Show Don't Tell: Matthew 5:1-12

Instead of saying "Jesus taught the Beatitudes," climb the hillside with the crowd. Jesus sees the multitudes pressing in and goes up the mountain—deliberately, like Moses. He sits down. His disciples gather close. The crowd settles on the grass. Then he opens his mouth, and every category of success gets inverted. "Blessed are the poor in spirit"—not the confident, the poor. "Blessed are those who mourn"—not those who celebrate. "The meek will inherit the earth"—not the aggressive. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness"—who ache for it, who can't get enough. The merciful. The pure in heart. The peacemakers. And finally: "Blessed are those who are persecuted"—rejoice when they insult you, for your reward is great. Feel the world flip upside down. The kingdom's values are exactly backwards from Rome's. And they still are.