Blessings: Nothing to Sneeze At
[I wrote the title to this post last. It is a very bad play on words based on the fact that many people say, "God bless you," when someone sneezes. I'm very sorry. All I can say is that I had good intentions...] One thing about the Beatitudes in Matthew is that, for the most part, the people who are "blessed" don't often seem very blessed. Let me show you what I mean: Imagine a large, old church with tall Gothic arches and acres of stained glass, filled with proper, well-to-do people. Imagine a smiling, older man stepping up to the microphone in the front of the amassed congregation and saying: Let me tell you a little about Bob. He's been blessed by God more than almost anyone I've ever met. For example, he is poor in spirit . In fact, it hardly seems like there's anything spiritual about him. I'd say he's even spiritually indebted. Many people have wondered if he is, in fact, the Anti-Christ. God surely blesses this man. He