Attitude Adjustment

By Rev. Heidi L. Barham |  January 29, 2023

Read Matthew 5:1 – 12
 
This morning, our text comes from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” and the section most commonly known as “The Beatitudes.”
 
Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines the word beatitude primarily as “a state of utmost bliss.”  However, the word beatitude is also defined as “any of the declarations made in the Sermon on the Mount beginning ‘Blessed are…’”
 
As in:
 
Blessed are the poor in spirit…
Blessed are those who mourn…
Blessed are the meek…
 
All the way down to blessed are those who are persecuted…
And blessed are you when people insult you…
 
Now at first glance, this does not appear to be a list a list of attributes that we would necessarily associate with being blessed.  And yet, each of these beatitudes comes with a promise.
 
Blessed are the poor in spirit… for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are those who mourn… for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek… for they will inherit the earth… and so on.
 
Now, as I thought about the subject for today’s sermon, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT… a movie from my childhood came to mind… Pollyanna. 
 
In the movie, which starred Hayley Mills, the main character, Pollyanna, is sent to live with an aunt who does not have the most positive disposition.  Suffice it to say, her dour attitude has rubbed off on just about everyone she has come in to contact with. 
 
Now, there is a scene in the movie when Pollyanna finds herself banished to the kitchen for a meal of bread and milk… and she introduces one of the servants to a game her father taught her called the “Glad Game.”
 
The underlying theme of the Glad Game is to find the good in every situation.  Kind of like Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
 
For example, Pollyanna tells the servant about a time when she asked her father for a doll.  Because they were out on the mission field… Pollyanna’s father wrote a letter to a charity and asked them to send her a doll.  However, instead of receiving the doll she asked for, Pollyanna ended up getting a set of crutches. 
 
Now, according to the rules of the game, Pollyanna had to find something to be glad about in getting crutches instead of the doll she really wanted.  When she couldn’t find something to be glad about with the crutches, her father explained, “Just be glad you don’t need them!”
 
And so, as we think about the Beatitudes, let us keep in mind that with the proper ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, we will be able to recognize God’s promises that can fill our hearts with gladness, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves facing.

As some of you know, when I am working on the sermon for any given Sunday, I will often look at the text in other versions of the Bible.  And today is no different.  So, I thought looking at the Beatitudes as they appear in the Message Paraphrase might give us some help in making an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT.
 
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  In the Message, this verse reads: “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”
 
When it feels like all hope is gone and we have nothing left, it is then that we ought to come to the realization that it was never about us in the first place.  When we adjust our attitude and take the focus off of ourselves… we can properly set our sights on God and His kingdom.  In this way, we can turn our gaze away from the temporary things of this world that are bound to bring hurt and disappointment… and instead look to the eternal things that will never disappoint us.
 
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”  The Message tells us that, “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”
 
Now I have to admit, that verse is not so easy to digest.  Most of you know that in addition to my work at the church… I also work for Hospice of the Western Reserve.  And while I am no longer doing direct patient care, even in my current role, I am still privileged to companion people on a sacred journey that usually results in them mourning the death of a loved one… [including as recently as just yesterday.]
 
But the fact of the matter is that we can mourn more than just the death of our loved ones.  We can mourn the loss of relationships, jobs, material objects… you name it and anyone of us might find ourselves mourning the loss of it [whatever “it” may be]. 
 
Yet the scripture tells us, when we have lost what is most dear to us… it is then we can be embraced by the ONE who is dearest to us.  In other words, when we find ourselves in a period of mourning… an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT can allow us to feel the comfort of the One who loves us beyond measure.
 
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”  The Message reads, “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.”
 
This verse seems to support what the Apostle Paul would later write in his letter to the Philippians (4:11 – 13):

 
With the proper ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, we can learn to be like Jesus and the Apostle Paul… content in whatever state we find ourselves…
 
Our New Testament lesson goes on to say, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”  While the Message reads, “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.”
 
Simply put, when we eat of the Living Bread and drink of the Living Water which is Christ the Lord, we have the promise that we will never hunger or thirst again.
 
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”  Or as the Message puts it, “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.”
 
When we put the needs of others ahead of ourselves, when we are care-full, that is full of care for others, we will reap the blessing of what it means to be cared for by God. 
 
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”   Or as it reads in the Message, “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” 
 
When we make an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT and get our hearts and our minds aligned with the will of God… that is when we will be able to see God wherever we look and recognize God’s hand at work in everything.
 
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  The Message says it like this, “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.”
 
It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon with agitators and stir up the crowd for a good fight.  And it seems safe to say that we have seen enough of that recently to last a lifetime. 
 
But, it’s not so easy to be the one who speaks peace in the midst of the storm the way Jesus did.  However, with the right ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT we will be able to work toward bringing people together and finding common ground… recognizing that we are part of God’s family and joint heirs with Christ… and that we have been commanded to love one another, including our enemies.
 
Now if it seems like a hard task for us to bring peace in the midst of chaos and love our enemies, these last two beatitudes may really present a challenge.
 
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Or as it reads in the Message, “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.”
 
We don’t like to think that we could be persecuted for our beliefs, especially not here in the United States.  We prefer to think of persecution as something that happens in other countries. And yet, persecution happens every day… all we have to do is turn on the local news to see how people are being called out, threatened, and even worse, simply for trying to do what is right… for trying to make this world a better place for all… for loving our neighbors as we love ourselves… like Jesus commanded us to do.
 
And so, that means when we make an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT and take a stand for Christ and seek to follow Him… and strive to do what Jesus would do rather than simply go along with what everyone else is doing… we may face ridicule and criticism.  
 
We may have friends and family members who suddenly forget they know us and stop inviting us to be a part of whatever may be going on. 
 
We may find ourselves spending more and more time alone with the Lord… because He really is the only One we can count on when everyone else has turned away.
 
Now, when we look back at the text, we will see that up to this point, Jesus’ teaching seemed to leave a little wiggle room for the disciples to think that perhaps Jesus was simply providing instruction to a bunch of other folks on how they should be living.  After all, each of Jesus’ statements we have looked at so far use the pronouns those, they, and theirs. 
 
But as we come to the next verses, Jesus shifts from the indirect and speaks directly to the disciples (and by extension to us).
 
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”  The Message says it like this, “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable.”
 
Jesus was telling the disciples, and us, that an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT was in order… because following Christ is not for the faint of heart and they [and we] need to be prepared for what comes next. 
 
When we do what Matthew 28 calls us to do, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you…” It won’t always be easy.
 
Not everybody is going to jump up and down for joy when they hear the whole truth contained in God’s Word.  That “ALL have sinned and fall[en] short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  And that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). 
 
But thankfully for them, and us, that is not where the Word of God stops.  It goes on to say that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

And yet, there will be those who will do their best to discredit not only the Christian… not just the Bible… but the Lord, Himself, with their lies and insults.  But it’s all good, even if and when that happens… because our text this morning closes with something that that would be right in line with Pollyanna’s Glad Game.
 
Verse 12 of the text says, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Or as the Message puts it, “You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.”
 
Now, I think the late Congressman John Lewis would have called that, “good trouble” …the kind of trouble that comes as the result of standing up and doing what is right in spite of the consequences one may encounter… the kind of trouble that comes with speaking truth to power in the face of injustice… the kind of trouble that may have prompted the Prophet Micah to write those words we heard in our Old Testament lesson this morning, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
 
It is the kind of trouble that comes when we are intentional about making an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT and surrendering our lives to follow Jesus and walk the path that He has laid out for us…
 
But it is also the kind of trouble that comes with the reassurance from Jesus that you have heard me share time and time again… In John 16 (33) we read, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
 
So, if you are willing to make an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT and get into some good trouble with Jesus, I want to invite you to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: I Am Thine O Lord #601.
 

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