Authentic Christianity

• Blessed are the poor in spirit.
• Blessed are those who mourn.
• Blessed are the gentle.
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
• Blessed are the merciful.
• Blessed are the pure in heart.
• Blessed are the peacemakers.
• Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness.  —Jesus, Matthew 5:3-10
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I applied for a position in a Christian organization some years ago and was presented with a list of rules. "We expect Christian behavior from our employees" was the explanation. 

The list was a set of expectations with which I could agree for I, for reasons mostly unrelated to my faith, didn't do the things they proscribed. But, I thought, having agreed to their regulations, I should then ask for the right to be arrogant, insensitive, harsh, spiritually indifferent, critical, troublesome and defensive. None of these issues were addressed by this organization's rules. 

The character of those who follow Jesus is not defined by a code. It is a subtle quality of life that is  difficult to quantify, but can best be described as beautiful. 

Jesus' Beatitudes sum up that beauty: Those who are indwelled by and dependent upon the Spirit of Jesus are humble and self-effacing. They are deeply touched by the weakness and suffering of others. They are gentle and kind. They long for goodness in themselves and in others. They are merciful to those that struggle and fail. They are single-minded in their love for Jesus. They are quiet and peaceful and leave behind a legacy of peace. They are kind to those that ill-use them, returning good for evil. 

And they are "blessed," a word that means "happy" in the deepest sense of that word. 

This is the "wisdom that comes from above," a wisdom that arrests the attention of bystanders and outsiders, the only light that some people can see (Matthew 5:14,15). It belongs alone to those who come to Jesus and ask for it. To ask is to receive in due time. 

David Roper

1.27.19