Approaching life from the bottom up

The beatitudes found in the Matthew gospel, chapter five, brings the reader to a difficult, disturbing and demanding view of the truly satisfying life from the Jesus perspective. If a person wants to understand Jesus, the beatitudes cannot be avoided. The beatitudes are the Jesus challenge to see life from the bottom up.

From the stories and sayings of Jesus, we soon understand he had little regard for people who were rich, powerful or privileged. He found his ideals among those who were poor, weak and meek. He not only found his ideals among such folk, he actually joined them in their low estate.

Jesus was unique among those at the bottom of the barrel because he chose to be there. Most all of the other bottom-rung people of the day found themselves there because of the callousness, the bigotry, the selfishness of those on the top side of society.

Paul, the energetic convert to the Jesus way, was the first writer of material now found in the New Testament. In his writings he sometimes shared the words of popular hymns sung in the early churches. In his letter to his fellow followers in Philippi he quotes one of those hymns:

Let this mind be in you that we find in Christ Jesus.

He did not regard equality with God a claim to be embraced.

He made himself of no reputation, and decided to be a servant.

He emptied himself and became an ordinary human being.

As a human being, he humbled and disciplined himself.

He disciplined himself to an ugly death. Death on a cross.

Because of this God brought honor to him.

His name has become the most honored among people.

The tongues of all confess him as most honored leader

Glory be to God, his father and the father of us all.

The third of nine beatitudes is, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Being meek is not a trait that is held is high regard in our present American society. An alternative translation is “gentle.” Gentle does not fare much better. Football, the great collision sport, is now the highest symbol of ideal American life. Praise goes to those who hit the hardest. The most violent collisions are shown over and over. Football taps into the heart and soul of America.

To suggest to Americans that those who are meek will possess the earth is true folly. Yet this is what Jesus surely said. Tragically, most of us who claim to be followers of Jesus from Nazareth are far more comfortable being American than being Christian. Living the Jesus way is too frightening.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a young German pastor/theologian during the rise to power and reign of Adolph Hitler. Bonhoeffer left us a marvelous legacy of writings. His most influential book was “The Cost of Discipleship.” In the book he comments about the beatitude of, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” He sees meekness as a choice that is made out of strength, not weakness. The person who is meek can never be a victim. The meek person is the one who will ultimately reclaim possession of the earth.

Bonhoeffer writes that the meek “renounce every right of their own and live for Jesus Christ. When reproached, they hold their peace; when treated with violence, they endure it patiently; when men drive them from their presence, they yield their ground; they will not go to the law to defend their rights, or make a scene when they suffer injustice, nor do they insist on their rights. Their right is in the Lord; that and no more. The world in its pity says, ‘Leave heaven to them.’ But Jesus says, ‘They shall inherit the earth.’”

One of Hitler’s last orders was to have Bonhoeffer hanged.

Bonhoeffer died a bit older than did Jesus, but not by much. Both died because they confronted the earthly powers of their times. I know of no one who would argue that they lived unfulfilled lives. And the fulfilled, complete, satisfying life is what most desire. Most all of us still spend our lives in pursuit of wealth, power and notice, and miss the truest prize — the fulfilled life.

Jesus deserves a hearing here in the first decade of the 21st century. Blessed are the meek for they alone will end up with the whole thing.

The Rev. Howard Bess is the pastor of Church of the Covenant, an American Baptist church in Palmer. His e-mail address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.