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BLESSED ARE YOU
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I made an interesting realization today. There was part of me that thought how much we have a way of missing the Beatitudes when we read them. One in particular is:
Matthew 5:11 (NIV)
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
I've heard this verse spun many a way. I've heard people relish in being insulted, persecuted or when false things are said and they take solace because Christ told us that we are blessed. The question I asked myself was "How many times am I insulted, persecuted or have false things said about me because of me?" This question is of ultimate importance because truly, the question does not matter at all. This is the question that matters: "How many times am I insulted, persecuted or have things said about me because of Christ?" That is the question that truly matters!
If anything happens because of myself (Justin), why would God called that blessed?! It's miserable! No one likes being reviled, persecuted or to be lied about. That is not an existence we want to live in. Yet how many times do we attribute this to Christ when really we are just being insulted, persecuted or lied about because of a misstep we took.
When we switch the pronoun and we are insulted, persecuted or lied about because of Christ, then the situation changes all together. Now, it's not because of some action we took, but it's because of Christ that these things occur. It's because of His cross. It's because of His righteousness. It's because of His holiness. It's because of His sanctification. It's because of His work in us that these are true. Not because of our own work.
The Beatitudes can quickly be switched to the Meatitudes if we are not careful to keep the pronouns the way that they are, and the reason why we would be called Blessed to be what it is. May each of us see that there is a a cross to bear on this planet and it's the cross of Christ, not the cross that we have chosen to take up ourselves.
Matthew 5:11 (NIV)
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
I've heard this verse spun many a way. I've heard people relish in being insulted, persecuted or when false things are said and they take solace because Christ told us that we are blessed. The question I asked myself was "How many times am I insulted, persecuted or have false things said about me because of me?" This question is of ultimate importance because truly, the question does not matter at all. This is the question that matters: "How many times am I insulted, persecuted or have things said about me because of Christ?" That is the question that truly matters!
If anything happens because of myself (Justin), why would God called that blessed?! It's miserable! No one likes being reviled, persecuted or to be lied about. That is not an existence we want to live in. Yet how many times do we attribute this to Christ when really we are just being insulted, persecuted or lied about because of a misstep we took.
When we switch the pronoun and we are insulted, persecuted or lied about because of Christ, then the situation changes all together. Now, it's not because of some action we took, but it's because of Christ that these things occur. It's because of His cross. It's because of His righteousness. It's because of His holiness. It's because of His sanctification. It's because of His work in us that these are true. Not because of our own work.
The Beatitudes can quickly be switched to the Meatitudes if we are not careful to keep the pronouns the way that they are, and the reason why we would be called Blessed to be what it is. May each of us see that there is a a cross to bear on this planet and it's the cross of Christ, not the cross that we have chosen to take up ourselves.
