A River Runs through It (B)

By Mel Baga, DMin

Scripture: ; | Focus: The blessed person one whose character is nourished by an inner spirit of poverty, mourning, and meekness and an outer spirit of mercy, singularity, and peacemaking | Function: I want to inspire my congregation to aspire for Jesus’ blessed character. | Date: October 21, 2017 | Place: Auburn SDA Church

Movement 1: Blessed Mood

Have Cameron Maciel read

, get up and pray

’s picture of the blessed person as a well-nourished tree by a perennially running stream, is almost an idyllic mood.

Reminds me of Sam Sheepdog from an old Looney Tunes cartoon, starting his morning shift, lunch box in hand, clocks in, goes and sits on a low hill overlooking a flock of sheep grazing peacefully below, Edvard Grieg’s Morning Mood playing in the background

(play first 1 minute here).

Movement 2: Blessed Character

What a blessed mood! But moods are transitory.

Like the time I was in a blessed mood, having come from weekend camping with my wife in the mountains east of San Diego, close to the old mining town of Julian, tall pines, view of surrounding valleys. Got home in blessed mood. So blessed I changed my wife’s car’s motor oil after dark, after a long drive home. Was on call as volunteer chaplain at Paradise Valley Hospital that evening. Received call. Drove. Four miles out, oil light comes on. Empty. Dark outside. No phone, no flashlight. Walked to a house. Knocked. Old lady opens door. “Ma’am, I need help...” Called Julie, bring oil and flashlight. She arrives. Pour more oil in, went home. Light again comes on before reaching garage. Empty. I had now left a full circle of motor oil in the streets that stated and ended in my garage. At least the moon was shining elsewhere that night. Had left old gasket on as I put in new filter. My blessed mood disappeared with my motor oil.

Is there a better way of gauging blessedness?

Jesus says there is. In the first seven beatitudes we see a picture of blessedness based not on passing mood, external circumstances, or material things, but on character.

Movement 3: Anchor Point

This character is anchored on the fourth beatitude. . On deep and habitual yearning for God‘s righteousness.

.

And God satisfies this person’s characteristic desire: You will be satisfied.

Movement 4: Inner Dispositions

God feeds the hungering and quenches the thirsting through a series of three inner dispositions, inner qualities of spirit. These three headwaters are conduits of God’s satisfying grace, and take it deep into the heart of a person, into her or his character. These are…

An impoverished spirit

—the entrance door to the kingdom, the spirit that correctly assesses one’s condition and need and one’s inability to meet those needs, and one’s humility in turning to God who alone meets those needs.

Matthew 5:3 NIV

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:

A mournful spirit

—deep sadness die to depressing circumstances or because of people’s condition, not the least one’s own condition. A person who grieves over his and others’ weaknesses and sins, is a man God can touch and God can move to do something about it. And when they do, his promise is that help will come so as to overcome besetting weaknesses and sins—yours and others’.

Matthew 5:4 NIV

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Παρακαληθησονται—you will be helped!

Matthew 5:4 NIV

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

A gentle spirit

—one who suffers indignities without complaint, or lashing back, one who finds no need in being the alpha dog, but aims to put others at ease. A hard character to develop, especially as alpha dogs will smell you and think you’re weak, and will intimidate you. But Jesus says,

“Don’t worry, the alpha dog may think you’re weak, but I know better. Take my yoke upon you and keep learning from my gentle spirit. Does alpha dog think the world is his by right of conquest? I won’t give it to the likes of him. I’ll give it to you instead. Not through the force of your own will. Better, as a gift from me. I’ll give to you as inheritance!”

Matthew 5:5 NIV

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Movement 5: Outer Actions

These three inner dispositions spring up and flows downstream into the world as a series of three graceful action as a result of the first three.

Merciful action

The poor in spirit sees weakness and sin in others differently. And they exercise patience, understanding, forgiveness. Kindness, compassion, leniency towards transgressors, to those in authority, to those in distress, to those mired in their own sins.

Matthew 5:7 NIV

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Simple action

Purity of heart comes out of inner righteousness and springs out as simple action are of double-mindedness. The pure in heart show pure kindness to strangers. Externally pure action is simply a reflection of the internal purity of heart. Lack of hypocrisy.

Matthew 5:8 NIV

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

καθαρος - clean, pure, simple

Peacemaking

The apex of a blessed character. For it presses graceful action to its ultimate goal. One cannot be a peacekeeper secluded from others. It presses you not only to be merciful and kind—which can easily be done without ever doing anything tangible. Peacemaking presses the person to seek another person in order to begin a process of reconciliation. Jesus says, the peacemaker is the best example of the child of God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:9 NIV

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Movement 6: From Poor to Peacemaker

“Hugs for the President” from The Book of Amazing Stories,

“Michael felt like an outsider. Maybe it was because he was an adopted kid, or because his Hollywood parents never had time for him. When his folks divorced, he was devastated. After his actor dad married Nancy, things got worse. His new stepmom tolerated no competition for her husband’s heart. Eventually, Nancy froze Michael out of the family circle. The lonely boy longed for two things from his father: a hug and the three words “I love you.” He got neither.

“Michael watched from a distance as his dad went from being president of the Screen Actors Guild, to governor of California, and finally to president of the United States. The only time he was useful to his father was when he was trotted out at some political event to bolster the family image. Michael would stand there with a plastic smile hiding the pain of never cracking the circle of love shared only by Ronnie and Nancy.

“Then he turned to Jesus. By grasping how much his heavenly father loved him, he got over his bitterness toward a distant earthly dad. But he still ached for his father to embrace him and say, “I love you.” He was devastated when he heard that his dad was in the first stages of Alzheimer’s. The clock was ticking. Would Michael ever hear those three words?

“One day he saw his dad in a crowded room. His old wounds throbbed again. What would Jesus do? Michael knew the answer. He walked across the room and embraced his startled father. “Dad, I love you.” For a moment, the old man was confused. Then he replied softly, “I love you, too.” Michael says that every time he saw his father after that, he would hug him and say, “Dad, I love you.” After a while, the old president no longer recognized who he was. But he still knew that Michael was the one who always hugged him. Whenever his son came into the room, President Reagan’s face would light up as he opened his arms wide for his hug.

“Michael saw his dad for the last time a few days before he slipped into a coma. As Michael pulled out of the driveway, his wife tugged at his arm and pointed to the house. His father was standing on the porch, a frail ninety-three-year-old, arms spread wide, waiting for the hug that his son forgot to give him.”

Michael found the stream that led from the character of poverty to the character of a peacemaker. And Jesus says,

“Congratulations, Michael Reagan! So you have found the blessed character!

God’s river of grace runs through three inner conduits and springs up and out into the world through three series of graceful action.

Michael found the stream that led from the character of poverty to the character of a peacemaker. And Jesus says,

“Congratulations, Michael Reagan! So you have found the blessed character!

Now reflect on these as you leave this place...

Question for reflection/discussion

How might your hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness be fully satisfied? What does it mean to have a balanced spirituality?