Monday, 8 October 2007

Blessed are the dregs of society

I'm not entirely convinced by Dallas Willard's interpretation of the beatitudes - for it to work properly he has to make 'pure in heart' mean something bad like 'perfectionists' or 'nit-pickers' - but he has hit the nail closely enough on the head to challenge my own attitudes.

His point is that Jesus is not listing the qualifications needed for happiness. He is not saying that to be part of the kingdom of heaven one must be poor in spirit, persecuted or in mourning. Rather Jesus is giving examples of those whose lives can be and are being transformed by their participation in the kingdom of heaven. And it is not the expected people (the saintly, the educated, the strong-willed, the disciplined) whom he cites as examples. It's the downtrodden, the ignorant, the sad and the weak. In other places he points to what is happening to the lame, the blind, the dead, the poor, the oppressed. When the kingdom comes into their lives they leap for joy. They are truly blessed.

The circles I move in most comfortably bring me into contact with people of similar education, social standing and moral attitude to myself. When I meet people who are to varying degrees dim, bigoted, dirty, awkward, wretched or desperate, then even if I try to be a sympathetic listener, I don't really expect that I have anything to offer which can help them much, let alone transform their lives. The beatitudes remind me that it is precisely those whose lives are truly awful that have the most to gain from the impact of Jesus in their lives. How dare I look down my nose at such people! How dare I imagine that the kingdom of heaven is beyond their reach or their appreciation!

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