 Many listening to Christ’s Sermon on the Mount had dire physical and mental needs. Surprisingly, Christ told them they could be blessed (Matthew 4:23-5:10).
Typically, those considered to be blessed are the talented, rich, powerful, healthy, beautiful, well-built, or crafty. Advertisements constantly depict the weak, poor, old, sad, awkward, fat, bald, or ugly as the unfortunate. However, according to Christ, those with desperate spiritual needs, those who consider themselves insignificant, are blessed. The humble, the gentle, and those who grieve are blessed (Matthew 5:3-5). Typically, we do not consider such people to be living the dream life. According to Christ, the determining factors of a blessed life are not based on what one owns, how one looks, where one lives, or how much one knows. There is no need to be the slave of the world’s demand. Because of Christ, we can be blessed. By depending on the grace of God, even the worst of us can be secure in the kingdom of God. The deplorable and the misfits, all can be blessed if they are in God’s kingdom. Not only did Christ see people differently, He was a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:19). He took them in as who they were. Alcoholics Anonymous’ success is at least because everyone there fully embraces each other as addicts. There is no pretending. Do not pretend there is no sin, assuming everyone is perfect and happy. Instead, accept everyone to be sinners, to be inadequate (1 John 1:8-10). Though we are a train wreck, God still accepts us as His children through Christ. This is the context of the Sermon on the Mount. May we see others differently than the world (2 Corinthians 5:16). May we see others as God sees us. May we accept others because God has accepted us. Summarized from a John Ortberg’s sermon, titled, “Still haven’t found what I am looking for”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsGQ0ZXfW2o 谁是有福的？谁在过着梦想般的生活？ 许多聆听基督登山宝训的人身心上都有迫切的需要。令人惊讶的是基督一开始便说他们可以是有福的人（马太福音4：23-5：10）。 通常被认为有福的是那些拥有才华、钱财、权力、健康、美丽、魁梧身材或者狡猾之人。广告时常描绘不幸的人常常是那些软弱、贫穷、年老、悲伤、 笨拙、肥胖、秃头或面貌丑陋之人。 但是在基督眼里，那些在精神上和心灵上有极度需要的人，那些认为自己微不足道的人是有福的； 那些谦卑、温柔和悲哀的人是有福的 (马太福音5：3-5)。 通常我们不会认为这些人过着梦想般的生活。 在基督眼里有福的生活其决定因素并不在于拥有什么、外表如何、生活在哪里或知道多少，我们无需成为被这个世界需求所驱赶的奴隶。 我们因着基督都可以蒙福。 靠着上帝的恩典，即使最坏的人也可以在上帝的国中平安稳妥。可悲的人和不合群的人只要在上帝的国里都可以蒙福。 基督不仅用不同的眼光看人，而且还是罪人的朋友，按着本相接纳他们（马太福音11:19）。 匿名的酗酒者（Alcoholics Anonymous）这个机构的成功至少是因为在那里的每个人都接纳彼此都是瘾者的事实，互相坦诚以待，没有伪装。 我们也不应假装没有罪，每个人都完美幸福。相反地，要接纳所有人都是罪人, 都有不足的事实 （约翰壹书1：8-10）。 虽然我们好像被撞坏的火车残骸一样破烂不堪, 天父籍着基督仍然接纳我们成为祂的儿女。 这就是登山宝训教导的背景。愿我们不要从世俗的角度看待别人 （哥林多后书5:16）。 愿我们用神看待我们的眼光去看待每个人。 愿我们接纳每个人如同神接纳我们一样。
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