Last week I explained the way that John F. Kennedy Jr. crashed his plane during a stormy night in July 1999 into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.
Post-crash analysis based on radar tracking concluded that John Jr. suffered from a common culprit in plane crashes - a condition among pilots called vertigo. Vertigo is a condition induced by the flight path of the plane where the pilot's perception of reality is altered. The result of this mind-boggling state is that he or she cannot tell up from down, left from right. Even while the planes' flight instruments are screaming out the really real - that the plane is banking hard to the right, the nose is pointing way down and the speed of the engine is way past redline - even while the plane's instruments are screaming out this reality, the inexperienced pilot, in a state of vertigo will often deny this reality and settle for the one they are perceiving. even when it will lead to a watery grave.
I then argued that reality isn't always as it seems and that there is a possibility that we could be living in a reality that isn't the really real, that isn't all there is - that we could be flying through life up-side-down and not even know it.
The solution to this dilemma was announced to us through Jesus. He acknowledged that we are flying up-side-down and there is a different reality - the really real - available to us.
This was why he came - he came to pull back the veil, pointing to and demonstrating an alternative reality - the Kingdom of the Heavens. And this transformed reality wasn't and isn't just a far off future hope, but rather a present unseen reality available to all.
Heaven, Jesus announced, has invaded earth and is now an option for us to live in. The good news Jesus announced is that God reigns - his Kingdom is not only a future reality but a present reality open to all.It is not just about saving souls or personal salvation or being incorporated into the church so that someday we'll go to heaven, rather it is a kingdom that is all-encompassing, here and now. "It embraces all dimensions of human life: physical, emotional, relational, societal, historical and eternal. And it encompasses all relationships: with each other, with creation, with ourselves and with God." So what does it look like when the Kingdom of the Heavens invades our lives? Today we'll look at the description Jesus gives of the life invaded by the heavens.
On Wednesday I was driving downtown to make it to a lunch appointment when the traffic I was behind was slowed at an intersection. Pedestrians, I thought, a short wait. Then the short wait became a little longer. and I became frustrated. Then I see an older guy on foot stopping at the driver side window to talk to the driver in front of me. Frustration is mounting. I gesture with my hands - not that gesture, the "what for?" gesture, the one where you hold your hands open saying, "What's the deal? I've got someplace to be and you're keeping me."
I then look into the oncoming lane, see that it is clear and I back up a little in order to get around this guy that's frustrating me. Then, just as I'm about to drive away all frustrated, the older guy holds up his hand to stop me - we exchange glances and he sees the look in my eye - I have that look that says, "I don't have time for this, why are you doing this".
He knows that I know that he knows what that look was about. He approaches my window anyway - I'm starting to feel bad about being frustrated now - he looks like a nice guy. By the time he gets to my window I have realized that I have just finished being a big jerk. And he knows that I know that he knows that I was just being a jerk. cause he gives me this knowing look.
So he walks up to my window and opens up a bag and says, "Have a Spud-nut" - that famous snack that we love this time of year... he's a volunteer at the "the Exhibition" and just wanted to brighten my day. I almost didn't accept it because I felt bad about the fact that I considered driving him over only a minute earlier. But I couldn't refuse him - and it was a great Spud-nut.
Today I'm sharing a talk that may possibly create the same bad feeling in you that I had when I was held up in traffic. You may feel bad about yourself. This kind of message goes against my personality - I'd rather tell you all how great and wonderful you all are. But I'm presenting you with some words that aren't my own - they are far wiser words than I could muster up.
After Jesus announced that the Kingdom of the Heavens is now an option for us - should we choose - , he went into the famous Sermon on the Mount.
I explained last week how E. Stanley Jones considers this sermon to be the most important talk for us to take in. how GK Chesterton insists that the life described here is the only way to really live and how Clarence Bauman said it is the most important biblical text there is.
After Jesus announced the availability of the Heavens, he described what it looks like when someone trusts this good news and the Heavens invade someone's life. and that's how he begins his famous talk.
In Matthew 5:3-10, he said,
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons and daughters of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
A few things have to be said about these 8 statements, these beatitudes:
1) They are all characteristics of the life invaded by the kingdom of heaven. The fact that the first and last characteristic both say "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven", give us the liberty to insert that phrase onto the tail end of the other 6 statements in between - ie...
2) These are not 8 different descriptions of 8 different people, some gifted in this way, some in that. They are descriptions of one person whose life is permeated by the Kingdom of Heaven - one person who trusts Jesus' good news.
3) They explain one another. What does it mean to be pure in heart? Well, the pure in heart are poor in spirit and they are peacemakers and they are meek and they will encounter opposition.
4) It has often been argued that these are qualities that we should strive for. That's not a bad thought but it's also not a realistic thought. Lee Barbour says that would be like hitting a nickel on a fence post a mile away with a rifle. These are not natural human qualities, rather, they are the natural outcome of a life transformed - a life that's been turned right-side-up after encountering Jesus.
5) Lastly, it's these 8 qualities that make up the people Jesus goes on to call salt of the earth and the light of the world - people who give a glimpse and taste of Heaven to those around them.
Another big hurdle in understanding these sayings is getting what Jesus meant when he said, "Blessed." Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. doesn't sound like much of a blessing.
Blessed. quite often, people have thought the word means, "happy." But I'm not sure that works. Happy are the poor in spirit? Happy are those who mourn? It doesn't add up.
Do you remember that song from school - we were made to sing it when we were kids?
"If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.if you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it. if you're happy and you know it clap your hands."
Do you remember singing that song in school? I didn't like that song. Not that I wasn't generally happy. I usually was, until we were made to sing that song. First, I didn't like singing. Second, even when I was little it felt like manipulation. Third, why not give us some options? What if we were angry and we knew it, could we have slammed our fists into our desks instead of clapping? If we were lonely and we knew it, could we have curled up into the fetal position? If they were really trying to bring expression to my feelings, they would have let me sing it with some options. "If you're bored and you know it, pick a fight" or "If you're frustrated by the school system and how it caters to girls instead of boys, and you know it, pull the pony tail of the girl sitting in front of you." Not as catchy but it would have been true. Usually by the end of that song I was anything but happy. and my face surely showed it.
The Beatitudes are often used like that song. The JB Philips translation of the Bible even went so far as to translate "blessed" as "happy." In my opinion, and I'm not alone, this does a great injustice to a great sermon. I don't feel happy when I'm mourning or when I'm poor in spirit.
The word used by Jesus that we have translated "blessed" is makarios and it doesn't have anything to do with how we feel.
So, how is one both blessed and poor in spirit at the same time? How is one blessed and mourning at the same time?
John Stott said that Jesus is not declaring what that person may feel like (for instance, happy), but what God thinks of them and that on that account they are: they are blessed'.
It's not how we feel about our circumstances, it's about how God feels about our circumstances - it's not about us. God's assessment of us may make us happy but it's not about how we feel.
There are a few different ways to translate this word, then, that help us understand it's meaning:
Dale Brunner says it's Jesus' way of saying, "I am with you. I am on your side."
He also says it could mean, "congratulations on your condition".
Darrell Johnson says Jesus is saying, "You are in alignment with the Kingdom or in sync with the Kingdom of Heaven or You are right-side-up."
Karl Barth says this is Jesus saying, "You lucky bum!"
Other words for this might be "Fortunate are you" or "You are Approved" or "Have a Spud-nut".
I'll only look at the first beatitude today - it's the basis for the rest of the sermon. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? And why on earth would God congratulate us for being poor in spirit?
To be poor in spirit is to be one who has absolutely nothing and knows it. Material poverty helps some people understand this about themselves but in reality we are all poor in spirit. We are all spiritually bankrupt, but Jesus is saying that the Kingdom is only for those who know it and admit it. In our busy lives it is difficult for some of us to relate to the feeling of being bankrupt in our spirit.
Consider two scenarios:
First, imagine yourself in your home. You are surrounded by your favorite people - the people that make you feel like you are at your best. You are sitting on your favorite seat, relaxed. You have your favorite snack and drink within reach. You are either reading a good book, watching a great movie, playing a game or having a great conversation - depending on your preference. Everyone is healthy. You have a nice car in the garage, and a good job to go to tomorrow. No worries.
Now contrast that image with scenario 2. Imagine yourself on a boat far out at sea where the water is rough and the boat is struggling to stay afloat. One final wave hits with disastrous effects, overtaking and capsizing the boat. Suddenly you find yourself in the middle of a churning sea all alone. There is no sign of the boat, so sign of any person, no sign of land. and no life preserver. Then, just as you're beginning to get tired, a barrel floats up alongside you. You place your weight on that barrel and it supports you.
This is to be poor in spirit. Brennan Manning says the poor in spirit are like survivors of a shipwreck. They have little in common with the land-locked. They cling to a piece of debris. Like little children they accept the debris as a gift.
The person floating at sea only having a barrel to hold on to is thankful because of how things would be if they didn't have the barrel. All hope has been stripped away but the barrel. Here's the kicker: if our perception of reality is off and we're actually flying up-side-down, we'll have our trust in the things I described in the first scenario - the people, the comfort of our environment, the safety. But, in reality - in the really real - those are the very things that could create a spiritual vertigo in us, leaving us flying up-side-down, unaware of our spiritual poverty.
This may help some of us who don't easily feel our bankruptcy. Young toddlers are also great examples for us to learn what it means to be poor in spirit. How many times do they recognize their need for help in a day? They are honest about their circumstances. This is why Jesus said we need to look to the children to understand the kingdom.
Some of us don't see our poverty easily. For others, the feeling is all too real all too often.
There are those of us who have considered ending it all because poverty in spirit is all we know. There are those who are crippled by their own beauty because it has meant that they haven't had to do the hard work of loving others.rather they've only had to be beautiful. The same could be said for those with great charisma.
There are the overly competent ones who are jacks of all trades and masters of them all. And over the years they built their reputation so high that they not only can't say "I don't know" anymore but they spend most of their energy avoiding any instance where they might be found out.
There are the angry. who don't know why but deep down inside they are angry more often than not - and every now and then their loved ones see their anger.
There are those of us growing in discontentment. We reach one far off goal only to be consumed with another, and then another. Why is that?
If you struggle to see how you are poor in spirit, read further in the Sermon on the Mount and let his words do their work.
Let his words sink in as he equates the way we use words with murder - that we use our words to slight and belittle others and the damage is huge..
Let his words sink in as he acknowledges the damage we do when we look at another person with lust in our hearts - demeaning others, tearing away their identity.
Let his words sink in as he speaks to how we do things to gain the approval of others - how we cling to how others think of us.
Let his words sink in as he speaks to the things we treasure - that we put our trust in money, that we cling to material things like TV's and cars and our position at work and the clothes in our closet and the food on our tables.
Let his words sink in as he describes the way we judge one another - so quick to find fault in those around us - how we feel superior when we can point out their wrongs.
Let his words sink in as describes falsehood in people who claim to follow him but don't show it in the way they treat those around them - it doesn't add up he says.it doesn't add up to life in the Kingdom. Let his words do their work.
It may be that the most important thing you could do today is come to grips with your spiritual poverty. The difference between living in the kingdom and not living in the kingdom hinges on our own awareness of our bankruptcy and our willingness to admit it.
Often when there's conflict or potential conflict amongst our staff, Claudio Priolo, our Pastor of Administration, will address the situation saying, "OK, let's get naked."
Part of me wants to end the story there and just say, "shame on Claudio, isn't that terrible?" But that would create conflict and it wouldn't help me illustrate my point.
See, Claudio is wise beyond his years and he knows that in any conflict, there is always something beneath the surface. There is always something deeper, darker and uglier that needs to be addressed. So, he wisely advises that we take off whatever is covering up those deeper, darker things and get to the root of the conflict.
This week on Canadian Idol, Lionel Richie complimented our own Teresa Sokyrka saying that she must have an old black Jazz lady living inside her somewhere that helps her sing as well as she does.
Who, or what do we have living deep inside of us?
When we strip off the layers protecting what's going on inside, what do we find?
Well, we'll likely find most of what Jesus described. We'll find hate and lust and selfishness and insecurity and hypocrisy. We'll see that we are mean and sexually immoral and judgmental and self-righteous. And it's a hard, hard thing to look at ourselves and see that we are wretched and incompetent.
Johnson says we have no claim on innocence, only incompetence - that's a hard thing to say. Jesus strips us down so we can see ourselves as we really are.and it isn't pretty.
Do we know this about ourselves? Do you know this about yourself? Do you see yourself underneath all the layers? Do you recognize that you have nothing to bring to the table - you're tapped out, you're weak, you're wretched? Do you see that you are poor in spirit? If so, Jesus says to you, "You lucky bum... yours is the kingdom of heaven. Congratulations. That is the good news of the Kingdom.
At the outset of his sermon, Jesus puts a premium on getting naked. We all have someone inside us but we have to take off a few layers in order to reveal who we really are. In each of us there is a wretch, someone who ultimately has nothing to bring to the table - we are impoverished in spirit - bankrupt. The good news of the kingdom is always bad news first. But on the heals of that bad news, we turn to Jesus, the king in this kingdom, and we hear, "congratulations, I'm with you." There's an old hymn called Rock of Ages which has us sing, "Naked (we) come to thee for dress". Jesus mercifully strips us down so we can see our wretched selves only so he can clothe us again. So he can clothe us in the richness of the kingdom.
And our greatest weakness becomes our greatest strength. The kingdom of the heavens is at hand. it is now one of your options. turn around and put your weight on this good news. The kingdom is breaking in. Like Charles Spurgeon said, the sign that we're rising in the kingdom is that we're sinking in ourselves. Folks, the sign that kingdom has broke-in is that we are broken. Congratulations, you lucky bum.
I believe it is the purpose of every section in the Sermon on the Mount is to drive us back to the first beatitude - Blessed are the poor in spirit. This sermon given by Jesus is as sharp as a razor. His words cut deep and they do hurt. But trust him with his words, allow him to come close - he's doctoring our souls with precision. To be poor in spirit, as Dale Brunner suggests, is both the goal of each following sentences in the sermon on the mount and the source of the ability to live it." Brunner - p.137 Poverty of spirit - that's what Jesus is driving us to with his words. and that poverty of spirit then becomes the source for us to live the life he describes. life in the kingdom.
If the Surgeon General had to comment on this sermon of Jesus I'm positive she'd see a need for a warning. Verse 3 - Blessed are the poor in spirit - would be in the content of the Surgeon Generals' warning on the book jacket of the Sermon:
"Warning: Do not attempt to read this sermon without first understanding and memorizing verse 3. The result of not filtering the sermon through verse 3 will be devastating. It is recommended that young toddlers oversee adults when reading this sermon.
I can still feel the feeling I had toward that volunteer from the Ex. I remember the anger and frustration I felt toward him for no reason at all. I felt awful. And I remember how he replaced my shame with his mercy - "have a spud-nut."
The sign that the kingdom has broke-in is that we are broken. When you come to grips with your poverty, turn to Jesus and let him congratulate you on your condition - you are no longer flying up-side-down. But don't stop there. Let him clothe you and feed you and let him put a firm foundation under you. He's just beginning. And every time you read the Sermon on the Mount the cutting edge of Jesus' words will feel more and more like life giving surgery. He's the master. Let him cut and strip so he can dress you in the kingdom. |
