Today in the Gospel we hear the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. In the Old Testament Moses went up the mountain to receive God’s law and teach it to the people. Jesus is not receiving a law as Moses did, rather He is proclaiming a new law, the law of His Kingdom.

Jesus wants us to write these laws not just on stone like in the Old Testament, but on our hearts. His desire is to make us holy and provides the means to do so. It was a change from the normally accepted values—happy life, you were blessed—miserable life, God’s punishment.

I humbly offer this interpretation of a few of the Beatitudes for your consideration,

The Beatitudes can seem overwhelming and encouraging at the same time. Christ is saying, Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven.” It should remind us that the hard stuff doesn’t last forever but heaven does.

Living the Beatitudes is swimming against the cultural current. The Kingdom of God calls good what the world calls bad, and bad what the world calls good. The choice is yours, the Kingdom or the culture.

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