How Was Your 2019?

How was your 2019?  Mine was…interesting.  My very predictable life was turned upside down by an unexpected cancer diagnosis.  However, evaluating 2019 is difficult for me because, due to cancer, I was the recipient of unexpected meals and visits.  Distant friends and acquaintances sent cards and letters (yes, letters!).  People I didn’t know, and most amazingly, those I didn’t think cared or liked me, sent gifts.  I’ve made new friends and have reconnected with long lost ones.  After six months down the cancer road, I can tell you my heart is full and I know that I am deeply loved.

So, was my 2019 good or bad?  Was it blessed or cursed?  Maybe yours was a similar mixed bag.

Due to their experience, many people complain that God is out to get them, that He seems to enjoy making life miserable.  Contrary to their opinion, early in Jesus’ ministry, He gathered His disciples around Him and said, “Blessed!”.  That is a power-packed word! By starting His sermon with that word, Jesus was saying, “Do you want to be the envy of the neighborhood?  Would you like to be so settled and peaceful in your heart and mind that nothing can trouble you?  Would you like to win the ‘emotional lottery?’  Let me tell you how it’s done.”

Think about how that grabbed the crowd!  While I can’t know for sure who sat on the hillside that day or what their issues were, I believe it is safe to assume that they were just like us.  They struggled to make a good life, put food on the table, and stay healthy.  Sadly they had broken relationships and marriages.  They laid awake at night wondering if there was more to life than all the difficulty.

And then they heard about Jesus.  He was born and raised in the area.  He worked in his father’s carpentry business.  He was an ordinary local, bursting on the scene doing extraordinary things.  The community was buzzing about so-called miracles which caused some to wonder whether He was the one who would save Israel from Roman rule as the Messiah.

The curious filled the mountainside on the day that Jesus sat down (as the authoritative rabbis did) and lifted his voice so all could hear:  "You are to be congratulated if you are poor in spirit and filled with mourning!  The most enviable ones are those who are meek!  If you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you’ll be the richest people in town!  The most successful people you’ll ever know are the merciful, the pure, and those who pursue peace!  And heaven has truly smiled on you if you are persecuted because of your faith (Bontempo paraphrase)!

I can only imagine the stunned silence that ensued.  Not exactly the Zig Ziglar “See You at the Top” kind of seminar that many were expecting.

What kind of year do I want in 2020?  What about you?  Each of us must decide whether to follow Jesus’ path to happiness or follow the crowd.  There is a fork in the road.  Which way will you travel?

Pastor Nancy Bontempo
Friends Community Church