Blessed are those who hunger and thirst

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness … for they will be filled

Substitute the word "righteousness" for just about anything else … is the answer (they will be filled) the same?

Power / fame / influence / wealth / health

Answer this question:

I am hungry and thirsty for a world where ____________

Righteousness defined -  about 1200 times in scripture (restorative justice) … 

Righteousness is when God restores everything that was shattered when sin entered the world and pieces it back together

• Sin destroyed not only how we relate to God … but also each other and creation itself … it's relational

• Relational breakdown is at the root of every symptom of injustice that we see around us … it's our reality, but the restoration has been underway ever since Jesus appearance

It is a struggle though … between our own version and the righteousness of God

Your own …

"within the character of (what you claim) and where it matches what you do

If you identify as a follower of Jesus … righteousness is what you claim (belief, internal) vs what you do (actions, external)

Matthew 6:1-18

Read this Lectio style

• 1st reading … listen for a word or phrase that stands out to you
• 2nd reading … what is it about that word or phrase that is calling to you
• 3rd reading … what is it calling you to do

Bringing in harmony what we claim with what we do: (restoration/redemption)

Blessed (it is well with) those who hunger and thirst for

Righteousness of God

"within the character of God and where it matches what he has done (and is doing in the person of Jesus)"

Only in the pursuit of that will we be filled … not in our own self centered pursuits

In the "public sector"

 examples of social injustice and brokenness, how do we step into those? … with everyday practices?

Racial brokenness  … who do we know, whose stories are we listening to?

Economic … Where/how do we shop?  What do we buy, where does it come from?

Environmental … how do we care for, (clean water)

Remember: "righteousness" is a relational word … and it describes the relationship between He and his creation.  It is a broken relationship that he is seeking to redeem … and his method of redemption flows through us … not in heroic feats necessarily, but also in everyday practices:

Obstacles to the pursuit of righteousness:

We can always find someone else (the faceless "they") to blame

We tend to believe the lie "what can I do, I am only _____________ or what can we (Common Table) do, we are only"

Our mission is to join in his redemptive and restorative plan … the righteousness of God

 

Kingdom Practices

    1. Holding brokenness before God every day this week, will you join us in holding injustice before God? You may choose to hold the specific brokenness you identified before God each day, or perhaps as you see injustice around you, you will hold it before God as you move about your day. Pray for justice, and listen to God. Is he inviting you to join him in any way?  Find those organizations in your neighborhood or in your social media feed … pray for their efforts

    2.   I am hungry for a world… so I will… How can you join God in bringing righteousness to the relationships around you in tangible ways this week? Where do you see brokenness and how can you begin to bring or influence healing?

    3. Connect with an organization committed to bringing justice. There are organizations all over Seattle making a difference in the areas of our hunger and thirst for righteousness. Spend some time researching these organizations and find a way to join them this week.

Blessed are the meek

We spent this past Sunday digging in to Jesus' words "Blessed (it is well with) are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth"

In doing so we first looked at another form of teaching this principle ... found in a parable

Read this Lectio style

• 1st reading … listen for a word or phrase that stands out to you
• 2nd reading … what is it about that word or phrase that is calling to you
• 3rd reading … what is it calling you to do

Luke 18:9-14

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

After meditating on this parable and how it illustrates the beatitude, we then looked at Jesus living out the concept in John chapter 13:

 

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Blessed are the meek …

We have the impression that it's you against me, and I'm either better than you or you are better than me … we are surrounded by it, it forms our political interactions, it forms our relational interactions, it separates us and divides even the Christian community.  May we be a people who rejoice in others and celebrate them rather than find fault … may we seek opportunities to serve and not to conquer … as 

(Bow with hand on heart)   We pray to the Lord, Lead us in the way of humility

This led us into an invitation to join around the table of communion where we lit a candle of someone who God had brought to our minds that we might seek ways to serve in the coming days.

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit

Last night we walked through the first beatitude ... "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven".  Our intent within this series is to examine a teaching of Jesus and then to search the gospels for the practical ways in which he lived them out.  This will lead us into some practical ways that we can live out the counter cultural message in our own lives.


"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

• the example that we looked at can be found in Jesus encounter with the individual known only as the "rich young ruler" found in Mark 10
• ¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
  ¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’^[d]”
  ²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
  ²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
  ²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
  ²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
  
  As you read this ... consider a few things:
  
  1. What was his (the young mans) image of obtaining eternal life?
  2. In the end, where did he place his trust? 
• Henri Nouwen identified 3 lies that we listen to in determining our worth
• I am what I have
• I am what I do
• I am who others say that I am

Reflect on a fear that you have based around one of these lies ... how does it control you?  How tightly do you hold on to it?  In our reflection time we took a moment to meditate on what it feels to live with clenched fists and how Jesus calls us to live with hands held open.  We are called to release the lie that we cling so tightly to out of our insecurities and to trust that only He is enough.

• What was the lie that the young ruler could not unclench his fists from?
• What is yours?
• We finished our time with eyes closed, hands open, and praying for Jesus to "lead us in the way of trust"