The Sermon on the Mount is a radical document of change. It is when Jesus lays out “the Way”, or the new path for his followers, as opposed to the spiritual road of his pharisaic colleagues. Christian living means acting, behaving and thinking differently from the world, and following Jesus. At the end of the Beatitudes, the Lord delivers the text above. Instead of plotting revenge, he says, we should rejoice when we are insulted, abused or persecuted. Now, that’s hard, especially when the world tells you to do otherwise. But Jesus reminds us that we all, including your enemies, live a life of flesh and of spirit. Our God sees everything we do and that is done to us, and he rewards our restraint. It is our lack of teaching restraint that eventually leads us into the violent mess we have in our communities. Our God expects more from us…
O God, teach me to rejoice in all things, especially when insults, backstabbing, and persecutions come my way. Help me to practice restraint in my life, in Jesus name, AMEN
