The Sermon on the Mount, Part II of XL

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TEXT: Continuing with Matthew 5:5.

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

COMMENTARY: Some translations say, "…inherit the land." Land, for the ancient Israelis, has always been a symbol of power and wealth. In this world, the land always goes to the powerful and greedy. But, in eternity, in karmic history, the "meek" (some translations say, "mild-mannered") will end up as owners of the land. After millennia of terrible karma, creating war over land ("the earth"), these greedy landowners will be without any land at all, because they stole it from others. Instead, in eternity, the disabused victims of war and thievery, the innocent and the peaceful, will end up as landowners.

TEXT:

6. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

COMMENTARY: In our world, it appears that there is very little goodness or "righteousness," and those who practice goodness, those who long for goodness, are not often satisfied. But Jesus paints a very different picture of eternity. Those who "hunger and thirst" for goodness, kindness, and the "right alignment" with Love will indeed be satisfied to overflowing. They will find psychological wellness and happiness in this life, and joy, bliss, and ecstasy in their eternal Soul-lives.

TEXT:

7. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

COMMENTARY: This is a succinct summary of the principle of karma.
Those who are merciful do not always find mercy bestowed upon them, or given to them in return, in this world. But Jesus assures us that, in their eternal Soul-lives, all who show mercy will also receive as they have given. Mercy to all sentient beings is thus very important, but especially mercy to human beings.

TEXT:

8. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

COMMENTARY: To be "pure in heart" is to express Love at every opportunity, for Love cleanses us from the influences of ignorance and the lower nature. The more that we allow Love into our hearts, the closer we are to God, Who is Love. To "see God" is to have, at its literal height, a mystical experience. Then, God is not known only in an abstract way, but as the Lovemind deep within all sentient minds, as the Mind deep within the Self.

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