Sermon from Matthew 5:1-12 for January 27

So…

Are you blessed?

I see nodding heads. Good. Just out of curiosity, what do you mean by that?

When you say, “I am blessed,” what exactly goes through your head? What do you see, what do you hear, how do you understand “blessing”?

I know we talk particularly at Thanksgiving about counting your blessings, and most of us can list quite a few, many material ones: food, shelter, a job, and relational ones as well, family, friends, co-workers.

But is that the totality of being blessed?

The other night when we had the Food, Friends, and Fellowship’s Holiday party, Allison asked us to tell what our favorite picture of the past year was.

It turns out for many of us it was a picture of a new grandchild, a new relationship, a reminder that blessings can come in the form of a new baby, a thought that certainly fits with Christmas!

Evidently there were a lot of grand-baby pictures, because after the event someone asked jokingly whether you had to be a grandparent to be part of the group!

The answer is no, but it was a reminder that sometimes while celebrating our blessings, we can miss celebrating the different blessings others have experienced.

So, are you blessed?

We count ourselves blessed, most of the time, I think. But is our understanding of blessing really what Jesus was talking about. Is being blessed just a matter of having been given something, or is Jesus trying to say that blessing ismore than that!

In Matthew’s Gospel, chapter five begins a section of the story known as the Sermon on the Mount. Over the next several weeks we are going to look at this “sermon” because in it are some of the most essential parts of what Jesus believed was important for his disciples and followers to know.

And remember, it is not called the “Sermon on the Mount” because Jesus entitled it that way, but because it was one of Jesus long teachings! It was all about what mattered in the Kingdom of God, and it just happened to be preached on a hill, a mountain!

Jesus most likely stood or sat at the bottom of the hill and the people sat on the up-sloping hillside, like an outdoor amphitheater.

And it’s here that Jesus make the distinction between religion and discipleship. It’s here that Jesus begins to announce his opposition to religiosity. It’s a distinction that will separate those who simple show up and look the part, and those who are living and breathing faithfulness.

This is all early in Jesus ministry, right after he chooses his disciples and heals lots people. He begins by laying out who it is that is blessed.

And here is the kicker. Being blessed, means having been made holy, set apart, prepared to be in the presence of Almighty God.

So, read these words this way, and for the first time, here what Jesus is saying!

³ God makes holy those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven!

⁴ God makes holy those people who grieve. They will find comfort!

⁵ God makes holy those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them!

⁶ God makes holy those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want!

⁷ God makes holy those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy!

⁸ God makes holy those people whose hearts are pure. They will see him!

⁹ God makes holy those people who make peace. They will be called his children!

¹⁰ God makes holy those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ God will make you holy when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. ¹² Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven.

So, remember, you are blessed, because in life and in death you belong to God. Amen.