The New Minimum

Jesus begins His sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes – an eight-step plan to true happiness.

a.   With God’s help we can live this. We can become people who aren’t clinging to anything that can stop us from doing God’s will because -

                                         i.    The poor aren’t clinging to wealth

                                        ii.    The meek aren’t clinging to power, or to that absurd need to “have an impact”

                                      iii.    The peacemakers aren’t clinging to partisan identity politics, either in Church matters or Government matters.

                                      iv.    The ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness aren’t clinging to always taking the path of least resistance.

                                       v.    The merciful aren’t clinging to some demand for restitution, or to their need to have someone apologize to them

                                      vi.    The pure of heart aren’t clinging to the cravings of their disordered appetites

                                    vii.    Those who mourn aren’t clinging to the need to self-justify – they know how to repent without trying to rationalize their sins away

                                   viii.    And those who are persecuted and mocked and slandered aren’t clinging to what other people think of them.

b.   So of course these people are happy – because they’re free.

                                         i.    And God give us the grace to do likewise!