TOV #blessed

I grew up, not always having what the other kids did financially, we moved homes a lot, and I was often not in the “cool crowd’, oftentimes finding myself excluded. I would often look on from the outside, at what looked like the good life - Wealth and the joy and the ease that people seemed to have, big houses, fancy cars, influence, “successful” people, popular people. Maybe one day I’ll have that, maybe one day I’ll be accepted like that, celebrated like that…live like that… Maybe one day…I had this picture of what the good life and happiness looked like from some of those around me. Were they happy in their lives..? Surely! I mean - how could they not be?

Today I want to talk about the good life! #blessed! Who is truly blessed in this world..? What does Jesus think?

The Bible begins in the book of Genesis and starts in the beautiful, perfect garden of Eden on a Mountain. If we fast forward to the end of the Bible in the book of Revelations, we see in the very last chapter - a picture of the perfect garden city on a Mountain with the Tree of Life that all will be able to eat from again. We see the narrative arc - starts good and ends good but something happens in the middle that affects and changes the trajectory of our lives…

That something is Jesus. In his TOV, goodness - God sends his son Jesus to earth, to teach us about his Kingdom with the view to bringing God’s Kingdom and reign back to earth, restoring creation to as it should be! We have spoken of God being TOV, meaning good but more than good. And maybe you, like me, have been sitting here thinking, “Okay, so where do we see this goodness in our lives.? What is the good life? What does it look like? Who is truly blessed? I want in…”

What does the world tell us? You're "Facebook" blessed if you are happy! All the good things we get to enjoy and experience! What the world sets out as the good life: Wealth, the job title, the social status, fancy car, splendid house, maybe an island, boats, power, influence, popularity, followers on Insta or Facebook, you be you, living my best life, hashtag blessed, hashtag winning, life goals, business goals, perfect marriage, perfect children - I don't know what it was/is for you or what pictures come to mind…I wonder what picture came to Jesus’ mind?

We will start with Jesus’ famous Beatitudes! The beatitudes are often recognised for their parallels with Moses and the 10 commandments, however, instead of fire and smoke on the mountain, this time, God sends his son in flesh. Who experienced all we experience. Jesus comes as the rescuer, like Moses, leading the rescue mission. Jesus would have been seen as a prophet or son of God to the Jews and perhaps a wise sage to others, inviting people into ways in this world that promise the truly good life…In this teaching, he shows us what it means to be blessed in the Kingdom of God.

Into the beatitudes…

From Matthew 5v1

1Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “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 wil