I wrote yesterday of the verses in I Corinthians which agreed with verses in James which seek to eliminate double-mindedness. In both instances, the writer is asking us to set our hearts and minds on God and not on the values or choices popular among those who choose to organize their lives around a differing set of values.
This morning, my devotional guide sent me to Matthew 5:1-10. Here, once again, I came across a similar encouragement to choose whom we would follow.
Jesus is preaching. He is sharing what we have come to know as the beatitudes. As he repeats his “Blessed are you….”, much of what he has to say would not be looked upon as a blessed existence. Blessed, according to Jesus, are the poor, those who mourn, and the meek. In what way would it be a blessing to be among such as these?
These brief morning offerings will not allow a long exegesis of these verses. Perhaps you can see through my intentions – that I am encouraging you to consider how these might be blessed. How would taking on these traits bring blessings into your life?
One insight to be gleaned from these verses is to reinforce the theme lifted earlier. The way of God puts us in perfect harmony with God and God’s hope for the world, even as it places us out of step with self-centeredness and self-advancement. We are again reminded not to be double-minded. We do well when we set our hearts and our minds on God.
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