We might have heard friends or family say that Jesus’ words make for beautiful poetry on a Sunday, but that they would prefer a simpler understanding of God – a god of their own making. This is often the view of those who prefer a spirituality of their own choosing to the message of the Gospel. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that.
In our reading of the Beatitudes this Sunday, we see that Jesus sees the crowds, goes up a mountain and sits down to teach his disciples. We might think that it sounds similar to Moses ascending Mount Sinai, where God revealed the Ten Commandments, which we can see displayed on either side of the door at the back of St Mary’s Church. Not the actual ones, please note! In our passage it is however Jesus himself who speaks with authority. Rather than replacing the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount reveals how Jesus fulfils God’s Law.
Jesus delivers his teaching while sitting down. I find this comforting and reassuring. Perhaps this posture reflects one of Matthew’s central themes: Jesus as Emmanuel, God with us, who comes alongside us.
I remember visiting the Groote Kerk in Cape Town when I was fourteen years old. This is one of South Africa’s oldest Christian congregations, with its origins in the Dutch settlement established at the Cape in 1652. I was mightily impressed with the pulpit, carved in 1789. It features two life-sized lions. It is an awe-inspiring sight! I remember my friends reaching out to touch it, while I held back, intimidated by its scale and symbolism.
In true Reformed tradition, the pulpit occupied a prominent position, elevated above the other liturgical furnishings, reflecting the central importance of God’s Word in the worship of his people.
Although it was therefore not the intention of such a pulpit to elevate the preacher above the congregation, it inadvertently did exactly that. Six feet above contradiction, as the saying goes!
By contrast, in our passage, Jesus sits and talks to us, with us, by our side. I like that image very much. His invitation comes not as a command from on high, but through the warmth of a personal encounter. And through that encounter, Jesus reveals something of who he is. This is exactly what we will be exploring in our readings.
My hope is that God will help us discover the deeper meaning within the poetic beauty of the Beatitudes. My hope is also that God, whether we imagine him to be simple or complex, will reveal himself beyond the limits of our understanding. My hope is that we will see how being in the presence of Jesus can transform both us and the world around us.
Marinus Reynolds-Viljoen, Ministry Team Member