Sermon: Beatitudes of a Peacemaker

Beatitudes of a Peacemaker
Matthew 5: 9-12; Hebrews 12: 1-4
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
February 26, 2017

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. - Matthew 5: 9-12

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. - Hebrews 12: 1-4

The Beatitudes bless us by giving us a new lens in which to see. That lens trains the spiritual eyes of our hearts to become poor in spirit and more fully dependent upon God (Matthew 5: 3). As our spiritual sight develops then our spirits mourn as we see what breaks God’s heart (Matthew 5:4). We lament the condition of the world around us and we ache for God’s kingdom to fully come.

Those who are powerless – meek - and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness open our hearts to see our highest calling to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves – no matter the risks (Matthew 5: 6-7).

Therefore, Jesus teaches us that a disciple is to walk in concrete acts of mercy because God’s steadfast and covenant love have already claimed us in the mercy and self-giving love of Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:7). As we walk in Christ’s blessed teachings then our hearts continue to be reshaped to be pure. Remember pure does not mean sinless or perfect. To have a pure heart means to strive to work for the well-being of others (Matthew 5:8).

The Beatitudes come into full focus as Jesus tells his disciples, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Throughout the Beatitudes we have seen how Jesus leans into Old Testament wisdom. When the Old Testament speaks of peace it is brought about by God and in Hebrew is it called “shalom.”

Peace does not come from an absence of conflict. It comes about as God’s works through division to bring about complete well-being that reconciles what is broken. Peace is a gift of God’s promised wholeness.

Those who work to bring about God’s shalom are the peacemakers. Now, peacemakers are not conflict-avoidant and passive. They are committed to “positive actions of reconciliation.”[1]

Rev. Beth Lindsay Templeton of Greenville, SC says making peace is not the same as keeping peace. “Keeping peace means that people ‘play nice’ to each other’s face. Making peace is harder. We do the hard work of reconciling hostile individuals and situations. We strive to return good for evil and to love those we do not like. We painstakingly build bridges when every fiber of our being would rather build walls.”[2]

The peacemakers are blessed with a permanent joy in joining God’s desire for reconciliation among all God’s children.

Over the course of our lives we have all felt the estrangement that the human condition of sin brings between our relationships with God and with one another. As we strive to bring about God’s peace in real ways Jesus knows that the work of faith costs something of us. That estrangement should motivate us to extend the peace of Christ with others. It is not easy but faith empowers us to do the hard things.

Following Jesus’ example is not a popular journey. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).

That word persecuted is not to be taken lightly. Persecution is not when someone disagrees or debates with our perspectives or faith convictions. In the Greek that word persecuted means to be zealously hunted down, harassed, and maltreated. Jesus knew persecution would come in unjust ways when his disciples commit their lives to work for causes that are in line with God’s kingdom vision for justice and right relationships.

Anyone who has been in our Bible study of Isaiah knows that God’s ultimate concern is for the vulnerable and the marginalized to be treated with just relationships which honor, uphold, and protect the image of God in them.

Rev. Beth Lindsay Templeton reminds us that, “Ghandi was persecuted when he stood up for his people in India to be treated fairly as valuable human beings. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated when he stood up against racism and war. Nelson Mandela served decades in prison for standing up against apartheid in South Africa.”[3]

To answer the call of discipleship to follow Christ means to follow in the footsteps that our Teacher and Savior walked which lead to the costly grace of the cross.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of my favorite theologians and pastors. He says, “The cross is where the poorest, the most tempted, the meekest of all can be found.”[4]

For it is on the cross that we see the Son of God poor in Spirit. He mourned for the brokenness of the world which despised and rejected him. It is on the cross that Christ became meek to the point of renouncing his power and equality with God. He gave his body as the bread of life and his blood as the new covenant to nurture our faith as we hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness.

It is on the old rugged cross that we see the merciful One who claims us in God’s unconditional love that will never let us go. Christ was God’s suffering servant who had such compassion that he was wounded for our transgressions in order for his wounds to bring God’s healing gift of salvation as a ransom for many.

It is where the beams of the cross meet - the vertical beam symbolizing our relationship with God and the horizontal beam symbolizing our relationships with one another – that we see Christ’s pure heart.

That sacred center shows us the way Christ entrusted his whole life to God and how to live more fully into his covenant love. The love Christ shows us through the cross breaks down all the dividing walls that estrange us. The power of sin and death are no more as God’s resurrection hope and peace of Christ rule through the empty grave.

As we lean into a deeper trust of God’s covenant love, God’s Spirit nurtures us on days like today when we gather at the Lord’s Table. The Spirit strengthens us, and convicts us to put our faith into action to join God in reconciling the world.

May the Beatitudes bring about a change in our hearts and minds to see the world, our sisters and brothers, and our very selves as God sees.

There is something at stake in order for us to follow Jesus’ teachings.

What is at stake is the costly grace of the cross. It is there and only there that the Spirit gives us a true glimpse of God’s righteous kingdom and the permanent joy we are given to belong to it.

In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources Referenced:
[1] New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, “Volume VII: Matthew” (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 111.
[2] Beth Lindsay Templeton, “Loving Our Neighbor: A Thoughtful Approach to Helping People in Poverty” (New York: iUniverse, Inc., 2008), p. 11.
[3] Beth Lindsay Templeton, p. 11-12.
[4] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “The Cost of Discipleship” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003 ), p. 109.

Sermon: Beatitudes of a Wholly Heart

Beatitudes of a Wholly Heart
Proverbs 14:20-21; Psalm 24: 1-6; Matthew 5: 7-8
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
February 19, 2017

The poor are disliked even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends.
Those who despise their neighbors are sinners,
but happy are those who are kind to the poor. - Proverbs 14: 20-21

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
for he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
They will receive blessing from the Lord,
and vindication from the God of their salvation.
Such is the company of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. - Psalm 24: 1-6

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. - Matthew 5: 7-8

I am intrigued by the way in which each of Jesus’ beatitudes informs the others. Each blessing builds upon the next. I hope you are beginning to see that connection as well. Last week our sermon on the beatitudes for the meek and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness ended with God nudging us and even disturbing us to remember our highest calling: to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves, no matter the distance.

Pastor and author Fredrick Buechner says it this way:

In the Christian sense, love is not primarily an emotion but an act of the will. When Jesus tells us to love our neighbors, he is not telling us to love them in the sense of responding to them with a cozy emotional feeling. On the contrary, he is telling us to love our neighbors in the sense of being willing to work for their well-being even if it means sacrificing our well-being to that end.

This is at the heart of Jesus’ beatitude for those who show mercy. Now mercy is at the heart of God’s character. Even as Israel did not live in faithful obedience to God, the Lord upheld his covenant love saying, “Because your God is a merciful God, he will neither abandon you nor destroy you” (Deuteronomy 4:31).

In turn God’s mercy goes ahead of us to reveal how we are to live by God’s covenant example to not abandon or forsake others. We are to love mercifully as God has already mercifully loved us.

What is at stake for living out God’s mercy is remembering that we are tethered to our Creator and all God’s children through the gift of relationships. The tether of God’s steadfast and covenant love holds us accountable to honor the image of God in everyone, particularly those on the margins.

As Jesus holds the least of these at the heart of his ministry we can hear his teaching on mercy building from the wisdom of Proverbs, “Those who despise their neighbors are sinners, but happy – blessed – are those who are kind – the Hebrew actually says ‘merciful’ – to the poor” (Proverbs 14:21).

The merciful are those who sense God’s loyal and steadfast love guiding them. Therefore faith is lived one day at a time following God’s lead to offer acts of compassion to work for our neighbors’ sense of well-being.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). The merciful are blessed by receiving God’s permanent joy for offering kindness to the poor and the least.

Adam is a young adult who lives in Marin City, California. Each time he walked into the coffee shop on the corner he noticed a young man who appeared to be homeless. One day Adam found the courage to ask the young man his name, which he learned is Tarec. And then Adam asked Tarec to sit with him at the table to share a lunch together.

As the two began to talk Adam learned that Tarec was born and raised in Jamaica. When Tarec was a kid, he dreamt of being a famous football (soccer) player. He was recruited to play in school but never got the opportunity because of some trouble he got into as a teenager. He moved to the States eight years ago and has spent the last 12 months living in a tent by the side of the freeway.

Tarec goes days without eating, sometimes just living off of the berries he picks. He spends 90% of his time alone. He has no friends or family in the States. Tarec shared it had been a month since he bathed. After their lunch Adam brought Tarec back to his apartment so he could enjoy a hot shower. Adam began to sympathize with Tarec’s situation and wondered, “How can you fill out an application when you haven't eaten or bathed in days?”

Adam felt compelled to give Tarec a hand up and sacrifice his time. He offered to drive Tarec around town the next week to fill out applications and even speak on his behalf to help him get a job. But before they could even begin job searching, Adam bought Tarec a new shirt and slacks. Adam was blown away at the immediate change in Tarec’s demeanor. His smile was radiant; he stood up straighter, and even walked with some swagger.

As they went to various stores to ask for job applications, they were told to fill them out online. Tarec does not have a computer so Adam took him to the local library. The experience gave Adam a new perspective as he watched Tarec struggle with the online process; how easily we take computer literacy for granted.

There is no way Tarec would have been able to do any of this without Adam’s help. Adam commented, “There have been many obstacles in my life where I have needed someone’s help to overcome them. We all need a little help.”

As we commit ourselves to follow God’s lead to offer concrete acts of mercy and compassion, the gift of faith begins to reshape our hearts in our devotion to God. Jesus says to the disciples, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Now the pure in heart are not perfect. They are mindful that God’s mercies are new each morning and they strive “towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:14).

Jesus knows the pure in heart “do not lift up their souls to what is false” (Psalm 24:4b) but they entrust their lives to God in such a way that they seek to live in loyal relationship with God and in solidarity with neighbor.[1] As the pure in heart live out their faith with intentions that correspond with right actions they are blessed to see God’s provision and care.[2]

Each and every day that Morrie Boogart wakes up, he has one goal in his heart and mind, one commitment if you will. That daily goal is to knit at least three stocking hats. From the moment he wakes up until the time he goes to sleep at night, Morrie knits hats for the homeless.

Morrie has knitted for the past fifteen years and his hands have made over 8,000 hats for the homeless.

Morrie is ninety-one years old and lives in a nursing home in Grandville, Michigan. His beloved wife passed away sixteen years ago. Morrie lost his son to cancer just six months after his own cancer diagnosis. He was not able to go to his son’s memorial service because he was receiving hospice care at the time. But knitting has kept Morrie going every day. It gives him a sense of purpose and lifts up his spirit as Morrie is immobile and restricted to bed rest.

Morrie says, “I just like [knitting]. My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be, but I can still do this. I have always liked helping people and I am not going to stop now. There are too many homeless people out there who need others to care about them.”

On his nightstand sits family pictures and a worn out Bible. Next to his nightstand are towering boxes filled with yarn. People from all across the world have heard of Morrie’s pure heart. He has received yarn from family as gifts, from people in the nursing home, and as donations from local churches and even from individuals he will never meet from as far away as Australia.

“Morrie teaches everybody that no matter how old we are, or what medical condition we may have, we can all give back in some way.”

Morrie’s daughter says, “We should all be as driven as my dad. What he’s done by [knitting all the hats and donating them to homeless shelters] has touched a lot of people, and it’s been the best thing that could have ever happened for him, given his circumstances.”

“If his health allows, his goal will continue to be to start and finish three hats per day, insuring that his ‘end’ might be a ‘beginning’ for those in need.”

Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Jesus teaches us that a disciple is to walk in concrete acts of mercy because God’s steadfast and covenant love has already claimed us in the mercy and self-giving love of Jesus Christ.

As we walk in Christ’s Way and entrust our whole selves to God our hearts are being reshaped to be wholly. A wholly heart is one that is not divided by personal interests and multiple loyalties but one that makes room for devotion to God and to selflessly work for the well-being of others.

God uses our devotion to reshape us into the people God intends for us to be. God honors our imperfect faithfulness to partner with God so that the Kingdom might break in a little more with nothing less than joy. That joy is an awareness of God’s grace at work among us, through us, and for us.

May we be inspired by Jesus’ example of mercy and pure heart through people like Adam, Tarec, Morrie and those in our midst today. May the Spirit grant our desire to have faith like that – faith that looks like a wholly heart.

In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources Referenced:

[1] New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, “Volume III: Psalms” (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 370.
[2] New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Volume III: Psalms, p. 370.
New Interpreter's Bible Commentary, "Volume VII: Matthew" (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015), pp. 110-111.

Sermon: Beatitudes of Spiritual Strength

"Beatitudes of Spiritual Strength"
Psalm 37: 1-11; Psalm 107: 4-9; Matthew 5: 5-6
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
February 12, 2017

Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers,
for they will soon fade like the grass,
and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make your vindication shine like the light,
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. - Psalm 37: 1-11

Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to an inhabited town;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress;
he led them by a straight way,
until they reached an inhabited town.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he satisfies the thirsty,
and the hungry he fills with good things.
Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land,
and delight in abundant prosperity. - Psalm 107: 4-9

‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. - Matthew 5: 5-6





Who are the meek? Webster’s Dictionary defines the meek as those who are humbly patient, kind, gentle, and overly submissive. But as Jesus teaches the disciples that the meek will be blessed to inherit the earth a different picture is painted. Jesus speaks through Old Testament wisdom because something is at stake for the ones Jesus is speaking of.

The meek are those who are not afraid of the wicked for they trust in the Lord and seek to do good (Psalm 37:1, 3). Even as they are pressed down, persecuted, or think that God’s rule is not effective the meek do not despair in being powerless. The meek remain aware of their covenant relationship with God and stand in God’s strength.

This kind of humble patience is deeply rooted in the experience of waiting for the Lord to act and make things right (Psalm 37: 5-6). As the meek are sustained through difficult circumstances they look to the future hope of God’s promises to live in the abundance of God’s blessings. In turn the meek inherit the opportunity to join God in restoring and renewing the brokenness of the world.

As the meek work as God’s kingdom partners, they do so with a deep hunger and a growing thirst for righteousness. Just as the poor in spirit cannot help but mourn that God’s kingdom has not fully come, so do the meek. They hunger and thirst for righteousness as they walk through the wilderness and the wastelands crying out for deliverance.

God hears Amen wherever we are and moves people of faith like you and me to feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe those without, care for the sick, and visit the prisoner (Matthew 25: 35-36). God works through our actions of self-giving love to satisfy humanity’s longing for God’s righteousness.

Rev. Beth Lindsay Templeton is ordained in the Presbyterian (U.S.A.) Church and has served in the capacity of homeless ministry in Greenville, SC for twenty-five years. Many of us met her at the Spring 2016 Presbyterian Women’s gathering.

Templeton says: Hungering is about having a bloated belly and bugged out eyes because you have not had a square meal in weeks. Do we have that kind of yearning for social justice? Do we thirst like someone stranded in the desert thirsts for water? Do we thirst that way for a world where everyone can meet his or her needs and where all can reach the full God-given potential created in them? Do we have that gut kind of yearning for righteousness? [1]

As I have sat in our three biblical passages this week, reading about the meek and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness against the backdrop of the Psalms, God’s Word brings the plight of the Syrian refugees to my mind. And it haunts me.

We have biblical and spiritual connections to Syria. Luke tells us in the book of Acts that “It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26). This is where the early church began (Antioch was formerly ancient Syria and today is just a few miles northwest of Syria in Turkey).[2]

Dr. Mary Mikheal is a Presbyterian ruling elder and a native of Syria. Recently she said, “People are getting tired of watching and listening to the tragedy in Syria. But we must be faced with it. We must be bothered by it. We must be disturbed by it.”[3]

Mikhael was a guest at our Fall Presbytery meeting. She works with the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, which has been a collegial partner with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for many years.

“The conflict in Syria began in 2011 and has claimed over 350,000 lives and displaced more than 11 million.”[4] These numbers have increased over the past five months. As safe havens are sought in other countries, including our own, some have found refuge in Lebanon.

This is where Dr. Mikhael lives. She says, “Children live in muddy camps or on the street begging for food, money, anything. We are attempting to rescue as many children as we can. It is impossible [for the church in Lebanon] to serve all of the children because it is beyond our capacity and imagination.”[5]

What is at stake for these meek and innocent children in Syria is they risk becoming “a lost generation. Children who have lost their families are being exploited and criminally recruited to become thieves and to be trained to carry arms.”[6]

This is a human tragedy because their childhoods are being stripped away by violence. These children have no part in this conflict. They are innocent bystanders. As a parent I cannot even begin to imagine your children or mine or our families living in these circumstances.

In 2015 the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon started four schools with plans to open a fifth. The schools are able to serve 300 to 400 children over a two year period. The cost to educate one child is $1,500.00 a year.[7]

The children are brought from the camps into a holistic and spiritual Christian atmosphere. They are taught four main subjects: language (Arabic and English), math, science, and ethics. The children receive one meal as well as snacks, clean water, and medicine. The mission of the school is not to preach or proselytize but to "show these children love through service."[8]

The church also reaches out to the schools to provide for the children and their families’ physical and emotional needs. They receive food baskets, medicine, clothing, and hygiene products. Psychologists are also on site to examine the children as many have experienced great trauma. Skilled professionals give seminars to the care responders on how to work effectively work in trauma situations and guard against compassion fatigue. The church also helps displaced families rent simple homes or small rooms. As you can imagine many do not want to live in refugee camps.[9]

Dr. Mikheal says, “The mission of the Church [Universal] is to respond to the human needs of people… At the end of the day, we return the children to their families. We hope we will succeed in this service for the glory of God and the safety of the children…There are a lot of challenges but a lot of joy as well.”[10]

Did you hear that word “joy?” Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. The weight of God’s grace sustains all these - the refugee families who are receiving God’s grace and all care responders who are extending it. They are all sustained with a permanent joy, a deeper awareness of God’s grace at work, through the most haunting circumstances.

There are no easy solutions for the greater church’s mission to respond to the human needs of our Syrian sisters and brothers. Many of us feel helpless in this effort because of the magnitude of this crisis and the miles that separate us. But when the work of faith overwhelms us it does not excuse us from partnering with God.

God calls us to trust the Lord and do good (Psalm 37:3). That means God is on the move to open our hearts to see life through the eyes of the meek and those who hunger and thirst to experience and taste God’s abundant hope.

God calls us to learn about the Syrian refugee crisis and how the faith community is already responding through the advocates like Dr. Mary Mikheal.

God calls us to be a faith partner through supporting scholarships for children’s education – because education is not just hope but it is power for the powerless.

And God calls us to extend God’s hospitality in order to practice spiritual strength to bring about God’s righteousness.

But more than anything, God is on the move to bother us and disturb us to take notice of our highest calling to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves – no matter the distance.

When we depend upon God and are affected by what breaks God’s heart then we are moved to work in God’s strength to restore and renew humanity and creation.

May it be so for us.

In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Note:
Looking for a way to help Syrian Refugees?
“Putting a Face on Syria: Hope Through Education” is a response from a group of teaching and ruling elders within Providence Presbytery to raise money for scholarships for Syrian refugee children through the sale of note cards. A set of 15 assorted note cards are $25 and include beautiful black and white photography of Syrian children whom members of the Presbytery met on a previous trip to Syria.
It costs approximately $1500 to educate one child for a year, an amount that covers tuition, school supplies, transportation and food. 100% of the money for the cards goes to scholarships and your purchase amount is tax deductible. Funds are sent directly to the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, which is a partner of the PC(USA) and located in Lebanon.
Contact Van Wyck Presbyterian Church (803) 285-1895 or Providence Presbytery (803-328-6269) to empower a child through education through your note card purchase.

Source Influences and Those Referenced:

Photograph of the Mount of the Beatitudes
New Interpreter's Bible Commentary, "Volume VII: Matthew and Mark" (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 110.
[1] Beth Lindsay Templeton, “Loving Our Neighbor: A Thoughtful Approach to Helping People in Poverty” (New York: iUniverse, Inc., 2008), p. 8.
[2] Encyclopedia Britanica
[3] Presbyterian Disaster Assistance video of Dr. Mary Mikheal, December 15, 2016
[4] Rick Jones, “Presbyterian to Hear First Hand Account of Syrian Refugee Crisis,” Presbyterian News Service, September 23, 2016.
[5] Rick Jones, “Presbyterian to Hear First Hand Account of Syrian Refugee Crisis,” Presbyterian News Service, September 23, 2016.
[6] Presbyterian Disaster Assistance video of Dr. Mary Mikheal, December 15, 2016.
[7] Rick Jones, “Presbyterian to Hear First Hand Account of Syrian Refugee Crisis,” Presbyterian News Service, September 23, 2016.
[8] Rick Jones, “Presbyterian to Hear First Hand Account of Syrian Refugee Crisis,” Presbyterian News Service, September 23, 2016.
[9] Rick Jones, “Presbyterian to Hear First Hand Account of Syrian Refugee Crisis,” Presbyterian News Service, September 23, 2016.
[10} Rick Jones, “Presbyterian to Hear First Hand Account of Syrian Refugee Crisis,” Presbyterian News Service, September 23, 2016.

Sermon: Beatitudes of a Faint Spirit

"Beatitudes of a Faint Spirit"
Isaiah 61: 1-4; Matthew 5: 1-12 (verses 3-4)
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
February 5, 2017

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations. - Isaiah 61: 1-4

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. - Matthew 5: 1-12

He was anointed as God’s Beloved Son and sent to proclaim the good news. According to Matthew, Jesus’ first public proclamation of the good news is the Beatitudes. Jesus offers nine declarations which assure the disciples, the crowd, and the readers of Matthew’s Gospel of God’s coming kingdom.

That word “beatitude” is Latin for “blessings.” And the blessings Jesus talks about are not some prosperity gospel for Christian success. Jesus uses a prophetic voice to infuse God’s hope-filled kingdom promises into nine life experiences of our broken humanity. They are blessings because within each experience named, Jesus promises that the gift of God’s grace will permanently sustain those in these experiences. In turn they will have long lasting joy.

There was a dire need to hear the good news back in Jesus’ time. The people were still oppressed. They were now under Roman rule in a Greek culture. The Roman government had appointed the three sons of King Herod the Great as kings. God’s people still longed to experience the Lord’s favor and deliverance (Isaiah 61:2).

Jesus went up the mountain and as he sat down his disciples came to him. Jesus looked into their eyes and with the tongue of a teacher he knew how to sustain the weary with a word. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).

The disciples were quickly learning the full effects of being poor in spirit. Each disciple was leaving everything behind to follow the call of their Rabbi and Savior. They left their families and homes, whatever possessions and properties they had, and their former jobs [1]. The disciples had no significant resources other than their dependence upon the Lord. You see, the blessing for the disciples was to recognize their only need in life was to consciously rely upon God. What a humbling experience.

With each step of following the Rabbi, the disciples would begin to see life through the eyes of the poor in spirit – those who were destitute, living with nothing but scarcity. Jesus knew the poor in spirit had something to teach about depending upon nothing but the mercy of God.

Can you imagine sitting on the mountainside in Jesus’ makeshift classroom and hearing Jesus speak these words? Those words are packed with depth of meaning. To be poor in spirit and to receive the blessing of the kingdom of heaven was life-changing. It was a major shift of one’s identity to go from being a lowly outcast within the Roman kingdom and Jewish society to receiving permanent value, belonging, and provision in God’s kingdom.

As a disciple’s identity in Christ becomes more secure by relying upon God, a disciple cannot help but lament that the far reaching dominion of God’s kingdom has not yet fully come. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

In those words Jesus held the collective story of the past and present laments of his brothers and sisters. Jesus remembered Isaiah lifted up the oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captives, and the prisoners for they mourned the weight of the Babylonian exile and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. Isaiah prophesied that God’s future blessings of good news would greet the poor and oppressed; broken hearts would be mended, captives would be released, and prisoners would be freed.

These blessings were realized when King Cyrus of Persia crushed Babylon and released the Israelites to go home (Isaiah 48: 12-20). But as the disciples and the people sat on that mountainside, and as we sit in these pews today we still lament that we live in a broken world.

The action of lament moves us beyond ourselves to long for God’s blessings to be fully realized for all people and in all places. Many of us have a faint spirit where we cry for our sisters and brothers across the world and even in our own backyards who live in poverty, violence, abuse, injustice…and the list goes on and on. Every circumstance that we mourn “recognizes the present conditions of this world are far from God’s purposes.”[2]

And yet the presence of Jesus Christ did in fact bring God’s comfort to the disciples and the crowd on that mountainside. In his life and ministry Jesus was fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy as he walked close alongside the children, the poor, the outcasts, the prisoners, the stranger, and the weary. He blessed them with God’s life-changing grace. And he gave it away in abundance.

Jesus’ death and resurrection open our hearts and minds to trust that God has been at work throughout history and is at work today and tomorrow. Even when it feels like the sky is falling, the gift of faith emboldens us to proclaim that God is still sovereign over all heaven and earth. It is in Jesus Christ that God was and is still reconciling the world to himself and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us (2 Corinthians 5:19).

And there are days where the Spirit convicts us in such a way that we cannot help but risk taking a step to participate in God’s purposes.

Twelve years ago I felt God’s Spirit nudge me to participate in an international mission trip. It was a risk for me back then because my daughters were so young, just ages two and four and Doug (my husband) traveled all the time. But the trip is one that forever changed my life. When I think about this formative time of my faith, I remember Elena.

Elena and her family live near Moyobamba, Peru (northeastern part of the country near the Andes Mountains). Elena, Pastor Marcos (her husband), and their two daughters live in a small rural village called Los Algarrobos.

Marcos was the pastor for this small village of one hundred people. The mission team went to Los Algarrobos to help build the next phase of the church for Marcos and his flock.

We were given machetes to strip bamboo to be used as the interior church ceiling. I had no idea that wielding around a machete could be so dangerously fun!

Early into the week I made a connection with Elena. She invited me to come to her home anytime I wanted to take a break. At first I felt a bit uneasy because she did not speak English and I was limited in my Spanish. But each day as the mission team worked I felt compelled to go next door and visit.

While the village homes had dirt floors, Elena’s home had concrete floors. The windows were open to the elements with metal bars as the only barrier to the inside. There were two small bedrooms, a kitchen and living area. Elena cooked on a fire outside from the kitchen. There was no running water so all cleaning and washing was done in the river. The restroom was an outhouse. It was common for chickens and roosters to walk through the homes; their hunting and pecking always gave Elena and me a good laugh.

In our visits we talked about our families, our children, and our lives. If Elena was cooking something over the fire she would always offer me a plate. I was so humbled by her hospitality because she was so generous to share what little she had with me.

Elena told me how God had truly blessed her and her family with their home and all they had. Her gratitude for God’s provision, in contrast to what we describe as poverty, made a lasting impression upon me. Elena felt a deep joy of God’s abundance. It is a joy that is not found in the greatest privilege of overflowing financial resources.

Elena’s self-worth and security were deeply rooted in God’s spiritual landscape of self-giving love. To abide in Jesus Christ meant everything to her. I have heard similar stories from other mission trips and also within local outreach when I am privileged to hear other’s stories. The common thread in these stories is that having gratitude for God’s provision reinterprets one’s circumstances.

Elena was poor in spirit and she knew the blessings of God’s kingdom. Elena also mourned what was out of her control. She wept for her children. Elena was concerned about the lack of financial resources they needed to provide for their oldest daughter’s elementary education. She was also concerned about her baby who needed medical treatment. Again her family had no additional means to fill in the gaps.

My home church was able to share resources to assist meeting Elena’s children’s needs. Members of the mission team remained in contact with Elena and her family for years to offer guidance and prayer support through some very difficult times.

But more importantly this mission trip opened the team’s eyes and my own to wrestle with our positions of privilege. We were challenged to see the world and faith through the eyes of those very different than us.

We learned so much from the relationships we made in Peru. And we were moved by knowing in a deeply personal way that the work of Christ takes many hands.

You see the privilege of our resources allows many of us to choose what hardships we face – not all hardships but many. If we are not self-aware, privilege can easily be an obstacle preventing our faith to look beyond ourselves and hear Christ calling us to join him in this holy work of kingdom building.

The Beatitudes bless us by giving us a new lens in which to see. As our spiritual sight develops then our spirits faint as we see what breaks God’s heart. And yet all our laments are held by a God who promises to be present and actively working through these broken circumstances.

The blessings that Jesus names bear the weight of God’s grace for all of God’s children and for us. God’s grace is always at work – even in the silence and even when it seems like the sky is falling– in order for God’s kingdom to break in a little more among us and through us. May we never forget that.

In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources Referenced and Informed By:

[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "The Cost of Discipleship" (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003), p. 102.

[2] Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 1 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), Homiletical Perspective by Ronald Allen, p. 311.

The New Interpreter's Bible Commentary Volume VII ( Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015), 106-112.

Beth Lindsay Templeton, "Loving Our Neighbor: A Thoughtful Approach to Helping People in Poverty" (New York: iUniverse, Inc., 2008), pp. 3-6.