Finding God in Hard Places

Why would someone be angry with you for doing what is right? This is the very question Jesus answers in this portion of the Sermon on the Mount. It seems odd that many people in the world would be upset with Christians for trying to live right lives, showing mercy to others, being humble and trying to be peacemakers. Yet Jesus says such people should expect to be rejected and sometimes physically harmed for doing these good things. He goes…

When Jesus guarantees a blessing for certain people, such a promised is certainly worth listening to. But who are those that Jesus says are blessed? It is not the people you might think nor is it those the world often admires. In these brief statements (Matthew 5:6-9), Jesus describes several groups of people who have God’s blessing on their lives and therefore live for him. Are you one of them?

It is not uncommon for kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers to give a public speech at the beginning of their reign or term. But what would the King of Kings and Messiah choose to say if He were to give an “opening speech”? Jesus’ first public address in Matthew’s Gospel account is often called the Sermon on the Mount and is just such a speech. In many ways it outlines what Jesus has come to do and teach and…