M
Mystical_Seeker
Guest
Sometimes I think about the Beatitudes, and remember when it seemed like Jesus was laying out the heavenly reward system or something. Like somehow if I am troubled, God will comfort me.
But I think, where do I receive comfort among the world’s trials? Generally, from other people. So it’s not like – in this way of thinking anyway which I made up so I’m just kicking ideas not preaching here – God has some control system monitoring all this.
But in a way He does. The mystical body of Christ. He has people. People will listen to our story, offer words of encouragement, give us food and shelter. Or not, but that’s what we’re looking for. But who are these people? Us. The same ones who may feel like we need the Beatitudes, are sometimes able to be the instrument through which Jesus’s words are made real.
They are different, but a couple examples that I think apply to this well are:
“Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
So if I mourn, who will comfort me? Maybe my neighbor? Maybe I’m the neighbor who gets to comfort another one in mourning. Almost all of us get multiple chances to be in either role in our lifetimes. So among Christians, we are both the doers and the receivers of the blessing Jesus speaks about – getting comfort.
BTW I personally distinguish “comfort” from “peace.” Jesus can give us peace that will last whether we receive comfort or not, but we are each other’s comfort. So yes it is a word of comfort to the mourning, but it is also a call to action for us to comfort others. So it all works.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
This one’s kind of like it, but I think of the story of the guy who was shown mercy, and then did not show his own debtor mercy – and he ended up punished. He was shown mercy, until we found out he wasn’t merciful. So in this parable, this beatitude is almost just like an observation. People’s hearts are programmed to cut each other a break, but human beings can get kind of triggered if they perceive others as not merciful.
So some of the Beatitudes, at least, I don’t see so much as mystical formulas, but just talking about what it’s like when Christians really do love each and give of themselves.
But I think, where do I receive comfort among the world’s trials? Generally, from other people. So it’s not like – in this way of thinking anyway which I made up so I’m just kicking ideas not preaching here – God has some control system monitoring all this.
But in a way He does. The mystical body of Christ. He has people. People will listen to our story, offer words of encouragement, give us food and shelter. Or not, but that’s what we’re looking for. But who are these people? Us. The same ones who may feel like we need the Beatitudes, are sometimes able to be the instrument through which Jesus’s words are made real.
They are different, but a couple examples that I think apply to this well are:
“Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
So if I mourn, who will comfort me? Maybe my neighbor? Maybe I’m the neighbor who gets to comfort another one in mourning. Almost all of us get multiple chances to be in either role in our lifetimes. So among Christians, we are both the doers and the receivers of the blessing Jesus speaks about – getting comfort.
BTW I personally distinguish “comfort” from “peace.” Jesus can give us peace that will last whether we receive comfort or not, but we are each other’s comfort. So yes it is a word of comfort to the mourning, but it is also a call to action for us to comfort others. So it all works.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
This one’s kind of like it, but I think of the story of the guy who was shown mercy, and then did not show his own debtor mercy – and he ended up punished. He was shown mercy, until we found out he wasn’t merciful. So in this parable, this beatitude is almost just like an observation. People’s hearts are programmed to cut each other a break, but human beings can get kind of triggered if they perceive others as not merciful.
So some of the Beatitudes, at least, I don’t see so much as mystical formulas, but just talking about what it’s like when Christians really do love each and give of themselves.