Beatitudes or Be-Attitudes?

This is the promise we are given in the Beatitudes of Jesus. This list of blessings is not a prescription for how to lead a happy and successful life. It is not a list of benefits that we will immediately enjoy if we sign up with Jesus. No. These are the comforting words of hope that Jesus gives to those who have forgone immediate joys and worldly success in this life for the sake of their commitment to the new world coming.

In this life, we disciples who would serve the Kingdom must expect poverty and persecution. But one day, when “all things are brought together in Christ”, we shall be satisfied.

Is that Good News? Not if we came to Jesus because we were looking to Him to make us more comfortable and successful, but if you have counted the cost and made the decision to follow Jesus anyway, and have committed your life to building the Kingdom of God, then these are comforting words indeed.

Blessing awaits! Times may be hard now, but blessing awaits! The wicked may seem to have the upper hand in this world, but the Kingdom of God is coming! And when that Kingdom comes, we who have been hungering and thirsting for justice shall be satisfied!

I don't know how we got the Beatitudes so mixed up.

Not everybody has, of course. Even poking around on the Internet I found some really terrific material on these blessings from Jesus - not so much on the high profile sites of the well-known evangelists, but on small discussion boards where ordinary people get together to reflect on the Scriptures.

One of the most impressive reflections I found was on a discussion board hosted by a group called “Absolutely Gay Christian Men”. I always appreciate it when an online group lets you know where they're coming from right from the outset, and this group were certainly up front about who they were.

If you visit their discussion board you'll see a lot of honest dialogue that struggles with the Scriptures and with issues of male identity, some of which has been focused on the Beatitudes. One guy was writing about how he saw in the Beatitudes Jesus' affirmation of him just as he was. Another guy, by the name of Kudo, wrote back and said:

My goodness, If you read the beattitudes and all you come away with is that you just have to be yourself...well 'nuff said. I personally don't see the easy life in these challenges. Jesus presents a list of very radical human living standards that frankly go against everything we are taught by our families, our culture, and frankly by many of those who consider themselves spiritual leaders. "Poor/Poor in Spirit", "Meek", "hungering and thirsting for righteousness", and in case anybody missed it you get no credit for persecution you receive on your own, you only get credit when they do it to you for being a follower of Christ. Truthfully the only thing that makes this list at all appealing in any way, is that Jesus himself said it.

Maybe that's a bit hard. Certainly they are sobering blessings - these Beatitudes of Jesus - but they are still blessings. Yes, we are expected to go the hard path, enduring poverty, pain and persecution if necessary, but in the end ... we shall be satisfied!