We shall continue to navigate our way through the Beatitudes. As Jesus teaches, He is setting the stage for His radical and counter-intuitive kingdom. He is reconstructing the hearts and the minds of the disciples as He initiates them into an entirely new and different way of living.
The demolition of one paradigm is required before total transformation into another realm. Initially, self-sufficiency and self-righteousness must be obliterated. This is the fundamental characteristic of the kingdom pilgrimage. It is to understand our spiritual bankruptcy before a sovereign and holy God. This will then produce a state of reflective repentance which becomes a consistent reality over a lifetime. With this comes the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Denigration of the “false self” leaves room for the emergence and growth of the “real self.” Meekness is that quality which makes us teachable, approachable, and vulnerable to the will and the ways of God.
The trajectory of our lives has been changed. As a result of our transformation, God, via the Spirit is in the process of changing our appetites and our desires. The hunger and the thirst for God and His kingdom progressively displace our lust for power and pleasure. Our talents, gifts, and resources are now used in pursuing God’s purposes on the planet. The craving for God and the filling of God are simultaneous within us. The satisfaction of this day leads to a greater capacity tomorrow.