Following on from the message on Sunday, here is a repeat of The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) that Andrea read aloud for us.
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)
1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, 2and He began to teach them, saying:
3Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
And here is a reminder of the message from Andrea questioning us “What does God require?” with particular reference to Micah 6:8 from The Old Testament.
Micah 6:8
“He has told you, O people, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to:
- do justice, and
- to love kindness, and
- to walk humbly with your God?”
The challenge for us then is to take up the challenge from Micah 6:8 and through our actions to make these words real in the world we live in.
The keyword is perhaps “action” as it requires us to not only think about these words but make them real. If you can remember whatever action you said on Sunday to the person next to you, try and think of this action in the days, weeks and months ahead and then revisit them throughout the year to see how you are actioning it in your life.