Matthew 5:13-16 Greek Text

Greek Study Matthew 5:13-16

v13 υμεις "you" – an emphatic εστε (ειμι) pres. "you are" - indicative statement, so not "be salt", but "you are salt". 

της γης (η) "of the earth" – i.e. the human world. In what sense is this true? "Salt" is not a verbal noun so this is likely possessive, "you are the earth's salt".

μωρανθη (μωραινω) aor. pas. subj. "loses its saltiness" – an idiom meaning, becomes foolish = tasteless =saltless likely meaning “low grade" or “polluted/diluted”.

 αλισθησεται (αλιζω) fut. "can it be made salty again" - The subject is της γης, "the earth", "how will the earth be made salty", but more likely το αλας, "the salt".

βληθεν (βαλλω) aor. part. "to be thrown" - "good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot".

καταπατεισθαι (καταπατεω) aor. pas. inf. "trampled" the infinitive here expresses the result of the saltless salt having no useful purpose, but it more properly forms an infinitival phrase, object of the verb ισχυει, "useful", standing in apposition to "for nothing".

v14 εστε (ειμι) "you are" indicative, "you are the light" addressing the disciples, Jesus is the light of the world (cf. Isaiah 42:6) and disciples are light in him.

του κοσμου (ος) "[the light] of the world" "you are the world's light".

κειμενη (κειμαι) pres. part. "[on a hill] / built [on a hill]" "a city which is lying on a hill."

κρυβηναι (κρυπτω) aor. pas. inf. "[cannot] be hidden" - infinitive is complementary.

v15 ουδε "neither" - links the clauses concerning the city and the lamp. Together they representing parallel impossibilities; “neither does someone light their house by removing all the bulbs. The bulbs are left in place so everyone can see."

καιουσιν (καιω) pres. "light" burn. Unlike απτω, "touch/light" this word emphasizes the action of keeping the lamp burning.

τον μοδιον (ος) "a bowl" – actually a 9 liter basket used for measuring grain.

v16 λαμψατω (λαμπω) aor. imp. "let [your light] shine" imperative, "shine your light".

εμπροσθεν + gen. "before" in front of - spacial. As the city and the lamp is visible to all so the light which radiates from the disciple should shine for all to see.

τα καλα εργα "good works" – a phrase common in the NT, occurring 30 times, but defined by the context. The "good works" here are explained in ethical terms: "living according to the values of the kingdom and manifesting the righteousness of the Torah/Law. But there is also a "mission perspective" for the light in the revelation of a particular kind of righteousness". This missionary function is not fulfilled by the application of the ethical demands of v21 on - this "good work" is the revelation of the saving activity of God in Christ. This is the work of the new Israel realized by making the gospel known 

δοξασωσιν (δοξαζω) aor. subj. "praise" – worthy. "The works of disciples glorify GOd not the doers.

Someone has to see to it that the dung burns

This is some writing we did not publish three years ago but, since we had it . . . 

For especially in these last times it is no less needful to admonish men to Christian discipline [to the way of living aright and godly] and good works, and remind them how necessary it is that they exercise themselves in good works as a declaration of their faith and gratitude to God, than that the works be not mingled in the article of justification; because men may be damned by an Epicurean delusion concerning faith, as well as by papistic and Pharisaic confidence in their own works and merits. - Chemnitz 

We can talk about salt if you like. There is a possibility that Jesus is making a reference to earth ovens that were fueled by dung mixed with salt and had a floor made of a salt slab. The salt seems to have been there because it was found that dung by itself does not burn well but dung in the presence of salt does. So, might one then paraphrase: You are the salt of the earth. If the salt no longer makes the excrement burn it gets tossed into the mud in the street to give surer footing during the rainy season where it will melt into the dust of the dry sea on and blow away. 

It is just so much more pleasant to talk about salt making food taste better. Light is good in a dark existence and who would not want to be a light like that for others? And, yes, being cities on the hill giving light of their presence is such a worthy image and goal. Yes, security at night knowing they are there to take refuge in. Yes, those are images that appeal. We all want to be hope and refuge for the weary. 

But, alas, Jesus words are of two natures: One noble and one ignoble. The Christian work of accomplishing their lives purpose, to increase the Glory given to God, is, maybe, of more than character as well. Sometimes, it is our privilege to be light and refuge. We, as churches, have paid attention to that for centuries. We are the safe places. Everyone is welcome here, we even have Marty Haugen write songs about that and we make videos about how our work of welcoming and charity are going. As long as we are still remembering that Glory is due only to God - remember even Jesus thought no one is “good” other than God alone - there is maybe no harm done there. 

But, somehow the excrement has to burn, otherwise there will be no fire in the earth ovens. It is hard to write songs or make videos about that. It is hard to go on lecture circuits or write a church ministry program based on being the inert ingredient in the excrement of the world that makes it into passable fuel and therefore good for something instead of being good for absolutely nothing. 

Somehow, this Christian life is serving a purpose. That purpose is defined and written by  the God of Abraham and Moses. The law will not pass away, says Jesus. The purpose of Christian life has been tied to the purpose which was originally served by the people Israel. Someone has to witness to the nature and presence of God in the world. Someone, by their submission to a God unseen to the uncaring eye must give account of their life to this world saying: This is God and this is what God is doing right now and what God will do. 

The Sermon on the Mount is seen often as Jesus doing what Moses once did. Jesus here brings from the Mountain a “law,” a way to live as his own in this world. Yet, most of what he teaches is humble. The sermon builds no new temples, decrees no new ephods for high priests, establishes no new order of prophets, commissions no new curtains for inner sanctums of great sanctuaries. Instead it reaches deeply into the common, that ordinary, the ignoble parts of life and stakes out a mounds for its new temples there. Blessed are indeed the meek and pure at heart. 

It is not good for us to forget that the fun part of being church, the comforting and happy pats, are only part of the work. Much more of it will literally consume her but it will consume her to the Glory of God. Will she be willing?

you don't become a saint for doing dishes . . or do you?

Scripture supposes that every human being is created with a unrepeatable, deep, interior shape. Rather than having to fight to do my own will, I need to allow the Spirit of God to find a home within the space that is me. . . .God’s love becomes us. It will help us find ourselves as what we really are deep down: givers of food, helpers to the homeless, forgiving and loving members of society. — John Foley, SJ

One Sunday morning at a small southern church, the new pastor called on one of his older deacons to lead in the opening prayer. The deacon stood up, bowed his head and said,"Lord, I hate buttermilk."

The pastor opened one eye and wondered where this was going. The deacon continued, "Lord, I hate lard." Now the pastor was totally perplexed. The deacon continued, "Lord, I ain't too crazy about plain flour. But after you mix 'em all together and bake 'em in a hot oven, I just love biscuits."

"Lord help us to realize when life gets hard, when things come up that we don't like, whenever we don't understand what You are doing, that we need to wait and see what You are making. After you get through mixing and baking, it'll probably be something even better than biscuits. — Internet Lore

Each of us is in a constant process of revealing our selves, even if we are not aware of it or really sure of the self we are revealing. — Larry Gillick, SJ

Larry Gillick once proposed a rewrite of the Holy Mass: At the end of it, he mused, the priest would go to the back door and rather large people would take position at all doors lest anyone escape. Then  the priest would proclaim: “The Mass has not ended!” As the people turned to see if the priest has lost his worship book or his mind, said priest would then calmly say that nobody would be leaving without their publicly declaring how they are going to spice up and light up their parts of the world. Then the priest will also profess how God’s light is going to shine through the priest’s deeds. Only then would the final Blessing and the Dismissal: “Go in peace and Live the Eucharist,” be given.

It’s a thought I suppose, but I do not think I have the bouncers to make it work. 

Spiritual wisdom is a complicated thing. It probably is alike to living the Beatitudes and not even doing so consciously but from within. If the lives of the Saints are an example, then those most spiritually mature are also those who continuously wonder if the Lord is actually being served by them in their living, wonder whether what they do actually matters, wonder if heaven actually listens when they pray. All of them write of their doubts and fears now and again, much more than about their ecstatic visions or experiences, yet they seem somehow obnoxiously certain that they need to carry on in the mission that they embarked on — sometimes years prior — even if they do not see the “why” and even if the best of their friends and superiors try to dissuade them from their persistence. 

We admire them not for their grandeur but for their humility, their poverty even. We admire them because they were peculiar people who did simple things all of us could do as well but do not and they did them with an air that we fail to be able to put into words.

St. Paul is one of those. What does he bring to his job of evangelist? Weakness and brokenness and a message that God’s Messiah was crucified — and perhaps one of the best trained pharisaical minds in his generation that he refuses to be proud of because it caused him to persecute the Lord and his church. You either somehow grasp on to his message of Christ and him crucified or you do not. If you grasp it, it will have effects on your living. 

But it is too easy to turn to the saints or to Paul, or, God forbid it, to Jesus, and measure ourselves by what we do and how we do it. We are not the sum of our accomplishments. The simple evangelism strategy of Paul seems to have been not to talk about Christ’s accomplishments. He — so is his own witness — wanted to talk about Christ and Him crucified. (1 For 2:2) 

Neither does Paul think that any of us are judged by the totality or even short term peculiarity of our accomplishments. (1 Cor 2:15) “Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny,” goes 1 Corinthians 2:15. 

We might need to remember that Paul is defending his time with the Corinthians here. The danger here, and in the Sermon on the Mount, is that it will be turned into a checklist type thing: “Yes, I truly understand, therefore I have the Spirit.” Paul also once “truly understood” and ended up killing Phillip in all his understanding.

Br. Lawrence of the Resurrection was a simple monk. His greatest physical accomplishments on earth after joining the brothers of the Discalced Carmelite order was to wash the dishes in the monastery. His conversion was not a glorious vision but rather a careful reading of a very earthly parable: A tree in late winter. It seemed dead to Lawrence. Dead as he felt himself to be. But God, he realized, had Life waiting for that tree and due seasons of God would bring life all its own. The tree waited patiently and did what it was meant to do. Why not Lawrence? God’s love burned for that tree. Why not for Lawrence? God would not abandon it to winter forever. Why would Lawrence have less? God gave the tree a simple and humble job. And Lawrence?

People eventually seek him out after someone notices that the dishwasher at the monastery seemed to be the most holy man there. One went there to wash dishes and peel potatoes with him as his advice was too simple to comprehend. He seemed embarrassed to share it and writes reluctantly, abruptly ending correspondence when he senses that his the other is seeking wisdom and not obedience, but consented to a few interviews (“The Practice of the Presence of God" is the Result of these) and he does write a few letters.  

"Men invent means and methods of coming at God's love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God's presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?”

For Lawrence, every place became the Heart of God. In every place you are either the love, the salt, of God or you are not. In every place you are, you are the mercy, the light, of God or you are not. The good news is that you are salt and light at God’s direction, in God’s season, at God’s will, not at your own. 

What would be his advice to us all? Surrender to the ever-present, loving presence of God. It will be difficult and it will take a lifetime. 

He is not a “Saint.” Washing dishes and “defriending” correspondence partners are not miracles that count toward canonization. Yet, he might be the saintly sage for the age of us. Many things need doing. 

Great and important things are afoot. People are being done wrong, desecration everywhere, “What will you do? What will you do?” 

“Here where I stand, I will conduct my life as if God was in the room, because that is actually true”

It is hard to build a theocracy out of that conviction, equally hard to organize a rally on the state house steps. But it is a life lived to God. Let God then, with the lives surrendered to heaven’s purpose, do as grace seems fit.

Readings for January 29th, the 4th Sunday after Epiphany, 2017

First Reading: Micah 6:1-8

 1Hear what the Lord says:

  Rise, plead your case before the mountains,

  and let the hills hear your voice.

 2Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord,

  and you enduring foundations of the earth;

 for the Lord has a controversy with his people,

  and he will contend with Israel.

 3“O my people, what have I done to you?

  In what have I wearied you? Answer me!

 4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,

  and redeemed you from the house of slavery;

 and I sent before you Moses,

  Aaron, and Miriam.

 5O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,

  what Balaam son of Beor answered him,

 and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,

  that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”

 6“With what shall I come before the Lord,

  and bow myself before God on high?

 Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

  with calves a year old?

 7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

  with ten thousands of rivers of oil?

 Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,

  the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

 8He has told you, O mortal, what is good;

  and what does the Lord require of you

 but to do justice, and to love kindness,

  and to walk humbly with your God?

Psalm: Psalm 15

1 LORD, who may dwell in your tabernacle? 

    who may abide upon your holy hill?

2 Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, 

    who speaks the truth from his heart.

3 There is no guile upon his tongue;

he does no evil to his friend; 

    he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.

4 In his sight the wicked is rejected, 

    but he honors those who fear the LORD.

5 He has sworn to do no wrong 

    and does not take back his word.

6 He does not give his money in hope of gain, 

    nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

7 Whoever does these things 

    shall never be overthrown.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

18The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written, 

 “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

  and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

  26Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12

1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

  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 receive 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 for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

The Greek Text of Matthew 5:1-12

Greek Study Matthew 5:1-10

v1 ιδων (ειδον) "when he saw [the crowds]" - adverbial, a causal clause; "Jesus went up the mountain because he saw the crowds.

το ορος "a mountainside" - the definite article may indicate a particular hill.

καθισαντος (καθιζω) aor. part. "sat down" - a teacher sits down to teach.

οι μαθηται "the disciples" - Given the context, the beatitudes are for the disciples, but the question is, are the disciples the "poor in spirit"? Some scholars take the view that the beatitudes are statements of grace directed to the disciples, "blessed are you" but the Greek is not that specific (although v11-12 does mean "you disciples".) 

v2 ανοιξας το στομα aor. part. “opening [the mouth] participle expressing action.

εδιδασκεν (διδασκω) imperf. "to teach" the imperfect is used to make the point that the sermon on the mount is a summary of Jesus' teachings, "this is what Jesus used to teach".

v3 μακαριοι adj. "blessed" - not the best translation, "fortunate" or "well off", possibly "happy". Jesus is telling his disciples that they are fortunate to be this way, fortunate to possess these qualities, because in possessing them they inherit God's kingdom. The beatitudes are not earned – they are gifts. 

οι πτωχοι adj. "the poor ones" –the “powerless” i.e. those without influnce or status.

τω πνευματι (α ατος) dat. "in spirit" - dative is local, defines the poverty. To be poor in spirit is to recognize the need for total dependence on God. As Matthew uses this phrase it has nothing to do with actual poverty.

οτι "for" - a causal clause explaining why – note repeated use of this conjunction throughout the beatitudes.

των ουρανων (ος) gen. "[the kingdom] of heaven" - the eschatological reign of God.

v4 οι πενθουντες (πενθεω) part. "the mourning ones - the mourning is likely over sin, so "fortunate are those who are broken before God."

παρακληθησονται (παρακαλεω) fut. pas. "will be comforted" - a divine passive.

v5 οι πραεις (πραυς) adj. "the gentle ones” in the sense of not demanding of God, so "submissive to the will of God" and willing to trust him for their vindication.

κληρονομησουσιν την γην "[for they] will inherit the earth" - lit. receive by lot, so "possess" - the consequence of covenant inclusion through submission to the divine will (cf. Psalm 37:11, inheriting the promised land.)

v6 οι πεινωντες (πειναω) pres. part. "the hungering ones" substantive.

την δικαιοσυνην (η) "righteousness" - righteousness, justice. Jesus is not speaking of social justice nor those who desire social justice, but the desire to be set right before God, being "judged in the right" in the sense of justification as expounded by Paul. 

χορτασθησονται (χορταζω) fut. pas. "they will be satisfied ".

v7 οι ελεημονες (ων ονος) "the merciful ones" – the reciprocal nature of forgiveness is stressed in both Testaments. The Lord's Prayer gives the classic example, "forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." This beatitude is not saying that those who show mercy will have mercy shown, ie. salvation by works, rather that they who show mercy will know mercy shown.  

v8 τη καρδια (α) dat. "[the pure] in heart" - dative of locality, the regenerate nature of forgiveness, not some moral or sexual purity. Those who possess righteousness will "be like him" and …

οψονται (οραω) fut. "will see" – i.e.  find themselves in God's presence.

v9 οι ειρηνοποιοι (ος) "the ones who make peace" – a hapax legomenon Jesus is not thinking of conflict resolution, referring to those who are no longer at war with God.

θεου (ος) gen. "[sons] of God" - genitive is relational; so “members of God's family”, i.e. for Matthew the baptized.

v10 οι δεδιωγμενοι (διωκω) perf. pas. part. "the persecuted ones" - the perfect tense indicates persecution that began in the past, the consequences of which continue into the present, with participles duration is also intended so “those who endure persecution anytime”. The meaning of the word in the NT means "to put to flight" or "drive away", but carries the positive sense "to follow with intensity and purpose in order to catch up with - to run after, chase after, pursue. hasten, press forward, press on, follow without hostile intent". It fits with the other beatitudes; "blessed are you who pursue the living God." The trouble is v10 and 11 indicate the sense is "blessed are you when people pursue you because of your standing with God." So maybe Jesus is warning his disciples that if they persecute the master they will persecute the servant.

η βασιλεια των ουρανων "the kingdom of heaven" - Matthew ends with a typical inclusio, rounding out the beatitudes by ending where he started.

v11 εστε "are you" - change from the 3^rd person to the 2^nd is important, as noted. This application of the final beatitude guides us in the application of the others.

ονειδισωσιν (ονειδιζω) aor. subj. "people insult (reproach, upbraid)

ψευδομενοι (ψευδομαι) part. "falsely" - the act of being publically attacked alone does not carry any persuecution, it is when in telling the truth you are maligned falsely, i.e. when the 8^th commandment is ignored, God blesses the truth teller.  

v12 αγαλλιασθε (αγαλλιαω) imp. "be glad" -  exceeding glad.

ο μισθος "reward" - divine approval. "payment/wage" is another possible translation but seems crass, this serves to highlight the transitory nature of suffering.

A Journey - Recycled from 3 years ago

People are often unreasonable and self centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.  - Teresa of Calcutta

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for God will give them the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for God will comfort them.

"Blessed are the meek, for God has made them inheritors of the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for God will 

  show it to them.

"Blessed are the merciful, for God will show them mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for God will call them HIS children.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for God builds the kingdom of heaven through the work of the likes of them as was done in times past through the prophets.

Yes, I left one out - I conflated it into the last one - and, yes, I resolved the passive voice into an active voice and I identify the actor: God who through Jesus is mending creation. 

The Beatitudes are merely an introduction to the sermon on the mount. What is that sermon for? Based on where it is preached, right after the call of the disciples, it would seem that the point of it is to introduce to the newly formed group around Jesus how they will work and “be the light” that will accomplish Jesus’ and the Father’s purpose so they will cause glory to be given to the Father by their work. ( Matt 5:16)

Maybe calling them “merely” an introduction is not fair, but they are a summary of the Jesus way of doing the church’s work, and, yes, in Matthew, Jesus did come to establish a church to carry on for him. (Mark Powell) As such, along with the sermon they introduce, they are glimpse into doing church, or at least they ought to be. 

So what is the church to be? “Poor in Spirit” meaning not of high rank in clout or as one who has lost honorable status. She must not have clout of her own. Why? Because she must be dependent on the one who is her benefactor. She never argues her own case. She always argues Heaven’s case with God standing by her as guarantor of her words. His honor carries the argument and day, not the church’s. Prophets do the same thing It is not their words but the Lord’s that they speak for which they are persecuted. Of and for these two, the kingdom of Heaven is forged. 

In her work, which will bring her sufficient hardship to “mourn” her existence,the church is to have only one consolation or comfort: God. She shall, as the sermon later says, seek the kingdom of God and in doing that she shall have all. (Matt 6:33)

Mother Church must be obedient, pliable, and unresisting to the will of her master. She has no power or influence inherent in herself. She cannot conquer the earth. She has no standing todo that. Unless the Lord works this in here. The spread of the Faith is not the church’s source of pride. It is the Father’s glory, not hers. (Matt 5:16) She will see the conquest of the world by the Faith when she does the will of her master.

The church has seen the sin of the world and longs for the day that something be done about it. She hungers for a resolution. That resolution can only be found in one place and can only have one source: God and Heaven. Only there will it be seen and only from there will come the display of it: Jesus.

She will also be changed, this church. Powerless, beset by peril, surrendered to the Father’s will, and longing for better, she will see change, but first in herself. The result of her discipleship to Jesus, God with us, is that she will become merciful. God is showing her mercy and she will learn it from the life of Jesus, echoed in her own travels. She knows the sins of the world and her own. (Matt 7:3-5) She knows that God’s will is mercy because she has seen Jesus who came not to condemn or destroy but to show mercy and save.

She will also find that her heart will, in daily living, be purified. How will she see God? Maybe in a number of ways: First, she will come to see God in Jesus. She becomes church in seeing him for what he is: Surely, this is the Son of God. (Matt 27:54) But she will also come to see that very Jesus in the world after he ascends. She will expect him in the poor, the sick, and the persecuted or she will prove herself un-leadable by her own master. (Matt 25:33ff)  Having learned mercy, by showing mercy without reservation, she will find her Lord in unexpected places, without knowing that she has seen. Yet her longing will keep her going and she will, finally, see Heaven. 

She will find herself standing in apocalyptic circumstances holding nothing but a cross, her feet planted on a pavement strewn with stones thrown in anger, Molotov Cocktails at the ready in front of her, riot guns pointed at her back holding warring parties apart in hope of fostering peace. She will and can do that because she is on no side but God’s, expects no mercy or consolation but from God should things go badly, and she will be recognized as God’s true representative, God’s children. 

She also expects no reward but from God and neither is her peacemaking limited to worldly matter. She will contend for peace on earth but her call is to baptize and teach and ear the world to peace with God by showing it Jesus and by giving glory to God. (Matt 28:18)

They are prayed at Lent, these Beatitudes, as part of Morning prayer. How fitting, for it is in being drawn into the heart of God that we find ourselves. It is in this journey that we realize our place in the universe, that we gather what actually has value, over what we actually have sway. Lent is to be that journey into the Heart of God. Regrettable, many would take that trip and stay. But that is not  choice for a disciple, like the ones who sit at Jesus’ feet as he speaks the sermon on the mound. Contemplatives and Mystics know the danger of longing for union. Luther knew it. The happy exchange Luther speaks of in Freedom of a Christian is not a goal in itself. The last part of “Freedom” is what the result of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost should be. Luther concludes that once the Holy Spirt has brought the exchange of sin for righteousness, Christians will naturally be drawn to serve the neighbor. God has been their salvation and God will be their cause. He already is their Lord. They do not labour to become his subjects. Now, meek as they are, they labour. 

This is the point of the flow of the Beatitudes as well. We are drawn in so we might be sent. In that way maybe they deserve to be prayed and contemplated. They are a Christian’s journey. 

The Readings the of Second Sunday after Epiphany, 2017, January 15th

First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7

 1Listen to me, O coastlands,

  pay attention, you peoples from far away!

 The Lord called me before I was born,

  while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.

 2He made my mouth like a sharp sword,

  in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

 he made me a polished arrow,

  in his quiver he hid me away.

 3And he said to me, “You are my servant,

  Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

 4But I said, “I have labored in vain,

  I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;

 yet surely my cause is with the Lord,

  and my reward with my God.”

 5And now the Lord says,

  who formed me in the womb to be his servant,

 to bring Jacob back to him,

  and that Israel might be gathered to him,

 for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,

  and my God has become my strength—

 6he says,

 “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant

  to raise up the tribes of Jacob

  and to restore the survivors of Israel;

 I will give you as a light to the nations,

  that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

 7Thus says the Lord,

  the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,

 to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,

  the slave of rulers,

 “Kings shall see and stand up,

  princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,

 because of the Lord, who is faithful,

  the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Psalm: Psalm 40:1-11

1

I waited patiently upon the LORD; 

    he stooped to me and heard my cry.

2

He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; 

    he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

3

He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God; 

    many shall see, and stand in awe,

    and put their trust in the LORD.

4

Happy are they who trust in the LORD! 

    they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.

5

Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God!

how great your wonders and your plans for us! 

    there is none who can be compared with you.

6

Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! 

    but they are more than I can count.

7

In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure 

    (you have given me ears to hear you);

8

Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required, 

    and so I said, "Behold, I come.

9

In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: 

    'I love to do your will, O my God;

    your law is deep in my heart.'"

10

I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; 

    behold, I did not restrain my lips;

    and that, O LORD, you know.

11

Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;

I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; 

    I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the

                             great congregation.

12

You are the LORD;

do not withhold your compassion from me; 

    let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever,

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

  2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

  3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

  4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—6just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you—7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gospel: John 1:29-42

29[John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

  35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).