What does it mean to be blessed?

Pentecost 26 year A Sermon Beatitudes

What does it mean…to be blessed? And how do we know… what Jesus really means

when he says ‘Blessed are the peacemakers or blessed are the merciful…

What we think it means may have more to do…

with what we’d like it to mean…than what Jesus meant on that mountaintop 2000 years ago. What we think it means to be blessed…may reveal more about us … than divine truth.

From time to time we run into a… ‘What’s in it for me?’

kind of Christian…For them… Jesus words ‘your reward

is great in heaven’ stand out and flash… like a neon sign.

And they think ‘Great! Just so I know…

there’s something in it for me… in the end…

especially if I have to make any sacrifices… along the way. I certainly want to be blessed in heaven after I die.

And occasionally we meet an ‘I’ve heard it all before’ kind of Christian…when they hear someone beginning to read… blessed are the poor in spirit they switch off because they’ve heard it many times…instead of listening…they start thinking… yeah I feel pretty blessed right now… so I must be doin’ alright.  

 And it’s nice just to let Jesus familiar words wash over them…as they reflect on how good life is…

But they’re not paying a lot of attention…

It may never occur to them…their assumptions could be wrong…and they may not have the faintest idea how Jesus understood the word ‘blessed’.

To the ‘what’s in it for me?’ Christian…

Who’s looking for a spiritual insurance policy…to be blessed is all about being rewarded by God after they die…and to the ‘I’ve heard it all before’ Christian…blessed…means being rewarded by God in this life …

Both understandings are self centred …

Heavenly reward and earthly good fortune… for me.

But how does that line up… with what we know about Jesus and his teaching? Are those understandings even logical. When we sing ‘blessed be the Lord God almighty’… are we singing about giving God a reward?

What do you think it means… to be blessed…talk to your neighbour about it.

[Discussion]

To find out what Jesus might be saying to us today… it always makes sense… to first try to understand…

what his words would have meant to the crowds…

who followed Jesus and his disciples up that mountain so long ago.

To remind ourselves…Jesus isn’t talking to Christians …he’s talking to first century religious Jews…men and women…who devoutly repeat… every day of their lives …the Hebrew prayer of Adoration

‘Baruch Atah A-donai’ Blessed is the Lord… People who’d memorized by the age of 8…

the whole book of Genesis…people who knew the words by heart…

'elohiym baruch 'amar  parah 

God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, Gen. 1.22

 

And Genesis 5.2

zakar  nqebah  bara'  baruch  qara' 

Male and female created he them; and blessed them,

Whether blessing God.. or God blessing God’s creatures

…the word they use is בָּרָק‎ Baruch…which in Hebrew actually describes the act of kneeling down or lowering your body or coming down like lightening comes down from the clouds.

 

In the ancient Hebrew scriptures…related words are used… when someone… makes a camel kneel down…by a well in the dessert.

So not only does ‘baruch’ convey a sense of our kneeling down in adoration and reverence before God… but of God… kneeling down like a parent…

to hold the face of a beloved child in their hands…

or wipe a tear away.

A sense of God sweeping down…in love and tenderness for his creatures…removing any distance between us…And of course in the beginning…

God blesses his creatures first…

Our kneeling our prayer and worship…our words and actions of blessing  God…are in response to God’s love and God’s providence.

 

And as Jesus preached his sermon on that mountaintop…everyone gathered there knew…

that Israel had been chosen by God in turn…

to pass on God’s blessing to the nations…

to be a blessing to the gentiles…to those who worshipped other god’s…or none at all.

 

God’s blessings… weren’t to be kept and hoarded…

but spread around… and shared with the world…

so everyone could enjoy the benefits of a loving relationship with God… so everyone could experience God’s forgiveness and mercy…justice and peace.

But to put a long… Biblical story short…

instead of being God’s instrument of blessing

to other nations…Israel prided itself in being the only people chosen to receive God’s blessing…

So in a nutshell…there on that hillside outside Jerusalem…Jesus is forming a new people

to take on Israel’s task. Calling his followers…

to be a people of a new covenant…a new Israel…

that would be a blessing to all nations.

And Jesus he teaches them…teaches us…

what it means…to live a life…a blessed life in right relationship with God… a life which as a consequence…

is a blessing for others.

And did you notice Jesus uses the past tense…

Blessed are those who… [pause]

 He’s saying look at my disciples…

you can tell they’re blessed…you can tell they already received God’s blessing…by their relationships…Look at them… Jesus is saying to the crowd…

look at my followers…they are blessed because they know they need God, because the disorder in the world matters to them and makes them sad... because they know they’re sinners and part of the problem…and because they can forgive others since they’ve been forgiven…and because they hunger and thirst to put things right… in all their relationships…even with their enemies.

You can tell they’re blessed because they’re passing on the blessings they’ve already been given! 

You can tell you’re blessed when you’re passing on the blessings from God… you’ve already been given.

When you’re blessed…Jesus explains… you’re already living in the kingdom of God…you’re part of God’s will being done on earth…only loving relationships can satisfy you. 

When you’re blessed… even though you’re persecuted and the world’s falling apart…your comfort’s in the future… only God can bring. When you’re blessed…you can see God… working his purposes of love…even through you…

And even in the face of insults and lies…you can still rejoice and be glad. [pause]

To be blessed… is to have God sweeping down into time and space… and kneeling down in love and adoration…at your feet…to serve you…to die for you…[pause]

I hope you’ll agree…that it’s worth examining our assumptions …that it’s worth asking questions and going deeper…and that it’s far more than an academic exercise.

Because if we avoid this kind of exploration into history…we may miss out on many blessings.

So in the week ahead may you look at God and one another with new eyes…and a discerning heart…

may you discover people around you who are truly blessed And may you in turn be a blessing to them. And while we’re at it lets see what kind of blessing our church can be to our community and beyond. May we follow Jesus…as a people of the new covenant… because the sharing of God’s blessing isn’t finished… and God’s family isn’t complete.