Standing on this beautiful mountain, the Mount of the Beatitudes, possibly the place where Jesus gave His incredible blessing describing the qualities of a Follower of Christ that will be blessed. The sermon is called the Sermon on the Mount and is found in Matthew chapters 5 – 7. If you haven’t read it lately, I highly recommend that you read it today.
I listened intently as a few of the men in our group, one being my husband, read the beautiful words of Jesus. I tried to imagine sitting on this hillside above the Sea of Galilee and actually seeing the face of Jesus and hearing His voice. These verses resonate in my soul and I have to take a breath and let them soak deep into my soul all over again. I will be spending time in these verses in this new year. And as I do, I will picture this incredible mountain and the sun shining onto the surface of the Sea of Galilee.
The second “blessed” sinks deeply into the most tender parts of my soul as I think of the 4:30 a.m. phone call that informed me of my sister’s death. “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The experience is real and the promise is true. My family can testify to it. I was comforted the day I learned of my Daddy’s incurable cancer, the night my Daddy passed away when I was in college, the day I heard of my young cousin’s death in a car accident, my brother-in-law’s death in a car accident, as I watched my mother-in-law pass away after her struggle with Alzheimer’s, my sister’s passing just a few weeks ago when I was on this amazing trip to the Holy Land, as I watch our world be influenced more and more by Satan and His schemes, and many more times of sorrow. You have all had them and you know exactly what I am talking about.
In these moments, whether thousands of miles away or holding hands with those we love, we can feel the peace promised through Jesus Christ. Those of us who know Jesus as our Savior know that one of the blessings of mourning is being comforted by the one who loves us more than life. I can honestly say that I could not make it through this life without my Savior, Jesus Christ. If you do not know Him, I urge you to consider it. For you see, the peace He offers is for those who know Him. Knowing about Jesus is great. However, having a relationship with Christ as your Savior is what brings peace, and hope, and assurance. Accepting Him is what gives you an anchor in the midst of every storm and what brings rock solid stability to what can sometimes be a shaky foundation even at its best.
I would love to sit with you and talk about the Sermon on the Mount. And we will… just at another time. However, in the interim, let’s just start concentrating on being meek, merciful, and pure. Let’s be peacemakers in a world that seems to be loving dissension. Let’s not be afraid to mourn for others and at times for ourselves. Let’s hunger and thirst for righteousness. Let’s be blessed.
