Matthew 5:1-12
The 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.
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.
Luke 6:17-26
The Sermon on the Plain
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20 Looking at his disciples, he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
24 "But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.
John 14:27
Jesus Gives Us a Peace, But Not of This World
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Matthew 27:46
Jesus Asks God, Why Have You Forsaken Me
46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").
As I read these two Great Sermons of Jesus, I often wonder if faith is contrary to personal comfort...When I was reading the Bible for the first time, I was actually searching for a peace and comfort that Jesus and His Father might give me...When I read these two Sermons, I thought they were a little hard and tough, while at the same time there is an element of peace in them...I took a pause when I read both of these sermons...These Sermons have an element of suffering in them, but at the same time they have a mysterious joyous element...The cross is in these Sermons, and yet the peace Jesus gives is also in them...This is because He is in these Sermons...And as I think about these Sermons, I have discovered that life tends to be like this, both painful and joyful -and sometimes there is some peace...
I thought (when I first read the Bible) I wanted and needed a faith that always had me feeling good, peaceful, and comfortable...I have learned that on earth and following His teachings, that there will be times of trouble and suffering... But He tells us not to be afraid in these troubled times...He is there...But following Jesus has never exempted one from suffering...The early Christian followers were greatly persecuted for following Him and believing in Him...Many early followers died for Him...Jesus knows suffering...He died on the cross for us...And as the sins of each of us cascaded Him on the cross, His Father left Him...He had taken on the sins of the world, and our sins and sinning ways covered Him...Sin and God do not mix...On the cross, He even ask why had His Father forsaken and left Him...
Faith and comfort are not the same things...I would like to have this constant personal comfort in my life and in my faith, but that is not to be...I would like to be always be comforted by Jesus, but His Sermons do not teach those things...The Sermons on the Mount and the Plain take us away from our own personal comfort...If we are looking for a faith that comforts us, I am not sure that Jesus' teachings do that...He makes it clear that the peace He gives is not an earthly peace, but a heavenly one...And when He says these things about His peace, and the peace that He gives.-He is approaching His own death...He is very soon to be arrested...He is very soon going to be crucified and will die, yet He, as a matter of fact, says "My peace I give to you."...Soon Jesus will suffer and die, yet He offers His Disciples the peace that He can only give, the comfort that can only come from Him...How amazing He is going to soon die, and He knows this -yet, He is giving peace and comfort to His Disciples...