We've all heard the expression: “Things are not always what they seem to be.” This could be the opposite of that computer term describing a particular user interface as “what you see is what you get.” Much of our holy scripture follows the first maxim rather than the second. We may puzzle about what a certain passage of scripture means. We may wonder what the writer of that passage intended for his hearers and later his readers to understand. And most especially we yearn to understand what God—whom we believe inspired the writers, the editors and the folks who decided what was to be included in the canon of holy scripture—is saying to us as we listen to or read scripture.
For those of us who wear contacts or glasses, we know how important it is to have a useful lens through which to view the world around us. Lenses could be compared to points of view—our point of view will affect our perception and our understanding of scripture passages. St. Paul explained the effect of different points of view when hearing his message of the Good News this way: “For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom . . .”
Over the years since the Christian scriptures were first written, various view points have led to various interpretations of our scriptures. I want to pick out three points in time to illustrate this. First, at the beginning of the third century, a Christian thinker, Origen, said he found three meanings in every passage: its “flesh,” its “soul” and its “spirit.” At the time of the Reformation in the 16th century, Martin Luther, offered his opinion about the need for a single point of view: “But our effort will be placed above all in this: to arrive at one simple, germane, and sure literal sense—if we are to treat sacred things aright.” In our own time, a reaction to the Reformation stance has led scholars to offer various viewpoints when interpreting scripture. In particular, we have been encouraged to interpret scripture from historical, literary, metaphorical, and sacramental viewpoints to name a few.
Although it would be fun for me to dwell on these and other viewpoints in some depth, I doubt if it would be fun for you. I offered this thumbnail sketch of the history of Biblical interpretation, because our gospel lesson today, the Beatitudes, may offer some very real challenges for us to understand what Jesus meant to teach his listeners and what Matthew, who reported Jesus' words, wanted us to gain from hearing or reading them.
The challenge of these verses in Matthew comes from our wonderment about how these teachings could be applied to anyone's life, including Jesus' disciples. To be poor in spirit, mourning, meek, and persecuted—these don't seem to be things to hope for. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness, being pure in heart, being merciful, and making peace seem a bit more on track, although it even would be hard to do all these regularly. And finally, what does being “blessed” mean? Is Jesus showing us a very steep path to salvation?
Let's step back for a moment and consider Jesus' teaching in the Beatitudes in a sacramental way. As a prophet—remember Jesus is on a mountain-top like Moses was when he received the Law—Jesus was teaching about the reign of God, despite current circumstances—then or now. These words of this prophecy become “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” The gift of grace in the person of Jesus is the sacrament of God reconciling the world to God's self. Jesus' words are a sign of the in-breaking of God's reign that have begun, but, of course, it will not be complete until Christ comes again. BLESSED are you despite your circumstances or the results of your efforts at such things as being merciful and making peace, FOR, by God's grace, the outcome in the end will be good—even wonderful.
Perhaps they are signs for the whole community of believers, not just each of us as individuals—for indeed, a group of disciples was listening to Jesus. For each of these conditions in which the Christian community finds itself or in which it places itself, Jesus' teaching provided—and provides—assurance that God has acted, is acting and will act to redeem humanity by reconciling us to God’s self. The signs of community that trusts God's faithfulness are: having confidence that the members of that community will be part of the reign of God here and now, as well at the end of time; that they will be comforted when distressed; that God will fill their longing for righteousness for others, as well as for themselves; that God's mercy will be theirs to show to others; that God will satisfy their need for union with the divine; that God will honor those who work for peace; and that God will not allow persecution to come between the community and God. Jesus teaches his disciples about God by announcing these prophetic signs of how God's blessing works. Matthew's recounting of this moment shows us how dearly we are loved by God. God's love conquers whatever seeks to tear us away from God—whether evil in the world or our own sinfulness. We are blessed by God's love. We are surrounded and supported by God's love. To use the words of our prayerbook, it is our sure and certain hope. And not only hope for the community of St. Nicholas', but hope even for the whole world. Yes, it is God's grace, nothing but God's grace. So there is no steep path to salvation, for God’s grace is free. Blessed are you . . .
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