Lomond

Jesus speaks in paradoxes for at least two reasons: 1) It was a common way of speaking in those days, of imparting wisdom, and similar to the style one finds in the Old Testament, i.e. the poetic style of the Psalms. 2) Jesus wanted to contrast the condition of man's heart in the present world with the heart that awaits in the kingdom of heaven. Each beatitude is the beginning and end of a spiritual journey. The first part of the beatitude shows the nature and character of a person's heart and, more importantly, the actions they are taking to put that heart's nature into action. The second is what Jesus has waiting for us at the end of each journey, be it long or short. It is interesting to me that each "reward" reflects a part of Christ's character. How deeply I want to be like Him!! Jesus does not leave us alone in the these journeys. As promised, He has sent us the Comforter, the Guide, our personal "Hand Holder", the Holy Spirit. And each of the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians is the trait we need to complete one of our Beatitude journeys. The more I study, the more I am convinced that there is very little in the New Testament that is passive; that it is a guidebook for turning the convictions of our mind and soul into the works of the heart. Each of the Beatitudes is a call to action. As an aside, dare we stop to draw parallels between the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments? 2 Corinthians 13:14, Mel