The Foolish Ambition
To be righteous and blameless in a world that doesn’t care.
Recently I wrote about the first three Beatitudes found in Matthew 5. Today we will get to number four, but first a little background.
The word beatitude comes from Old French and Latin and means supreme happiness or blessedness. Because it is the highest state possible to man it comes from God. It is God’s opinion about the matter.
The Beatitudes in the Bible are a series of blessings proclaimed by Jesus and are found in Matthew’s gospel at the beginning of what is known as The Sermon on the Mount.
I think the order in which Jesus proclaimed them are cumulative in nature. They are like stepping stones. Similar to the twelve steps of AA they begin at a bottom and lift us to a new elevated perspective as we understand them in the order given. Both need time and reflection as we move from one to the next one.
Here again are the first three steps.
The first group Jesus addressed were the poor in spirit. This is bottom. Total defeat. Nowhere to go from here but up.
The second group or life situation addressed were to those that mourn. These have a spirit but it’s a sad one. Coming up from bottom passes through a lot of regrets. A lot of disappointments. A lot of dead ends.
Group three were the meek. These have dried their tears and are quiet enough to be able to listen and see better. They are ready to follow someone leading in a better direction.
At every step Jesus calls them “Blessed.” This is because they are loved by God. They have never been away from his love. They have never been a disappointment to him even though their actions might have been destructive to themselves and others.
And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Luke 23:33-34a (ESV)
And now, blessing Step Four.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6 (ESV)
How would you describe the individual in this passage?
I see him or her as passionate and obsessed about living better, about doing the right thing.
Now what kind of person wants to unilaterally change like this?
Someone who has fallen in love certainly meets this description.
In this particular case this individual has discovered that God loves him or her and is seeking to restore the spiritually bankrupt.
And what is God’s promise?
That this love growing in us for Himself, that is changing us into better people, will be found completely satisfying.
No regrets.
Just remember, life and learning are cumulative, always building from what has come before. It always helps when the the steps are intentional and move us toward greater joy, peace, hope, serenity, and the rest.