ATTITUDES PLEASING TO GOD
Matthew 5:1-12
Sue in Cuba, KS

In our world people believe Blessed are the arrogant for they shall get their way! The golden rule becomes: He who has the gold, makes the rules. Clint Eastwood snarls, "Make my day!" Arnold Swartzenegger swaggers about flexing muscles. Nothing succeeds like success. Look out for number ONE. If there be any doubt, I AM # ONE!"

Read Matthew 5:1-12

Can you hear the Church Lady, "Isn't that special. I think I'll have that embroidered and put those up on the wall." Lovely poetic words that sound out of place in the late 20th century. From the contemporary view point of most Americans, the conditions in this list don't look very promising for happiness. Who wants to be poor in spirit, mourn, meek or hungry and thirsty? We might be willing to be merciful, pure in heart or the peacemakers but what is this about being persecuted, insulted, or slandered? Lord, are you certain this is the way to happiness? Peope from our own time set out to find what spiritually mature people look like.

George Gallup, Jr. and Timothy Jones from their book, The Saints Among Us tell us that Spiritually mature people share nine characteristics: Spiritually mature people feel a genuine sense of the presence of God in their lives and their religious experiences are a source of strength, personal growth, and the healing of inner conflicts. These people are likely to have a daily time of private prayer, a greater sense of inner peace, to feel more joyful and happy, and are less likely to feel depressed. They are more humble. They are far more often engaged in compassionate helping acts to others. They are less racially prejudiced. They are far more capable of forgiving people who wrong them and to be constructive, reconciling members of society. They are more favorable to church involvement in political activity in order to right wrongs in society. Sounds to me that these twentieth century authors are telling us what Jesus did in the Beatitudes. Blessed, fortunate, happy are they who are humble and willing to put God first in their lives. Jesus taught the Beatitudes to tell us about mental attitudes that help in this life.

On Saturday Night Life, Dana Garvey's Church Lady represents a comtemporary view of the attitude some people have about church members. Church members think that they are better than other people. Why are so many Christians unhappy, critical and negative? The biggest obstacle to happiness is that people refuse to let go of harmful attitudes because of our need to justify ourselves. It is hard to admit being wrong or having made mistakes. We forget that God works through our weaknesses and that God's grace is sufficient for our needs. Some people spend their whole lives defending against any possible charge, proving that they have never done wrong or been wrong. They rely on merit rather than grace.

This kind of self-justification is the very heart of sin. God in Jesus Christ has forgiven us and has paid the price our sins. To claim that forgiveness we must accept the fact that we are sinners. Jesus came to seek the lost. People are reluctant to acknowledge this about themselves. Instead too many people spend much time and energy getting off the hook, trying to make themselves look good rather than accepting God's grace. Instead of living in grace, people turn their eyes outward to others thinking, "I'm better than they are." A check of the scriptures will show us that judging others is forbidden. The fruit of the Spirit includes (Gal. 5:22-23) love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Notice there are no fruit inspectors in this list. Not one of us is called to judge another. We need courage to ask God to help us change negative attitudes. We need to ask God to change that which prevents us from enjoying life. We need courage to choose happiness. Resistence rises from within our hearts and says, "You don't know what my life is like. You don't know what problems I have." Nothing in our lives can be as extreme as the Nazi Death Camps. Victor Frankl survived the Nazi Death Camps. Out of the most extreme of persecution and human cruelty, Frankl declared that we may always choose our attitude towards the events and situations that we find ourselves. We choose how we react to people and events in our lives.

For some people the choice to be happy will include getting professional help. Depression is under treated in this country. Too many people fail to realize they can be helped with anti-depressant medication. Talk theray help us to uncover roots of negative attitudes and re-tune our lives on positive fequencies. Many families I know struggle with care for elderly family members. Consider how each person's attitude makes care easier or more difficult for everyone involved. One woman fights the idea of going to a nursing home, tooth and toe nail making the inevitable so much harder for her adult children when they can no longer care for Mom because they do not have the training or the equipment, the strength or the patience. Another elderly woman decides to move while she is still capable of making decisions for herself and chooses to live in place where she can be cared for until death. She relieves the burden for her adult children. The difference is in their attitudes.

A third woman agrees to move into a retirement home near her home place but she refuses to consider living near her adult children in another city. This woman refuses to use the facilities, call old friends or get to know the other residents. This woman is demanding and complaining to her adult children. "I want to live in my own home. Why have you brought me here?" Finally, a son makes the difficult decision, "You have to live in the town where we live. You have to come. It's too hard on us to come this great distance when you need help." The Administrators at the new facility inform this difficult querulous woman that meals are served only in the dinning room. "You don't come to the dining room, you don't eat." In time the light dawns and mental adjustments to the new place are made and the person decides that being unhappy isn't worth the mental energy. The difference is the attitude. We can choose how we respond to events in our lives. As long as our brains are functioning we can choose our attitude.

When the Pharisees saw Jesus eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." What changed? People failed to get God's message straight so God came as Jesus to set the record straight. God's attitude is one of inviting love and concern. What attitude about other people is pleasing to God? Some people think that God is a stern judge waiting to condemn us. Many divide the Bible into a covenant of law opposed to a covenant of Grace. Listen to the prophet Micah's plea to his people.

Listen for God's grace: Micah 6:1-8. The prophet Micah looks at the empires north of Judah as a growing menace. All the promises of the psalms, all the promises of the Torah, all the hopes for a large and prosperous nation seem to be at odds with the reality that Judah is but one small beleaguered nation. Why? The prophet struggles to understand why. Micah looks at the people in Jerusalem, he watches their conduct. He is aware of their selfishness and callous disregard for the rights and needs of all the people. His heart aches at the impious judge who throws a pauper's family into slavery to pay debts. Read the book of Micah and you can feel his pain, you can feel his anger at the people who disregard God. Our text Shows us God bringing suit again Israel, God is the attorney for the prosecution. God demands, "Stand up, plead your case. Hear the LORD'S accusation against My people; The charges lodged against Israel."

Then God stops and turns the table, "My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me." Micah repeats the history of the people, God's saving actions that forged a nation out of slaves and outcasts. Micah asks how we are to worship this God who shows us such love and grace, "With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? The ritual sacrifices of animals and oil are not what God requires. Micah asks the chilling question, "Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" which comes from the practices of other peoples round about Israel who did offer their children as sacrifices to their idols. Micah replies, "No, God has showed you what is good. What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." It is not the rituals, the sacrifices, the outward actions that count. God desires that people align their attitudes in love and faithfulness. Our task is to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. God is not the judge but the savior. God is the loving Father who reaches out again and again to stubborn, sinful people. People have as much of God as they want for God never imposes His will on those who do not invite Him in.

To take away our sin Jesus was crucified, dead and buried. On the third day he rose again. This God did for us. God does not desire long faced, dour folk, depressed and living in despair. God invites us all into an abundant life with courage and faith so that we will be blessed indeed. Bruce Larson asks, "Do you have the courage to be happy? Is happiness a matter of conscious choice? Who would not choose to be happy? Odd as it may seem, many people choose not to be happy."

Bruce Larson tells about to women elders in a church he served many years ago. Both of these women were devout believers--generous, kind and living seemingly blameless live. One seemed to be a wellspring of joy and happiness. She bubbled with enthusiasm and wonder at the goodness of life. She enjoyed being alive and who she was. The second woman could be characterized best by the word long-suffering. She gave the impression that life was a burden and her days were full of dutiful service to be endured. Why is this so? The woman full of joy had very little and a sickly husband and no children. The long-suffering woman had wealth with a devoted husband and family, all of who seemed to be dancing around trying to do her bidding. Happiness or lack of it for these two women had nothing to do with the outward circumstances of their lives. Our capacity for happiness is tied up in our attitudes about life.

The Westminster Divines, a collection of English and Scottish clergymen who tried to show how important joy or happiness is for human life. The first question in the Westminster Catechism is "What is the chief end of man?" The answer is "To glorify God and to enjoy him forever." Our number one duty is not hard work or good deeds. According to these clergymen, our whole purpose is to glorify God, and we do that by enjoying Him. It is the attitude. Jesus tells, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, an important Catholic theologian of this century said, "Joy is the surest sign of the presence of God." Imagine that a Jesuit priest in agreement with the Westminster Confession of Faith.

The bottom line is this: grimness is not a Christian virtue. There are no sad saints. If God really is the center of our life and being, joy is inevitable. If we have no joy, we have missed the heart of the Good news and our bodies as well as our souls will suffer the consequences. Joy is a gift of God who is the perfect joy to know. Joy comes from knowing that we are chosen and loved and forgiven. Whatever condition we find ourselves if we know the Source and Giver of life we have the gift of joy. We need courage to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." We need courage to choose happiness. Choose to serve God, to follow Jesus and choose positive attitudes, choose to be happy today. Amen.