I am a Jesus pusher!!! The values of the Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdoms of the world have a startling contrast. The values of the Kingdom of Heaven are sandwiched between the first and last Beatitudes. These six Beatitudes between give us the elements from which all things in the Kingdom exist. They are in the future tense, while the first and last Beatitudes state the Kingdom in the present tense. The emphasis is that we are presently “in” the Kingdom of Heaven and these are the values, the qualities, resulting from this state of existence. Any attempt to discover a quality or value of the Kingdom of Heaven not mentioned in these six Beatitudes is futile. These are the core values.
Jesus presents each one in a contrast. The first of the six between Beatitudes is “Blessed are those who mourn.” “Mourning” is contrasted with “comfort.” “Mourning” is distinctly connected to the “helpless state.” It is this state that makes us suitable to be embraced by the unlimited resource of His presence. This embrace is the existence of the Kingdom. “Mourning” is the consistent recognition of my state of helplessness; it is the consistency of my helplessness embracing Him. His presence fills my life; He is the Comforter. He comes alongside (inside) to nurture, encourage, empower, and enable all I need. I live in a state of “comfort.” Consider this kind of “comfort” in contrast to the kingdom of the world. “Comfort” is seen in terms of materialism, power, and prestige. It is a false sense of having no needs, being in charge, or acquiring my own desires. It is the satisfaction of getting what I want. “Living comfortably” is a phrase that describes having everything I want, all needs being met. Yet, this sense of completeness quickly fades; it is because I do not have what I need. It is Jesus! I need to merge with Him. I am a Jesus pusher!!!