Week 42—Friday Psalm 56:8, 11, 13
Week 42—FRIDAY
ALWAYS RIGHT, HENCE ALWAYS WRONG
We are looking at the Beatitudes as giving the mental and emotional and spiritual positive attitudes which produce health. Second, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Sister Mary,” a radiant soul, said to me, “There is one verse I don’t know how to practice: ‘Blessed are those who mourn.’ I don’t know how to mourn. I am so happy I don’t know how to mourn.” Nor could I tell her, for I too was too happy to mourn. But I could tell her that the meaning was probably the ability to say, “I am sorry. I made a mistake.” This is the greatest catharsis I know. But some people have not learned that secret—they are always right, hence always wrong. Confession leads to correction and correction leads to conversion. Without confession there is no conversion. One of the finest Christians I know had the vice-presidency of a company at a very high salary. He resigned. The president said to him, “You are young and inexperienced. You do not understand the intricacies of business.” The young executive quietly said, “I know the difference between right and wrong,” and went out. It’s a healthy attitude and brings health.
Third, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. The meek have been looked on as the weak. Nothing could be further from the truth. The meek are so sure of their resources and of their goals that they can afford to be meek. Others have to be proud because they are so unsure of themselves and their goals. The meek could be called the assured, for they are meek enough to take the sources of God.
Fourth, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. This beatitude is the turning point from the receptive attitude in the first three to the outgoing aggressive attitude in the next three. For receptivity means response—response to God’s ability. The hunger and thirst mean that in appropriating the righteousness and assimilating it you become righteous, and righteousness means right action. You are righteous and you do righteousness. In the being and doing you are “satisfied.”
O Jesus Lord and Savior, make my hunger and thirst for righteousness as pressing as my hunger and thirst for food. And help me to be as receptive to righteousness as I am receptive of food. I don’t want to be satisfied physically and starved spiritually. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: To say “I am sorry” is a catharsis.