What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten? And where did you eat it?   I’ve eaten some great meals at some good restaurants. The Canneloni Paolo at Rothschild’s in Corona del Mar is superb, as is the swordfish at McCormick and Kuleto’s in San Francisco. If you have a rich friend with a membership to Disneyland’s Club 33, ask him to get you in. But for my money, the best meal I’ve ever eaten was in Xining, the capital city of the Qinghai Province, in China. At Kentucky Fried Chicken, of all places.   Now, before you think I’ve gone … Continue reading For They Shall Be Filled (Matthew 5:6)

Are you hungry but uncertain whether you will have food to eat? Then the fourth beatitude is for you. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matt. 5.6).   “Wait a minute, George! This beatitude mentions a ‘hunger and thirst for righteousness,’ not food. It talks about spiritual, not physical, hunger.”   Yes and no. It focuses on the hunger and thirst for righteousness. But such a focus does not exclude concern for the physically hungry.   Start with Luke’s parallel beatitude, “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied” … Continue reading Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness (Matthew 5:6)

What “earth” will the meek inherit (Matt. 5.5)?   The answer seems obvious; there is only one Planet Earth. But it is not so obvious, for two reasons: (1) Psalm 37.11 underlies the third beatitude, and it clearly refers to the “land.” In the Old Testament, the “land” denotes Israel, which God promised to Abraham (Gen. 12.1, 7).   (2) The Greek word for “earth” (ge) can refer both to the entire planet and to particular regions within it. So, for example, we read about “the ge of Bethlehem” (Matt. 2.6), “the gen of Israel” (2.20, 21), “the ge of … Continue reading For They Shall Inherit the Earth (Matthew 5:5)

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matt. 5.5). Who are “the meek,” and what “earth” will they inherit? Let’s look at the first question today, and the second tomorrow.   The American Heritage Dictionary offers two definitions of the word meek[1]:   1.      Showing patience and humility; gentle. 2.      Easily imposed on; submissive.   The first definition is active. The meek person voluntarily shows patience, humility, and gentleness. The second is passive. The meek person is easily imposed upon and submissive, whether voluntarily or not. The first kind of meekness is a virtue, the second a … Continue reading Blessed Are the Meek (Matthew 5:5)

According to Jesus, God blesses those who mourn by comforting them (Matt. 5.4). Two questions arise: How does God comfort those who mourn? And when? According to the Bible, God comforts the mourners personally and through the community of faith, and he comforts them now and in the future.   First, God comforts those who mourn both personally and through the community of faith. We see this most clearly in 2 Corinthians 1.3–5, which reads: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us … Continue reading For They Shall Be Comforted (Matthew 5:4)

The world is a heart-breaking place.   Friday, not too long ago, a homeless man walked into the church and asked to speak to a pastor. My assistant asked if I had a few minutes for him. I was busy but told her I’d give him ten minutes. Usually, such people are satisfied with prayer and a bag of food, but this man was different. Fifty-years-old, heavily tattooed, and rough looking, he was a crack addict but had resolved that day to get clean. He was poor, unemployed, and living in his car. He had family, but they were no … Continue reading Blessed Are Those Who Mourn (Matthew 5:4)

“If _______________, I would be happy.”   What did you write in the blank?   ·         “I was healthy again” ·         “I was successful…” ·         “I was happily married…” ·         “I could know that my kids will turn out alright…” ·         “I had more (or better) friends…”   There’s nothing wrong with having these desires, of course, and satisfying them provides a measure of happiness. A healthy, successful, happily married, proud parent with lots of good friends is the American dream. In fact, to desire such a life is a fundamental human longing. It’s the human ideal. Even more, the … Continue reading For Theirs Is the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:3)