So the story is picked up in verse three of chapter five this morning. Jesus has pulled his disciples up the hillside and is, in essence, whispering in their ears, the secret to His Kingdom that he is ushering in at this moment. If you listen close, you too might be able to hear it. "All of what you have seen me do, you to will do it...even more so. Only it's not going to come the way you think it is. Here's how it works."
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule." v.3
What? End of my rope? Poor in Spirit? That sounds a little odd. When the disciples first heard this, they probably heard something like, "You will be at your happiest when you are like the beggar on the side of the road. They are the ones who have space for the kingdom of God." Like the beggar, our dependence in the kingdom of God is not self-dependent, but God dependent. We realize that everything we have or own comes from Father and even the ability to simply go to work is a gift from Him. In our culture, this verse seems extremely difficult because we are a nation that seems to pride itself, in many cases, on our independence - nationally and personally. The "kingdom of America" (i.e., the American Dream) is sustained by a belief that I can do it, I can buy it and I deserve it. This just doesn't sound like "the end of our rope."
I must, at this point, let you in on my personal bias here. As a Christ-follower, I firmly believe that God is writing a story that is larger than the one I am living, individually. In my story, I am the lead actor, but in Father's story, I am a supporting actor at best and He takes center stage. When I am at the end of my rope, it allows space for Father's dream to form, not just in my life but in all of the relationships He has given me. If I am continually at the top of my ladder, then there is no space there for Father. The supporting actor is there to make the lead actor look good.
This "end of rope" living recognizes that it's not all about me. In fact, very little really is about me. When I allow space for God's dream in my life, I get to taste the kingdom of heaven while roaming this earth. When I realize it's not about me, then I can see things the way Jesus would see them. I can respond to the weak and the hurting because I know that in them there is the kingdom of God. I can rest in tomorrow because Father's story is bigger than my story.
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