The Good Life

robert-bye-HuGhOh38aCA-unsplash.jpg

Who is really living the good life? Who is truly well-off? Dallas Willard answers these questions in his masterful work The Divine Conspiracy where he focuses on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew (chapters 5-7). And, our scriptures for this Sunday focus on this question as well. So, I want to frame your expectation in that regard for our worship together. 

We can read Micah and the Psalm in that regard. In Micah the wealthy of Israel have devised evil schemes to profit off the most vulnerable and poor in the land. Maybe this behavior was a way to be well off? Perhaps for these malicious Israelites material wealth and power were their measures for being well off. 

Similarly, Psalm 37 addresses this question: “Do not be envious of those who do evil, nor be jealous of this who work lawlessness.” It’s as if the psalmist has the predatory class of Israelites in mind, and he urges his readers - don’t be anxious about them, don’t worry. Why? “For like the grass they shall be quickly dried up.” So instead of worrying about them, we are told to “Hope in the Lord and work goodness; dwell in the land and you shall be nurtured by its riches. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the requests of your heart…” (Ps 37). In other words, if you want to be truly well-ff, trust God; hope in him; delight in him. “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). 

Jesus will crown these teachings with an eloquent sermon of his own that begins with a section known as the beatitudes - the “blesseds.” Who is blessed? Who is well off? Jesus answers those questions for us, and we’ll meditate on his answers together this Sunday. 

Delighting in the Lord with you -

Jay+