June 7, 2024

Dear Friends,

Last Sunday we began a summer series of The Beatitudes of Jesus as found in Matthew 5:1-12.

On a Galilean hillside, standing before a diverse assembly of people from many places, both Jew and Gentile, Jesus spoke some of the most revolutionary words ever spoken.

Jesus spoke the Beatitudes (latin for “blessed”) as they have come to be called. Eight “Blessed are…” statements through which Jesus began to describe the kind of people who begin to emerge when the kingdom of God starts to break into the world.

This Sunday we will continue by taking a look at the first of these Beatitudes.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)

Who are the “poor in spirit” that Jesus is talking about?

Well might I suggest that it is important to point out that nowhere in the ible is material poverty held out as the ideal condition. Nowhere in the gospels is Jesus happy when people are materially poor. But what he does point out is that those who are “poor in spirit” know that they have come to a point in their life where they need to depend on God and can experience a joy that goes beyond their own self-sufficiency or self-righteousness.

In short, they know they need God in their life. Their security and their self-esteem is not based on what they have or don’t have. They have stopped playing denial games and know they are helpless and they admit it. It is the start of a “blessed” life.

Perhaps it is no surprise that Jesus began the Beatitudes with this blessing.

Perhaps it is no surprise that those who have come and confessed their own spiritual poverty have found a new beginning and hope in Christ.

As Jesus says, they are blessed.

So please join me this coming Sunday in this exploration of this wonderful beatitude and what does it mean to be blessed!

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My thanks to Mike de Jourdan (aka Sam’s fiancé) and GEM electric for the work they have done to restore the electrical work and our parking lot lights.

They have also dug a trench for our new road sign which will will be installed later this this month.

Have a lovely weekend

Pastor Ian