So whatever you want people to do to you, do just that to them. Matthew 7:12 (TKNT)

Blessed Are The Powerful – The Holy Week Series – Part 3

Go to PART 1  |  PART 2  |  PART 3  |  PART 4  |  PART 5  |  PART 6

Some scholars believe that Christ's “Sermon on the Mount” was delivered sometime during the week before his crucifixion. It was probably his final public address. As we’ve said many times, the political and social atmosphere of Jesus day was volatile, to say the least. Israel had been conquered and was occupied, yet again, by a violent, foreign nation, and were prisoners in their own land.

History repeated itself for the Israelites. All throughout their history they were invaded, murdered, slaughtered, exiled, enslaved, returned, invaded, exiled, enslaved… over and over. The tribe that declared they served the one true God had trouble defending their land and place in the Ancient World.

When would God deliver them? When would he establish them amongst and above the nations – with strength and power – as his chosen people? When would he avenge them? Show himself mighty on their behalf?

Most believed that the only way out of this situation was to pick up their swords and fight their way out. I wonder how many gathered in secret to plot and plan, to count weapons and encourage revolution? Did they know where each Roman official lived? Did they study their movements? Their weaknesses and strength? I can imagine the air tingling with expectation and fervour; their hands aching for weaponry, their dreams filled with images of their oppressors dying in the streets as they fought their way to freedom. Freedom paid in full by the blood of their enemies.

When Jesus took the short walk to the top of a hill – the famed mount of olives – the crowd that had gathered had to have questions, desperate for answers and leadership – “What did this new Teacher and Rabbi have to say about their world?”

In front of people who were willing to kill for their freedom, or who couldn’t think of any other way out, he didn’t say:

Blessed are the powerful.
Blessed are those who conquer.
Blessed are those who are stronger than their enemy.

No. He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Blessed are those who mourn,
blessed are the meek, the hungry and the thirsty
blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart
blessed are the peacemakers
blessed are the persecuted…”

Perhaps not what the crowd was expecting to hear.

The rest of his sermon was just as surprising. He talked about being salt and light, turning the other cheek and going the extra mile… (which is about equality and dignity… more on that another time). He told them to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors… He taught them to value unseen treasures over material gain, and not to worry about anything, but pray about everything. Don’t judge others… not your countrymen, not your accuser, the Roman guard on your street corner, or Herod sitting in his palace. But instead ask, seek and knock… explore the depths of faith and life… look for another way, walk humbly, see and hear empathically. Walk through the narrow gate. Take the road less traveled by.

The narrow gate. A different way. A new way. The Way of Christ.

Towards the end of his sermon, Jesus said:

“So whatever you want people to do to you, do just that to them. Yes; this is what the law and the prophets are all about. Go in by the narrow gate, the gate that leads to destruction, you see, is nice and wide, and the road going there has plenty of room. Lots of people go that way. But the gate leading to life is narrow, and the road going there is a tight squeeze. Not many people find their way through.” (Matthew 7:12-14).

Jesus was about to change everything. Instead of Israel’s freedom being paid for by the blood of Romans, Jesus would allow his own to be spilled for the sake of Jews and Romans alike. To show us across the ages that there is another way.

This is our Holy Week Series from 2017 – Join us in our App for a fresh look at the week leading up to Easter.

Go to Part 4 – A New Kind of Exodus »

Written by Liz Milani
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