Make-up: January 29, 2012

On January 29th, we had a lesson on the Beatitudes. For the online version, we are just going to have the Scripture, lesson focus, big questions, key words and message overview here. We ask you to read the material and comment in the comment section so that we know that you read through the material. In the comment section, you may answer the big question.

The Beatitudes

Bible Text: 

Luke 6:20–26; Matthew 5:3–12; Luke 4:18–19

Lesson Focus: 

In God's kingdom, the things that rule our earthly life no longer apply.

Big Question: 

What blessings are there for me in God's kingdom?

Key Words: 

BEATITUDE, PEACE, JUSTICE

Definition of Key Words

BEATITUDE: the term assigned to the sayings of Jesus found in Matthew 5:3–12. It is also a word that means "perfect happiness" in the literary world.

PEACE: the absence of violence, conflict, or oppression.

JUSTICE: To treat all people fairly in the correct or impartial way.

Message Overview

Early in Jesus' public ministry, according to the Gospel of Matthew, crowds begin to follow him, amazed at his teaching and healing. While in their midst, Jesus climbs to a high place, and on this natural stage, he addresses the crowds. This Sermon on the Mount is full of radical new ways of looking at the world: Preferential treatment is given to the poor, standards of success are turned upside down, and values shift dramatically. Christ asks his followers to live a life in stark contrast to the world around them. This distinct community will bear witness to the power of God's love.

The Beatitudes have been interpreted in many ways since Jesus first spoke the words. Martin Luther, in keeping with his personal experience, believed the words of the Beatitudes were meant to show us our sinfulness and therefore drive us to the righteousness of Jesus. On the opposite end of the spectrum, popular belief in modern years has often defined the Beatitudes as a prescription for individual happiness, a guide for life's journey, or just another self-help book. TV evangelists have used Christ's teachings in the Beatitudes as the basis for books, including The Be-Happy Attitudes (Robert Schuller) and The Secret of Happiness (Billy Graham).

The context and content of the Sermon on the Mount suggests that the teachings of Christ, including the Beatitudes, are less about an individual's personal happiness and more about his or her role as a follower in a newly ordered world. Jesus' words make clear that the path will not be easy. If the followers of Christ are not living their faith, how will the world know its mission and vision? Only God's love can create and sustain such a community—one that sets the followers apart from the rest of the world, and one that rewards those things that honor God. The followers of God are called to live the reality that Christ teaches in the Beatitudes and, in so doing, to be God's tools for reordering the world.

Throughout history, the church and its members have had opportunities to live out the idea of being a contrast community to give honor to what God honors, to stand out, and to speak up. Sometimes individuals have called the community of faith to task. Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer serves as an example. During World War II, as the German churches let their fears override the mounting evidence of what Adolf Hitler was doing, Bonhoeffer's voice was a powerful contrast. In more recent history, the church has been active to help end the tyranny and oppression of people in many nations of the world. As acts of terrorism have been on the rise, it has been the church that has called us to examine our own actions and reactions in light of the Beatitudes.

As Christ's followers we are called to be a contrast community to the culture that surrounds us. Instead of pursing wealth and material possessions, we are called to see that the physical, daily needs of all people are met. Rather than seeking power and fame, we are asked to be meek, to act with mercy, to make peace among all God's people.

Because sin is alive and well in our world and even in our church communities, we don't always live up to the ideal that Christ has given us; nonetheless, our hope remains that our faith communities will stand out as a contrast to the rest of society. Church is a place where all people should be welcome and know God's love—not just the popular, the beautiful, or the wealthy. It is up to us as the body of Christ alive in the world to reflect that value to others. As believers, how we treat people matters—both inside and outside the church. In school and social groups, as well as in the world, opportunities will abound for young believers to make a difference—to show that they are part of this contrast community that lifts up different values. The church is the community in which God will be made visible to the end of the age, but only if we do not fade into the rest of the world.