Lectionary Readings: Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
In an interview with NPR in August of 20231, the editor-at-large of Christianity Today, told the interviewer about conversations with multiple pastors who told him that they had preached the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, specifically, Jesus’ command to “turn the other cheek.”2 And, what would happen, each of these pastors told him, is that someone would come up after the service and ask, “Where did you get those liberal talking points?”
He went on to say, “What was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, ‘I’m literally quoting Jesus Christ,’ the response would not be, ‘I apologize.’ The response would be, ‘Yes, but that doesn’t work anymore. That’s weak.’” Moore then made the final comment, saying, “When we get to the point where the teachings of Jesus himself are seen as subversive to us, then we’re in a crisis.”
To state his words more clearly: “When we get to the point where the words of Jesus are rejected for the sake of power, then we have a crisis of our common faith.”
Why do I bring this up, you wonder? It’s because today we read the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, the part called The Beatitudes. The Sermon on the Mount is one of the best collections of the words of Jesus. If our Christian faith were a country, then this Sermon on the Mount by Jesus would be our Constitution, outlining how life operates for those who follow him – both in the present age, and in the age to come. In a world so filled with chaos, it is tempting to want a religion, a faith, that allows us to push power and strength. But that just shows that we have made the words of Jesus about this world only, and not about the world to come. Jesus preached hope, compassion, and living simply and generously. The fact that some people want to reject these words of Christ and try to rewrite them into something they find more acceptable should make all of us question what is going on with the state of our union as followers of Christ.
So what exactly does this Sermon on the Mount say? And why would people be so offended by these words that they would feel comfortable trampling on them? To rewrite them so that they don’t have to follow a “weak” Jesus?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” For someone to be “poor in spirit,” does not mean that they are poor. Instead, it implies that they have formed an utter dependence on God. You can be rich and be “poor in spirit,” if you rely on God, rather than on personal merits or material possessions. That last bit is important. Jesus said that it is harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than a camel to enter a city through the eye of a needle.3 And that’s because when you are rich, you are able to distract yourself from your own suffering, and the suffering of others by throwing money at whatever ails you. Trusting God in all things, particularly when the world seems grim is a strength, not a weakness. Those who find this difficult to swallow may prefer this version instead: Blessed are the self-reliant, for they shall be unburdened by the suffering of the world.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” This type of mourning is not just about the loss of a loved one, but about the profound sense of grief about their own spiritual shortcomings, and over the failures of righteousness of all the people of God. It mourns the state of the world, and the state of faith in God. Those who believe themselves righteous, and justify their own evil and the evil of others, are those who follow the idols of wealth and power. They have no need to mourn, because for them there are no spiritual shortcomings, just the righteous work of the righteous, which is who they believe themselves to be. Those who find these words difficult, may like this translation instead: Blessed are those who feel justified in all that they do, for they shall never feel conviction.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Most often, this word “meek” is translated as weak, or submissive. But that’s not what this word means. It means to be humble – to understand what our strengths and shortcomings are, and to view ourselves with clarity. If we know someone better suited for a position, we step back. But we also stand up for what is right, and proclaim the truth where necessary. It is most definitely not weakness. It is a sober view of ourselves, of our standing, our capabilities, and the needs of all God’s people in the Kingdom of God. It is done for the good of all, and not just for our own good. The opposite of “meekness” is “arrogance.” To believe that we are the best at everything. It is believing that we already own the world, and that everyone must bow to us. Those who find these words weak and powerless might find these words more comfortable to hear: Blessed are the arrogant, for the world yields to the forceful.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to be someone who has a deep longing for moral fairness, generosity, and justice in the world. They desire that all people embody the teachings of Christ. This hunger for righteousness points to the life of Christ as a model to follow, but never forces anyone to live a certain way; instead it points to a life that seeks the good of all people. The obvious opposite is hypocrisy, self-righteousness, demanding a version of justice that only punishes those we disagree with. It is a form of justice that is propped up with lies and half-truths. Those who find this troubling may enjoy these words instead: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for self-righteousness, for complacency shall sustain them in their cloud of self-praise.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” To have mercy means to live in active compassion. Choosing to forgive, rather than holding grudges and seeking vengeance. Offering kindness, even when it is not earned. Confronting those in the wrong, when necessary, but doing so in a spirit of gentleness, protecting the dignity of all people. It means to have empathy. Because empathy, as seen in the words and actions of Jesus, is a strength, not a weakness. Those who reject this are the hard-hearted. The bullies. Those who feel they not only can, but must force others to do their bidding. And they will enjoy these words instead: Blessed are those who are hard-hearted, for mercy shall never be near them.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” To be “pure in heart” means to have an undivided loyalty to God. Not to love anything or anyone more than God. Not to have idols before God, whether they be power, wealth, or anything else that draws our attention away from God. After all, a little later in this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “You cannot serve two masters.”4 If we are serving an idol, rather than serving God, then our hearts become corrupt, and deceitful, and we make ourselves and our own desires equal with God. Declaring ourselves equal to God is a place that no one should ever want to be, because that is not just idolatry. That is blasphemy. And blasphemers, Paul says, should be handed over to the devil for their punishment.5 Blessed are the corrupt, for in their deceit they shall think themselves to be God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” To be a peacemaker is to actively try and reconcile people with God and one another. It is an active engagement in trying to bring about peace between people. It requires sacrifice, modeled by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. It is not just keeping the peace, because peace keeping is about maintaining the status quo. Peace making is all about actively seeking a way for all parties to thrive. The opposite, of course, is to be a war-monger. To seek war not for peace, not for justice, but to serve our own interests, and to amass power and prestige at any costs. As history shows us, those who treat peace as something to be gained through war and military strength, are those who often bring about the destruction of freedom, and the loss of peace for all those who followed them.6 Those who find those words annoying, may like these instead: Blessed are the war-mongers, for those who are like children shall follow them like Gods.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Notice how these last two say that the persecution is for righteousness and on account of the name and work of Jesus. When you stand up for the Love that God has for all people, regardless of race, sex, religion, age, or any other reason, there will always be people who will call you names, exclude you, and find ways to reject you for daring to love your neighbor. But real persecution is when you are imprisoned, tortured, or worse, put to death for your beliefs. It is being excluded from locations, memberships, careers, and more, just for who you are. And it is perpetuated against those without power, those on the fringes of society. Persecution never happens to those who are in power. In fact, it is always those in power who commit the persecution and call it righteous. But that doesn’t stop those in power from claiming they are being persecuted, that they are the victims. This was the tactic that Hitler used to justify what he called a “defensive war” against the “threat” that Germany was under attack by the Jews, that the Jews were trying to take over Europe and erase their civilization. Truly loving your neighbor will make people who think like this angry, and they will revile you, and exclude you, and persecute you. Those who find this difficult to stomach may like these words instead: Blessed are those who persecute others for they can keep the undesirables out of paradise. Blessed are you when people are disgusted by you, and point out your wickedness, because then you can claim that you are being persecuted. Rejoice and be glad, for playing the victim is your reward.
By now, you’ve probably figured out that the words of Jesus are not exactly subtle. Jesus was outlining a way of life for all those that followed him. A way of life that encompassed more than just this present age. It encompassed this life, and the life to come. It was a message of hope, even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.
These words of Jesus don’t exactly fit in with the way most people in our present society think or behave. A lot of people don’t want a hope-filled nebulous future, they want the certainty of a future built on power. You can probably understand why those people that the editor of Christianity Today mentioned were upset by Jesus’ own words, and why he believes that Christianity is in a crisis.
Because a lot of people don’t actually want to live like Jesus did. But they still want the social benefits of claiming to be a follower of Jesus.
The crisis the editor of the magazine was talking about may be a crisis of faith for the union of all who call themselves followers of Christ, but it doesn’t need to be a crisis of our own faith.
It doesn’t need to be a crisis of our own faith, because in this Sermon on the Mount, Christ has shown us that while the world may experience suffering, evil, and chaos, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. That those who seek to make peace will be called Children of God. That those who mourn for the world will be comforted. And that those who are pure of heart will see God.
[This sermon was delivered at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Wickenburg, AZ on February 1, 2026.]