Daily Bread

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’

I'd love to delve into each one of these blessings in more detail, and perhaps, if I get more organised with these Daily Breads, I will do so!

With these 'blessings' that the church has dubbed 'beattitudes' (originating from the Latin word "beātitūdō," meaning happiness and blessedness), Jesus paints a picture of what the Kingdom of God is like, and importantly, it is a kingdom that is both on earth and in heaven.

Jesus is talking about how things will be. He is, to use modern parlance, 'vision-casting'. He knows that one day he will no longer walk the earth in his created humanity, but be present in all believers who will be filled with his Spirit. And these Spirit-filled believers will be members of a new kingdom or realm — and it will have its being by them living it out. It is how and why Jesus could say that, "The kingdom of God is in you."

Blessing is the state of being in harmony with God and each other, and living under God's blessing is like having a divine contentment and peace in the world — where heaven and earth overlap in and through us, and through being one in community. This is the hope that God has for us, and it really is good news.

In God's kingdom, mercy will be reciprocated, the pure in heart will see God, the hungry will be filled, the meek will be heirs, the bereaved will be comforted, the poor will be satisfied, and so on.

We are called not to 'go to' church but to 'be' church — through the infilling and power of the Spirit of Jesus — to lean into and live out this kingdom in the here and now, and to welcome and draw others, especially those who have been rejected and marginalised, into God's loving presence.

Holy God
Thank you for this new day.
Thank you that I am
part of your kingdom,
and that heaven and earth
overlap within me.
May I be open to the leading
of your Holy Spirit
as I live and work
to your praise and glory.
Now and forever.