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Some months ago, I was late to catch a plane out of the San Antonio airport.  I wasn’t terribly late but I was late enough to be bumped and have my seat given to a standby passenger.  When the ticket agent told me I would have to miss the flight, I put to work my best persuasive powers.  “But the flight hasn’t left yet!”  “Yes, but you are here too late” she responded.  “But m’am” I pleaded, “I’ve got to be in Houston by this evening.”  She was patient but firm. “I’m sorry sir.”  “I know what the rules say,” I said.  “I’m not asking for justice, I’m asking for mercy.”  She didn’t give it to me.

But God does.  Even though by the book I’m guilty, by God’s love, I get another chance.  Even though by the Law I’m indicted, by mercy, I’m given a fresh start.  For it is by grace, you have been saved.  And not by works, so that no one can boast.

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Jesus sent a message to an imprisoned John the Baptist.  “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, and the deaf hear” (Matthew 11:5).  Jesus sent John a message about a unique, invisible kingdom, where the rejected are received: the blind, the lame, the lepers, and the deaf.  They had no place, no name, no value.

In Revelation 21:2-5 John describes Heaven as a “bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”  There will be no more death. God is making everything new!  The master builder will pull out the original plan and restore the vigor, the energy, the hope, the soul.   Jesus told John that a new kingdom was coming where people have value, not because of what they do, but because of whose they are.  It was great news then, and it’s great news still!

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“Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3).  John the Baptist asked this question of Christ.  John was in deep trouble; he was in jail and Jesus was silent. Anytime the faithful suffer the consequences of the faithless….anytime a person does a good deed but suffers evil results…they spend time in the dungeon of doubt.

Clouds of doubt are created when the warm, moist air of our expectations meet the cold air of God’s silence.  You may learn what John the Baptist did:  that the problem is not so much in God’s silence as it is in our ability to hear God’s solution.

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There are certain things you can do that no one else can, and you are alive to do them. But there’s a canyon of difference between doing your best to glorify God and doing whatever it takes to glorify yourself.  The quest for excellence is a mark of maturity.  The quest for power is childish.

The first power play happened in a garden.  A promise of prestige was whispered with a hiss by a fallen angel.  Eve swallowed the hook.  The temptation to be like God eclipsed her view of  God. Absolute power is unreachable.  The pole of power is greasy.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).  Which would you prefer?  To be king of the mountain for a day?  Or to be a child of God for eternity?

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“Blessed are the peacemakers,” (Matthew 5:9).  Jesus said.  The principle for peace is the same as the principle for crops–  Never underestimate the power of a seed.  Somebody in your world desperately needs a word of peace.  Want to see a miracle?  Plant a word of love heart-deep in that person’s life.  Nurture it with a smile and a prayer, and watch what happens.

When God’s people had forgotten his name, he planted the seed of his own self in the womb of a Jewish girl.  The seed shoved away the stones of legalism, oppression and prejudice.  Then the stone of death was rolled by humans and sealed by Satan in front of the tomb.  But the seed of God shoved, the ground trembled, the rock tumbled, and the flower of Easter blossomed.  Never underestimate the power of a seed.

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“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”  Jesus says the merciful are shown mercy.  Forgiving others allows us to see how God has forgiven us.  The dynamic of giving grace is the key to understanding grace.  For it is when we forgive others, that we begin to feel what God feels.

Those who taste God’s grace but refuse to share it are tortured by anger; choked by bitterness; and consumed by revenge.  But for the one who tastes God’s grace and gives it to others, the reward is a blessed liberation. The prison door is thrown open.  And the prisoner set free is yourself.  Find the face of God who forgave you in the face of your enemy. Then set your enemy and yourself free.

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Resentment is the cocaine of the emotions, causing our blood to pump.  And our energy level to rise. There is a dangerous point at which our anger ceases to be an emotion and becomes a driving force.  That’s why bitter people complain to anyone who will listen.

And, like cocaine, resentment can kill.  Physically– with high blood pressure and other conditions. Emotionally– with anxiety and depression.  Spiritually– as it shrivels the soul.

Hatred is the rabid dog that turns on its owner.  Revenge is the raging fire that consumes the arsonist. Bitterness is the trap that snares the hunter.  And mercy….mercy is the choice that can set them all free.

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Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

For what are you hungering and thirsting?   The way we clutch our possessions and our pennies, you’d think we couldn’t live without them.  The problem is, the treasures of earth don’t satisfy.  The promise is, the treasures of heaven do.  Blessed are those, then, who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  Blessed are those who are totally dependent upon Jesus for their joy.

Let today be marked by a deep hunger, a craving for God.  May you live this day thirsty… thirsty for what is right. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

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The bandit of joy is Fear.  Fear of death, fear of failure, fear of God, and fear of tomorrow.  His arsenal is vast.  His goal?  To create cowardly, joyless souls.

We try unsuccessfully to face our fears with power, possessions, or popularity.  Only inward character creates courage.  And it is those inward convictions Jesus is building in the Beatitudes.  The result of this process is courage—“they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).  No longer shall the earth and its fears dominate us, for we follow the one who dominates the earth.

If you are in Christ, you are guaranteed that your sins will be filtered through, hidden in, and screened out by the sacrifice of Jesus.  That means failure is not a concern for you. Your victory is secure.  How could you not be courageous?

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My child’s feelings are hurt.  I tell her she’s special.  My child is injured.  I do whatever it takes to make her feel better.  My child is scared.  I won’t go to sleep until she is secure.

Moments of comfort from a parent come naturally, willingly and joyfully.  So why am I so reluctant to let my heavenly Father do the same for me?  Why do I think he wouldn’t want to hear about my problems?  Why do I think he’s too busy for me?

When I am criticized, injured, or afraid, there is a Father who is ready to comfort me.  The same goes for you, my friend.  There is a Father who will hold us until we are better, help us until we can live with the hurt, and who won’t go to sleep when we’re afraid of the dark.  Ever!  And that’s enough.

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You’ve seen the prisoners of pride.  The alcoholic who won’t admit his drinking problem.  The woman who won’t talk about her fears.  The businessman who rejects help while his dreams fall apart.

In 1 John 1:9, the apostle wrote “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just…”  The biggest word in Scripture might be that two-letter one, if.  For confessing sins—admitting failure—is exactly what prisoners of pride refuse to do.

The second beatitude says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” (Matthew 5:4).  When you get to the point of sorrow for your sins, when you admit that you have no other option but to cast all your cares on him, and when there is truly no other name that you can call, then God bless you.  You may feel weak.  But you are closer to finding strength than ever before.

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A rich young ruler once asked Jesus, “What must I do to get eternal life?”  He thought he could find eternal life by his own strength.  But Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).  It wasn’t money that hindered the rich young man; it was self-sufficiency.  You don’t need a system; you need a Savior.  You don’t need a resumé; you need a Redeemer.  You cannot save yourself.

It’s not just the rich who have difficulty with this teaching.  So do the educated, the strong, the good-looking, the popular, the religious. Those who desire God’s presence don’t brag; they beg.  Admission of failure is not usually admission into joy.  Complete confession is not commonly followed by total pardon.  But then again, God has never been governed by what is common.

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Matthew 5:1 says, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountainside and sat down.”

America is in a hurry!  Time has skyrocketed in value because of its scarcity.  He invites you and me, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened…” (Matthew 11:28).  He invites us to leave behind the budgets, the bills, the deadlines; and walk the narrow trail with him to the sacred summit.

You can tell the ones who have been there.  Their challenges are just as severe, but there is stubborn peace that enshrines them…a contagious delight sparkles in their eyes.  And in their hearts reigns a fortress-like confidence that the valley can be endured, even enjoyed, because the mountain is always only a decision away.

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In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus promises joy nine times!  But this joy is not cheap.  Observe the sequence.  First, we recognize we are in need…we are poor in spirit.  Next, we repent of our self-sufficiency…we mourn.  We quit calling the shots and surrender control to God…we are meek.  Grateful for his presence, we yearn for more of him…we hunger and thirst.  As we grow closer to him, we become more like him.  We forgive others…we are merciful.  We change our outlook…we are pure in heart.  We love others…we are peacemakers.  We endure injustice…we are persecuted. (Matthew 5:3-12).

The more radical the change, the greater the joy.  His is a joy that consequences cannot quench.  His is a peace that circumstances cannot steal.  And it is within your reach.  You are one decision away from joy.

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One moment he was royalty; the next he was in poverty.  He was ridiculed and accused of a crime he never committed.  They killed him.  He was buried in a borrowed grave.

He should have been bitter or angry.  But he wasn’t.  He was joyful.  He was even joyful as he hung on a tool of torture, his hands pierced with six-inch spikes.  Jesus embodied a stubborn joy.  A joy that held its ground against pain.  A joy whose roots extended into the bedrock of eternity.

What type of joy is this?  What is the source of this peace that defies pain?  I call it sacred delight.  What is sacred is God’s.  It is not of the earth.  And this joy is God’s.  And it is a delight because delight can both satisfy and surprise.  And that’s the joy God can offer to you.

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Certain things about God are easy to imagine.  I can imagine him creating the world and suspending the stars.  I can envision him as almighty, all-powerful, and in control. I can fathom a God who knows me, who made me, and I can even fathom a God who hears me.

But a God who is in love with me?  A God who is crazy for me?  A God who cheers for me?  But that is the message of the Bible.  Our Father is relentlessly in pursuit of his children.  He has called us home with his word, paved the path with his blood, and is longing for our arrival.  God’s love for his children is the message of the Bible.

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“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16).  Those are God’s words.  Your name is not buried in some heavenly file.  God needs no name tag to jog His memory about you.  Your name is tattooed, engraved on His hand.  You are everything to God.

I once read a story about a priest from Detroit who traveled to Ireland to visit relatives.  One day he was walking the shores of Lake Killarney with his uncle.  They watched the sun rise and for a full twenty minutes, the two men scarcely spoke.  As they resumed their walk, the priest noticed that his uncle was smiling.  “Uncle,” he said, “You look very happy.”  “I am,” his uncle responded. “How come?” asked the priest.  “Because the father of Jesus is very fond of me.”

He’s fond of you too dear friend.

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God loves surprises.  He appears in the strangest of places and does the strangest of things.  He arches rainbows in the midst of thunderclouds.  And he calls people by name in a cemetery.  Mary Magdalene was surprised to hear her name spoken by a man she had buried.  And she responded correctly— she worshiped him.

The scene has all the elements of a surprise party.  But the celebration planned for the future will be a lot bigger!  More graves will open.  Many more names will be called.  Many more knees will bow.  And many more seekers will celebrate. I plan to make sure my name is on that guest list.  How about you?

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The last few days had brought nothing but tragedy.  Mary Magdalene was there to hold her arm around the shoulder of Mary the mother of Jesus. She was there to close his eyes.  And now she takes her spices to his grave.  As she rounds the final bend, she gasps.  The rock in front of the grave is pushed back.  Someone has taken his body!

Then a man in radiant white asks, “Why are your crying?” An uncommon question in a cemetery.  She answers and is asked again,“Why are you crying?”  Mary thinks the man is the gardener.  He isn’t.  He is her Savior.  He doesn’t leave her wondering long, just long enough to remind us that he loves to surprise us.  God is at his best when our lives are at there worst.

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A missionary in Brazil discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote area.  A contagious disease was ravaging the population.  To get medical attention they would need to cross a river—a river, they believed, was inhabited by evil spirits.  The missionary told them how he had crossed the river unharmed.  No luck.  Finally, he swam beneath the surface and emerged on the other side.  Then the Indians followed him.

Jesus saw people enslaved by their fear of death.  He explained that death was nothing to fear.  He called Lazarus out of the grave yet they were still cynical.  He had to submerge himself in the water of death before people would believe that death had been conquered.  And he came out on the other side of death’s river.  He proved once and for all, our death, is not final.

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