Our lives are filled with a quest for something greater, wouldn’t you say? It is hard to deny when everywhere we turn we see mixed media bearing the message that there is something more to be had. There are advertisements for gadgets and gizmos and guarantees for the latest and greatest—guaranteed to awe and impress. There are romance novels that embody the ideal mate. Millions of dollars are only a sweepstakes away and the perfect life is on the next primetime reality television show. Of course, where would we be without the shows and movies filled with antagonists and heroes alike who are striving for a kingdom of their own?
I am reminded, in particular, of the movie “Braveheart.” Mel Gibson plays the brave Scottish rebel William Wallace who leads the fight for the freedom of Scotland. Faced with injustice against his people and the murders of his loved ones, Wallace fights with passion, ingenuity, and perseverance. If only I had a dollar for every time this character has been used to inspire myself and others!
Jesus spoke of a kingdom worth fighting for as well. As Jesus sat down and taught the Sermon on the Mount, as any respected teacher would have, the crowd gathered around him for what was probably days of teaching. In Matthew 5:1-12, referred to as the Beatitudes, he painted a picture. It was a picture of the kingdom of heaven and the blessed person—a person favored and approved of by God—the William Wallace of the Bible. The stories are reminiscent but strangely different.
Jesus talks about the blessed one being a person who is solely confident in God. Whether it has been financial or spiritual bankruptcy, they are humbled and recognize their need to depend on God. The blessed mourn. They mourn not only their losses, but their shortcomings both individually and as a community. We are assured that those who mourn will receive comfort from God; surely for themselves, as well as to pass that comfort on to others.
And for when other people are so ready to point out the very shortcomings being mourned about, the blessed one is able to maintain composure. They do not seek revenge or react in violence, but instead are, as Jesus puts it, meek.
What would a hero be without the hunger and thirst for what is good and right? The blessed do this as well, but not in a way that suits their needs; instead they hunger for a righteousness that represents God in their own lives as well as everywhere else in the world. Ultimately, they will have satisfaction. Mercy follows them in their every step and they are pure in heart, having integrity, honesty, and moral purity.
Furthermore, the blessed are peacemakers. They orchestrate peace between each other and between people and God. How fitting that they be recognized as sons of God; people who bear the characteristics of their Father. Finally, the blessed does not escape from it all unscathed. They may be persecuted, as all of these traits are not the norm.
I’m not so sure after reading the description of God’s favored, the one that inherits the kingdom, that even William Wallace measures up. He was passionate and fought for a cause. He surely mourned his losses and his intentions mostly were good. But Wallace worked awfully hard to right things for himself. It was expressed in vengeance instead of mercy and at the cost of moral purity so that he may have peace for others, sure, but mostly for himself. If William Wallace doesn’t measure up, how can we ever expect to?
Perhaps this is the catch Jesus wants us to notice. The blessed person, the one favored by God, is the one who knows he doesn’t measure up at all. They still fight, but they know when they fall short, they will be comforted. They know everything they are lacking and so desperately want, they will receive. They know they will receive mercy from not only people, but from God whose mercy is infinitely more valuable.
I can almost hear Jesus teaching about this person. It is inspiring to think of someone who fights for something so great. Perhaps what is hardest is accepting the reward when we know it is not something we can earn. What an ideal. What a challenge.
And then in Matthew 5:11-12, he points his finger directly at us and maybe in today’s words he would have said something like, “I expect you to experience this. … I expect you to know what it is like because of me.” He says, “But don’t worry, because just like everyone before you, I will take care of you. My kingdom is your kingdom. I favor you too.”
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Questions to explore
• Which of the beatitudes do you struggle with the most? Which do you find comes easiest?
• What will you life look like when you are one step closer to one or more of the beatitudes?
• Can you think of a movie or show where one of the characters more accurately represents Jesus’ favored “hero”? If not, what might one look like?
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