"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."Matthew 5:5 The first time I ever heard the word "meek" was in that classic childhood film "The Wizard of Oz." Dorothy stood before the fearsome visage of the Wizard who thunders: "I am Oz - the Great and Powerful. Who are you? Who are you?!" Dorothy's timid response was "If you please, I am Dorothy - the small and … [Read more...] about The Meekness of the Kingdom
Kingdom - Explorations of the Sermon on the Mount
The Mourning of the Kingdom
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."Matthew 5:3 There is no mistaking that 2020 has been a truly unusual year. The year started with one disaster after another, leading into a global coronavirus pandemic that so far has lasted for five months in the United States, and as long as eight months in China, where it all began. During this time reported … [Read more...] about The Mourning of the Kingdom
The Poverty of the Kingdom
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:1-3 The crowds gathered around from all over. From as far away as Damascus, a wealthy trading post along the Fertile Crescent, outside of … [Read more...] about The Poverty of the Kingdom
The Gospel of the Kingdom
"And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So His fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and He healed … [Read more...] about The Gospel of the Kingdom