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 children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
My Bible classes finished the Beatitudes recently. The eight 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 the naked for they will be robed in God's grace. Elizabeth
Blessed are the homeless for they will find shelter under God's wings. Jayvon
Blessed are the quiet for God will make your voice greater. Taylore
Blessed are the barren for in heaven, all are family. Caedan
Blessed are those not listened to for they will be hear loud and clear. Megan
Blessed are the cold hearted for they will be filled with joy and love in heaven. TaLora
Blessed are those who need glasses now for they will see clearly in the kingdom. Isaiah
Blessed are the wounded soldiers for God will always be beside them. William
Blessed are the fearful for God will give them light. Symonne
Blessed are those who struggle for God will give them victory! Javier
Blessed are the slow for they will be filled with speed when they see God! Wesley
Blessed are the handicapped for God will be your legs and arms. Jace
Blessed are those who listen without judging for they will be listened to without being judged. Hannah
Blessed are those who cannot afford to get an education for their kids for their children will be filled with knowledge. Kyle
Blessed are the sad for God will put a smile on their face. Madison
Blessed are the bind for you won't need that kind of vision in heaven. Ethan
Blessed are those who do not trust themselves for God will give them confidence. Richard
Blessed are the unemployed for they will work for the Lord. Christina
Blessed are the failures for in heaven, they will be fulfilled and rewarded. Naomi
Blessed are the deaf for they will have the ear of God. Crystal
Blessed are the shy for God will instill in them a spirit of courage. Vageli
Blessed are the lonely for Jesus will be your best friend. Josh
Applicable quote of the day:
“If we were to set out to establish a religion in polar opposition to the Beatitudes Jesus taught, it would look strikingly similar to the pop Christianity that has taken over the airwaves of North America.”
Tony Campolo
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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