from his presence because he is not unaware or indifferent to our pain. Jesus displayed that divine empathy when he wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Although he knew that Lazarus would step into the sunlight in just a few moments, he sensed the pain of those around him at a deep level and he was moved to tears. He felt what they were feeling. The notion of compassion is the idea that one person genuinely feels another’s pain.  Scripture is full of promises that God is close to the brokenhearted (Ps. 34:18, 147:3; Isa. 61:1).  With his closeness comes a blessedness that can only be imparted by the Holy Spirit.

On another level, I believe Jesus is also promising a blessedness for those whose hearts are tender.  Standing opposite those who mourn are those who have hardened their hearts to avoid all pain and inconvenience.  These individuals have placed such a protective coating around their hearts that they are indifferent to those in poverty, the abused, the orphan, the refugee, or the anguish of a parent whose child is enslaved to drugs. Not only do these individuals not feel the pain of others, but neither do they feel sorrow for sin in their own lives.  There is no grief in them for their failings before God.

Jesus is our model.  He felt compassion for the lost sheep of Israel, the widow whose only son had died, the sick, the poor, the lame, and the demon possessed. He crossed Galilee to free one man from demon possession and then returned to where he had come from. Interestingly, when the wind was just right, he could probably hear the anguished screams of the Gadarene across the lake at night in Capernaum, where Jesus often stayed. Jesus may well have been saying, “Blessed are those whose hearts can still be touched by the suffering of others.” Remember, he taught us to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.

This beatitude may be conveying a promise that God will bless those who express the compassion of Jesus through their own hearts, actions, and even tear ducts. As they express the heart of Jesus, the presence of Jesus will produce a state of blessedness. In a world so self-focused and too busy for the needs of others, we can quickly become the religious officials who scurried by the man beaten and left to die on the Jericho road until the Samaritan arrived. In a world of Narcissism, acute busyness, and indifference, may we never lose our capacity to mourn over sin, tragedy, and loss in our own lives or in the lives of others.

We are beginning to consider the Beattitudes recorded in the first chapter of the Sermon on the Mount.  Many commentators believe that the themes developed in Matthew 5,6, and 7 were preached on numerous occasions which tells us that Jesus thought these truths and attitudes were essential to our walk with him.  If taken literally his entire sermon is very demanding but it is these essentials on which we must build even supernatural ministries if we are to maintain the blessing of Christ on what we do.  After all, he said, “Blessed are….”

Jesus began with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  The Greek word used is for “poor” in this verse is a word that speaks of poverty so deep that a person is forced to beg in order to survive.  It would describe Lazarus in the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16.  Lazarus was a beggar who was covered with sores.  He was laid by a rich man’s gate every day hoping for some kind of help and was so immobilized that dogs would come and lick his sores and he apparently could not chase them away. The word describes a desperate and destitute person as opposed to a person who has very little.  This is a person who has nothing.

Jesus is literally saying that a man or woman who is destitute in spirit or who is a spiritual beggar is blessed  blessed and can expect his/her inheritance to be the kingdom of heaven. So what does it mean to be destitute in spirit? Those who face life at this level of poverty are dependent on others.  They cannot afford pride or self-sufficiency because they have no capacity to provide for themselves. The American value of pioneering self-sufficiency does not translate into the spiritual realm.  Our desire to be independent and self-determining does not gain us entrance into the presence of God.  Satan’s first recorded temptation was an offering of independence and self-sufficiency to Adam and Eve.  He said, “Eat of the tree and you will be like God.”  His statement implied that they would be equal with God and know all that he knows. They wouldn’t have to bow down or depend on God any longer. When they bit, they lost everything they had been given by the Father.

We shouldn’t think of “poor in spirit” as being spiritually poor.  Jesus is not calling us to a languid spiritual life of self-loathing and a sense of being unworthy, weak, and deplorable.  In Christ, God has made us just the opposite. He is calling us to a realization that for anything beyond this realm we are totally dependent on the grace, power, and authority of Jesus.  What we have is simply on loan and we are simply stewards of whatever gifts and opportunities he has given us.

Jesus himself set the standard.  He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it issomething He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner” (Jn.5:19).  Even as the sinless and beloved Son of the Father, Jesus lived as a man completely dependent on the Father for provision, direction, and power. Luke tells us, “One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick” (Lk.5:17). This verse suggests that, like us, Jesus healed when the power of the Lord or the Father was present.  In other words, the power to heal was not inherent in Jesus but rested on him by the grace of the Father. Jesus more than any other seemed to be totally dependent on the Lord for power, provision, protection, and or direction in what to do and what to say.  I believe we all get to that place from time to time but for Jesus it was a 24/7 condition. Undoubtedly, that is why Jesus often went off to spend time alone with God and pray.

The key is in noticing that God honors our chosen dependence on him.  Paul said that when he was weak, then he was truly strong. When he truly felt his need for the Lord, then the Lord graced him with strength and power. That is why Jesus taught us to pray for daily breadbecause that mindset keeps us dependent on the Father.  Jesus talked about how difficult it is for the rich to be saved.  The problem is that the wealthy and powerful are prone to feel self-sufficient. They find security in their possessions and bank accounts. They sense no need for daily bread because they have enough set aside for years to come. In that state it is easy to forget about God or only give him lip service.  The kingdom seems to be reserved for those who truly sense a deep need for God’s care.

Perspective is key.  The most important things in life and after this life are truly unattainable in our own power. The less I feel a need for God, the more he will withhold his help. He honors our attitudes.  We must remind ourselves daily of how dependent we truly are on the Father for health, life, spiritual blessings, protection, and provision. All of that can truly be lost in a heartbeat.

We need God….every day. When we know that andacknowledge our dependence on him, then the Kingdom of Heaven is open to us…now as well after our funeral.  God withholds nothing from his children…at least the ones who know that he is their source and those who are truly thankful for his gifts. So…One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick^[1]blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs will be the kingdom of heaven. Ironically, the poor in spirit are truly the strong in spirit and the powerful in God.

^[1]The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (Lk 5:17). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

For those of us who are drawn to the supernatural manifestations of the kingdom such as healing, prophecy, and deliverance, it is easy to get so focused on the power of the kingdom that we tend to neglect foundational principles. But foundational principles support everything else and if those foundations become weak, sooner or later everything else will tumble.

A few weeks ago, a group of us were in Israel overlooking the Sea of Galilee and the hillside where it is believed that Jesus delivered his message that is now called the Sermon on the Mount. It occurred to me that many of us memorized the “blessed are’s…” years ago but have since tucked those away as elementary teachings of Jesus.  And yet, it is likely that Jesus taught the things in Matthew 5,6, and 7 over and over again so that the teachings should no be seen as elementary but rather as essential.

I also suspect that many of us have tucked away the Beatitudes because they are hard and countercultural even for Christians in America who tend to still be heavily invested in the world while we sing of heaven. In those short verses from Matthew 5:2-12, Jesus declared a state of blessedness over the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted.

Think about it.  Do we really believe that contentment and happiness can come to us in this world as a result of being desperate or grieving?  Will our needs really be met if we refuse to make demands on others and don’t aggressively press for our rights? How many of us truly believe that if we do hunger and thirst for righteousness we will actually become joyless Pharisees who miss out on even the permitted pleasures of this life? How about being merciful and not counting the failings of others against them or demanding that those who have wronged us get what is coming to them?  How many of us even believe that it is possible to have a pure heart this side of heaven?  In a world full of violence and demanding people won’t the peacemakers be taken advantage of and run over? And what about persecution?  Can’t we pray for the destruction of our enemies so that persecution will cease? Shouldn’t we ask God to eradicate ISIS so that believers in the Middle East will no longer be put to the sword?

These are hard questions and sometimes it is easier just not to think about them.  But if these are essential teachings we cannot ignore them…even if we are healing the sick and raising the dead. Remember, in this same sermon, Jesus warned that many will recite their resume of miracles on the day of judgment and Jesus will dismiss them as people he never knew because their hearts were far from his.

But the question still remains as to whether these promises of blessedness can operate in this world or are they only promises for comfort and blessing in the world to come after being kicked around and abused in this life? As Americans, it is hard for us to willingly submit to these teachings because they go against nearly everything we have valued in our culture. Philip Yancey spoke to this when he wrote, “The owner of the Chicago Bulls gave a compact summary of the rules governing the visible world on the occasion of Michael Jordan’s (temporary) retirement. ‘He’s living the American Dream,’ said Jerry Reinsdorf. ‘The American Dream is to reach a point in your life when you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do and can do everything that you want to do.’ That may be the American Dream but it decidedly is not Jesus’ dream as revealed in the Beatitudes (Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew,p.114).

Because many of us share the American Dream, it is hard to take the Beatitudes seriously for life here and now. However, Jesus lived that life and changed the world.  The values and attitudes of the Beatitudes and the remainder of the Sermon on the Mount or foundational for everything else we do.  If we build great ministries without these proper foundations, the weight of those ministries will cause everything to crumble.  Because of that and because I need a refresher, I want to spend the next few blogs exploring the Beatitudes as well as other parts of the Sermon on the Mount.  I hope you will join me for this refresher course in essentials.