Jeff's Journal

Please read Matthew 5:1-12

Sermons get a bad rap.

I hear the words used out there.

   "Don't start preaching to me."

   A child says to a friend in frustration,

      "Mom gave me a sermon!"

   A critic writes about a book,

      "The author got preachy in chapter 8."

 

Sermons are fine.

  But the problem is the context.

Sermons are not fine when the situation

   calls for dialogue.

   Nor are they appropriate

      when there is listening to be done.

 

Jesus stood on the hillside

   and the people came,

   because he had something worthwhile to say.

   They were hoping he would show them a better way.

      "Tell us who we are."

      "Show us who we can be."

      "Weave a story which provokes our imaginations

         to see what we could not see without your help."

 

Then Jesus speaks about the poor in spirit,

   those who mourn, the meek, the merciful,

   the pure in heart, the peacemakers and

   the persecuted.

All those of whom he spoke in his first

   recorded sermon, were vulnerable people.

Heads began to nod.

Looks were exchanged.

They saw themselves in his words and knew he

   was talking about them.

Some saw who they could be — and should be.

 

Jesus begins to speak

   and cuts right to the chase.

"My heart is for that place in you

   which is empty and needs to be filled

   with the goodness of God."

 

Maybe the most important thing he said was,

   "You're blessed when you've worked up a good

      appetite for God. He's food and drink

      in the best meal you'll ever eat." (The Message)

 

Get hungry.

 

Moving to the deeper places,

Jeff