Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
My Bible classes began working on the Beatitudes recently. The nine statements of Jesus at the outset of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's chapter five are familiar to Christians but are often foreign to the way we act. How are we supposed to rejoice and mourn concurrently? Who feels good about being mistreated? Philip Yancey translated these teachings as Lucky Are The Unlucky. Our class periods centered around our own translations of these contradictory, to the non-believer, words of truth from the lips of the Savior. Each student was assigned the task of recreating the Beatitudes in ways that made sense to them in twenty-first century Houston, Texas. What follows is a sampling of the theology of my students. All are used by permission with boys in blue and girls in pink:
Blessed are those who don't know what to say for they will have plenty to talk about in heaven. (Erin)
Blessed are the souls tempered by conflict for they can weather any storm. (Baxter)
Blessed are those with stage fright for they will have their own stage in heaven. (Chloe B.)
Blessed are the racist souls for they shall soon believe in equality. (Toni)
Blessed are the drug addicts for the Lod will be their only addiction. (Sheyi)
Blessed are the protectors for God will shield them. (Bryan)
Blessed are those with pretty smiles for they will use their smiles to make people feel better. (My)
Blessed are the martyrs for they will be called lambs of God. (Matthew)
Blessed are the downtrodden for they will stand tall. (Justin)
Blessed are the ballet dancers for they will leap across great opportunities. (Jasmine)
Blessed are the overlooked for God sees their work. (Seye)
Blessed are the cold for Jesus' coat of salvation is warmer than anything else! (Kaitlyn)
Blessed are the cold for God will give them a warm heart. (Tucker)
Blessed are the mute for they will sing praises of worship in heaven. (Chloe S.)
Blessed are the weak minded for God will do your thinking for you. (Tyra)
Blessed are the confused for God will clarify all things. (Grant)
Blessed are the misunderstood for God thinks you are normal. (Jeremiah)
Blessed are the orphans for God will be your true Father and Guardian! (Re'ana)
Blessed are those in love for they get to feel how God feels about us. (Jazzmin)
Blessed are those who dream for God loves their imaginative spirit. (Xavier)
Blessed are those who suffer pain for they will be relieved. (Steph)
Blessed are the fathers for they are like God. (Tre')
Blessed are the narrow minded for the Lord will enlighten them. (Sidnee)
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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