THE BEATITUDES X

THE BEATITUDES X

As some of my readers know, I have been to China twice for two weeks each trip, traveling to three or four different cities. We met Christian brothers and sisters; some of you are reading this. We also went to Christian churches every Sunday. Now, we hear Christians are still being persecuted in China. So why did we never hear about that in our visits? How come we never heard about all the terrible things the Falun Gong members say the government is doing to them? Here in Vancouver, this being the democratic country of Canada, the Falun Gong has the right of free speech. For years they protested in front of the Chinese Embassy. You could see their posters on the walls of the embassy all the time when you drove by, as it was on the main street from the airport to downtown so almost everyone coming to Vancouver saw it.

Jesus said:

5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

I think the Falun Gong came under persecution because they protested about something and the government became worried about how much power they seemed to have. How were they able to stage, to put on, such a big protest? Governments are always worried about power. They only think in political terms so they could not conceive of people actually banding together for other purposes.

Are Christians being persecuted for their faith, their righteousness? I think many times nowadays, both in China and elsewhere, so-called Christians may not be persecuted if they keep their faith to themselves. They can talk about it with one another. They can even have a church. However, if they begin to speak out because of their righteousness, because of their Christian beliefs, about bad things the government is doing, or problems in society, they will be persecuted.

A Chinese lawyer was once arrested because he was defending the underprivileged in China against the government. His clients had problems like being evicted from their homes to make way for developers, or for becoming ill because of pollution from state sponsored industrial and chemical plants.

I have to wonder if some of the churches we attended in China are allowed to be because they don't do or say anything that offends the government. Is that how it should be? In fact, some are saying that the totalitarian government in China (it is really not communist anymore) accept people being Christian because they realize they are good citizens. Good citizens, in their terms, means not disturbing the peace. If we really stand up for what we should believe as Christians, if we would really and totally follow what Christ taught, we would probably be persecuted. Even in North America. 

Jesus said, "Whoever therefore shall confess me before others, that person I will also confess before my father in heaven. But whoever shall deny me before others, that person I will also deny before my Father in Heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33). Those are strong words. We can all do better at speaking out for our faith.  Speaking out for our fait does not just mean telling people 2 repent and be saved. It also means telling them how to the disciples, how to live as Christians. That is a whole different story and expectation. If we do that, then Jesus and the father God will truly say the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to us. 

THE BEATITUDES III

THE BEATITUDES III

Jesus begins the so-called Sermon on the Mount with this statement: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them." (Matthew 5:3). There are two parts, two elements or sections of this sentence that need definition. First, what does it mean, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit'? Secondly, what is 'the kingdom of heaven'?

Does 'poor in spirit' mean someone who doesn't seem to have much ambition or motivation? We sometimes talk about 'spirited' people, meaning those who draw attention to themselves by their behaviour. They are the ones whom we say 'stand out in a crowd'. They seem confident, happy, satisfied with their lives. They look like they know where they are going and what they are doing. People like this don't seem to need anything or anyone. We may think they 'have it all'.

In contrast then, in opposition to that description, poor in spirit would be those who are needy. These would be the people who aren't so self-confident, who may be hurting or even ill, people who are suffering. They just can't seem to 'make it' on their own. They are not as successful; at least not in the way success is generally measured in our world. Some might go so far as to call them ‘losers’, but I don’t think it is ever helpful to use that word. It puts people down and demeans them. It is derogatory.

So, what then is the kingdom of heaven? It is first of all a place where God reigns, as that is where we speak of God as having his dwelling. Psalm 115:3 says: "Our God is in the heavens" and Psalm 11:4 says, "The Lord's throne is in Heaven." So, the kingdom of heaven is the place where God lives and gets our allegiance, our loyalty. We'll learn more about that in the future.

Why would we want to be in that kingdom? What does it have to offer? This is a Kingdom where all our needs can be met. Not maybe our wants, but those may not be good for us. What we desire can often seem attractive now but be harmful in the end. 

When I first went to a church service in China on my first trip there in 2007. I watched in wonder, as I waited to enter for the second service, at the people that came out from the early service. Many were crippled, lame, blind, obviously not whole or healthy by the standards of many. But they looked happy! I thought to myself, 'Yes, these are whom the church, the kingdom of heaven, is for. What did Jesus say? "Those who are whole don't need a doctor, only those who are sick…I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:10-13).

The poor in spirit know they are missing something. They know they are in need. They are humble enough to admit that, to repent, to want to change. They know the Kingdom Of Heaven is where they will find what they need. God will not only show them what changes they need to make and give them the strength to make the changes: he will reward them eternally for doing so. Isn't that a comprehensive plan? Why wouldn't we want to accept that?