In this lesson from the mount, Jesus is telling us what it feels like, looks like, smells like, and tastes like to be remembered. This is what it’s like to have God snatch us back from the cliffs of anxiety we’re peering over. This is what it feels like to have God’s arm slide around your shoulder before you enter the dark and foreboding woods. Remember, he’s the Father that is already there…calling us before we ever call upon him. God remembers and is moved to give the good gift of his hand to comfort and guide, his provision, his healing – so we can head into tomorrow’s uncertainties unafraid…learning to trust.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” “Consider the lilies of the field.” These are some of Jesus’ most famous sayings – all found in his Sermon on the Mount. From the Beatitudes to the Lord’s Prayer, the sermon is very familiar…maybe too familiar. Perhaps, in our overfamiliarity with the sermon, we’ve missed just how astonishing God really is.