Ignorance

Jock Stein August 18, 2024 0 0

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Matthew 5: 1-5 (NRSA)

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

This week, after thinking what the Kingdom of God is like in general – treasure, crops and generosity – we’re going to try and experience what it is like for us in particular, as we sit with Jesus. Maybe not on a hillside in Galilee, but in our own places, inside or outside, on our own or with others.

Recently Rory Stewart has been on radio promoting the value of ignorance – not becoming stupid, but simply recognising how much we don’t know, and why this matters. How true this is of the Spirit! A famous medieval devotional book is called The Cloud of Unknowing. Scotland was famous for ‘The Enlightenment’ in the 18th century, which itself is part of the greater Renaissance Project. Ever since then, we have assumed that ‘knowledge’ is a virtue to be valued, embraced, and striven for. Which has its place in human life. But we come to God with no intellectual property rights of our own, since the ground is level at the cross, and the bright individual has no advantage over the poorly endowed.

‘Blessed are those who know they are spiritually poor’ – we stretch out empty hands to God, a metaphor which embraces us (and empties us) from top to toe, body and soul.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, today in prayer I sit with those who grieve, I walk with the humble, I stand with the poor in spirit. When I have occasion to do this in practice, may I disclose the kingdom to myself and to others, for your name’s sake, Amen.