The greatest teaching session in history took place on a hillside in Galilee when Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount. Two thousand years later, many of us thoughtfully relate to these phrases:
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
You are the salt of the earth.
You are the light of the world.
Turn the other cheek.
Love your enemies.
But I find myself skimming over a few other sections:
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Rather than consider these challenging statements, I prefer to think of myself inheriting the earth, or lighting the world. Funny how I can turn this profound teaching towards my own self interest. Seems to miss the point. But not to worry, Jesus smacks me back to reality, leaving no room for smug self-reflection.
Which I believe is—at least—part of the point.
Matthew 5 in week twenty-nine of reading the Bible cover to cover
Photo from a hillside on the Camino de Santiago in Galicia, Spain
Great photo of the Camino, Dave.