Matthew 5:9 Wherever we sow Peace… God is with us.

Matthew 5:44–45

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. NKJV

Blessed are those who seek reconciliation and not division. Blessed are those who seek to unite the world and its people. Blessed are those who seek the good of all and not just a few. Jesus came with angels singing peace, peace to the people on earth. He came to seek all of humanity. Only in the  power of Holy Spirit  can we forgive and bless those who hurt and use us…impossible for us? Probably. But it is possible in Him who has forgiven us. To forgive is Divine. Carla

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God. NKJV

The Beatitudes are comprised of three elements: a pronouncement of blessing, a quality of life, and a reason why the recipient should be considered blessed. The first element is found in the word Blessed (Psalm 1:1), which introduces each beatitude. The second element does not describe different groups of people, but a composite picture of the kind of person who will inherit Christ’s kingdom. The third element looks ahead to some aspect of the coming kingdom. The NKJV Study Bible

blessed (Gk. makarios) (5:3; Luke 6:20–22; Romans  4:7, 8; James 1:12, 25) Strong’s #3107: This Greek word is derived from the root mak, which means “large” or “lengthy,” and means “fortunate” or “happy.” The Greek word was used in Greek literature, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT), and in the NT to describe the kind of happiness that comes from receiving divine favor. The word can be rendered happy. In the NT it is usually passive; God is the One who is blessing or favoring the person.

Jewish literature of the time valued those who worked for peace. For instance, 2 Enoch reads “Blessed is one who gives peace and love” (52:11). Those whose lives reflect the ethics of Jesus will be clearly identified as children of God (Romans 8:14). Faithlife Study Bible.

Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 

James 3:18

Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Luke 6:35

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 

Romans 14:19

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

I read a statement made in the Irish Times by a Connemara man after he was arrested for a car accident. "There were plenty of onlookers, but no witnesses."
In answering the email exchange question, I’m answering another go-to question I received this week, “What exactly do we do?”
Today, I have an answer. I am a witness. You are a witness.
As a witness, I choose to pay attention—to be present—while I am here.
In a world that rewards “dog eat dog”, I choose mercy.
In a world where demeaning someone is applauded, I choose to honor dignity.
In a world where exclusion and marginalization are real, I choose the Gospel: “You belong. Your humanity is not up for negotiation. Your presence does not require anyone’s permission.”
What does this look like? Oh, it’s the little gifts my friends. It makes a big difference to hug the hurt. To kiss the broken. To bandage the wounded. To hold a hand. To befriend the lost. To love the lonely. To stand up for the humiliated. Little gifts of compassion, connection, dignity, empathy, kindness, generosity, peace that leave people better than we find them.
When people learn that I am a minister, they’re often curious to ask what I “believe”. And when I visit different churches, some people like to ask me. They can’t help themselves.
Okay, here you go:
God has a heart for those who are left out, forgotten, and excluded.
God's grace is bigger than anything which distances and separates and wounds us.
You are God's beloved child, and God's love for you is unconditional.
And when I see acts of exclusion, or acts that disparage inclusion, I feel it, viscerally, and my beliefs matter, and they summon and fuel a choice: I want to be a witness to God’s Mercy and Grace.
And in such moments of heartache, I have the courage to hold a hand the needs to be held.
One friend calls this the Gospel’s marching orders: “take care of the poor, take care of the sick, welcome the stranger and be kind to those in prison.”

“Is indifference really a sin, some might ask?  Well, only if you take seriously the weight of God’s instructions to be kind and tenderhearted towards one another, to love one another fervently, to listen and bear with another, to speak the truth in love, to confess our sins to one another so that we may be healed, to forgive as we have been forgiven, to welcome the stranger, to share our bread with the hungry. To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God. Only if you believe that in Christ there is no longer Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female for all of us are one in Christ.” Thank you, Ruth Haley Barton. “Sabbath Moments”

Matthew 5:38-42 Jesus is our example of how to live in the New Covenant

 Deuteronomy 15:7–11

“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs…

We who have been forgiven  much  need to forgive others the same. In our hurt and disappointment we need to seek the guidance of Holy Spirit to love others and see them through the lens of God. He  loves all of His creation and doesn’t want anyone to live without Him in their lives. Knowing what is impossible for us in the flesh is possible in Christ. The Word was made flesh, all God- all man, He showed us the way of the Father, in the unity of Holy Spirit, to live. The life of Jesus exemplifies how we are to live in the New Covenant with God. Carla

Matthew 5:38-42

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 •If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. NKJV

The Lord seems to be speaking in hyperbolic terms to teach the lesson of non-retaliation. Generally He commands us to have a generous and compassionate attitude toward the needy. He makes this application in four areas: physical attacks (verse 39), legal suits (verse 40), government demands (verse 41), and financial requests (verse 42). Compels is a technical term that refers to the law of impressment. The Roman government could press anyone into its service to carry a load as far as one mile. Matthew records a Roman officer doing this to Simon of Cyrene in 27:32.

Hate your enemy is not found in Moses’ writings. This was a principle drawn by the scribes and Pharisees from Leviticus 19:18. The NKJV Study Bible

An eye for an eye This principle, often referred to as lex talionis or the “law of retaliation” (Exodus 21–24) contrasts with the unexpected generosity that a member of the kingdom of heaven should display.

Jesus is speaking of someone who does wrong to another person. He encourages His followers to return good when someone else intends evil. The Roman military occupied Israel during this time, and soldiers could require bystanders to carry a load for a mile.

Members of God’s kingdom should be characterized by overwhelming generosity. “Love your neighbor” Jesus is quoting Leviticus 19:18. Hate your enemy  does not appear in the law (or anywhere else in the Hebrew Bible). It could be just be a colloquialism of the time. Faithlife Study Bible

Exodus 21:24

eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 

Leviticus 24:20

fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him. 

Deuteronomy 19:21

Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Luke 6:29–35

To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back…

Today, I can choose to Be kind.

And here’s the deal: it is the little things—the smile, the kind word, the helping hand—that are the difference makers. They are the building blocks for healing.

They are the building blocks for “re-humanizing”. They are the building blocks for restoring dignity. 

This we know: With the storms of life, it is tempting to live reactively. Which means that we forget that sound and life-giving choices come from the inside, from the ground of mindfulness and well-being and self-care, where they have taken root.

Ahhh yes, when life feels heavy, we forget that we are all wired to be replenished. And, remembering… care of any kind, begins with self-care.

I do stand by that, more than ever. Depletion and exhaustion, and being parched, may feel rampant, but there is healing grace in receiving the gift of self-care.

Another good reminder that, without even knowing it—for every single one of us—there are times when we need space to be (and stay) emotionally and spiritually hydrated. Especially in a world that can quite easily, daily, feel like an emotional storm.

So. This week, let us embrace the power of pause. In other words, the permission be gentle with yourself.

And the permission to make (and honor) space(s) that can replenish and heal.

The permission to honor the healing power of sanctuary. Parker Palmer’s reflection, “Sanctuary is wherever I find safe space to regain my bearings, reclaim my soul, heal my wounds, and return to the world as a wounded healer. It’s not merely about finding shelter from the storm: it’s about spiritual survival. Today, seeking sanctuary is no more optional for me than church attendance was as a child.”

This will change the questions we ask.

Not, “What did you do (accomplish) today?”

Instead, we ask, “Today, where did you find sanctuary, to regain your bearings?”

And remember; this affirmation is not an assignment to achieve, but a gift to embrace. Sabbath Moments

Matthew 5:22 Just causes earn our support

 Matthew 26:59

Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,

Righteous anger over the cruel treatment of others is  a fundamental duty  of those who believe Jesus and His commandment to love our neighbors as we do our own families. We support just causes where the dignity God gives them is respected. The group that Jesus had the most problems with was the religious right composed of the Scribes and Pharisees. They added laws that they themselves did not follow. We must do better.  We are the  hands and feet of Christ in an increasingly hostile world. Carla

Matthew 5:22 

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of •hell fire. NKJV

The scribes and Pharisees said that a person who referred to another as Raca, meaning “empty head,” was in danger of being sued for libel before the council (or the Sanhedrin). On the other hand, Jesus said that whoever calls another a fool will have to answer to God. That is not to say that calling someone a fool will condemn a believer to eternal punishment in hell. Rather Jesus was saying that to utter such words is to place oneself in a worse condition at the time of judgment (1 Corinthians 3:12–15). The NKJV Study Bible

Jesus uses these illustration to emphasize the way that sin stands between people and God. He also demonstrates the desperate need for a person, through the power of God, to rid their life of sin. Jesus is showing that for many people their desire for sin is so powerful that it keeps them from having relationship with God and thus leads to them experiencing God’s judgment and wrath. Faithlife Study Bible

James 3:6

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 

Matthew 18:9

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

1 John 3:15

Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

I can hear my hero’s—Mr. Rogers—voice. “Imagine if we all walked into the world with the belief that each person was inherently worthy. Imagine if our goal was to help each other recognize that we are worthy of being loved. Imagine if we sought to listen more than we spoke. I imagine if this was the case, that our conversation would change, our understanding of those around us would shift, and our national conversations would be more civil.”

When cruelty becomes normal, kindness looks radical.
Today, I can choose to Be kind.
And here’s the deal: it is the little things—the smile, the kind word, the helping hand—that are the difference makers. They are the building blocks for healing.
They are the building blocks for “re-humanizing”. They are the building blocks for restoring dignity.

And I can tell you that it did my heart good, to read this from “Sustainable Human”.
“Mr. Rogers did not just teach children to be polite.
He taught something much deeper.
He taught that a neighborhood is not just a place where people live side by side. It is a place where people learn how to notice one another, respect one another, appreciate one another, and help one another.
That might sound simple.
But in hard times, it becomes everything.
If wars spread, if economies shake, if institutions fail to protect people, then the strength of our lives may come down to something very old and very human:
Do we know our neighbors?
Do we trust each other?
Can we share skills, food, tools, childcare, care for elders, a ride, a listening ear?
Can we solve tension without becoming enemies?
Mr. Rogers reminded us to look for the helpers.
Maybe the deeper lesson now is this:
we need to become them.
Not someday.
Now.
Because resilience is not only stored in banks, governments, or supply chains.
It is stored in relationships.
In familiarity.
In goodwill.
In the kind of neighborhoods where people know how to cooperate before a crisis forces them to.
A strong community does not begin when everything falls apart.
It begins in the small choices people make before that happens.
A greeting.
A favor.
A conversation.
A shared project.
A little more patience.
A little more care.
Maybe ‘Won’t you be my neighbor?’ was never just a children’s song.
Maybe it was preparation for the kind of world we may need to rebuild together.
What would it look like to become better neighbors, before we have no choice but to depend on one another?”

It’s the little things that are the difference makers. Sabbath Moments

Matthew 5:11-2 Speak the truth of Jesus even if it hurts!

 1 Thessalonians 2:15

who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 

God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that through him the world could be saved! In including God in every decision we make and loving others in the same love that He brought bodily to earth in Jesus we will fulfill all of the commandments. Jesus died in our place. We are able to love others because He first loved us.  Whatever we do to the least of us we do to God it would be better if a millstone was tied around our necks and we be thrown into the sea (in the words of Jesus). Carla

Matthew 5:11-12

11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil •against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus rejected the Pharisees’ charge that He was nullifying the law. The law was both temporary (Galatians 3:19; Ephesians . 2:15; Hebrews 7:12) and eternal (5:18; Romans 3:31; 8:4). The word fulfill means “to fill out, expand, or complete.” It does not mean to bring to an end. Jesus fulfills the law in several ways: (1) He obeyed it perfectly and taught its correct meaning (verses 19, 20); (2) He will one day fulfill all of the OT types and prophecies; and (3) He provides a way of salvation that meets all the requirements of the law (Romans 3:21, 31). One jot or one tittle will by no means pass: This statement of Jesus provides us with one of the strongest affirmations in the Bible of the inerrancy of Scripture. It is absolutely trustworthy. The NKJV Study Bible

blessed (Gk. makarios) (5:3; Luke 6:20–22; Rom. 4:7, 8; James 1:12, 25) Strong’s #3107: This Greek word is derived from the root mak, which means “large” or “lengthy,” and means “fortunate” or “happy.” The Greek word was used in Greek literature, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT), and in the NT to describe the kind of happiness that comes from receiving divine favor. The word can be rendered happy. In the NT it is usually passive; God is the One who is blessing or favoring the person.

Jesus is speaking to His disciples about a radical way of life that reflects the ideals of the kingdom of heaven. He seems to imply that persecution is a result of practicing His teaching and believing in Him. His point is that disciples who fail to live a lifestyle that reflects the values of the kingdom of heaven are akin to something tasteless or devoid of light—undesirable and of no value. Faithlife Study Bible

2 Chronicles 36:16

But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy.

Acts 7:52

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 

Matthew 23:37

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 

1 Peter 4:13–14

but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

When cruelty becomes normal, kindness looks radical.

Today, I can choose to Be kind.

And here’s the deal: it is the little things—the smile, the kind word, the helping hand—that are the difference makers. They are the building blocks for healing.

They are the building blocks for “re-humanizing”. They are the building blocks for restoring dignity.

For grounding, my mind often returns to a heartrending story about a sad and terrifying incident that occurred during the tragic war in Sarajevo.
A reporter, covering the fighting and violence in the middle of the city, watched a little girl fatally shot by a sniper. The reporter threw down whatever he held, rushing immediately to the aid of a man who knelt on the pavement cradling the child.
As the man carried the child, the reporter guided them to his car, and sped off to a hospital.
“Hurry my friend,” the man urged, “my child is still alive.”
A moment or two later he pleaded, “Hurry my friend, my child is still breathing.”
And a little later, “Please my friend, my child is still warm.”
Although the reporter drove as fast as was possible, by the time they arrived at the hospital, the little girl had died. As the two men were in the lavatory, washing the blood off their hands and their clothes, the man turned to the reporter and said, “This is a terrible task for me. I must now go tell her father that his child is dead. He will be heartbroken.”
The reporter stood speechless. He looked at the grieving man and said, “I thought she was your child.”
The man shook his head. “No. But aren't they all our children?”

Yes.
They are.
“If we have no peace,” Mother Teresa reminded us, “it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
Well, if we do belong to one other, then “they”—the “least of these” and those without voices—are indeed, our children.
Ours to care for.
Ours to listen to.
Ours to see. 

I confess that when I read stories about child abuse, I clutch my heart—literally—and I want to go out and hurt someone... anyone who has done these things. And then I read stories about children who have been wounded and who have been abused, and who have found a way to survive. And to not only survive, but to thrive. And to become beacons of hope.

So, back to the story. You see, it's not just the child's life we're trying to save, but the very freedom—embracing the gift—to be a child.

And like any good homily, I pause, just to let that last line sink in. Not because we don’t know it to be true, but when our world is spinning, we easily lose track of the very things that anchor our soul.

And in that pause, I remember. I’m not just the preacher. I’m also the child.

Let us not forget that we belong to one another.

Sabbath Moments