September 20 Face Time

Luke 6:20-22 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 What happiness it is when others hate you and exclude you and insult you and smear your name because you are mine!”
 
IN Matthew 5:3-11 you can read another account of this same “blessed teaching”. These have also been called the Beatitudes. Some translations use “Happy” for “Blessed”. “Beatitude” means “blessing”.
   What is blessing? The core meaning of blessing goes to every person’s desire to be so intimately with God you are face-to-face with him. See God’s “happy offer” to draw his people back to him in one of the most well-known and used blessings of all from Numbers 6:23-27 Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’ 27 So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."  
   Twice the blessing is spoken to be fulfilled in the Lord’s face upon his people. The priests were to put God’s name on his people. Mindful of God’s name, they would remember and know he is the great Provider, Almighty Creator who freed them from slavery and came to be face-to-face with them in his tabernacle in the desert. If the name of God is on you today, you know him as Savior, King and Resurrection. You know he has come very personally to be face-to-face with you. Believing in Jesus’ love, forgiveness and salvation, you know you can go to him face-to-face, don’t you? He came to the Jews long ago and comes to us today to bless his own with a face-to-face communion.
   Yes, every person longs for this relationship with the holy God. It is in our nature. He has made us that way. To meet with one face-to-face is the most intimate way to talk with that person, isn’t it? We even see this played out in the terms “Facebook” and “Facetime” in our modern communications. These technologies diminish the distance between friends in order to see each other’s faces. Facing someone, we are more prone to be truthful and open. Looking someone in the eyes opens our own heart for that person to see our own heart and to feel close to us.
   Yes, the very personal God created mankind to be face-to-face with him in love, worship and joy. But unhappily, sin formed shame in humanity’s heart. Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of Adam and Eve were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Guilt and shame has turned our face away to hide from God. We can’t be his “friend” in our guilt. God’s perfection makes us very uncomfortable. We do all we can to hide from him. Still, God’s merciful will is to bless mankind with a loving face-to-face relationship.
   Jesus speaks God’s desire in the beatitudes. Through these teachings he offers the way of blessing. Submitting to God’s Kingdom way instead of the world’s way, you will see your shame transformed into love and peace in God’s forgiveness. More and more, as you are a friend with Jesus, you will discover a true, contented happiness in the risen Lord.
   True happiness is not a moment’s pleasure based on material or temporary pleasures, but kingdom happiness is an assurance of our eternal, intimate relationship with God. Happy in Christ, we will peacefully withstand all things that come against us.
   In our next lesson, we’ll talk more of what these particular blessings mean. They seem opposite of our thinking, don’t they?
  
Prayer: I pray, Father, that I am happy in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.