This week we come to Matthew 5:1-12, one of the most famous sections of the Bible, the Beatitudes. They sound so appropriate and so honorable. And they are. But when you read them, you must also be horribly unsettled. What do we do when we haven't lived them out? Find an answer in this the first and longest of Jesus' sermons we have on record. Read Jesus' introduction to his sermon on the mount, then gather with others seeking to live out the Beatitudes and find an answer to what to do when we don't.

A Lenten devotion by Pastor Randy Hunter.

What happens when you come alongside the hurting? You are, in Paul's words, "participating in Christ's sufferings." Oh, you're not suffering as the substitute for sinners. You're doing it to show the love of Christ, our substitute, to the person who is hurting. That's better than any physical healing. All of Jesus' miracles teach us something about Jesus, but his healing miracles prove who he is, point to where he will take us, and give us a pattern of how he has saved us. May Jesus’ healing for you, for others, or for people who walked the earth with him give you evidence that strengthens your trust in his promises.

If you like what you see in some social media apps, you're invited to "click, like, and subscribe." Other apps are more direct and simply say, "If you like what you see, follow me." They stole that from Jesus! Early in his ministry, Jesus invited four people to "follow me." They did, but why? What did they see in Jesus that made them "click, like, and subscribe"? What do you see in him that makes you do the same, and what does it look like? May God use his Word to help you find those answers today.

What comes as second nature to you now, was once a beginning. That goes for everything from walking to driving a car to writing a computer program. After about 30 years of living a "normal" life, Jesus began his public ministry. Matthew records this beginning with some unique details. What he began then, continues now. By his Word, Jesus continues to live among us and teach us. We’re thrilled that you’re here to receive gifts only he can give.

Imagine that you lived 2,000 years ago and Jesus invited you to follow him. Your first question might be, "Who are you?" Matthew's first record of Jesus' "active ministry," after his baptism, would have given you the answer. He's the one who's not tricked by Satan. He's the one who puts the will of God first. He's the one who won't let his feelings dictate his actions. He's the one who perfectly obeys the Father. He's still that one. He invites you to follow him. May your time with him, his Word and his people today help you do that.

With what or whom are you well pleased? Was it the same a decade ago? Will it be the same in a decade? In Matthew 3, God the Father said he was well pleased with Jesus, and he never withdrew that status. Can God say the same about you? Why or why not?

Of all the good things you can do, and you can do plenty, what could be better than pointing someone to Jesus? That good thing could have eternal results. That good thing was also the special role God gave to John the Baptist and the special role God gives to us, too. Today, the Spirit will not only teach us about John the Baptist, but he will encourage us and give us wisdom for pointing others to Jesus.

Are you impressed by people born in impressive places? A small restaurant chain in the south is named for a man born while his parents were climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, inspiring his parents to carry him to the top. Or was it all a marketing gimmick? Still, no one would name a restaurant after someone born in Possum Grape, Arkansas or Burnt Corn, Alabama. You might not expect much from towns like those. That's the way people felt about Jesus' childhood home of Nazareth. But Jesus turned the world upside down. Smart sophisticated people (like you) don't have a lock on the truth; Jesus does. He unlocks it for all; but maybe not the way you expect. Welcome to a time to marvel at who Jesus is, what he came to do, and his message and ministry.

No one likes a detour. It always means a longer drive in a direction you didn't want to go. It's one thing to encounter a detour on a trip, it's quite another to encounter a detour in your life, a change of plans you can't avoid and don't like. On that kind of detour, when your life takes a turn for the worse, it's tempting to hear Satan's muttering that God has left you. But a detour doesn't mean you won't arrive at your destination; only that you won't arrive as you planned. After Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, the Lord led Mary, Joseph, and Jesus home via quite a detour. That was his plan to protect, help, and save them. He's leading you home, too, even if it's not the way you planned. He's leading you home by another way. May the Spirit encourage you by the Lord's plan for his Son, for the people around his Son, and for you, too.