One of my favorite authors is Dallas Willard, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy,@ USC.His book, the Divine Conspiracy has challenged my thinking like no other book in years!
Listed below is a quote from this book, in which he gives his thoughts on
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) (pp.100, 116-119)
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit [“the spiritual zeroes- the spiritually bankrupt, deprived and deficient, the spiritual beggars, those without a wisp of ‘religion’”], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn [“the weeping ones”], for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek [“the shy ones, the intimidated, the mild, the unassertive”], for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [“who burn with desire for things to be made right . . . in themselves” or in others], for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful [those who are “taken advantage of”], for they will receive mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart [those “for whom nothing is good enough, not even themselves”], for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers [the ones “in the middle” where “neither side trusts you”], for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, [those who stand up “for what is right”], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account [you’ve “gone off” your “rocker and taken up with that Jesus”].
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
I appreciate Dallas down to earth simplicity of Jesus’s teaching and am astonished at how He opens the doors wide to the Kingdom of the Heavens just for us.
How do you view the Beatitudes? Does this speak to our culture today?
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