Matthew 5:1-6
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: "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.
The Lord taught us through the sermon on the Mount how we may experience God's blessings. Each of the "blessed" here has the meaning of joy in the original language. In other words, the poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek and those who hunger for righteousness are all filled with joy. Why? Firstly, those who are poor in spirit can come before the Lord and truly receive His blessings. The poor in spirit acknowledge that they are inadequate. The greatest weakness of men is thinking that we are self-sufficient, and hence this hinders us from receiving God's blessings. When we recognize our inadequacy, we can come before God and seek His blessing.
Secondly, those who mourn are blessed. The mourning here does not mean that we need to be filled with sorrow, but that we should be sensitive to our sin. Christians are not perfect people, but are people who recognize themselves to be sinners. Once we have the sensitivity toward sin, we know to come before God to confess our sins and ask the blood of Jesus to cleanse us. Each time we confess, we can have the peace of forgiveness from God. This peace is what this generation needs.
Thirdly, the meek are blessed. The meek here does not refer to being indecisive or weak, but the attitude that a person has towards God once they recognize their own condition. Hence meekness comes after being poor in spirit and mourning. When we are poor in spirit and we mourn, we recognize God's will and recognize our role and position. Only then, can we understand true meekness. Hence when we share Christ with others, we will not merely say, "You are a sinner and you need to repent." When we have disagreements with others, we will not put others down, but will learn to respect others. The meek will inherit the earth. The earth refers to the abundance that God has prepared for us. Those who lay down their rights for the Lord will have a great reward.
Fourthly, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. What do you hunger and thirst for in life? When you hunger for something, you will seek it until you receive it. When you hunger and thirst for righteousness, it is not men's righteousness, but God's righteousness. When we seek God's righteousness, we can enjoy true satisfaction in Him. Are you a joyful and blessed person? When you seek God, you will be filled.
Pray with Pastor Tong
Lord, thank you because only you can bring joy, comfort and satisfaction in our lives. When we come and seek you, may you be the strength and wisdom in our lives. Help us to enjoy your blessings each day. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.