“Christianity [is] more than a crutch for the weak. It’s a wheelchair, a gurney. It’s a hospital. Better yet, it’s a hearse. Christianity doesn’t say you have a limp and therefore offers a crutch; it announces that we are dead and in need of a power outside ourselves to bring us to life.”- Rich Villodas
As Rich Villodas moves on in Chapter 2 of The Narrow Path, he takes time to briefly explore each beatitude. Then he considers its implication for our lives. Today Rich looks at the first two beatitudes.
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus employs the phrase poor in spirit. However, in Luke’s gospel, it’s the phrase you who are poor (Luke 6:20). Hence, scholars note, Luke wrote with the material poor in mind, while Matthew thought about the spiritually poor. Yet, Rich stresses, we need to consider both perspectives.
Furthermore, in this text the word poor finds its origin in the Hebrew word that carries the basic idea of ‘lacking.’ Sometimes this denotes a lack of property or resources. More often, though, it refers to spiritual neediness. To inherit God’s kingdom, we must recognize our impoverished state apart from Him.
2. Blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4). It’s easy to allow a world that numbs pain and moves quickly to the next thing to mold us. But eliminating grief blocks access to the joy available through the narrow path. Thus, when we cut out grief from our lives, we crush our joy as well. We compromise everything else when we numb our emotions.
In conclusion, Jesus gives us access to the comfort of God. Consequently, we need not wallow in our grief. Above all, Rich stresses, one of the great practices of the Christian faith involves regular reading of the Psalms. Even those Psalms we think fail to reflect our current emotional state.
This practice provides windows into the grief-stricken world we live in. And it invites us to join God in working for the world’s healing.
Today’s question: How do you witness to people who fail to see Christianity as more than a crutch for the weak? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Prevenient mercy of God”