Jesus opens His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 with the oft-quoted Beatitudes. "Blessed are the..."
While attending college, a chapel speaker did a sermon series on the Beatitudes. The Greek word translated "Blessed" is "Makerios" (Not sure I spelled that right, you at least you can pronounce it this way...). This word, "Makerios," he told us, can also be translated "fully satisfied."
Read the Beatitudes again, substituting "Fully Satisfied" for "Blessed." (Matthew 5:3-12)
"Fully satisfied are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fully satisfied are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Fully satisfied are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Fully satisfied are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled
Fully satisfied are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Fully satisfied are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Fully satisfied are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
Fully satisfied are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Fully satisfied are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me."
We live in a world fully of people searching for satisfaction. Those without Christ, (and sadly, even some who claim Christ) seek satisfaction in money, power, acceptance, laughter, "experience," thrills, etc. They seek it with all their heart, and find none. They do not find what they are looking for because they search for it apart from what He says will bring satisfaction.
Fully satisfied are:
- The poor in spirit
- Those who mourn
- The meek
- Those who desire righteousness
- The merciful
- The pure in heart
- The peacemakers
- Those persecuted for Christ's sake
This list is precisely the opposite of what the world tells us will satisfy. They look at those who seek such things with bewilderment & disbelief, if not outright scorn and derision.
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." (1 Corinthians 1:18,27)
Beloved brothers and sisters, we are called to embrace what the world calls "foolishness" in order to be wise
Seek to be poor (humble) in spirit
- instead of pride
Seek to mourn at the wrong in the world, and mourn at the foot of the cross
- instead of drowning it out in revelry
Seek meekness
- rather than power
Seek righteousness
- rather than embracing the lusts of the flesh
Seek mercy
- rather than revenge
Seek purity of heart
- instead of "experience" or "being wise in the ways of the world"
Seek peacemaking
- instead of insisting upon your way
Seek to be persecuted for Christ sake
- rather than inclusion and acceptance
For you see, in seeking after these things, you seek to be conformed to the image of Christ. It is only by seeking not to have more of the world, but more of God, that we can find joy and satisfaction. C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, "God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there." Those things the world seeks cannot give satisfaction - those things only serve to make them more aware of their emptiness. So seek Christ, seek to be all He calls you to be, and there be fully satisfied.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Revealing Christ
We, as Christians, are the light of the world - filled with Christ and spreading His light and truth in the darkness. (Sound familiar? You're probably thinking "Didn't she JUST write about this in the last post? - Yes and no, just work with me here :)
In my last post, a passing comment I made got me thinking late into the night last night, and after losing a few hours sleep, "Voila!" A new post! I was mulling over the idea of shining brightly in the darkness, and I realized: it seems as though some Christians shine brighter than others - and in a way, it's true.
You see, brothers and sisters, how brightly we shine in this dark world depends not on personality, or speaking ability, but on how completely we imitate Christ. Picture a human body - as we become more like Christ, dying to self, pieces of us "fall off," and Christ in us shines through more radiantly. Perhaps a better metaphor is in order.
Imagine a window, painted over. If you paint a window black, very little light from inside will be visible outside. Sure, there will be a faint glow, but not enough to pierce the darkness. But if you were to slowly chip away that paint, light begins pouring out the window, making the contrast more pronounced. So it is with Christians. As we die to self: give up the desire to fit in, to keep up with today's so-called "intellectualism," to have power, or whatever it is that keeps us attached to the world rather than to Christ, we stand in greater contrast to this dark world. And this is as it should be. We do not belong to the world - Christ has called us out of it! The world will not love us as it's own, because we do not belong to the world. If you fit in well on this earth, something is wrong! As pieces of self are chipped away as God works in us "to will and to act according to His good purpose," more of Christ, who is our life, shines through. Quite simply: He increases, we decrease (John 3:30).
When the world looks at me, I don't want them to see Kcenia's desires, Kcenia's dreams, Kcenia's ambitions, I want them to see Christ, and His profound work in my life. I want them to see He is above all, my complete satisfaction, and all the other things in my life are blessings that He has given to cause my cup to overflow! I want my life be not about fame, popularity, money, or things, but about Christ! I don't just want to be a lamp, I want to be a beacon! Because I'm human, because I am so prone to failure, the only way this will come about, the only way I can become more like Christ, is if I constantly ask for His help in letting go of the things of this world. Lord, purify me; I want more of You, less of me.
"Holy fire, burn away
my desire for anything
That is not of You
but is of me.
I want more of You
And less of me."
In my last post, a passing comment I made got me thinking late into the night last night, and after losing a few hours sleep, "Voila!" A new post! I was mulling over the idea of shining brightly in the darkness, and I realized: it seems as though some Christians shine brighter than others - and in a way, it's true.
You see, brothers and sisters, how brightly we shine in this dark world depends not on personality, or speaking ability, but on how completely we imitate Christ. Picture a human body - as we become more like Christ, dying to self, pieces of us "fall off," and Christ in us shines through more radiantly. Perhaps a better metaphor is in order.
Imagine a window, painted over. If you paint a window black, very little light from inside will be visible outside. Sure, there will be a faint glow, but not enough to pierce the darkness. But if you were to slowly chip away that paint, light begins pouring out the window, making the contrast more pronounced. So it is with Christians. As we die to self: give up the desire to fit in, to keep up with today's so-called "intellectualism," to have power, or whatever it is that keeps us attached to the world rather than to Christ, we stand in greater contrast to this dark world. And this is as it should be. We do not belong to the world - Christ has called us out of it! The world will not love us as it's own, because we do not belong to the world. If you fit in well on this earth, something is wrong! As pieces of self are chipped away as God works in us "to will and to act according to His good purpose," more of Christ, who is our life, shines through. Quite simply: He increases, we decrease (John 3:30).
When the world looks at me, I don't want them to see Kcenia's desires, Kcenia's dreams, Kcenia's ambitions, I want them to see Christ, and His profound work in my life. I want them to see He is above all, my complete satisfaction, and all the other things in my life are blessings that He has given to cause my cup to overflow! I want my life be not about fame, popularity, money, or things, but about Christ! I don't just want to be a lamp, I want to be a beacon! Because I'm human, because I am so prone to failure, the only way this will come about, the only way I can become more like Christ, is if I constantly ask for His help in letting go of the things of this world. Lord, purify me; I want more of You, less of me.
"Holy fire, burn away
my desire for anything
That is not of You
but is of me.
I want more of You
And less of me."
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
"Agh! Mom! Turn the Light Off!"
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." - Matthew 5:14
As Christians, we are called to be the light of the world; Jesus Himself said so. Not only are we the light of the world, we have also been called out of it. ("We are not of the night nor of darkness..." 1 Thess 5:5b). That we are called to be separate from the world, separate from the darkness, is no surprise. After all, the statutes and ways of Christ are diametrically opposed to the ways of this world. So we, filled with hope, joy, truth and LIGHT head eagerly into the darkness to offer the life of Christ, and hope eternal. The problem? We find that nearly the moment we head out, we face staunch and harsh opposition - people laugh and mock, scorn and obstinately refuse to listen. This often leaves the Christian feeling disillusioned: if the light of Christ is so beautiful, so good, why, then do people reject it so vehemently? I have wondered this very thing many times.
"This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20
People are comfortable: they either know they are evil, or they are blissfully unaware that they are dead - living in utter darkness. This world continues to get darker. The darker the darkness, the brighter the light. This is both good news and bad news. The good news is: the light we shine, Christ in us, is so visible to the world - so visible against the backdrop of utter black and despair. But, the harsher the contrast, the more resistance we face. Allow me to illustrate:
When you were a kid (or maybe even in college, if you lived at home), did your parents ever wake you up for school by turning on your bedroom light, flooding your dark, sleepy, comfortable room with obnoxious, bright, painful light? Mine sure did - all the time. And I hated it. All I wanted to do was sleep, stay under my warm covers. I didn't want to put my feet on the cold floor and get ready for the day. Later, I was thankful, because getting up meant I got to do all sorts of things I would never have had a chance to do had I merely stayed in bed. But in that moment, when Mom and Dad turned on the light, I HATED the light and LOATHED Mom and Dad.
It's similar with the light of Christ. The world is sleeping in darkness, and while we know that the light Jesus offers is better, the world is perfectly content right where it is. When we, full of the light of Christ, the light of truth, burst into a world of darkness, the contrast is harsh, overwhelming, and unwelcome. The truth is, by nature, offensive - the light reveals all that is wrong. But take heart, O Christian. What we offer the world in Christ is far better than they know. Don't be discouraged by opposition and resistance. Let Christ's Spirit do His work in the hearts of men. We are the bearers of the light, but it is the Holy Spirit who works in men's hearts.
So, don't be afraid. Get out there and TURN ON THAT LIGHT!
As Christians, we are called to be the light of the world; Jesus Himself said so. Not only are we the light of the world, we have also been called out of it. ("We are not of the night nor of darkness..." 1 Thess 5:5b). That we are called to be separate from the world, separate from the darkness, is no surprise. After all, the statutes and ways of Christ are diametrically opposed to the ways of this world. So we, filled with hope, joy, truth and LIGHT head eagerly into the darkness to offer the life of Christ, and hope eternal. The problem? We find that nearly the moment we head out, we face staunch and harsh opposition - people laugh and mock, scorn and obstinately refuse to listen. This often leaves the Christian feeling disillusioned: if the light of Christ is so beautiful, so good, why, then do people reject it so vehemently? I have wondered this very thing many times.
"This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20
People are comfortable: they either know they are evil, or they are blissfully unaware that they are dead - living in utter darkness. This world continues to get darker. The darker the darkness, the brighter the light. This is both good news and bad news. The good news is: the light we shine, Christ in us, is so visible to the world - so visible against the backdrop of utter black and despair. But, the harsher the contrast, the more resistance we face. Allow me to illustrate:
When you were a kid (or maybe even in college, if you lived at home), did your parents ever wake you up for school by turning on your bedroom light, flooding your dark, sleepy, comfortable room with obnoxious, bright, painful light? Mine sure did - all the time. And I hated it. All I wanted to do was sleep, stay under my warm covers. I didn't want to put my feet on the cold floor and get ready for the day. Later, I was thankful, because getting up meant I got to do all sorts of things I would never have had a chance to do had I merely stayed in bed. But in that moment, when Mom and Dad turned on the light, I HATED the light and LOATHED Mom and Dad.
It's similar with the light of Christ. The world is sleeping in darkness, and while we know that the light Jesus offers is better, the world is perfectly content right where it is. When we, full of the light of Christ, the light of truth, burst into a world of darkness, the contrast is harsh, overwhelming, and unwelcome. The truth is, by nature, offensive - the light reveals all that is wrong. But take heart, O Christian. What we offer the world in Christ is far better than they know. Don't be discouraged by opposition and resistance. Let Christ's Spirit do His work in the hearts of men. We are the bearers of the light, but it is the Holy Spirit who works in men's hearts.
So, don't be afraid. Get out there and TURN ON THAT LIGHT!
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