It has been several days now since the Grand Jury posted it's decision to not return an indictment against Officer Darren Wilson. This decision after months of reviewing evidence and listening to witnesses was not the decision that many in the Public Arena wanted to hear. Many in our community felt that the only true Justice would be an indictment. I will not debate the pro's and con's of that topic here today.
But I was reading in the Book of Matthew this morning and I thought that I would post the words of Jesus in his first Sermon, what we call the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. This sermon is one that is needed to be heard today. If it was heard today and believed and followed I think we would have a different response to the lack of indictment. Mainly the reason I think the response would be different is because the focus would be taken off our Justice System and returned to our person response of whether we truly are seeking the Kingdom of God or our own materialistic kingdom.
Matthew 5: 2-16, English Standard Version, published by Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, IL
"Jesus opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
'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 shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.'"
There are many truths here that we should take to heart. I will not expound on each of them at this time, but it amazes me that many of the needs of our community can be heard here and the truth of what needs to happen can happen by following Jesus teaching.
There has been criticism from the Press and some Politician's about the clergy. They are asking the question, "Where are the Clergy in all of this?" Well, let me tell you, the clergy who truly walk in a manner worthy of the Lord are right in the midst of the issue. They are there to comfort their flock, to preach the word of God and to organize and facilitate prayer meetings, clean up crews, counseling, and the voice of reason.
As I see it, the problem is not, Where is the Clergy? The problem is why has our society ignored the teachings of Jesus as given to us in Holy Scripture and preached by Godly men who are walking in the path of righteousness?
The Clergy are right where they have always been and will continue to be, they are in the pulpit preaching God's word, they are walking the streets of their community praying for peace, they are reaching out to their congregation and the neighbors of those congregation members and helping to answer their needs both spiritually, physically and emotionally.
The real problem is that the Press and the Politician's only want to hear from Clergy who are inflaming the anger and angst of the crowds rather than those who are preaching the Peace of Christ.
Just like in Jesus day we have Religious Leaders who have forgotten their calling and are leading the people astray. So, I ask our community to choose their Religious Leaders wisely and follow those who are walking in righteousness and truly seeking the Kingdom of Heaven.
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