Blessed Be
a sermon based on Matthew 5:1-12
by Rev. Randy L. Quinn

I try hard to not use 'church words' in sermons.  You know the words I'm talking about, words that only have meaning in the context of the church, or words that have special meaning to us who are Christians but have little meaning outside of this context.

There are times when I can't avoid it of course.  Look at the bulletin for a minute and I'll show you a few . . . well, as I look, maybe more than a few!

Hymn.  We all know what that is, a song written to be sung in church.  But actually it's meaning is larger than that.  It's just that we only use it to mean songs sung in church.  That's what I mean by 'church word.'

Offering.  There are not many other places where this word is used, and when it is, it has an entirely different meaning.  Stock offerings, for instance.  I wish I could find another way to describe what it is we do when we pass the offering plates.  Until I do, I'm restricted to using this church word.

Doxology.  Now there's a church word!  Probably no more than ten of us here know what the word means.  It means a hymn of praise to God.  It is when we sing about the wonders of who God is.

What about Prayer of Dedication?  or Benediction?

When you look closely, you'll find even more.  But you get the point.  We have our own language in the church that sometimes makes it difficult for others to join us.  And we don't restrict this special language to written form.  We talk about stewardship and apportionments and trustees as well as a host of abbreviations like PPR and CCOYM.  It's like we have secrets, secrets that only the insiders understand.

That's why I try not to use them in my sermons.  I don't want people feeling left out or put down because they don't know our language.  I know I'm guilty, but it is a concern of mine that I do look at and think about.

But today I'm going to have to use one.  It's in the scripture lesson for today no fewer than nine times.  It's even in my sermon title.  Blessed.

Some translators have tried to make it less of a church word by translating it as 'happy' or 'satisfied' or even 'fortunate.'  But they aren't the same, so most commonly used translations stay with the church word, blessed.

So, how is the word 'bless' used in our normal, every day language?

We say 'bless you' when someone sneezes.  It's not much more than an acknowledgement of the sneeze, kind of the reverse of 'excuse me'.  'Bless you' seems to say we understand what has happened and are willing to forgive them for interrupting our conversation or our thoughts.

Some folks ask for their families' 'blessings' as they make major decisions.  We use the word as if it means permission.  Others refer to how 'blessed' they are as if to say how lucky they are.

The idea of being blessed in many contexts outside of the church is rather trite.  It's a formality or a carryover from a tradition where it had meaning but no longer has any weight or value.

But in the church, this word has a rich history and deep significance.  And I believe we must fully (or at least partially) understand the concept to have any clue about what Jesus is saying in our text for today.  So let me take a few minutes and give you a brief review of this one word, this one idea that is so important in the Bible.

The most prominent usage of the term is in relationship to God, the one who is most blessed.  It is used in this sense to speak about worship and adoration.  It is a sense in which we recognize the power and majesty of God.  It is behind hymns that we sing today as we 'Bless the Lord' and sing 'Blessed be the Name. 

We then learn that God bestows blessings on us.  The first instance of this type of blessing is found in the first chapter of Genesis, where God blesses the man and woman (Gen 1:28).

Finally, we come to the place where one person blesses another person.

In Biblical thought, this follows in a logical and sequential manner.  God is blessed.  No one doubts that.  We worship God because of God's blessedness.  God blesses us and then we bless others.

And these blessings have enormous power and significance.  They are not just nice words to say, they have impact on our lives.

One story that helps us understand the significance of being blessed is the story of Jacob and Esau.  Jacob and Esau were twin brothers, but because Esau was born first, he was the heir of his father's estate, including his blessing.

But Jacob talked Esau into selling his birthright, the right to inherit their father's worldly possessions (Gen 25:29-34).  And as their father was dying, Jacob stole his brother's blessing as well (Gen 27:1-29).

The fact that the story is told tells us that the blessings have power.  The fact that Esau wept when he heard the news (Gen 27:38) tells us how important it was to be blessed.  The family blessing which came first from God to Abraham was given to Jacob.  Esau feels cut off and no longer a part of God's plan.

The last thing I want to point out is that many of the instances in which God blesses people are in the context of a covenant.  God blessed the man and woman and told them to care for the earth (Gen 1:28); God blessed Noah and set the rainbow as a sign of the covenant they made (Gen 9:1 ff); God blesses Abraham in the context of a covenant (Gen 12:1-3) -- as a side note, Abraham is also called to bless others in response to God's blessing; God blesses the people of Israel when the covenant is made at Mt Sinai (Dt 7:12-14).

I could give you other examples.  What is important to hear is that God's blessings are given at times when covenants are made.  For the people of Israel, this works the other way, too:  when they celebrate the covenant they are reminded of their blessing.  Every time the law is read, there is a sense of celebration because of the blessing that comes with the law.

So, blessings originate from God who gives them to us in the context of covenant.  As recipients of God's blessings, we share them with others.  Blessings are more than words, for they imply a relationship or a connection between the giver and the recipient, as well as the originator of all blessings:  God.

That may not give you a full understanding, but it will perhaps allow you to better hear these words from Matthew's gospel.

                                                                Read Text

These are familiar lines.  We've all heard them before.  We even have a church name for them:  Beatitudes.  Books have been written about the Beatitudes.  In some churches they are read every week in worship.

Obviously I can't address every one.  I can talk about two or three or I can talk about the whole group.  (I suppose I could talk about one every week for the next nine weeks.  Or I could probably spend a month on each one and spend the rest of the year talking about them.)

I've chosen to look at the list as a whole, to look at the patterns and themes that Jesus has left within them.

First, is the realization that these are all written in plural form, even the last one which is in the second person plural.  What that indicates to me is the sense that these are not written to individuals but to a community.  These are not to be claimed as personal promises, but as promises made to a group:  the disciples and by inference, the church.

And while I like the way Eugene Peterson has translated them in The Message, I think he missed this important aspect.  I'll read his translation later and you'll see what I mean.

So what does it mean for US to be meek?  Not me or you, but US as a community.  What does it mean for US to be peace makers?  Not me or you, but US as a group.  What does it mean for US to mourn?  Not when you or I mourn, but when WE mourn together.

I think the answer is in the concept of blessedness.  God is blessed.  God blesses us -- not you or me, but us.  And God asks us to share and bestow blessings on others.

Unlike Isaac's blessing of Jacob, no one of us can bestow another with these blessings; nor can any one of us cut someone off.  These are community decisions, these are corporate events.

William Penn had an idea of what that might mean.  He took a group of people to a new world and started a society built on that concept.  In his society, there were two very new ideas, very unusual ideas that were shared.  The first was the concept of guaranteed freedom of conscience.  The second was a security system that was based on just social policy rather than weapons.

None of the forts in Pennsylvania were guarded.  The colonists protected themselves from each other and from the Native Americans by instituting a just social system that treated everyone fairly, equally, and as friends.

The community experienced and share in the blessings of God.  No one was left out.

And it worked!  At least until 70 years later when the British ordered them to take up arms against the French.

'Blessed are the Peacemakers.'

But I am also convinced that the beatitudes cannot be taken one by one.  They are to be taken as a whole.  We cannot be a peacemaker without being pure in heart.  We cannot be meek without hungering for righteousness.

These appear to be the basis of a new covenant.  A covenant between God and us, in which we are blessed.  In the beatitudes, Jesus has not prescribed what we ought to do or how we are to live.  Rather he has described what the church looks like when it is the church.  Jesus is using descriptive terms, not prescriptive.

This is what it means to be a community of faith.  We yearn together for the things of God, seeking and finding God in our midst.

And when we see God, we discover we are blessed. 

Let me conclude by reading this text from The Message.