Meeting Matthew Again...Anew

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Jesus saw the crowds...we are often so quick to race and run to the familiar words of the beatitudes that we miss the fact that Jesus saw the crowds. Jesus gaze is not just a passing glace. What he observes awakens something deep within. Jesus is not just pontificating or philosophizing here. Jesus is not talking abstractly or setting about propositions. Jesus is saying the poor in spirit who are standing right there. Jesus is saying those who mourn who are right here in the crowd. Part of what we miss in the sermon on the mount is that we have turned it into Orthodoxy (something to believe) rather than Orthopraxy (a way to live). The sermon on the mount is not just good advice and a way to org