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you

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When I've studied the Beatitudes -

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these sayings by Jesus about what truly

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constitutes blessedness or Bliss.

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I have learned that they are not a

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set of easy to learn the happy

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attitudes.

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They do not form

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A set of principles or maxims

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to follow as a way of life.

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as such

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they would make no worldly sense at all.

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And they're not Commandments either.

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So what are they these sayings of Jesus which

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begin the so-called sermon on

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the mount?

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They are  statements

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Which give the Jesus view of life

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in the world.

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The statements that share the Jesus

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way of interpreting how God

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works in the world with a community

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of people who trust God implicitly.

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You can't wake up one morning and decide. "Oh,

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I think I'll be meek today."

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My New Year resolution is to suffer more

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persecution and to be poor in spirit or

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just poor.

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Primarily these are teachings and

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words of encouragement

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to communities of faithful people who already experience

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the world this way.

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To individually resolve to be or to

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do them one fine morning is to miss

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the point.

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The point is to live closely and

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Faithfully.

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With one another and with God as

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a community who find it truly deeply

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blessed to be

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amongst those

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Who have the same vocation

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most of the time

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the faithful will be unconscious that this

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is in fact the case.

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About them and their relationship with

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Jesus.

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That is why Matthew has the saying

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later in Chapter 7

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that no  t everyone who calls out to him "Lord

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Lord"

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Will indeed be recognised by him.

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Is part of that gospel?

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Not everyone who says to me "Lord Lord"!

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will enter the kingdom of heaven.

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But only the one who does the will of

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my Father in heaven.

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On that day many will say to me.

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"Lord Lord, did we not prophesy in your

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name and cast out demons in your

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name and do many deeds of power in

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your name?"

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"Then I will declare to them" said Jesus.    "I never

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knew you."

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"Go away from me you evildoers!"

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Hmm, that is also why.

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Matthew tells of the time of judgment

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in chapter 25 even further on

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in the gospel.

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as one where the people of God's realm

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will not know the difference between what

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they have done for Jesus.

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And what they have done for and with others.

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And the ones who religiously congratulate themselves

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will be surprised that Jesus does not

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recognize them.

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Not because he hates them but because they

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did they did not Truly Deeply listen

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to what he said and what

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he meant by what he said.

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There's a great story by Tim Winton. It's

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a picture book for families. It's called

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The Deep.

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In that story a young girl named Alice who

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lives by the seaside with her

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family is afraid of swimming in

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deep water.

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She is a

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the Deep Auto is darker.

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Than the shallows.

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She is a good swimmer like the others in her

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family.

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But she can't seem to overcome her fear.

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Whenever she tries hard.

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Or her dad takes her for a ride on his back into the deep.

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she starts to panic

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and reaches for the safety of the ladder next to their jetty.

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But one day

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dolphins swim right into the

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shallows

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Alice is so excited to jump in with the dolphins that

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she doesn't realize she is swimming after

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them into the deep water.

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Her brother waves to her.

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suddenly

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welcoming her to the joys of the cool deep

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water.

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for a moment

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Alice hesitates.

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But with her family now all around her laughing shouting

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and celebrating.

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the fear melts away

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and she realises it's okay.

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Alice is supremely happy even in

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the deep water.

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Loving family gave her time and

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space.

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To find that she need not

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be afraid.

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When we are afraid.

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Of the deep and terrible things life will

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inescapably

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throw at us

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it can immobilize us and strangle our

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ability to rely upon what sustains us

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most deeply and profoundly.

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in Christ with one another

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we can find the space to

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become

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the gifted

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grateful

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loving

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forgiving

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merciful peacemakers

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whom Jesus calls us to be.

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This is about character formation in

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Jesus

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and in the presence of others

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character formation in Jesus and in the

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presence of others

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who promise to take up the slack

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When we cannot bear it alone.

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The faithfulness that is required

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to live the way that Jesus describes in

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these sayings called the Beatitudes.

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The faithfulness that's required

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is set

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in the shadow of the cross

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and in the light

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of the Resurrection

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It demonstrates

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the transforming nature

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of God's work in death

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and in New Life

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the intent of our Bible readings

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in the weeks to come

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is to help us continue exploring the

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gospel way.

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For our whole lives.

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We shall learn more about.

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What it means?

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to be truly

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deeply less