“The Sermon on the Mount, including the Beatitudes, was delivered to true believers; to the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb (it was their ordination sermon), to the saints of the Most High God; to members of the Church of Jesus Christ; to people who had been baptize and who were in process of seeking the riches of eternity. To them – after holding out the blessed and sanctified wonders of gospel obedience, as these are stated in the Beatitudes – Jesus now says: “Ye are the salt of the earth….Ye are the light of the world.” That is to say: ‘Ye are the choicest and best people on earth; and ye must now be an example to all men, that others seeing your good works, shall come unto me and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 2, p. 127)
Out of all the Beatitudes, I am most taken by this one: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Even though the Saviour proclaimed himself to be “meek and lowly of heart” (Matt 11:29), He did not inherit the earth whilst here because as things are now constituted, the meek shall not inherit the earth until that fateful day when all things shall be done away with and the earth will receive its celestial glory.
So many of us are clinging to earthly possessions and aspire to acquire more. The Saviour had neither gold nor silver nor houses nor lands nor kingdoms when He was here. The riches of this world were but a fleeting moment in time for Him and He had no interest in them. So lowly was the Saviour that he directed Peter when the tax collector came to catch a fish in whose mouth was lodged a coin, to pay a levied tax for both of them (Matthew 17:24-27). So much power yet ‘foxes had holes, and birds of the air had nests; but the Son of man had nowhere to lay His head’ (Luke 9:58). The self-restraint in using His power only for the good of others is beyond commendation. Such is the God we worship and follow, such is the God we love…..are we ready to let go off the world and be the salt of the earth and the light of the world???
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