No matter the cost
by Jono Peatman3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3-12
Around 7 years ago, I spent 10 days in Ethiopia visiting a project run by Stand by Me, a charity we support as a family. While I was there, I had the opportunity to meet the child that we sponsor. I saw him at school for a few days, and then I was taken to his house to meet his family.
He was 6 years old at the time, and we walked with him back to his house from his school. It was around 45 minutes walk, on rough roads, which he did daily alone. His mother could not do the journey any more and so he learnt the route, packed his own bag up and off he went. We arrived at the hut - which was a mud hut, with a corrugated metal panel which acted as a door.
They had no power, no lighting and no running water. They had stuck some magazine pages to the wall to hide some of the mud, but it was immediately evident just how fragile this house was - looking at it through a western lens.
However, as we arrived the family sang to us, and welcomed us in. They had every tea cup they owned out on the little table, and had made tea for us all to drink. They insisted as guests we sit and enjoy their hospitality.
In that moment I felt like both the richest and poorest person on the planet. We have made poverty so much about our material value, our net worth, our salary, our savings, the label on our clothes or the make and model of our TV.
However, notice in this passage how God defines those who are rich and poor. He says that the poverty that he sees is not material, but spiritual.
Blessed are those who seek after the ways of his kingdom, no matter what the earthly cost. Blessed are those who realise their own need for him. Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
In that hut in Ethiopia, I met a family who the world would call impoverished, but know something of the blessing that God had given of them - and as I read this passage again, and again, I know for a fact that despite all of my western comfort, I live a more spiritually impoverished life than they do.
I wonder how do you see yourself in light of this? Do you find you identity in your bank balance, your monthly income or your postcode?
I wonder are you someone who, when you read Matthew 5, feels assured that you are thirsting after the things it mentions, or is now a moment for you to acknowledge the places in your life where you are still living in spiritual poverty?
The fantastic news is that God promises to meet these needs when we come to him.
