Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSV)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falselye on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Besides being All Saints Day this Sunday, it is also the opening of campaign season for elections 2012. In just about a year from now, we will elect a president, members of congress, and local representatives. The crowds will gather, promises will be made, and as the candidate field narrows, what the candidates say and promise will be heard as good news for some and bad news for others. Everyone is looking for that one person who will fix everything.
People were coming to Jesus in huge numbers and everyone was trying to touch him in hope of tapping into some of the energy flowing out of him. Everyone wanted healing. Everyone wanted a better life. Everyone wanted a piece of the man who held out the promise of a better tomorrow.
Maybe that is why, right smack in the middle of all this touchy-feely-healing excitement Jesus turns to his disciples and begins to speak a series of beatitudes or blessings that point to a lifestyle and a mindset that was completely at odds with what most people were, at that very moment, hoping to get from Jesus.
It’s hard to imagine someone just getting elected president, riding high on the hopes and dreams and expectations of the millions of people who voted for him (or her), who would then use the victory speech to say, “But you know, I want to congratulate the unemployed in this nation. Some day in heaven you will have it better. And I want to reach out to the homeless and hungry of our land and bless you for your hunger. I want to assure the families of the war dead that in time, you will feel much better. And I want to say a word to the hated masses, to undocumented workers and others who feel the sting of racism: some day you will receive a reward.”
We cannot imagine such a thing. A victory speech is the moment to pump your fist, to promise the moon, to tell all the people who have placed their hopes in you that you will not let them down and tomorrow will be a brighter day for all.
But not for Jesus, he uses a moment in which people are looking to him and expecting the world of him to say, in all candor, that the poor, the hungry, the sad, and the hated are better off than the rich, the satisfied, the happy, and the well-liked. In saying all this, Jesus is at once describing a future reality of the kingdom of God and coloring between the lines for us the shape of our present lives now. We may bless the poor and the hungry and celebrate that in the kingdom they will be taken care of and fed, but as followers of Jesus, we cannot hear about that future promise without recognizing its present-tense implication for how we live right now. The kingdom of God becomes the way we see things, the lens through which we view life. It’s a gift to be able now, together with the saints of all times and places, to glimpse into God’s world.
The Rev. Jane Baker - Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Roseburg
