Matthew 5:1-12
The Beatitudes
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 18:9-14
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 6:37-42
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 20:16
The First Will Be Last and the Last Will Be First
16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
When I read Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, I think of my early life and how school got my thinking to go about measuring, monitoring, and choosing different things...My upbringing even got into things, and even people...And as I got older and supposedly more mature I saw how my early beliefs were strengthened by my early experiences...
I think of those being picked first at recess on a team and those being picked last...I think about those being most popular in class and those being least popular in class...I think about the best athletes in school and the ones who were completely lacking in ability and agility...I think about being first in a long line or being last in a long line...And as we aged and went off to work, I thought about those starting at the top jobs in the companies, and those starting at the bottom...I think about those who have gotten rich and those who are poor...I have thought about those who were confident, and those who lacked confidence...I think about as I have gotten older those who of good health, and those who have suffered with their poor and failing health...
And when I think about Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He has turned my thinking upside down...He does not like us or want us looking down on those who were picked last, who were not popular, who lack ability and agility, are low in confidence, who are in the bottom, who are poor, or those who are suffering...In every single case, Jesus chooses the latter, and has a compassion for those in last place, the suffering, and those at the bottom of the line...Jesus helps those who need mercy...
Some things must be unlearned...Because I have learned a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap...For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you...