When the Jews heard Jesus’ announcement about the Kingdom of God they assumed this meant that Jesus was going to lead a revolution to oust the Romans by force and establish Israel as an independent state. So, as Jesus announces the coming of the Kingdom, he must also redefine the nature of the Kingdom. All of his teaching relates to this in some way. In the ‘Beatitudes’ that open the famous ‘Sermon on the Mount’, Jesus answers the question: ‘Who is it that receives the highest honour from God? Who gets to lead the Kingdom charge? Who gets the top positions in this Kingdom?’ Who, in other words, are the ‘blessed ones’? The answer is staggeringly countercultural: it is not those who have it all together and who have succeeded in doing great works of piety. It is the poor in spirit, the broken hearted and the meek. It is not those who crusade against evildoers and rise up against the Romans, as was assumed at the time. It is the merciful; those innocent of vengeance; the peacemakers, and even those who are willing to bear persecution without retaliation. These are the kinds of people who will win the battle that Jesus wants to fight, not a battle against flesh and blood, but a battle against spiritual forces of evil in the world. If you feel that you are the last person that God would choose to lead the charge in his Kingdom, then you are probably the most likely person. The highest honour in the Kingdom of God goes to those who know they are not qualified, but who want to be a part of it.
Ask God to use you to bless someone today.
Read Matthew 5:1-12.
