To begin, “Seeing the crowds, he went up the mountain” (Mt 5:1)… up the mountain to a higher level than the world of material… up the mountain to access the world of Spirit… up the mountain where wisdom enters.
“His disciples came near to him” (Mt 5:1)… those whose wish it was to work, to work from the world of Spirit, to access the Spirit and to manifest spirit in the world.
“He began to teach them” (Mt 5:2)… there is a teaching… a disciplined process, an intentional process… showing a way of innerly organizing ourselves… revealing the inner work to be done such that we are able to fulfill the call to manifest spirit in community by taking on the work of intentional purpose – purpose that reflects our part in the unfolding intentionality.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, because of them is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). Being poor in spirit, we accept there is only one Source… the Creator. Being poor in spirit, we let go of seeing self as the source… and turn our hearts to the one true Ultimate Source. Being poor in spirit, we are given access to faith… faith in intentionality and the rightness and goodness of the intended unfolding.
“Blessed are they who are mourning, for they shall be comforted” (Mt 5:4). Letting go of self as source – self as having spiritual possessions – we mourn our loss, yet mourning our loss, we enter a reflective state, one in which we begin to see the Creator’s love… we begin to see intentionality… the unfolding creation intended… a “seeing” that gives us hope. We mourn the loss of our self-made goals, visions and plans, our cultural “shoulds” and “oughts,” and our imagined control – all those things of existence, of “my will,” to which we are attached and with which we identify – and are comforted by the truth of and confidence in the unfolding intent and intended ways of working of creation… the truth of the ever-flowing love of the Creator accessible by receptive hearts, hearts yearning to become instruments.
“Blessed are the meek, because they shall inherit the earth” (Mt 5:5). The condition of and for inheriting the earth – responsibility for the earth – is meekness, gentleness. Meek is the shift to not “my will,” but “Thy Will.” Meekness, gentleness is the quality of interaction with the life processes of earth expected of those who have inherited it, who will inherit it. For through meekness, we become able to see and harmonize with the intended ongoing unfolding creation of life on earth, more able to advance our humanness, to fulfill our work and role in and through life, the life of all, the whole of life.
“Blessed are those who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, because they shall be satisfied” (Mt 5:6). With this hunger and thirst, we enter into a transforming fire, for this is a hunger and thirst that can be quenched, can be filled, only by fulfilling the Creator’s intentionality. We hunger and thirst for fulfilling the Creator’s intent. The first three Beatitudes (our striving for letting go of self as source and embracing the Creator as the one and only Source; our seeing there are intended ways of working in the ongoing unfolding creation; our shifting to and seeing the strength in the meekness of not “my will,” but “Thy Will”) are all working at preparing our hearts to experience an insatiable hunger and thirst for an ongoing unfolding intentional role and purpose in the unfolding creation… a hunger and thirst for seeing and embracing the role and work, the intended purpose towards which we are drawn, drawn by and through our unique essence – the pattern of intention.
“Blessed are the merciful, because they shall receive mercy” (Mt 5:7). Reflecting innerly in regards to our efforts relative to this path, this way of love and peace, we notice at times we are hesitating, wandering, going astray, and at times we are embracing, truly working, etc. We also notice that as we begin to see, to gain a glimmer of the intent and intended ways of working of the unfolding creation, of the unfolding life of the whole, we are often tempted to judging – judging of others… and of ourselves as well. With judging comes much hazard – judging can effectively interfere with love entering and flowing through. We cannot know the inner struggle of another, the undeclared purposes they hold, the inner nature of their effort… we can, through our experience, understand the depth of striving required of this path, the necessity of community – particularly at this time of potential – for our progressing as a person, as a people… thus the turning towards mercy, accessing and living from mercy. Jesus was merciful to those who were not his disciples; Jesus was merciful to all – a process of continuous flowing of love, of caring about. Being merciful, being present to mercy, is an essential characteristic of entering – and re-entering – this path, the way of love and peace. It is through mercy, and being merciful that we recognize and honor the truth of our equality – of our being, at essence, equal – equally endowed with intentionality, commonly called to instrumentality… truths that themselves become the forming core for community – a community embracing a further truth that if love is not present in the process, love will not be present in the outcome.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, because they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). Our hearts, when striving to experience and be present to the hearts of others, a striving made possible by our detaching from “my will,” begin to develop a seeing – eyes of the heart – that recognize and embrace the presence of God in others. More and more we become able to see the potential enfolded within the unique essence of each and of all… an essence yearning to be manifested as a working living part – an essential role, an enabling spirit – in the intended unfolding life of the whole.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, because they shall be called children of God” (Mt 5:9). Embracing our instrumentality – surrendering to our instrumentality – love enters the process… we are becoming instruments of love. When we fully embrace our instrumentality and take up our role in the community, the comm8unity is becoming an instrument of love. Love enters the process… the unfolding of intentionality is becoming real… the community is fulfilling its intended role in the flow of love into, through and out from the living earth… the community is becoming a maker of peace, a peace that can be further unfolded and manifested throughout the world.
Thus peace, the companion and partner to love, joins in the process of returning love to the Father Creator… and they – the followers of the way of love and peace – are becoming and being called children of God, known by their way of living and working.
“Blessed are they being persecuted because of righteousness, for of them is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:10). The kingdom of heaven is coming into being through working for the sake of fulfilling “Thy Will,” fulfilling the intentionality of the Creator. Being persecuted by the world is a common experience of those taking up this work. The “my will” inner and outer world hates the doing of “Thy Will”… and works to sever, through worldly consequences, the intentionality. Through the earlier Beatitude of righteousness, images emerged that bring to life the intentional and that aspect of intentionality that we are particularly drawn to. This work of the heart enables us to enter community and live and work in ways more harmonious with intent. Intentionality on our part is not necessarily warmly and joyously received by the established patterns and norms of current existing culture and current ways of doing things. This harmoniousness with intent is inherent within – essential to – the kingdom of heaven coming to earth. Living and working from the intentionality to which we are drawn, we begin to experience the kingdom of heaven on earth.
“Blessed are you when they shall reproach you, and persecute you, and shall say every evil word against you, lying, on account of me. Rejoice and be very glad, for the reward of you shall be great in heaven; for they thus persecuted the prophets before you” (Mt 5:11-12). It should not be surprising, as we strive to do “Thy Will,” that is, ensure that love is in the process; that the “my will” world reacts negatively to our efforts. Rather, we can rejoice and be glad knowing we are on path as long as we maintain our authenticity in regards to love in the process… for with love in the process, through community, we can experience a deepening oneness with the Source and with each other as one people of earth; and an increased ableness for moving towards wholeness, away from that which divides… we can experience the oneness and wholeness – the intended unfolding at this time of potential.
