11/17/63

Scripture: Matthew 5: 1-10; 7: 24-29.

The reading of a Scripture lesson this morning directed your attention to two portions of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount.” The 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of Matthew have come to be called by that name. Whether or not this is a collection of the sayings of Jesus brought thus together by Matthew in a single literary whole, or whether it is a single discourse of Jesus to those who had followed him up the mountain side, may be debated. But it had the ring of lasting truth in it which impressed itself on the minds and memories of those who heard. Years later, Matthew got it written down. And Luke records some of it, too.

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount begins with a startling series of beatitudes. The first is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Luke remembered it a little differently, for he wrote it this way: “Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” [Luke 6: 20]. Matthew’s way of putting it has the ring of greater probability in it. It is doubtful that Jesus intended to suggest that it is blessed to be poor as such. Indeed, his admonitions to share with those in need would indicate that he did not approve poverty per se.

Matthew’s version, using the words “poor in spirit” seems more suggestible. It may be that Jesus was putting this in contrast to those who are “rich” or proud or haughty in spirit. Therefore those whose spirit is humble and teachable are those who have the serenity and happiness that is heavenly -- that is satisfying.

The second beatitude is a startling paradox: “Blessed are those who mourn.” Surely Jesus does not mean for us to understand him as saying that grief is happiness! Surely it is not. And yet here is this beatitude; a saying of Jesus. Probably its meaning is more nearly to be understood as “Blessed are those who learn to accept their sorrows with a resolve to learn.” For sorrows and grief do come to all. Some sink with their loneliness and sadness and dark burdens. Others learn to look for the good that comes in and around and through their tragedies. They find comfort and strength and renewal. They may voluntarily accept their neighbor’s pain, when they could have side-stepped it by saying: “It is not my business; I have enough troubles of my own.” Or they could pretend that troubles and sorrow do not exist. But they are aware to the needs, the frustrations, the agony and anxiety of others. They are concerned over the home where disease or death has come; they agonize over slums and become leaders in civic righteousness; they do what is in their power to promote justice; they are concerned in Christian love.

They “mourn” over their own sins and over the sins that blight the lives of others. They are not like those who have no concern about greed in the market place, shame in the streets, violence among the nations. And their kind of concern and conscience finds its reward and comfort.

Then comes the third of Jesus’ Beatitudes: “Blessed are the meek.” This can hardly describe the fellow who is shriveled and small of spirit, the person who is timid or cowardly. Rather it refers again to those who are not proud in the haughty sense. It is the opposite of “selfishly aggressive.” The meek who are blessed are not harsh or self-assertive, not covetous or trampling in brute force. While others are busy claiming their rights, the meek are mainly concerned with their duties. Others may be seeking a revenge; but the meek “give place to wrath” as Paul says to the Romans. [Romans 12: 19]. This was a very direct word of Jesus to the mood of his own time. Jews were asserting great pride of race and religion. Romans took great pride in their power. Greeks had pride in knowledge. It is a direct word to nations of our own age who insist on their “place in the sun.”

But the meek are content to let God keep watch over His own. And this has its astonishing reward; it inherits the earth. Notice that the word is “inherit.” It does not come as something which is seized. It comes as a gift or legacy. It is interesting that, in nature, the mammoth creatures that once terrorized the earth are extinct, while sheep still graze on the hillsides.

The philosopher, Immanuel Kant, recalled a terrific conflict between the guilds of the harness makers and the saddlers which directly affected his father’s interests. But his father treated the conflict with such forbearance as to gain greatly in his son’s love and admiration. Kant says, “Even in the conversation of the family, the quarrel [of the guilds] was mentioned with such forbearance and love toward the opponents --- that the thought of it, though I was only a boy then, will never leave me.”

Jesus was meek, and inherits the earth which our aggressions can only destroy. The aggressor is in conflict with himself; the one of reverent lowliness is organized around a noble concern. In this he finds strength. And self-control for God’s sake is real fortitude.

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The words “hunger” and “thirst” are strong words. People in desert lands know this better than many of us do. Water cisterns in Jesus’ time were a matter of life or death. So there is great significance in the Fourth Beatitude: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Note that the hunger is for the right both within man and within his world. Jesus could see the restlessness of people then as now -- a hunger for power, for the spotlight, for fleshly satisfactions. But there is no blessedness in that hunger as there is in hunger for what it right. Some hungers, when fulfilled, are only mocked. “They have their reward” -- and it is not happiness, but only emptiness. Some hungers lead only to satiation; not to genuine satisfaction. Roman epicures set great store by their appetite for good food. And they went to disgusting lengths to cultivate their appetites. But the hunger for beauty, for excellent music, for highest truth, for righteousness is a different matter. Robert Louis Stevenson remarked that “to travel hopefully is better than to arrive.” But those who, with Christ, hunger and thirst for righteousness may both travel and arrive.

A Fifth Beatitude hardly seems so revolutionary as the others -- “Blessed are the merciful.” It may seem easier to accept now. But it was drastic at the time Jesus uttered it. Rome possessed the country where Jesus lived and taught. And Romans despised pity. Pharisees quoted, and enforced, the rules of the Jewish tradition. They were harsh in their self-righteousness; and little inclined to show any mercy. So Jesus was taking sharp issue with his world, when he emphasized the claims of mercy.

Mercy succors every creature. It refrains from cruel sport and from cruel speech. It abjures cruelty, even in cases where justice demands punishment. The purposes and activities of the Red Cross all over the world often illustrate the quality of mercy. But mercy to the body is not greater than mercy to the spirit.

A Russian poet and reformer of years ago was approached by a beggar. He said to the beggar, “Do not be angry with me, brother; I have nothing with me.” The beggar answered, “But you called me ‘brother’ -- that was a great gift.” Blessed, then, are the merciful, for they themselves are the ones on whom mercy may be shown.

Then comes the sixth Beatitude. For many, this appears a particularly bright star in the constellation: “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Not only is it “bright” but it also appears “inaccessible” --- both the condition (“blessed are the pure in heart”) and the promise (“for they shall see God.”) But Christ has not mocked our hopes. When he said “pure in heart,” he used the Bible meaning of the word “heart” -- that is, the whole personality; and not only the emotion, but mind and will. Probably the meaning of purity includes rightness of mind and singleness of motive. Jesus used the severest of condemnation on those Pharisees who were double minded. He said very frankly and bluntly, that known sinners would enter the kingdom of heaven before such Pharisees.

The single-mindedness which he meant is hard to achieve. Our motives become mixed. How few men in politics or trade, or even in the professions, can be “clear” in their intention and purpose! How few people are even reasonably free from duplicity! But purity of mind and life and purpose is one of Christ’s demands. And the reward --- to “see” or perceive goodness and God.

The next in Jesus’ list of beatitudes is this one: “Blessed are the peacemakers” --- those who build the peace. If any can be called “Sons of God” it is those who are not just longing to be let alone, but who are trying to make peace among people. Jesus had some extreme things to say at this point. “Love your enemies -- do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” [Luke 6: 27, 28]. He told the very pointed story of one of the hated Samaritans showing considerate mercy to a wounded Jew. [Luke 10: 30-37]. His last bequest, recorded at the end of the book of John, was peace -- “My peace I give unto you.” [John 14: 27]. There are a multitude of us folk who assume that peace “just comes.” The earth is cumbered with peace-hopers or peace-eulogizers. Jesus made peace; he fashioned it out of the stuff of life and sacrifice.

What we call peace is often just smoldering grudges, exhausted hatreds; suppressed frustration and outrage. What Jesus meant was a peace that is beyond the understanding of most people. But people can get a glimpse, or intimation of it, when they try to build it in preventive tasks, in promotion of understanding, in promotion of fairness, in engendering of respect and love. And the reward of the peace-maker is that God acknowledges him as a child -- a part of the essential family.

One more of the beatitudes: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for what is right.” The prophets had been persecuted; Jesus was persecuted. His followers were to know persecution. But this is no cause for grief. He bids us rejoice in a joyous company! Note that not every persecution is here pronounced blessed. The motive must be right. But when it is right, then persecution can be endorsed with inner joy.

These, then, are the “blesseds” -- the beatitudes -- which Jesus commended to those who followed him then and since. They are packed with food for thought. They are marked for adoption and for action by all followers of the Master Teacher.

A little farther on in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the parable of the builders to drive home his meaning. “Everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them,” is like a man who built his house on the sand in a stream bed. It looks pretty good. In fact it may be a very attractive and useful house. But when the water flows, the floods carry away the foundation and the house falls. “Everyone who hears my sayings and does them” is like a man who built his house in that same valley, but founded on the rock. When the water flows, the floods do not carry away that foundation. And the house stands and continues its useful function.

One never knows for certain when tragedy will come or disaster may strike. But these do come to practically everyone --- to some as gently as a spring rain, and to others as fiercely as a hurricane. When it does come, the important thing is not the adversity itself but our response to it. Some may be able to stand and grow stronger through an ordeal. Some will go to pieces in rebellion and bitterness. We are like one of the two houses described in the parable of the builders. Or we may be a bit like both. It is not wise to be too glib about what the rock is. One may sing lustily, “Upon the sold rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” One may say easily and lightly, “Put your faith in God and you’ve got it made.” But that is no insurance against trouble. The faith of Christ does have what is needed for the storms of living. But it has tragedy in it, and a cross as its symbol.

The key to meeting our crises, and accepting our disasters is in our understanding of what the rock is, on which our house is built. The Master said a lot about doing. “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock” where it could withstand the floods and storms. Just before this parable, Jesus had said, in his Sermon on the Mount, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father.” He had said that his own “meat” -- the food, the strength, the stuff of his life -- was to do the will of his Father. This was also the way to understanding. “If any man’s will is to do His will, he shall know.” Our doing does not purchase God’s grace. But our faith is false if it does not issue in obedience to Christ.

The way to start is with the simplest things he asks. We might try, very honestly, to live by Jesus’ kind of love in our homes, letting love actually determine what we do with others in the family. We will find failure and the need of forgiveness, if we are honest about it. But there is divine help to make a go of it.

We may try it also in the neighborhood, in acceptance of other people as the Father accepts us ---- the unattractive acquaintance, the unwanted neighbor, the one who is different, the one whose appearance or race or nationality or creed or church might be different from ours. We can hardly say that we believe in our Lord and do less than try.

The faith that we profess is genuine only if we take seriously the business of living out Jesus’ kind of spirit in the world where we live. But when we both hear and do the will of the Master, the storms may come, disaster may knock, disease may creep in, catastrophe may swirl around us. But we are not alone. We are linked with the strength of God and the spirit is not crushed.

Ralph Sockman tells of meeting a man who proved to be blind. He could hardly believe the man was actually blind by anything he said or did or by any expression of his face. Later, he learned the story. The man was a leading executive in a large industry. When he lost his sight in the prime of his life, he determined not to allow his blindness to affect his spirits. He remained in his business post; he continued to be a leader in the civic, cultural and religious life of his city. His whole attitude revealed his triumph over what others would call a tragedy. Such a fellow is but one of a host of people who find through their active, working faith, a power and a strong peace which adversity does not shatter. There is a way to “take it.” Jesus was showing the way --- and he still shows it!

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Delivered in Wisconsin Rapids, November 17, 1963.

Also in Imiola Church, September 28, 1969.

Also in Waioli Hui’ia Church, January 16, 1972.