Seeking the Life in Christ

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

Meditations on the Sermon on the Mount

March 10, 2020

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Matthew 5:4

“God blesses those who mourn” is often quoted at funerals or when someone is going through a time of personal suffering or grief. As I noted in the preceding Beatitude, while God certainly cares deeply for all people, including those who are suffering and grieving, Jesus has in mind here those who mourn over their sins and the sins of the world.

One way to think about the core values of the life in Christ is to remember the three essential H’s:

hunger for God,

heart for people, and

hatred of sin.

Those who are blessed as spiritual beggars in the first Beatitude are spiritually poor because they have a hunger for God. Those who mourn in this Beatitude grieve for the way their sins have hurt God, and diminished their own life. As a Christian, my life belongs to God; by creation and redemption, I belong to God. My sins not only cause pain and suffering in my own life, they are an affront to God and to Christ Jesus, “who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20b). Jesus is pronouncing a blessing on those who are brokenhearted over the way they have allowed sin to diminish their humanity. Jesus is pronouncing a blessing on those who grieve over how their sins have insulted the character and integrity of their Abba.

In the spirit of this second Beatitude, there is a verse that is often used in the liturgy for Holy Communion which I believe should be a part of our daily devotions: “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NRSV).

My Takeaway: Sin is trying to live our life apart from God. I invite you to join me in this Lenten season to contemplate all the ways, overt and subtle, we try to work out the meaning of our life on our own terms, and thus miss life from God.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life. The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Meditations on the Sermon on the Mount

March 9, 2020

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

Matthew 5:3

A few weeks ago, Mike Slaughter, the speaker at our Spiritual Formation Weekend, commented that the Sermon on the Mount is the constitution for the Christian church. I agree. I have tried to make it a discipline to read the Sermon once or twice a year. My meditations until Holy Week (April 6, 2020) will be based on my reading of this Sermon Jesus preached on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.

The first portion of the sermon is the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are Jesus’ description of the life in Christ. These pronouncements by Jesus reveal the character traits of the citizens of the Kingdom of God. Each of the Beatitudes begins with the statement, “Blessed are” which can also be translated, “Happy are” or “Joyful are.” Six of the Beatitudes promise a future reward; while two, “Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit” (v. 3) and “Blessed are the Persecuted” (v.10) promise a present-tense blessing.

“God blesses those who are poor” is sometimes thought of as God’s concern for the economic poor. While God certainly cares deeply for all people, including the poor, the widows and orphans, Jesus has in mind here the poor in spirit. Tom Long calls Jesus’ intended audience, “spiritual beggars” and I think that is entirely appropriate (Matthew, Thomas G. Long, (Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville 1997) page 48). When we are spiritual beggars, we recognize we need help; we recognize we can’t save ourselves, no matter what we do. All we can do is plead for mercy. Jesus says this is the key to our right-standing relationship with God.

What we will see as we continue to reflect on the Beatitudes, is that Jesus’ people do not have some Pollyanna, head-in-the-clouds, blind faith. Jesus’ people are most assuredly aware of the state of this world. We see the same abuses, oppression, war, sickness, droughts and famines as the rest of the world. But we also are convinced of the coming Kingdom of God when God will make all things right. For the followers of Jesus, the Final Judgement of God, the return of Jesus is the ultimate Good News.

My Takeaway: This first Beatitude brings a present blessing. Because the Kingdom of Heaven is ours now, we can rejoice in “our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:3b-4).

Hallelujah and amen!

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Concluding Thoughts

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

March 6, 2020

Concluding Thoughts

John 20:30-31

“The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.”

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement stated,

“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid, lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case, unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out. What was their fundamental doctrine? That the Bible is the whole and sole rule both of Christian faith and practice.”

(John Wesley, Thoughts Upon Methodism, 1786)

I believe Wesley’s statement applies to all Christian churches, not just those of the Methodist movement. The Word of God is our hope for the life in Christ the Apostle John pointed to in John 20:30-31.

Since July 2019, I have been reading The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ - this wonderful compilation of the four Gospels, and I have been so blessed to experience anew the life of Christ. I want to stay close to the words of Jesus. Beginning next week, I will begin a series on the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-6-7, that will take us to Holy Week.

My Takeaway: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17 NKJV)

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

I Commissioned My Disciples & Ascended to My Father

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

March 5, 2020

I Commissioned My Disciples & Ascended to My Father

Page 331-335

Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:8c, 14a, 15-28, 20;

Luke 24:44-49;

Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-53

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” Matthew 28:19-20.

Jesus has commissioned us to be a living testimony for his grace and mercy. When I think of being a living witness, I recall the words of Morgan Harper Nichols who is a Christian recording artist and songwriter. She wrote,

“Tell the story of the mountain you climbed.

Your words could become a page in someone else’s survival guide.”

When I think of our being a living testimony for Jesus, I know I can share about the mountain I climbed through my medical issues. I share the prayer that sustains me in difficult times. It is from verse 4 of the 23rd Psalm: Thou art with me. That prayer was on my lips as I was rolled into the surgery suite for my open-heart surgery, and my wife tells me that the nurses told her that those words were still on my lips when I awoke from the anesthesia.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 calls us to edify, or build up one another. We can do this by being a living witness for Jesus, telling the story of the mountain we climbed, and become a page in someone else’s survival guide.

Recently, a young man shared that an older gentleman in his church had more peace than he did about a hard situation they were facing. The young man said, “You have more faith than me.” And the older gentleman responded, “No, I have more experience with a faithful God.” I suspect those words are now recorded in that young man’s survival guide.

My Takeaway: For me, the most important part of Jesus’ commissioning of his disciples is, “And be sure of this: I am with you always . . .”

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

I Asked Peter if He Really Loved Me

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

March 4, 2020

I Asked Peter if He Really Loved Me

Page 328

John 21:15-23

Remember the charcoal fire in John 18:18? For Peter, the sight and aroma from the fire Jesus built on the beach invoked vivid memories of his three denials of Jesus by a similar fire. Those memories set the stage for his conversation with Jesus after breakfast.

There are nuances in the dialog between Jesus and Peter, and the three questions by Jesus clearly relate to Peter’s three denials of Jesus. While most Bibles simply render the translation as Jesus asking Peter three times, “Do you love me”, and Peter responding three times, “You know I love you”, the conversation was quite a bit more confrontational. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you agapaō me?” Agape is the highest form of love. It is the love of John 3:16 and the love Jesus commanded us to have for one another in John 13:34-35. Peter responded, Yes Lord, I phileō you” which means “I like you a lot.” The aroma of the charcoal fire has made Peter acutely aware of his limitations. The second sequence is the same, but on the third sequence, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you phileō me?” Peter, are you sure of your feelings?

This conversation allowed Peter to confront his failures and to realize that his failures did not disqualify him as a disciple. (In a previous appearance by Jesus, John 20:21, Peter is included in Jesus commissioning of the disciples: “As the father sent me, so I am sending you.”)

In his dialog with Peter, Jesus reveals the foundation for all Christian service. Whether you are the preacher, the musician, the greeter, the usher, the teacher, the server in the food line, the bell ringer for the Salvation Army, whatever your service may be, the foundation for your service is love for Jesus. Even though you have failed Jesus countless times, Jesus wants you to find your love for him and then express your love for him. Your service of love will be healing for your hurts and failures.

Your service is not a way to earn forgiveness – nothing can ever do that. Our relationship with Jesus is built on GRACE, from start to finish. Our expressions of love are offered in joy because we are forgiven; not what we have to do, but what we get to do.

My Takeaway: Because we love Jesus, what do we get to do today as an expression of that love?

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

I Again Appeared to My Disciples

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

March 3, 2020

I Again Appeared to My Disciples

Page 327-328

John 21:1-14

John ends his Gospel after Jesus’ appearance to Thomas by summarizing his purpose in writing the Gospel: “so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name” (John 20:31) Chapter 21 is an epilogue written to emphasize Jesus’ continued pro-active presence in the life of the church and in the lives of his followers.

Jesus’ appearance to his followers by the Sea of Galilee is similar to his appearances to Mary Magdalene and to Cleopas and his wife Mary on the road to Emmaus. In all three instances, Jesus was not recognized, at least not initially. With Cleopas and Mary, Jesus was recognized after he broke bread with them. With Mary and the disciples in the boat, Jesus wasn’t recognized until he spoke to them in a familiar way; he called Mary by name and he again gave Peter fishing instructions. (See Luke 5:4-6)

All sorts of rationalizations have been presented in an effort to explain why those who knew Jesus the best could not recognize him. However, I don’t have difficulty understanding their poor eyesight. Like them, I too have a tendency to get so focused on my problems that I can’t see clearly. I cringe to think of how many times Jesus has been as close to me as my next breath, and I missed him because I was looking at my problems and not looking for God. Jesus said, “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule” (Matthew 5:3 The Message). Like the disciples, I need help recognizing that I am at the end of my rope. That’s why Jesus keeps talking to us, and if necessary builds charcoal fires!

My Takeaway: When Peter and the disciples came ashore, “they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread” (John 21:9). Jesus built the fire, caught and cleaned the fish, and made the bread. I believe Jesus wants us to experience him so intimately meeting our every need.

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Thomas No Longer Doubted

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

March 2, 2020

Thomas No Longer Doubted

Page 327

Matthew 28:17; John 20:26-29

Sometimes we joke about the Doubting Thomases of the world. However, before we give him a hard time, let’s remember that Brother Thomas gives us two huge stones for the foundation of our faith. First, it was Thomas’ confession of faith that fully incorporated all of the bits and pieces of information about Jesus the Messiah. When Jesus urged Thomas to make a leap of faith, Thomas responded,

“My Lord and my God!”

John 20:28

Yes and Amen! Jesus is our Lord, Jesus is God.

Secondly, Jesus responded to Thomas’ affirmation by pronouncing his blessing on you and me. Let us rejoice in this, the ninth Beatitude!

“Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

John 20:29b

My Takeaway: “For we live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

Monday, March 9, 2020

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Friday, March 6, 2020

Concluding Thoughts

Thursday, March 5, 2020

I Commissioned My Disciples & Ascended to My Father

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

I Asked Peter if He Really Loved Me

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

I Again Appeared to My Disciples

Monday, March 2, 2020

Thomas No Longer Doubted

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