Glory Be To God Who Blesses And Consoles Us

2 Corinthians 1:1-7
Matthew 5:1-12

Dearly beloved in Christ, we are truly blessed. We are recipients of God’s blessings, but those blessings produce blessings for others, or otherwise, they are not blessings at all. With the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus goes up a mountain with his disciples, beyond the crowd which has gathered. He can see them all.

The first part of each Beatitude has to do with a particular Christ-like position we take in the face of obvious need, e.g. mourning. The second part of each of the beatitudes is focused on those who are the recipients of the particular approaches we take in the face of people’s needs, e.g. “they will be comforted.” Our particular behavioral approaches to people are the beatitudes, the blessings meant for others, not for ourselves. The Beatitudes are other-oriented.

St. Paul in his greeting to the Church in Corinth acknowledges God our Father as the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows, so that console others using the same consolation that we have. The crave for comfort in the world today is not towards God’s way but that of man. Man soul searches for comfort, consolation and above all for happiness. It is only when we accept the way of happiness from Christ whatever happiness we seek apart from God ends up before a void of misery in us.

So, too, consolation and patient endurance demand an energy beyond our human capability. “If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same suffering that we are also suffering.” (2 Cor. 1: 5)

No matter the sorrow in this life, therefore, once we have accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour and we constantly follow in His footsteps, there lies the true Treasure. Heaven is the prize. The choice is ours today to make. A choice that will be determined by our consistency either for Jesus or for this world.

Fr Joseph Osho