Happiness Is … What Jesus Says We Are
A casual glance at what Jesus teaches about happiness in Matthew 5:1-12 might lead someone to say, "That's the opposite of how I would pursue happiness!" But the Savior is the source of true happiness and gives happiness to us because, "Happiness Is … What Jesus Says We Are." January 30, 2011.
Thomas Jefferson and his buddies put Americans on the track to go after happiness like Energizer bunnies when they penned into the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and ... the pursuit of happiness." But what is happiness, and how do we get it? Thanks to modern technology, all you need is a high speed Internet connection, and you can find out what happiness is … by ordering and reading six million, three hundred seventy thousand books with that phrase in the title.
A casual glance at what Jesus teaches about happiness in Matthew chapter five might lead someone to say, “That’s the opposite of how I would pursue happiness!” But the Savior looks at us and sees exactly what he designed us to be, which is the true source of happiness, because, “Happiness Is … What Jesus Says We Are.”
Near the end of his ministry Jesus told a story about two men – one wore a tailored suit with pressed shirt and silk tie, stood in front of the church doors, and bragged that there is very likely a special throne in heaven with his name on it because he had spent the last forty-six minutes praying for more money so he could be generous and boasting that twice last week he ate only half a grapefruit for breakfast instead of two Pop-tarts. The other also wore a suit, but his pants had holes from kneeling to beg God for forgiveness. His shirt was stained with tears from thinking about the cheating, lying, and stinging comments he had made. No casual observer would think that the second guy was happy. But he was because he knew that God’s forgiveness enriched his poor soul.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” True happiness comes when we’re at the end of our rope*, convinced that our spiritual bankruptcy will land us in an eternal debtors’ prison. When there is less of us and more of God* and the ruling power of his forgiveness enriching our souls, then we are what Jesus made us to be. Happiness is what Jesus says we are – poor in spirit but living in the luxury of the kingdom of his love.
Job was a wealthy man who lost his sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys, servants, and his ten children. On top of that he couldn’t go to the funeral because he was so sick. Reason to mourn? Certainly! But Job stood tall on the Savior’s miraculous power to overcome death and stated, “I know that my Redeemer lives … and after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (Job 19:25-26). The Bible book of Job ends with fascinating math. Job got back double the number of animals and was given by God the privilege of ten more children. Why not twenty, double the original number? Because he never lost the original ten. They died but were now living in heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” When we feel we’ve lost what is most dear to us and are embraced by the One who is really most dear* to us, then we are what Jesus made us to be. Happiness is what Jesus says we are – mourning some days but comforted every day with his promise of eternal life.
Jesus told a story of a man who built big warehouses to hold all the goodies he had accumulated in life – five expensive gold rings, four Calling Bird china settings, three French pastry ovens, two Turtle-waxed sports cars, and a Partridge Family record album personally signed by David Cassidy and Susan Dey. But on the night he cut the ribbon to open the warehouses he dropped over of a heart attack. The apostle Paul, on the other hand, didn’t have much and was meek, which does not mean weak, but humbly content, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances because … I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13).
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” When we are content with just who we are – no more, no less – that’s the moment we find ourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought* with earthly money, and then we are what Jesus made us to be. Happiness is what Jesus says we are – content that we are royal priests no matter what’s in our bank account.
A Samaritan woman was dying of thirst even though she just pulled up a bucket of fresh water from the town well. She knew that if she drained it, she would still be thirsting to get right with God, still hungry for God’s approval. Even though she hadn’t grown up in the church, she had heard somewhere along the line that God in heaven above would send a Savior to quench her thirst and fill her starving soul. Jesus looked her in the eye and said, “I who speak to you am he” (John 4:26).
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”When we have worked up a good appetite for God*, and find that Jesus himself is the menu of the best meal we’ll ever eat*, then our spiritual thirst is quenched and our souls are filled as we drink without cost from the spring of the water of life(Revelation 21:6) and eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7), and then we are what Jesus made us to be. Happiness is what Jesus says we are – hydrated with his heavenly H2O and filled with his faithful love.
A widow was down to her last handful of flour and her last dribble of oil to bake her last loaf of bread for herself and her dear little boy. Though facing starvation, she heard the request of the visiting man of God, “First bake some bread for me.” The casual observer might say, “Make yourself happy first!” But Elijah said, “This is what the LORD … says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry’.” The Bible writer then tells us, “There was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family” (1 Kings 17:13-15).
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” When we are “care-full,”* full of care for others, we find ourselves cared for* by God and others, and then we are what Jesus made us to be. Happiness is what Jesus says we are – marinated in the Master’s mercy in order to be merciful to others.
King David’s outside world looked polished – a giant’s sword in his trophy case, battle-tested soldiers standing guard, a palace fit, well, for a king with a grand piano in the parlor and his guitar tuned for strumming to his heart’s content. But his inside world was a garbage bag stuffed with moldy leftovers of lust, fish-heads fakery, and stinky rinds of spiritual rot. It took a slap in the soul from his friend for David to admit, “Against you, Lord, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight … Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:4,7-8). God cleaned him up from the inside out.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” When our inside world – our mind and heart* – is declared right with God because Jesus’ rightness is put onto our account, then we can see God in the outside world, and then we are what Jesus made us to be. Happiness is what Jesus says we are – you were washed, you were set apart, you were declared innocent in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11).
On one occasion Jesus’ close followers proudly announced that they had put the kibosh on someone who was driving out demons in Jesus’ name. After all, that man hadn’t gone to their prep school and came from the wrong side of the freeway. “Lord, maybe you can shock him with a bolt of lightning.” But Jesus shocked them into realizing that peace-makers are peace-proclaimers, coming in all shapes and sizes and announcing peace between God and sinners of all shapes and sizes.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” When we showothers how to cooperate* in the Savior instead of compete* for self, then we are living as children in God’s family means seeing his smiling face and reflecting his smile to others, which causes the family tree to grow and invites others to the family reunion, and then we are what Jesus made us to be. Happiness is what Jesus says we are – sometimes plopped between people at odds but always proclaiming peace from the Prince of Peace.
The apostle Peter had been jailed on more than one occasion, not for stepping on laws but for standing up for the Lord. He wrote a letter to fellow Christians who were being mocked by co-workers for their commitment to Christ, who had been called “goodie-two-shoes” for not pawing or primping or partying to the extreme, who had their trust in Jesus trampled on by acquaintances who called them weaklings. But Peter wrote what he learned from Jesus, “Don’t be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering ... but praise God that you bear the name ‘Christian’ ” (1 Peter 4:12,16).
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven … Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” When our commitment to God seems to drive us* into a corner, then we look up and find that we actually are being driven further along the path to heaven and deeper into* the arms of God, and then we are what Jesus made us to be. Happiness is what Jesus says we are – sometimes picked but all the time put on a pedestal by the Savior.
When I look in a mirror, and I’m not happy with what I see – not just bulges and blemishes that are evidence of laziness and aging – but faults and failures that put others off and eventually poke at my heart for provoking God. But then I remember what God sees. He reverses the image and sees Jesus’ rightness covering the bulges of sin. He sees Jesus’ blood covering over the blemishes of sin. He sees me and he sees you blessed as poor, mourning, meek, hungry, persecuted sinners who live under the mercy, purity, and peace given by Jesus. We don’t have to pursue happiness because the Savior has pursued us and made us happy. Now we are more than ready and more than happy to share what real happiness is with everyone we meet. Amen.
Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (www.gracedowntown.org) on January 30, 2011
[*phrases from The Message, E.Peterson, 2002, p.1334-1335]
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