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Show .,., '' t ' "'' r·1 l ' ../ t j I -··- ' ( I " ~/ ' ( ,. , lI ' .J STEPPING STONES 1'0 Hi\ PPINESS Sto.rtling sta.tenents wore v e ry often uttered by ghrist a.s a.n cffecti ve moans of toachin[i the principles which He wa.nted His fbllowers to understa.nd. Literally these followers were ~hocked into thinking. Their first reaction, even like that of ours whon wo hca.r a startling stc.tcMent, wo.s, "How co.n those things be?" Further reflection upon His pars.dexes brought light and underst~nding. · One day He so.id,to u group of people, "Ik,ppy ar c t he poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdon of heaven". Shocking, is it not'!' Let us try to understo.nd this stc.tenent i1.-th<,,·sc.tting in which it wo.s given., then try to find sone value of happiness for our lives todo.y. Many people a.re n ot ho.p:, y• Discontent is evidcmt . Can people be happy in this hour when there c1 Tc so mo.ny things to r:i.a.ko pe oplc unhappy. T!1e poor in spirit co.n be. To tho Jewish . hoa.rcr, this st:;.tement neo.nt the conming of t ho Messiah. Upon the occuronoe of this event the doors of tho Kingd on wou 1 c.I 1J o opened o.nd the blessed would enter, The poop lo hn.d no doubt in their n :i. nd s .:.~ bout who would inherit that Kingdom. They thought tho rich would go in first• Those loo.dors who were c.lrqn.dy endowed with c;ooclncss Ql:ld ri r;htc onsnc sc; would doubtless be o. definite essentio.1 to the now ore.er . Tho Lore. woul c: oo only too glo.d for such o. vo.luo.blo 2.dclition . .And if one could prove tht...t he ho.d relntionship to Abro.ho.m ho ni c ht safely ignore que stions of noro.ls as prercquidite to the new citizenship. The Pharisees were quite upset when Jesus cDJ:10 along a.nd upturned their finely spun theories und orderly arrangement of values. Our Lord st~ted tho.t the kingdor.t now belongs to those who feel spirituo.lly, destitute nnd n.pp1y to Hir.1 i'or o. sa.tisfn.ction of tht..tnoed • When o.n indi viduo.l n.dmits th::t he is not o.s good ns he should be, thut his own strength is insufficient, tho.to. higher wisdom is needed to neet the cht:Lllene;e of ·life, then God on.n d o soncthing for him. The blind nun by the roa.dside rea.lized his condition, r.ppeo.led to Christ a.nd went o.wuy seeing. Toda.y, the heart of our VJ.O.ster goes out to a.nyone who reo.lizes thut he is sick in soul u.nd nora.l strength is needed. "A bruieed reed will He not breo.k, a.nd o. dinly burning wiok will He not quench" (Isa, 42:3). The aocidcnts of our soci u l orto.nizo.tion, the intrica.cies of our economic system e.nd the nisfortunes thn.t o.re nn . insepo.ra.ble po.rt of life ::i.n.y huvc brought poverty, disuppointn ont c.nd sorrow in this world. But such things co.n never koep us out of the Kingdon of God if our lives o.ro open to Christ. They can bocone to steppin~ stones to ho.ppiness. "I need Thee, 0 I need Thee, Every hour I need Thee; 0 ;;lc,ss J; l.lC t, O\'l , ,r- ..,r:a ''· -- 'c 1 tcc:: . 11 r.iy So.vior, |
