Matthew 5:1-12
Sermon on the Mount
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Isaiah 61:1-11
The Year of the LORD's Favor
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame
you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.
Luke 4:17-21
Jesus Fulfills Isaiah's Prophecy
17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
John 1:1-3
All Things Are Made Through Jesus
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
John 14:6-7
Jesus is the Truth, the Way, and the Life
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
John 16:33
Jesus Overcame This World
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Life seems to be a paradox in the way we see it versus the way Jesus sees it...We see comfort and happiness and wealth as good things and successes...We see material things and like the material things in our lives...We see these things as making us happy and blessed...In His Way of thinking success doesn’t seem to be about these things...Happiness is being close to God and His Son...Happiness is being included in things, and being accepted...Happiness and being blessed is for the one in need, the outcast, the person and people that people and society reject...Jesus invites the outcast of society into His ministry and says they are the ones blessed in life...
To be brokenhearted and mourning hardly seem like the good life, or to be blessed...To be persecuted, does not seem like something that I would want...Some of the things that Jesus mentions and that Isaiah prophesied about are things that we actually try to avoid in life (or at least I do)...But we do know that life can be troubled, difficult, mournful, suffering at times, and can be hard...And we know that suffering is a part of everyone's life...
Jesus sees a troubled, suffering world, and one that He has overcome...He sees a world in which people will have troubles and problems...Jesus sees one's life as needing forgiveness, a need to be comforted, and we need Someone who can bring us peace...He rightfully sees that the world is in need of a Savior...So His worldview seems different than ours...But He is Truth, and the Absolute Truth is what is correct and right...If all things are made through Him, then He completely understands and is completely understanding...And I believe that Complete Understanding is LOVE...So let us place all of our troubles in life, our difficulties, our mourning's, our sufferings, our hardships in Him...Let us rest in Him...Let us find peace in Him...