Week 4: Matthew 5

I've noticed that these blog posts have been about scriptures that don't fall in any sort of chronological order and that may seem strange to some. I am basing what I talk about in these posts on whatever I thought about repeatedly this week and that may come from my New Testament class, my personal readings, Sunday school classes, or just discussions I've had with friends. I wrote about the Sermon on the Mount already in a previous post but this week it was discussed in both Sunday school and my New Testament class. When I read the Sermon on the Mount in my personal study I read the beatitudes and moved on without too much thought. However, in both my class discussions it was pointed out that the beatitudes are much more than a list of traits we should try to have. It is more a guideline on how to live with specific direction on the repentance process. It starts with the guilt and mourning that we feel when we sin and progresses to making peace and then eventually arriving at being persecuted for righteousness' sake. What I liked about this was in verse 12 when it says "Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." When I read it there as an exclamation point after "rejoice." We know that what we are teaching is true when we have the right enemies and if I reach the point where I am being persecuted for righteousness' sake I will know that no matter how hard it is in the moment, I will be blessed. Often times it's easy to be quiet about what I believe and let people just assume whatever they want but this scripture encourages me to stand up and put myself at risk of persecution with the promise that with that comes great blessings in the life to come.