MORE RULES?

Dr. Richard J. Henderson February 3, 2002

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Micah 6: 1-8
Matthew 5: 1-12

Introduction

Do you feel guilty when you hear the beatitudes read? When you hear "Blessed are the peacemakers," do you question whether you've been enough of a peacemaker? When you hear "Blessed are the merciful," do you think of the times you haven't shown mercy? And what about "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness?" Well, I'm interested in righteousness, but hunger ...I don't know. And "Blessed are the pure in heart," that's enough to make any of us cringe.

I suppose most people think of the beatitudes as another set of rules we should try to live up to. We think of them as moral demands, as if they said, "Be meek! Be merciful!" or "You better be a peacemaker!" They don't, of course.

I

Instead they say "Blessed are those who..."or it can be translated "Happy are those who...."and describes people in situations where they are blessed or happy. What Jesus is using is really a common phrase that tells the way things are. He uses a kind of proverb that tells about the way the world works. "Happy is the person who climbs the social ladder, for he will be looked up to, and envied."

But Jesus' statements are different. They are not the way the world works. I mean, "Happy are those who mourn"? Sometimes they seem like the last things that would make us happy. As the famous preacher from the past, Henry Ward Beecher, said, some of us might feel that "These might be blessings we could do without."

II

Barbara Brown Taylor has suggested that when Jesus spoke these beatitudes he should have had the crowd stand on their heads. That's because these words of Jesus turn the values of the world on its head. As Taylor says, "The beatitudes are blessings that are upside-down."

They are just about the opposite of what we've been taught about life. We've learned, "Happy are the rich in spirit," not "happy are the poor in spirit." Happy are the forceful, not "happy are the meek."

We've been taught, don't take religion too seriously, don't become a fanatic; not hunger and thirst for righteousness. We know happy are the tough, rather than happy are the merciful. Jesus is talking about a different world.

III

Jesus is saying that in the kingdom of God, this is how things work. In the beatitudes Jesus holds up a picture of a new order, a new way of life. What Jesus shows us in the beatitudes is a new world, yet not one that is otherworldly. The challenge of Jesus' beatitudes is that they call us beyond ourselves, beyond the values of our world to another way of seeing.

IV

These are not a new set of rules; they are a new way of looking at the world. Maybe Barbara Brown Taylor is right, that we all should stand on our heads when we hear these words of Jesus, because that way we could gain a new viewpoint. Maybe if we heard them while we were upside down, we would see the totally new perspective Jesus is suggesting.

Jesus isn't asking for a new set of rules, he's offering us a new vision of reality. He's saying in God's kingdom these are the values that are cherished.

Not cutthroat politics, but gentleness toward each other, not putting on a show, pretending to be more than we are, but genuine self-understanding and confidence. Not brutality, but mercy. This is God's priority for values.

This is a new way of approaching life. This is a new world Jesus is talking about. But it is not otherworldly. Jesus isn't talking about waiting for God's kingdom to live this way; he's talking about joining the kingdom of God now, where we live.

V

The beatitudes aren't a new set of laws. They are Jesus asking us to join him on a journey. He is headed toward the reign of God; he wants you and me to join in on that pilgrimage.

As he speaks the beatitudes, he is showing us the way to a new world, a higher standard of values. I think he is saying that when people live like this, the rest of the world will look at them and see a new way to live.

He sets before us a new vision that can capture our imaginations and transform our lives. Other people will look at those lives and see that there is an alternative way to live - there is another set of values.

You know the feeling. You're at a party and people are talking about the decision of one of your colleagues. He has done well in business, and now is taking early retirement to volunteer in a third world country. He is taking his skills and using them to help thousands of people have such basic necessities as clean water.

People at the party keep talking about the intriguing decision he has made. Before long the conversation turns to, "could you do something like that?" A new vision broke open all the expectations of how your life is supposed to go.

People begin to think about new possibilities for their lives. Your colleague didn't lay down a new set of rules for what you must do, but set before you a new vision of how the world can be.

In a similar way, Jesus sets before us a vision of a new world. He offers us the possibilities of an alternative way to live.

Richard Lischer has said that the beatitudes of Jesus are snapshots of what God's world is like. In these words he provides us with a glimpse of God's kingdom, and welcomes us on a journey to that place right now.

Conclusion

When I was in junior high school we went over to friends of the family for dinner. This family had just come back from the Grand Canyon. After dinner they asked if we would like to see their slides.

We were polite said "yes" of course, but I was dreading another boring series of slides from somebody's vacation.

As the slides began though I was captivated by what I saw. This was a site unlike anything I had ever seen before. Sure, I had heard about the Grand Canyon, and seen pictures of it, but these slides made it more real.

I was so intrigued by what I saw that I determined then that one day I would go see this place in person.

Well, you know how life gets - you're so busy, and you have a family, and you don't have any money, and you don't get around to the things you really want to do.

Finally 5 years ago Sheila and Jonathan and I made the trip to the Grand Canyon. We drove forever on straight, deserted roads through the desert, until by late afternoon we arrived at the Canyon.

We pulled into one of the first spots where you can park and walk down to see the Canyon. We parked the car and walked quite a ways to an observation point. I was surprised that you could be so close to this mammoth canyon and not see it right away.

Finally we walked down a flight of stairs and it was there before us. It literally took my breath away. The only thing I could say was "Wow!"

I had seen all the pictures, but they were only symbols of what it was like to stand before that great chasm. They couldn't capture the vastness, the depth, the enormity, the beauty, the grandeur of the real thing.

I had been given glimpses of what that place was like. I was intrigued by the vision. I knew that was a place I was going to get to in my life. And when I finally saw it first hand, it was an incredible sight.

Someone gave me a vision of it earlier in life. Because of that vision I was determined to get there. When I did it was even more than I hoped for. In a similar way Jesus sets a vision before us. He invites you and me to join him on a journey to that place.

Amen.

©Richard J. Henderson 2002