As You Look at the Media, See with New Eyes

Jesus calls us to a different set of values than we see from many star performers and political and business leaders.  Christians are called to live in God’s realm, even as we also live in the world. (Matthew 5:1-12: The Beatitudes)

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To quote Charlie Brown: “Good grief!”  Every once in a while, I accidentally dip into the world of top-tier music performers and discover just how ugly their attitudes can be.  So many songs have been written specifically to attack, put down, or “dis” other stars who have crossed them in one way or another.  It’s an ugly world some of them live in.

I can mostly avoid paying attention to that world.  But, sadly, those kinds of petty squabbles are not confined to the entertainment world.  As a thoughtful Christian, I think it is important to know what is going on in the world of policy and politics.  But some political leaders and Silicon Valley titans also don’t seem to be able to stop themselves from carrying on public vendettas in their posts.

Even worse, people with enormous power frequently show little regard for the ways their actions cause pain and suffering and even death to others.  Their indifference grips my heart with anguish and concern.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus calls us to a different set of values

Jesus offers a different vision for how to live, one that is diametrically opposed to many of the values of the world around us.

The first presentation of those values is in the Beatitudes, which begin with: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God” (Matt. 5:1-12).  (Luke 6:20-23 has a pithier list, beginning with “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”).

The list of groups he says are “blessed” includes those who mourn, the humble, those who hunger for righteousness, the merciful, the clean of heart, peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

Compare that to who is blessed, or cursed, or callously ignored by people with power and influence.  Jesus is clearly calling us to a different set of priorities.

People who accept the world’s values may give lip service to Jesus’s teachings, but their actions don’t support their professed faith in him.  Jesus says, for example, that the poor will receive the kingdom and the humble will inherit the land.  The worldly-minded say that the poor should get their act together and the humble should stand up for themselves.  Otherwise they don’t deserve anything – now or later.

John Michael Talbot explores Jesus’s radically different view in his song “Behold Now the Kingdom” (song, lyrics). He sings: “And they listened, trying to understand / The paradox of His great truth.”  How can it be that the meek and poor inherit a kingdom, that those who are merciful find mercy, that those who give receive?  These are such upside-down priorities.  What in the world can it mean?

The answer comes in part by understanding what kind of “kingdom” we are talking about.

Christians are called to be a nation within a nation

What is this “kingdom” to which Jesus refers?

The kingdom of heaven refers to the realm of God: the place(s) where God’s rule holds sway.

In our time, God’s kingdom is not defined by a geographical space.  It is defined by the presence of its “citizens”: the people who have accepted God’s rule and are choosing to live Jesus’s way of life. 

The apostle Paul says of those who believe in Jesus that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20) and that we are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19).

The apostle Peter describes us as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,” a people that belongs to God (1 Pet. 2:9). 

We are a people who have an allegiance to God, in a world that does not.  Since God’s ways are not universally acknowledged and followed, we are like a nation within a nation.

We are called to live according to the values of God, despite the values of the world around us.

Explore what it means to live in God’s kingdom, in the world

It is easy to lose sight of who we are called to be, when we live in a place where God’s values are not given precedence.

To keep our eyes on God’s kingdom requires a different way of “seeing.”  It may feel like putting on a new set of eyes, like putting on your spiritual glasses in order to operate effectively in the world.  As John Michael Talbot says, “Behold now the kingdom / See with new eyes.” 

I invite you to listen to the song, open up your Bible, read Matthew 5:1:12 with fresh eyes as though you had never heard these words before, and ponder what it means to live Jesus’s way in a world that has contrary values.

You can explore the questions I lay out in two Bible Studies I have written on the Beatitudes:

• Matthew 5:1-5: Blessed are the poor, the grieving, the meek

• Matthew 5:6-12: Blessed are those who are focused on what God cares about.

To give you a taste of the rich material here, consider these questions:

• What does “blessed” mean?

• “Poor in spirit” does not mean spiritually poor.  A person who is “poor in spirit” is actually spiritually rich.  So, what does it mean to be “poor in spirit”?

• Can a person be wealthy yet poor in spirit?  If so, what would it look like?

• Can a person be powerful yet poor in spirit?  If so, what would it look like?

• When Jesus says, “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” is this only a promise for after we die?  Or do we experience God’s realm in some ways while we are still on earth?

• How can you live your life in a way that is more aware, day by day, that you are a citizen of another realm (God’s realm), as well as a citizen of your country?

Ponder these questions.  Even better, find a partner and discuss your answers together. And feel free to comment below or reach out to me if it raises questions in your mind.