The meeker, the more

Blessed are the meek. They will inherit the land.
What on earth is Jesus talking about?
See the salespitch? Wanted: Meek people to get free land.
Mirror, mirror, on the wall; who's the meekest of them all?

Global Competitions will start. TV-shows will pitch in; there's money in the meek! Let the people decide. Let's have them vote.
Fights will start. people disagreeing with each other, with the jury, with the people: who do they think tey are to decide for me that I am less meek that that other selfproclaimed "meek" ( we all know he's a jerk, he's just slick and knows how to play the audience). I should have won. I know that in my heart I am meeker... the meekest.

A zoo.

Jesus.

The meek will inherit. A true "meek" has no ambition to inherit whatever land. He'd rather give it away. His ambition is not in the land. His ambition is to serve the true and only God.
A genuine "meek" seeks to please God.
What Jesus is saying is that 'the land' is for those whose hearts are with the King of that land.
Jesus broadens the horizon of His disciples minds: 'You thought the land was for those that happened to belong to God's chosen people? Those that play according to the rules of the Pharisees and the scribes? It's for those whose hearts have been changed and softend by God's spirit.'

Meekness; I want it. Not because of the land.
Meekness; I want it because I realise that my heart is not meek. It's hard and judgmental and full of prejudice. I need change. I need God to touch and change nmy heart. Make me meek because there's no natural meekness in me. What is in me is self preservation and narcissisme. Forgive me!

Yet, the meek are promised the land.
Why land?
Because God intended the land to be occupied by 'meek' people. People that are kind and tender to the environment and to each other. People that hate exlpoitation but rather are filled with genuine care for Gods creation and His people.
The meek and Gods land go hand in hand. That's His original intended package.
You know what?
I long for that land.

Mourning

If Jesus says that those who mourn will be comforted, does it also work the other way around? Like if I'm looking for comfort I should try to mourn harder?
Comfort is good, you see. I love receiving comfort when I mourn. I don't reject it, I welcome it.

Like when my mother died, and when my sister died, my wife comforted me. How did she do that? By speaking soothing words or telling be that everything would be "allright"? Praise the Lord that she didn't.
She just held me. No words. Just being there for me and let me be. I'll talk when I want to talk. I'll cry when I want to cry but for now, just hold me.
It's as if the burden get a little lighter.

When His disciples heard his words, what picture came to their minds? Was it a picture of them feeling sorry for themselves? Did they, from this moment on, feel their spirits lifted up whenever they had a bad hairday because Jesus felt sorry for them? The Good Shepherd came to make us happy and feel happy, didn't he? Well?
I believe they saw the picture painted to us in Is. 61, where it talks about people who mourn because of Gods absence in society and in the lives of His beloved.
It's about people in pain because of the destructive power of sin in our lives and in the heart of society.

The Good news of the return of the Kingdom is a comforting message and reality. It is here! It is now!
Yes, amidst compromised lives and a compromised creation there is a rebuilding talking place. Things will get better but we don't have to passively wait for it to happen. They already are getting better.

If I look back at 25 years of marriage I see the redemptive power of the Kingdom through Jesus at work. From a hopeless, selfcentered case God has changed me, and continues to change me. I am a better husband and a better father than 10, 15, 20, 25 years ago.
Yet, I'm not there yet. The changes are slow and I have a long way to go. I am thankfull, so thankfull for this reality in my life.
Yet, I cry, I mourn.
For more...

Poor in spirit

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Today I decided to read and study Jesus' beatitudes again. Since I grew up in an evangelicla climate I am programmed to read the word in a way that it is always about me. How does this apply to me? Do I want to be blessed? Yes! Then, be poor in spirit. As if being poor in spirit is a status one can achieve, or choose to be in.
I googled "beatitudes" and read a lot of stuff on a lot of sites and I got a little sick to the stomach. Why?
Here's one: "It means that the poor are those who realize that they can never achieve salvation on their own and instead put their complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ".
See what I mean?
Picture the disciples. Jesus speaks those powerful words. Do you really think that all His disciples immedeately decided that Jesus must have meant to say that they couldn't achieve salvation on their own but instead they had to put complete faith and trust in JC?
Please.....
Give me a break!

Could it be that Jesus is very simply talking about all those that hadn't had an education and are therefore 'poor of spirit'; destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readliy give themselves up to Christ's teaching and proved themselves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasures (interlinear scripture analyzer).

Jesus was countering a culture where 'the experts' ran religion; where most 'ordinairy' people were considered poor in intellect and education.
Isn't Jesus saying that the scribes and farasees with all their intellect and richness in spirit were and are their own biggest obstacle for obtaining Gods blessing.

If Jesus, and or His disciples, would see our interpretation of a lot of His sayings they would probably just stare at us without saying anything.
Their silence speaking volumes!

His words were and are for the common people and we need to read simplicity and simple meaning in His words.

Jesus' first beatitude was a great encouragement for His disciples. It lifted them up and encouraged them. They probably didn't even read it as an accusation towards the scholars. It helped them understand that the Kingdom is accesible for all those ordinairy people. And that was the Good News of the Kingdom.

Chatter

Paul instructs Timothy to turn away from godless chatter. I'd like to do the same. But the the questions wells up, what is it? And does godly chatter exist? Or, is chatter by definition always ungodly. I believe Paul only talks about chatter twice; in 1 Tim. 6 and 2 Tim. 2. In both cases it come as a package together with "unholy"; unholy godless chatter. Only in 2 Tim. we get a little bit of context; guys who are spreading the news that the resurrection has already taken place. In 1 Tim. 6 most of the chapter is about money.

Throughout its history, and up till today, an unbelievable amount of ball and baloney is being chattered about. Maybe those are the words we would use: ball and baloney.
A couple of things:

While the church keeps on chattering about politics, money, baptism, speaking in tongues, buildings, organisation; millions are going to hell.


While the church is at it and a working group has to make some tough decisions regarding carpets and sinks and/or the colour of the urinals, thousands of children die because of malnutrition and/or contaminated water.

While we are writing, publishing and reading thousands of books and articles (all good Christian stuff) with a lot of chatter stuff in it, tens of thousands don't even have access to a copy of the word of God.

While we keep on chattering on the position and the role of women in the church, millions of women don't even have the most basic role or position.

While we refine, tweak and fine-tune our theology of worship and spend millions on sound equipment, instruments and sound engineering we don't even realise that all these things are the contemporary equivalent of chatter and most of it is utterly unholy.

I could go on and on but I won't because I know I will get depressed if I keep chattering on.

But the sad reality is that it is true. We chatter away at interpreting the meaning of chatter while precious time leaks away into oblivion.

Yet, isn't it true also that we need some chatter. Chatter that will point us back into the right direction. Chatter that will shake us up a bit.
I believe it's possible. I believe holy chatter is possible.