Reflection from Rev Paul Smith
Matthew 5:3-12
Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them.
Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised.
Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God has promised; God will satisfy them fully.
Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be merciful to them!
Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God!
Happy are those who work for peace: God will call them his children!
Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires,
the kingdom of Heaven belongs to them!
From the Good News Bible published by the Bible Societies and HarperCollins Publishers, © American Bible Society 1994, used with permission.
Reflection
My Bible’s title for these verses is “true happiness”. Do you find that so much gets in the way of this “true happiness”? Actually you will agree that for most of us these verses are the ideal way to live our lives as Christians. Yet we fall short so often, so it won’t do any harm to be reminded.!
Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.
To me this would mean that being good at praying or having a really thorough knowledge of Christian things is NOT the answer. Instead, knowing that you are not very able in these things
Happy are those who mourn.
To be prepared to trust God in the worst circumstance that you could possibly imagine. Could I?
Happy are those who are humble.
Stop trying to take credit for things and accept criticism. If you are elderly, accept what is happening to you.
Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.
Stop running away from, or avoiding, the necessary parts of life which you find unpleasant.
Happy are the merciful.
To look at everyone we meet in life with a good positive reaction and not be antagonistic or paranoid.
Happy are the pure in heart.
To me this is a realisation that what we think about or desire inwardly needs to be sorted and controlled as much as our speech and actions.
Happy are those who work for peace.
This saying explains itself; however I stress how important it is to control the way we react to situations.
Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.
How important it is to always remember our fellow Christians in places where Christianity is not welcome and where people are going to be discriminated against or even hurt or killed?
Do you think it is too easy for Christians in this country? By ourselves all this is often impossible to maintain. But our big secret is the Holy Spirit. This is our strength and guide when the Holy Spirit is inside us. And Jesus said that God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
To pray.
I consider myself as a stone before a carver, whereof he is to make a statue: presenting myself thus before God, I desire him to make his perfect image in my soul and render me entirely like himself.
Brother Lawrence.
Common Worship: Collects and Post Communions, material from which is included here, is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2000