Blessed
Who is called blessed
What does it mean? God loves you, God sees you, God is with you, God is for you, also, you are enviable, you have something that we look to as an example
This is Both told and shown
If just told, does it mean anything? What does it do for someone to say they are blessed?
Jesus proclaims it and then lives it, calls us to do the same – we are blessed, we bless
In fact, Jesus has already been showing it to the crowd who is gathered, even before he puts it into words – end of Matthew 4 – all the people gathered, who he welcomed, healed, loved, cared for
What does it look like?
Welcoming people
When someone comes through our door looking for coffee we make it, for food we give it. No strings attached, no prerequisites. We do invite them to experience bread which satiates all hunger and water that when you drink it quenches unending thirst. But they don’t have to be like us to make it happen.
-important for how we treat people coming in, do they leave feeling blessed, loved, like they could belong?
Did God require you to do something before giving you his grace? Before sending Jesus to save the whole world? NO.
God does require something of us in response to that grace – love of God and neighbor. To act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our God.
Souper Bowl Sunday, Hunger ministry – Helping Hand, Spirit Blessings.
When someone comes to our door hungry, we feed them. We don’t require them to first prove their worth, we invite them in, but they don’t have to stay, our love isn’t contingent on them doing what we want, or behaving a certain way, if it is then it isn’t love.
When we care for those we might call least, the ones oppressed and marginalized, the ones not normally called blessed, we all benefit, grow, experience life.
Here’s something that Womanist – women of African descent – scholars have helped remind us. To make a difference you begin your work at the root, at the bottom.
When you want to water a plant do you water the leaves? Or the roots?
That’s how the plant grows.
When we make sure the homeless have housing, it means everyone has housing.
When we make sure that the hungry people are fed it means we are all fed. You want the best insurance policy to make sure there is always food for you and your family? Make sure everyone in your neighborhood, community, nation, world is fed. If no one is hungry that means you aren’t hungry.
What does it look like to follow Jesus, to be conformed to Christ, it looks like being peacemakers, merciful, it includes meeting hostile resistance to the working out of justice and righteousness, it means mourning with those who mourn.
Hunger? Homelessness? Things that inhibit life and keep us from loving our neighbor?
THESE ARE BIG PROBLEMS, overwhelming, where do we start, in the wilderness, unsure of what’s next, God speaks through the prophet Micah to the people – what does the Lord require of you?
To be good neighbors – to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.
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