Matthew 5: 1 – 16
The sermon on the mountain had fascinated me about Jesus’ teachings. It was contradictory to the system that we live in. It sometimes seems like that it contradicts the culture we grew up in. These verses have challenged my thinking to not walk in the systems of this world but walk by the Word which is life. The first verse as Jesus sat on the mountain reminded me of when God gave the law to Moses on the mountain and Jesus gave the sermon on the mountain, who is God and greater than Moses. As I was praying and studying the beatitudes, My sole prayer was that I could see life as Christ sees. I was convinced that living our lives from the values of Jesus is not easy and I needed God’s strength to help me live a life that reflects His attitudes in me but at the same time, I am excited to be part of His kingdom and wants to live the values that He has laid out for us.
The first beatitude about being poor in spirit refreshed me to consider that I am nothing without Christ and knowing that I need Christ and has to accept Him as my Lord and Savior is the only way to be in the kingdom of heaven. I am thankful for Christ and knowing my life purpose comes out from the relationship with Him. It is also encouraging to know that my mourning is not temporary but I will be comforted. And in my discomfort, I have to cling to Christ who is my refuge and rock because many times I and people think that sadness and suffering will last forever in their life but in Christ, I have hope that those who believe in Him shall be comforted and their mourning will turn into dancing. This beatitude has encouraged me to live in a hope that everything is going to be fine because I have faith in Christ and His Holy Spirit is my comforter even in my struggles and shortcomings. When I lean to him then I will be comforted and restored from my misery and wretchedness.
The beatitude on meekness taught me to put others first and live a life of surrender to God because in His kingdom meek shall inherit the earth not the pride because God hates pride. I have decided to follow Christ’s example to live humble because being humble is being powerful and I commit myself to God that I will stay humble under His hands.
One of the beatitudes has grasped my attention of being merciful, and when I was meditating on it and was amazed to find out that it is not something we do occasionally but something we do constantly in our life regardless of how we feel. Not just, feeling mercy but acting on it and showing mercy to people who have done me wrong. I pray that God will help me to be able to live mercifully in every kind of way and not just sometimes because it has a promise that those who are merciful, will receive mercy. Truth is that everyone makes mistakes in their lives and I am one of them, so I should give people the advantage of making mistakes but at the same time forgiving them and being merciful because this is the right way to do so.
Pursuing the pleasures of the world and looking for happiness has never satisfied me, I could follow those vague ambitions of this world but following those urges and having a hunger for them will not do any good to me. This is going to have a void in my life but having a hunger and thirst for righteousness will satisfy my soul. Only Christ can satisfy my soul. I pray that I would never forget these things and His Holy Spirit will keep reminding me that the pursuit of worldly lust will leave me unfulfilled and I have to keep my eyes on Jesus.
I have found myself, not being glad even in the good times but this scripture of being persecuted and be glad and rejoice is really contradicting to the mindset that I have. This verse encourages me to be glad when people revile me and to say all kinds of evil just because I belong to Christ and have faith in Him. I choose to rejoice because Christ is alive and He is my living hope. I cannot stay sad or feeling bad about myself but to be glad knowing who my God is and what he has done for me to deliver me from sin and made me His own son through the cross and resurrection.
I question myself, is there anything in my life that is letting me losing the saltiness, or am I preserving the world as God’s ambassador and bringing His gospel to people? Is my life is shinning the light through dark places and leading them to Christ? These verses are a very good reminder for me to show Christ to the World and not hide from the world but show Christ from my life example. I have to do the good works not because to receive salvation but because people will see the good works and they will glorify my father who is in heaven. I should not hide my good intentions but actively working on them to show people what God’s kingdom looks like.