His Message

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
 God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
 God blesses those who are humble,
    for they will inherit the whole earth.
 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
    for they will be satisfied                                                                                                                  Matthew 5:3-6 (NLT)

When we begin to read the Sermon on the Mount, we get a feeling for the audience Jesus wanted to reach. He was speaking to those whom the world had “left behind” so to speak. The message of Jesus always resonates with people who do not have power. Indeed, speaking truth to power was the wheelhouse of Jesus. His Kingdom, unlike that of the Roman Empire, was to encompass all those who had been crushed by the Roman juggernaut.

There had been empires before Rome, and there have been many since. The message of Jesus will always transcend the power of empire, even if it was misunderstood in those times, and often is now.

Prayer: Lord, help us not to miss the message of hope and love for those left behind by governments and empires, Amen