Text: Matthew 5:13-16, Colossians 4:5-6, Isaiah 42:5-9
You know that scene in It’s a Wonderful Life where George and Mary help the Martini family move into their new home? They load up the Martini children (and goat) into their car and drive them to Bailey Park, entourage-style, a truck piled high with the family’s belongings following behind them. As the townspeople gather triumphantly on the stoop of the Martinis’ new home, Mary offers this housewarming blessing:
“Bread, that this house may never know hunger. Salt, that life may always have flavor.” Then George jumps in and takes over because he just can’t help himself: “And wine, that joy and prosperity may reign forever!”
I’ve always loved that scene. It’s so hopeful, so filled with joy and promise. We want to believe that George and Mary’s best wishes can bestow true blessing on the young family, but we know the turmoil that lies ahead for the small, fictional town. Like the folks of Bedford Falls would discover, we know best wishes don’t bring life. Only God can do that.
That’s what we find when we read the Beatitudes: blessings only God can give, promises only Jesus can make. These aren’t just promises for our future—though they are certainly that. They are promises for our right-now life. They are promises of God’s kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven.
This is the gospel. Sinners—ordinary, imperfect people like you and me—are ushered into the kingdom of God by none other than God’s own Son. Jesus came to this pain-ridden planet and lived the holy, sinless life we couldn’t, then paid the debt of our sin in full on the cross. Three days after it was finished, He walked out of the grave, and He sits at the right hand of His Father even now. And there, now, He claims as His own—holy and blameless children of the Father—we who accept the absurd gift of His grace.
We are heirs with Christ to God’s kingdom. We belong there. It is our home.
We mourn the pain and death and injustice of our right-now world, but we rejoice in the One who will dry every tear (Revelation 21:4). We are poor in spirit, in possessions, in esteem, yet we are filled up by the One who created all things and holds all things together (Colossians 1:16-17). We hunger for a holiness that we can’t reach here, while we give thanks to the One who clothes us in His righteousness (Romans 5:17). We ache for mercy and peace in a warring world, and we worship the One who is setting everything right (Revelation 21:5).
We are children of the Kingdom—not just when we leave this world, but right here in it.
The gospel of Jesus is not a secret to be kept. It is the conspicuous, live-changing reality for every single person who calls Christ their Lord. It is the very definition of good news! How can we help but overflow with gratitude and love for the God who has rescued us from despair and secured our hope?
Our God has made us a beacon of hope to the world, “a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, in order to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those sitting in darkness from the prison house” (Isaiah 42:6-7). We are light bearers, sight givers, and freedom bringers—this is our reality in Christ.
Friends, we have so much more to offer the world than our best wishes. We know the Maker of love, the Giver of life. When others look at us, may they see Him. Amen.
Amen. Standing on the truth and promises of God, no matter what the world says or does. Thankful for the promises and reassurance in His word, and the nuggets of truth and conviction I find even in passages I’ve read many times over – especially the beatitudes.
Praying for requests, sisters. And MARI V – congrats to your son on getting his degree!
Hope to see all of you Monday for the Judges study!
I love the movie “It’s a wonderful life”. I watched it at Christmas and it took me a while to get used to the slower pace of an older classic movie. But I saw myself in the main character, and the movie helped me greatly to go on even when things looked so dark. Pain-ridden planet is where we are. Good people with great ambitions and God-given talents also suffer greatly and at some point want to give all up. BUT GOD. This movie pictures this bleak reality, we walk the same reality as our Lord once walked. I used to have these pink lenses for life when entering Christianity, that it would be heavenly from here, something was painted wrong, it took years of confusion as to why problems after problems persisted, rejections and separations started happening, truly those who live a godly life will be a target for persecutions, criticism, envy, being alienated, taunting. Act wisely to those outsiders. Act wisely, use our words wisely (including being slow to speak, that is grace in itself). Those who we try to save are the same who will cry crucify to us. Why should we die a foolish death? May God teach us how to skate through life not entangled, free from grief of conflicts, but full of hope and purpose, knowing what to expect, being fully charged of life by connecting to the Life-Giving Source of the Father Himself. It is a wonderful life after all, now that we have Him. He is the greatest wonder of life, always faithful, always providing. Glory be to our Loving Father, who always watches over us, helps us, leads us, heals us and lifts us up to be the light shining for all to see. Little us- the pointer to the Great Light that this dark world desperately needs but does not know. Glory to our Father of Light. Be blessed dear sisters.
Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you should know how to answer each person. Salt is tricky. Just enough may keep them coming back for more.
Have a great weekend ladies!
Good morning She’s! What a beautiful sunny day it is as we drive to VT! ”Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt…” Colossians 4:6 – This is my prayer for this weekend as we will be with family – some saved, some “closet Christians”, some lost, some we’re not sure. I always hope & pray for opportunities to be the salt & light. Please pray with me, that it might happen!
Continuing to pray for your requests – have a blessed weekend!