Aphorisms

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.  He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:1-12)

Jesus’ mission was primarily to the peasant class.  Villages, towns, and the countryside were his environment until the end when the city of Jerusalem where the powerful determined his fate that Jesus knew was preordained.  The powerful included those who were part of the imperial domination system and native collaborators. 

Jesus gave the peasants hope and encouragement through his beatitudes.   However, it’s likely Jesus did not say all of Matthew’s (or Luke’s) described sermon at one place or at a single time.  Jesus was a skilled rabbi and teacher who would not have delivered such a challenging list of blessings (and woes) to a large audience all at once.  It is more likely the two sermons were collections of individual sayings spoken by Jesus many times at different locations later assembled by Matthew (and Luke).

Jesus spoke in parables and short sayings (aphorisms, such as the beatitudes) to provoke thoughts and challenge life’s assumptions.  We all stand to benefit when we see ourselves sitting on the mount (or on the plain) to unpack what he still says to us such as this aphorism: “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” or “You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!” So much food for thought for those of us who are so very hungry for truth and self-reflection. 

Deacon David Pierce