The Beatitudes - Fortunate are the Blessed
In many ways I prefer the Fortunate instead of Blessed
Fortunate are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Fortunate are the peacemakers, - who build bridges
Let us start with avoiding hell on earth. We all know people who simply live in a firestorm. Where ever they go they object or complain or rub people up the wrong way. They simply are not blessed or are not fortunate enough to make theirs and other people’s lives anything but joyless
Once upon a time in 1998 in there was a proud and successful landlord and an awkward belligerent customer who drank a whole bottle of wine and then discovered that it was not the one that she had ordered – so refused to pay for it!
She was not merciful - conflict resulted
The proud landlord perhaps understandably objected and suggested that she never come to his pub again. He was not a peace maker.
Consequences! Some days later the lawyer strangely found herself suffering a case of food poisoning and she alerted the local council the leader with whom she was a very close relationship. The council then subjected the publican’s 3 pubs to what seemed a campaign of ongoing harassment - which he resisted.
The whole thing ended up in a court with the him being liable for a truly vast fine - which he could not pay. He then ended up in a high security prison where he suffered a stress related heart attack. When he did get out the case went back to the courts again when a final settlement was achieved many years later.
In short, the bottle of wine was the start of a 23-year ordeal for the landlord, who lost his businesses, his home and his health and was locked up for 57 days in a cell above that of Ian Huntley, the Soham murderer.
The lawyer never again had the pleasure of lunching in the Snooty Fox or any of the other local pubs, and suffered the endless scrutiny of the local and national press ending with the ignominy of having her questionable morals being spread across a several Sunday papers
She could have avoided all this pain and loss could if she had simply paid for the wine she had drunk - and not created a case against the publican.
She was not fortunate to be merciful and so shown no mercy
Equally the publican could have avoided the 23-year trauma if he had simply apologized for serving the wrong wine and not charged for the bottle of wine she drank
He was not fortunate enough to be a peacemaker – and so suffered the consequences
Interestingly I know someone who was served a completely different meal in a pub locally. They simply enjoyed it. This avoided, delay, embarrassment - and they left friends with the grateful pub staff
So that is hell dealt with – what about heaven Spiritual instructions
Fortunate are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ……. These are precious things as they create space and peace in our lives – essential for the joy of religious life
Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. …….The appetite for religious life and good ethics is a precious thing
Fortunate are the pure in heart, for they will see God. …… If we can make space in our lives for simplicity, purity and generosity we will receive the ultimate reward
Fortunate are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Fortunate are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
‘Turning the other cheek and ‘walking the extra mile’ really do have great practical advantages.
We need to remember the bottom line – contentment and friendship ….not conflict and trauma
The Beatitudes therefore have to be the guiding light for us both in this world and the next
In Jesus's name
AMEN
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