July 6 - Daily Pause
July 6, 2020 | Leah Lynch
READ: Matthew 5: 1-12
REFLECTION: Blessed are the _____. Jesus says it eight times. And with those eight statements, He begins one of the most well-known sermons in Scripture, the Sermon on the Mount.
But, why begin with the blessings? Why not the guidelines first and then the blessings after? Why didn’t Jesus lay out the dos and don’ts followed by the benefits of making the right choice? I believe it was because Jesus wanted His disciples and the crowd to have their hearts in the right place. He wants the same for us.
At the root of every decision we make is the condition of our heart. When we understand that, we can see why Jesus wanted to start there. It isn’t about our circumstances. It’s about our heart. The condition of our heart determines our response. As author Oswald Chambers said, “The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations— it is a picture of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is having His unhindered way with us.”
I can imagine the passion and enthusiasm Jesus had as He began this sermon. I have no doubt it was oozing with love! I wonder what it was like for the disciples to hear that in His voice and see it on His face. As you read His words, rest in the fact that He isn’t calling you to work harder, but rather, He’s beckoning you to have a heart like His so that in return He can bless you in ways that only He can.
PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for wanting to bless me. Thank you for loving me so deeply that you were willing to go to all lengths to show me. Thank you that your love knows no bounds. Holy Spirit, search me and know me. Help me to see what needs to change so my heart can be like yours. Teach me how to make those changes. And, may the condition of my heart and your blessings in my life point others to you. In Jesus name, amen.