POST #10: JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Squeezed! Poured out! Salt! Light!

It's been a Ketchup (Catch-up) and
Mustard (Must Do) Saturday! 

When a ketchup bottle gets squeezed, ketchup comes out.

When a mustard bottle gets squeezed, mustard comes out.

When a christian gets squeezed, what should come out?

.

Jesus is telling us, in the Matthew 5 beatitudes, how a Christian is "SALT" and "LIGHT".  When a Christian gets squeezed, what should come out?  "SALT" and "Light" - according to Matthew 5:13-20. 

•  Salt for a tasteless world!
•  Light for a dark world
•  Salt to make life appetizing
•  Light to illuminate The Way

Now, back up to the beatitudes, that we began looking at in September... the verses before the SALT and LIGHT verses... explain what the ingredients to "light and salt" are -  Matthew 5:3-8:

•  ^3"BLESSED are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
  .
• ⁴ “BLESSED are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."


• ⁵  "BLESSED are the gentle (meek), for they shall inherit the earth."


• ⁶ “BLESSED are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."


• ⁷ “BLESSED are the merciful, 
  for they shall receive mercy."
• ⁸ “BLESSED are the pure in heart, 

            for they shall see God."

• 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers,  

            for they will be called children of God."

• ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are                                    persecuted because of righteousness,

       for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• ¹¹ “BLESSED are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Considering the Greek, here is how I read the above:

• ^3" OH THE JOY of being poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
• ⁴ “OH THE JOY of those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
• ⁵ “ OH THE JOY of being gentle (meek), for they shall inherit the earth."
• ⁶ “OH THE JOY of those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
  
• ⁷ “OH THE JOY of being merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
• ⁸ “OH THE JOY of being pure in heart, for they shall see God."
• 9 "OH THE JOY of the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
• 
  
• ¹⁰ OH THE JOY of  those who are  persecuted because of righteousness, 
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• ¹¹ “OH THE JOY are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

In a limited way, I plan to be writing about each of these, on this blog, from now through December. If you are doing a year long study, you might find that I'm running ahead of you.  You can access past blog posts, as you need them, over in the right column of this blog. The posts are numbered.  Just double click on the link that you are ready for. 

BLESSED!

OH, THE JOY!

Won't me join me in singing?

Turn my heart, O Lord, like rivers of water,
Turn my heart, O Lord, by Your hand;
Till my whole life flows in the river of Your Spirit,
And my name brings honor to the Lamb. (Repeat)

Verse
Lord, I surrender to Your work in me;
I rest my life within Your loving hands.