Rejoice and be Glad

Matthew 5:1-12
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Reflection
The squirrel came down out of the tree. One squirrel was followed by another squirrel. Both scratched on the surface of the lawn. Both squirrels were looking for some food on this warm January day. Following the squirrels closely behind was the robin. The robin? In January? Yes, the robin on this string of warm January days. Was the robin confused? Maybe but the squirrels were followed by the robin anyway. The robin scratching on the surface of the lawn in the exact locations that the squirrels had just scratched.

From my vantage point of a second floor home office; I didn't witness any food for any of these animals being brought up from the earth. Just the same, all continued in the search. Robin and both squirrels came to the earth in search of food to eat.

As disciples of Jesus, we too come to him. As disciples of Christ, we follow Jesus in search of food. We come to Jesus looking for the Word he gives to us. We listen and we take in his words. Yes, we follow Jesus away from the crowds to the mountains. We follow, we listen, we learn and we act out in the will that Jesus gives us.

It's food that we don't appear to be taking in but later through our actions the sustenance and the fruit of the food that Jesus feeds us becomes apparent in how we love those that are the crowd. Jesus feeds us the knowledge of the blessing. The blessing of those in the crowds in the foothills and the plains below the mountain.

As the squirrels come down followed by the robin to partake of some food that I cannot see. We, as Jesus' disciples, come down from the mountain to the crowds. Filled with the love of God. Fed by the fruit of love.

God blesses us as his disciples. God has made us holy and sends us to those people in the crowd, maybe the crowd itself, of which God blesses and makes holy. May we take that blessing, that being made holy, freely given to us, to those God presents to us and to the crowds.

 Yes, we come down in love for God and in love for those blessed people in the crowds that God gives to us each and every day.

Prayer
Lord, you abundantly bless those in the crowds... the poor, those in mourning, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted and the reviled. Yes... you bless them with your love and salvation. May I, being fed with your Word, go into this world and meet the people that you present to me with your love and your blessings... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

Music