“One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.”
It’s true that when you think about the sermon on the mount, Jesus’ most well know sermon found in Matthew 5-7, you don’t usually think of the word unsettled. Yet, when Jesus preached this message he did so knowing that the content of his teaching would directly challenge many cultural norms of his day.
As he sat there on a hill with his disciples listening closely, Jesus reinforced what it looked like to be a member of the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, we can actually read the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) as being descriptive. In the Beatitudes, Jesus described both what he did in his incarnation and ministry as well as what God’s kingdom people are to be like. The unsettling part of reading the beatitudes can come when we ask spiritually reflective questions such as:
Do these kingdom tendencies describe my daily attitudes and actions?
Do I embody a worldview marked with these specific kingdom tendencies?
How and when do I slip into modeling current cultural values that are not in line with the way of Jesus?
Ouch! These are tough questions. They are unsettling questions, especially when we realize that we might not like the answers. In our weekly teaching and our weekly discussion podcast we make a list of what might be some current “cultural beatitudes.” They go like this:
Blessed are the rich, in things, and self-assurance. Blessed are those untouched by loss. Blessed are the powerful. Blessed are those who are “realistic” about righteousness, compromising when they need to. Blessed are those who demand and exact an eye for an eye. Blessed are the crafty and opportunistic. Blessed are those who are bold enough to fight. Blessed are those who, by doing good things, receive many accolades. Blessed are those who are widely praised and adored.
Does that list seem familiar to you? Do you see these “cultural tendencies” on display in the world around you? Are any of these cultural tendencies on display in your life? Jesus’ way is different. While his way isn’t always easy, it is good - and he helps us as we journey in faith!
Exercise:
Compare Jesus’ list of kingdom tendencies found in Matthew 5:3-12 side by side with the list of “cultural tendencies” listed above. Spend some time in prayer, reflect, and write down what tendencies are on display in your life. Then make a plan for how you might more fully live into the way of Jesus.
I’m so thankful for Jesus. He’s a good pastor as he both teaches and models for his followers what it looks like to be a member of his family! What a grace-filled invitation.