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.
No comments:
Post a Comment