The Beatitudes Page 6
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The man who sat on a small flat stone in front of them facing the clear blue lake, spoke in a gentle but firm tone ominous words charged with power, as did the prophets of old. He was the promised Messiah who had been hailed by the Hebrew prophets as the great deliverer, but he had no military qualities. He had no armies, no supplies, and he carried no weapons of war; because this great prophet from Galilee was proclaiming a universal message of deliverance not only to the Jews, who were the heirs of the promise, but to all humanity. This spiritual proclamation was to become the foundation of a universal order and a lasting kingdom, which, in due time, would remove all boundaries between nations and embrace all the races and peoples of the world. This New Gospel was to change the whole world. For the first time in human history the world was to be conquered not by forces of arms, but by meekness and love; which are the two great forces that bind the races and peoples of the world together. Love responds to love, just as hate responds to hate, and resentment to resentment.
These new weapons of the Spirit had never been used before, nor had any man known how to use them, but now they were to become the foundation of the new order, the order of God.
When a man is deserted by the world he is closer to God, for no one can live happily in a godless world full of wickedness and injustices.
As Jesus had finished addressing the mourners there came a pause, because the day was growing older and warmer. More people were coming, some of them bring with them sick, insane, lame, or blind relatives and friends to be healed. There were new faces in the growing assembly. Also among the listeners were many who believed in force, who relied on the sword, and who strongly adhered to the law of Moses, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." After all, this was the law that the great prophet had written on Mount Sinai and adjured the people to keep. These men believed that only force could destroy force, and that meekness was nothing but weakness.
Then Jesus, after a brief glance at the large assembly, looked to heaven, as he always did, and said: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
The Aramaic termmeek also means gentle and kind. Meekness should never be confused with weakness.
Had Jesus delivered this sermon in our day, probably he never would have said, 'blessed are the meek,' because today meekness and gentleness are often mistaken for weakness. But Jesus was addressing some of the oppressed, pious Galilean members of the Jewish religion who were born and reared in a part of the world where force and resistance against evil bring only more evil and suffering. They had learned through long experience that meekness finally triumphs over evil forces and changes even the most arrogant men in the world, whereas force is endlessly met with force.
The sun was now high. The cool morning breeze had given way to afternoon heat. The sweet chattering of birds that had greeted the dawn had ceased. The sheep and goats had already sought shelter under the shed. The silence was broken occasionally by newcomers and by the sporadic calling of the shepherds and nomadic people. The sea below was calm, its smooth surface dotted here and there with small fishing boats.
Jesus was sitting with his face turned toward the barren Syrian hills on the other side of the lake, his elbow on his knee and his head rested in his hands as though he were considering the assembled people and pondering their problems and needs.
These new weapons of the Spirit had never been used before, nor had any man known how to use them, but now they were to become the foundation of the new order, the order of God.
When a man is deserted by the world he is closer to God, for no one can live happily in a godless world full of wickedness and injustices.
As Jesus had finished addressing the mourners there came a pause, because the day was growing older and warmer. More people were coming, some of them bring with them sick, insane, lame, or blind relatives and friends to be healed. There were new faces in the growing assembly. Also among the listeners were many who believed in force, who relied on the sword, and who strongly adhered to the law of Moses, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." After all, this was the law that the great prophet had written on Mount Sinai and adjured the people to keep. These men believed that only force could destroy force, and that meekness was nothing but weakness.
Then Jesus, after a brief glance at the large assembly, looked to heaven, as he always did, and said: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
The Aramaic termmeek also means gentle and kind. Meekness should never be confused with weakness.
Had Jesus delivered this sermon in our day, probably he never would have said, 'blessed are the meek,' because today meekness and gentleness are often mistaken for weakness. But Jesus was addressing some of the oppressed, pious Galilean members of the Jewish religion who were born and reared in a part of the world where force and resistance against evil bring only more evil and suffering. They had learned through long experience that meekness finally triumphs over evil forces and changes even the most arrogant men in the world, whereas force is endlessly met with force.
The sun was now high. The cool morning breeze had given way to afternoon heat. The sweet chattering of birds that had greeted the dawn had ceased. The sheep and goats had already sought shelter under the shed. The silence was broken occasionally by newcomers and by the sporadic calling of the shepherds and nomadic people. The sea below was calm, its smooth surface dotted here and there with small fishing boats.
Jesus was sitting with his face turned toward the barren Syrian hills on the other side of the lake, his elbow on his knee and his head rested in his hands as though he were considering the assembled people and pondering their problems and needs.