Red Letter Society: Sermon on the Mount

Let’s begin with a little lexio divina.  If you are new to the idea of of lexio divina, then let me share the five steps:

• Reading. Read a passage slowly and carefully within the bible.
• Prayer. Having a loving conversation with God.
• Meditation. Thinking deeply or dwelling upon a spiritual reality within a text.
• Contemplation. Resting in God’s presence.
• Action. Go and do likewise.

Now, let us read the passage below in that fashion.  Matthew 5: 1-11

1 When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.

2 He began to teach them, saying:

THE BEATITUDES

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the clean of heart,for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.

Welcome now to the first week of the Red Letter Society.  It’s a bible study I began and named for the fact that some translations of scripture have all Jesus’s words written in red AND the bible study focuses completely on Jesus’s words alone.  I was inspired to do this after my own two year contemplative study on what Jesus said. It was a transformative experience. One I hope to share now with you all.

Every time Jesus speaks he is speaking life into those who would hear his words. In the case of the Beatitudes, we may have heard them so often that these are verses that we think “Oh, yeah, I got that.” and we think we know already.  Let’s examine what we think we know.

What does it mean to be blessed in the Beatitudes?  Is it a feeling? From what I’m reading I don’t think it is.  We don’t tend to think of mourning, poor in spirit, or persecuted in His name as feeling super great.  What of being a peacemaker, merciful, or pure in heart? They sound (and are) super saintly, but not like feelings, but more like attributes we can possess, not only a conformity to Christ, but through grace a transformation within us, by grace, to become like Christ.  

So, some questions we need to ask ourselves, as Saints-in-training...Do we have any of these attributes?  Which ones do we need to work on? A little food for thought as we begin our Lenten bible study….

Here I am, Lord, send me,

L Brandel