Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 5:1-12 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Verse 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
Verse 3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Verse 4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Verse 5"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Verse 6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Verse 7"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Verse 8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Verse 9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Verse 10"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Verse 11"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Verse 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Devotion
When Jesus heads up a mountain and sits you down, you know something is up. It’s not surprising that what he has to say flips our script. Changes our perspectives. Goes against our norms. For those keeping track, this gospel text from Matthew was also included in the Revised Common Lectionary back in February of this year. I’m not sure how often this happens, but it seems like a good one to keep going back to. We need a constant reminder of Christ’s mountaintop, topsy-turvy ways. Sometimes this means we need to step away as well. We need to be reminded of Christ’s new way of living, a life of blessings that are not what the world gives, but a life where we are joined with Christ and with our neighbor. These are words we can keep coming back to time, and time again.
Prayer
Christ on the mountaintop, shift our perspectives so we see our blessings as you speak them into our lives. Return us to your words and upend the powers of this world. Send us forth, living in your promise of new life and a new way of encountering blessings. Amen.
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