For those not familiar with an Anglican Service there are four Scripture readings prior to the Message. The assigned readings for today are: Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 and Matthew 5:1-12.
At the last session ... on the last morning of a two-week seminar on Greek culture, ... Dr. Pap-a-der-os turned ... and made the ritual gesture: ...... "Are there any questions?"
He was greeted with silence.
These two weeks ... had generated enough questions for a lifetime, ... but for now, ... there was only silence.
"No questions?" ... Papaderos swept the room ... with his eyes.
Alas from the back row, ... "Dr. Papaderos, ...... What is the meaning of life?"
The usual laughter followed, ... and people stirred to go.
Papaderos held up his hand ... and stilled the room ... and looked at the gentleman ... who asked the question.
There was silence for a long period of time, ... asking with his eyes ... if indeed the question was serious or in jest.
"I will answer your question."
Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket, ... he fished into the leather billfold ... and brought out a very small round mirror, ... (Fingers) about the size of a quarter.
And what he said went something like this:
"When I was a small child, ... during the war, ... we were very poor and we lived in a remote village.
One day, ... on the road, ... I found broken pieces of a mirror.
A German motorcycle ... had been wrecked ... in that place.
"I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, ... but it was not possible, ... so I kept only the largest piece; ... This one.
And by scratching it On a stone, ... I made it round.
I began to play with it as a toy... and became fascinated by the fact ... that I could reflect light into dark places ... where the sun would never shine ... in deep holes ... crevices ... and dark closets.
It became a game for me ... to get light into the most inaccessible places that I could find.
"I kept the little mirror, ... and as I went through life, ... I would take it out in idle moments ... and continue the challenge ... of the game.
As I became a man, ... I grew to understand ... that this was not just a child's game ... but a metaphor ... for what I might do ... with my life.
I came to understand ... that I am not the light ... or the source ... of the light.
"I am a fragment of a mirror ... whose whole design ... and shape ... I do not know.
Nevertheless, ... with what I have ... I can reflect light ... into the dark places of this world ... into black places ... in the hearts of men ... and change some things ... in some people.
Perhaps others may see and do likewise.
This is what I am about.
This is the meaning of life."
And then he took his small mirror and, ... holding it carefully, ... caught the bright rays of daylight streaming through the window ... and slowly reflected them onto... all that were in the room.
O' Beloved ... Are you allowing the light of Christ ... to reflect off the mirror ... of your heart?
Are you allowing God ... to shine through?
That is what the beatitudes are about ... God shining through.
It has always been God's purpose ... when He entered our lives, ... that He would be allowed ... to so fill our lives ... that He would "Shine Through".
That He would be visible ... in our attitudes ... our actions ... our whole life.
That Christ Himself ... would be allowed to live through us.
The beatitudes are like a mirror ... that reflects the light ... of God.
The beatitudes are like a light ... that only shines when connected ... to the power of God!
The beatitudes are to 'be' ... your 'attitude'.
The Holy Spirit has come to live IN us ... that He might live and shine through us.
And when He does, ... others see the image of Christ ... shining through this (Touch your heart) Veil of flesh.
Jesus came to live within me ... to redeem the carnal works of this body.
He came to master the circumstances of my life.
He came to manifest His character in my life, ... and minister to others ... whom my life touches ...every day.
Yet, ... does anyone ever see God shining ... through me?
Well, ... if they did, ... I know what that person would look like, ... for the beatitudes ... are a self-portrait of Christ.
And we are called to be conformed into the image of Christ.
A key, ... if not THE key to our Gospel passage... is the phrase 'Blessed'.
Blessed ... not a state of contentment ... but a state ...of unimaginable happiness.
Blessed ... to be a blessing.
Our text ... is the first sermon recorded in the New Testament ... as having been preached by Jesus himself.
It begins with a call to be blessed ... to a state of a spiritual happiness ... a genuine happiness.
Nine times ... the voice of Jesus reached out to the multitudes seated on that hillside;
With the call to genuine happiness ... genuine blessedness.
The Greek word translated "blessed" ... in our text ... is (Ma car ree ous) makarios.
Jesus used the Greek word (Ma car ree ous) makarios not to invoke a blessing ... but rather to affirm a quality of spirituality ... that already existed ...in that person.
There is another Greek word (you-low-get-o) eulogeo ... which is used ... to invoke a blessing ... on someone.
(You-low-get-o) ... Eulogeo is not used anywhere ... in the beatitudes.
The beatitudes are not invoking a blessing.
The third Beatitude, ... for instance, ... should not be understood to mean ... "If you are meek, ... if you make yourself meek... then you will inherit the Earth".
As a group ... the beatitudes do not mean ... "Blessed are the people who do "This" ... for they shall receive ... "That".
The point is not an exhortation ... for a certain type of behavior.
It is all about Jesus ... it is all about opening up our lives ... to be transformed ... into the image of Jesus Christ.
Only by being mature in the Faith, ... only by yielding to the Holy Spirit ... will we walk in authentic spirituality.
Only then ... will we be transformed into the image of Christ ... who alone fully and completely portrays ... the beatitudes.
Jesus used nine, back-to-back announcements of what a spiritual life will be like.
Blessed is a word ... "full of sunshine, thrilling with music, brimming over with just what we all are seeking...."
Beloved ... We serve a blessed God, ... We serve a joyful God.
A life in Christ, well as Jimmy Stewart might say ... "It's a wonderful life."
Beloved, are you blessed; ... are you happy?
You should be ... you could be.
Too many people spend their lives thinking, ... "I would be happy if..."
They are looking for happiness in the wrong places, associating happiness with things ... or in how they are treated by others.
They associate it ... with circumstances ... in their life.
This may be difficult to hear ... but I am convinced that it is true.
If you are not happy, ... if you are not filled with joy ... I would suggest ... that you have a life ... that very seldom has God ... shining through.
When God shines through, ... the world will not only see a blessed person, ... they will see something deeper... They will see A Whole Person.
God's purpose, ... is clear in the Scriptures ... we are called ... to yield our lives to Jesus Lordship ... and be conformed ... into the image of Christ.
Therefore, ... it is reasonable to proclaim:
That The beatitudes ... describe qualities that are available to every Christian.
They are not guidelines ... for a Christian character.
Beloved, ... The beatitudes ... describe the evidence ...of a yielded life.
They are not produced BY the Christian, ... but IN the Christian. REPEAT
They show us what the world will see ... shining in ... and shining through ... a life ... that is fully surrendered ... to Jesus.
The beatitudes do not represent individual qualities, but a complete picture ... a whole picture ... of a life that has been yielded ... to the touch of the Master's hand. (Pause)
Will God make me pure of heart ... Yet allow me to lack a thirst for righteousness?
Will God make me meek, ... Yet allow me ... to lack mercy and compassion?
What kind of impression ... would the world have of God ... if He worked that way?
It is impossible to genuinely display one of these qualities as the work of God ... without displaying ... them all.
Truly, ... one or more ... of these qualities ... will at times ... be more prominent ... in your life.
But the Holy Spirit will not manifest one ... with a disregard... for the others.
The beatitudes are not a standard ... for me to achieve, ... but a yardstick ... by which to measure my submission ... to the Holy Spirit. (Pause)
I do not spend my time worrying about whether or not ... I am poor in spirit, ... meek, ... or merciful.
My focus is on walking in the Spirit ... In being submissive to the Holy Spirit
Because ... if the Holy Spirit is in control of my life, ... He will manifest these qualities ... In my life.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God... and all these things ... will be added unto you.
Beloved ... yield yourself to the grace of God.
Why? For theirs is the kingdom of heaven, ... they are comforted, ... they inherit the earth, ... they are filled, ... ...they obtain mercy, ...they see God.
And others see God in them, ... for they are called ... "the children of God."
A little boy was asked, ... "What is a saint?"
He replied, ... "A saint is a person who lets the light shine through."
Evidently ... he got this idea ... by watching the sun shine through the prophets ... and the other great people of God ... in the stained-glass windows ...of his church.
A saint, ... is a person who will let the light of God shine through. (Pause)
I want you to do something right now.
Mentally, reach into your pocket or your purse and pull out a little mirror.
Now, look into it. ... Are you allowing God to so control and fill your life ... that He "shines through you?"
You know what He looks like.
His portrait is painted in the Beatitudes.
If he is not shining through you ... then take a step ... and yield yourself totally to Jesus.
Let the Holy Spirit transform you.
Let a Beatitude life ... encompass you ... and make you whole.
Beloved Let God shine through you!
For you are blessed ... to be a blessing.
Amen and Amen!
Help: If this Message has been helpful to you please consider sending a nominal donation to Epiphany Anglican Fellowship 135 Kalassay Drive, Post Office Box 375, Ligonier, PA 15658 and (Write on the Memo line - Web Support). We are a small but growing parish in the Laurel Valley Mountains of Pennsylvania. Blessings in Christ. Blessed To Be A Blessing.
I received much insight from Jerry Shirley's Sermon "The Gospel of Jesus: When God Shows Thru". I commend this Sermon to you.
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Homily was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor Smead (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings.
