Beatitudes as Revolution

Two things really strike me about the “Beatitudes” in Matthew 5... that’s the “blessed/happy are those that” passages.

1. They are among the first things Jesus teaches his disciples. And they are FOR the disciples (the crowds don’t seem to be around for that episode).

2. They fly in the face of every belief and expectation the disciples likely had about living a good and blessed life.

Blessed are the poor? The disciples likely believed that prosperity was a bi-product of righteous living. Poverty was anathema, not blessing.

Blessed are those who mourn? Sure, the Hebrew were good mourners, but sorrow and mourning were for those cursed with a tragedy or afflicted by guilt. A pleasant life was the goal.

Blessed are the merciful? Blessed are the peacemakers? Peace and mercy were the furthest things from the heart of a colonized nation. Rather, let’s talk about an eye for an eye, just war, winning back the nation for God’s people, forcefully laying hold of God’s kingdom and instituting it on the earth.

Yet in spite of all this, Jesus inaugurates his ministry with some of the hardest teachings he can muster. He wants to demonstrate right off the bat that his ministry will run crosscurrent to all other Rabinic ministries around. He is distinguishing his message over and against all other available religious dogmas. We don’t see the disciples reaction, but I imagine there was a lot of squirming and confusion. Yet the must have been strangely attracted to this upside-down kingdom ethic.

They continued to have an uncomfortable love/hate relationship with Jesus’ hard teachings throughout their time with him. It’s like when you marry someone who has exactly the qualities you need in your life to balance and complement your personality, and yet it’s those same qualities that drive you crazy and cause the most fights in your marriage.

But Jesus never backed down from the hard stuff. He stood strong. But his obstinacy was totally different of the obstinacy of most Christians today. Many Christians today are passionate about “standing for righteousness”, which in most cases means being vocal in defending and promoting a limited set of moral values based loosely on biblical teachings. But Jesus never told his disciples to lobby for a “10 commandments” monument in the Roman forum or to write editorials bemoaning the loss of prayer in school. Rather he commanded them to be courageous in generosity, to forgive outrageously, to be innocent like small children, to lead by becoming servants, and to fight tooth and nail against self-reliance and works-righteousness.

Jesus was no wimp. But the kingdom he stood for had to invade hearts before it could pervade societies. The “hills” that Christ was willing to die on weren’t gay marriage and abortion: they were forgiveness, peace, the inversion of human power structures in the kingdom, heart-righteousness, and grace. Not a warm fuzzy grace, but a kind of grace that reaches out when everyone else has given up. It’s a grace that stands militantly against its opponents (self-righteousness and legalism), battling them in the strongest possible terms.

I’m trying to imagine how Jesus might teach the beatitudes if he were a pastor in small town America. How would Jesus purposefully challenge OUR assumptions and beliefs about a good and blessed life? I imagine him inviting his friends over for a meeting: a couple folks from Third Baptist Church, the town drunk, a couple lawyers, a housewife, a farmer, and the guy from the local garage.

“Thanks for coming,” he says. “Let’s get started. There are a few things I want to talk with you about tonight. This is a little message I’ve titled ’8 tips for a happy life.’ Ready?

“#1: Don’t look down on the poor. They’ve got it made in God’s kingdom! In fact, you’ll be happy if you have less money, a smaller house, and a crappier car. Why not sell your stuff and give it to charity? Then it won’t weigh you down and you’ll inherit God’s kingdom.

“#2: Give up entirely on the American dream, on the “pursuit of happiness.” Let it die. Frankly, you’ll be happier if you cry more. Seriously. Grieving is wonderful. How else will you be comforted if you don’t get comfortable with pain? Don’t run from it! Stick with sorrow. It’s not weakness. It’s a blessing.

“#3: You’ll be happy if you have such a meek and lowly demeanor that everybody thinks you’re small and insignificant. Look for chances to demote yourself, to be a “nobody” in the eyes of the world. Be confident instead that you are God’s ‘somebody’! Don’t give a second thought to what kind of legacy you are leaving or what kind of monuments they’ll build for you when your gone. If you can you that, you will inherit the whole earth.

“#4: Be hungry and thirsty to please God, to do what he says, and to practice justice. Pray for more that hunger. God loves to answer those prayers and he’ll fill your hunger for righteousness.

“#5: Be known for showing mercy, even to those who don’t deserve it. Stop to talk with hurting people, even if you don’t have time. Give 20 bucks to the homeless guy even if he might use it on alcohol. Bring a sack of groceries to the undocumented immigrants living next door. It’s not just for them. It’s for you. Because you are just like them and you really need God’s mercy.

“#6: Want to see God? Have a pure heart. Not a pure theology, or a pure lifestyle, or a pure esoteric religious life, but a pure heart. Don’t worry about the outward stuff so much. It’s what’s inside that matters more.

“#7: Advocate for peace. Peace in your home. Peace in your church. Peace between nations. Be someone that builds bridges rather than fighting back. You’ll gain a reputation as child of God.

“#8: You’ll be happy and blessed if you are accused, attacked, and insulted... not for being a jerk or for doing wrong, but for following me, for demonstrating mercy and justice in your daily decisions. I’m going to challenge the status quo and turn everything on its head. People will hate you, say untrue things against you, and ridicule you for associating with me. That’s good! Don’t fight it. Take it. If you can do that, you’ll inherit a big bonus in heaven. THAT’S something you can be happy about.”

Can you imagine that message being taught in some of our churches, small groups, and communities... Not just taught, but actually lived out? It was revolutionary then and it still is today. It messes with everything we think and believe, even in the church. We often worry that the word of God isn’t more deeply shaping our culture. But has it invaded your life? Has it invaded your church culture? So how can it invade our broader culture? Protesting moral decay won’t change the culture. But being courageous in leading weak and humble lives defined by grace.... that just MIGHT change things.

Moral and spiritual influence in our homes, churches, and governments will ALWAYS look different than we imagine. It will never happen the way we think. It comes through meekness, mercy, and powerlessness... through the “foolish things” of the world, and NOT through misguided power-grabs, false confidence, or external “righteousness”. It begins in our hearts. It always has.