Blessed Are Ye

 

This week in Come Follow Me we studied Matthew 5 and Luke 6. 

When thinking about what to write about this week, I had an overwhelming feeling of being blessed. That we are all blessed. The Savior blesses us with so much. 

While searching for the blessed image for this post, I came across one of the definitions of the word blessed that I had not known before, and that was to be made holy to consecrate. When combining that definition with the Sermon on the Mount, it is clear that these blessings are a way that we can be made more holy. And the higher law that Christ gives us to live also does that, helps us to be a more holy and consecrated people. His people. 

In Jesus's day he taught things that were very different from what the people were used to hearing. He taught that the poor will receive the kingdom of God. The meek will inherit the earth, and blessed are the persecuted. These were not the things that the scribes and Pharisees were teaching. Those who listened and really heard what Christ was teaching recognized the truth in the Savior's words. 

Beliefs like "an eye for an eye" and "hate thine enemy" were lesser laws, humans living at a lower state or plane than they are capable of really. Christ also taught that He was teaching this higher law so that one day we could become perfected, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect. Which perfect does not mean perfection as we think of it. It means complete. That somewhere down the road we will be completed, like our Father in Heaven is complete. 

Jesus Christ taught us that lasting happiness comes from living the way that He taught. There are many different ideas of happiness in this world. Many different paths that people choose to take, thinking that it will make them happy, but the road to true lasting happiness, is the one that Christ has laid out before us and for us. Christ tells us, blessed are the poor, those that mourn, the meek, those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those that are persecuted, and those that are reviled and have all manner of evil spoken against them for Christ's sake. Christ taught that if we are among those people that are persecuted, that we should rejoice because great is our reward in heaven, because the prophets were also persecuted. It seems that we would be in the same company as them, and what great company that would be!

In Luke, Christ teaches a lot of the same thing, but some of the differences that stand out to me are blessed are those that weep now for ye shall laugh. I really like that promise. Christ also teaches some woes in Luke. Woe unto you that are full for you shall hunger, woe unto you that laugh now for you shall mourn and weep. Woe when all men shall speak well of you for so did their fathers of the false prophets. It seems that Christ does not want us to seek for worldly acclaim or fame. When he talks about laughing now, I see that more as the mocking laugh, those that mock and laugh at others for their beliefs and simple way of life, that those that mock will mourn later. 

I think that it takes a great deal of time to develop all the characteristics that Christ is teaching us to have, but I also think that it is possible to become a little more complete each day, one step at a time. Line upon line and precept upon precept. Improving as we realize that we need to improve. Ever growing and progressing, without ever feeling that we have completely arrived and that we have nothing left to work on. 

Christ teaches his disciples that they are the salt of the earth. Salt was used to preserve, flavor, and purify. It was used in the sacrifices that were made under the law of Moses. Salt looses its savor when it is mixed with or contaminated with other elements. And then of course, it is good for nothing. It is important that we keep our savor as disciples of Christ. That we do those things that help us to continue to serve and love others and teach through our example and our words the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others. 

How can we do preserving and purifying work? That is something that I am pondering on. What does Christ need me to do? 

Something else that we learn from Christ is that His law supersedes the law of Moses. Christ told his disciples that their righteousness needed to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, which they prided themselves in how well they kept the law of Moses. Christ taught us that we must choose the higher way. It is not just hate thine enemies, it is love your enemies. It is not just don't commit adultery, it is do not even lust after a woman. Christ set a much higher standard, and in today's world, that standard really sticks out, it is no wonder that those who are trying to follow the higher law are looked at as peculiar people. I personally take that as a compliment. It is clear from Christ's teachings that we need to have more control over the thoughts that come into our mind or the feelings that may come into our hearts.