The Meatitudes

Oh the mix-up! We have all had one or two in our lifetimes, haven’t we dear reader? I heard a mispronunciation yesterday, and it got me wondering: what if I swap out this for that, in my thinking, then my speaking, then in my doing? What if with a slip of the tongue, a wanderlust heart, and an immediate desire to self-gratify, I slide and sidestep my way into a new me? Is the proverbial slippery slope waiting for me, and you, if we are not earnestly aware and careful?

Don’t be alarmed now… I have taken liberties with scripture for the sake of comparing two very different kingdoms with diametrically and in one case, diabolically opposed rulers. I aim to display the dichotomy that I see, and perhaps, you are witnessing this too, dear one?

Ardent audience

Jesus has an ardent audience. He has captured their attention and the crowd marvels at his teachings, found in Matthew 5:1-12:

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

What if dear reader, I take the Beatitudes, and turn them into the Meatitudes? What if I let the me that wants to be, the one that likes getting her own way, take over and rule my world? What impact will I have in your world, if the selfish me is permitted a hostile take over by the adversary?

My way is the way and too bad for you, and you, and you, and…

Meatitudes

Blessed are the rich in bank account: for theirs is the kingdom of now.
Blessed are they that laugh: for they will have a good time.
Blessed are the bold: for they shall acquire great riches.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst for happiness: for they shall be filled with fun.
Blessed are the merciless: for they shall obtain all manner of earthly pleasure.
Blessed are the impure in heart: for they shall see Satan.
Blessed are the troublemakers: for they shall be called the sons and daughters of the devil.
Blessed are they which persecute for self-righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of hell.
Blessed are ye, when men adore you, and follow you, and say all manner of good toward you falsely, for Lucifers sake.

Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for your rewards are here on earth: for so indulged the revellers which were before you.

Hostile takeover

I know where I am going and it feels so good

I mentioned above two kingdoms with adversarial lordships, Jesus as the King of Peace and Satan as the father of lies. Each ruler makes promises based on who we are and what we do in the world, and there is evidence that rewards are available to everyone. I made up the Meatitudes, directly copying and replacing words that represent concepts, from the Beatitudes… and that, dear reader, is the devils best and most frequently used career move for the advancement of his dark, dastardly and deadly kingdom. He wants you and me to sell our souls, sell each other out, for the here and now pleasure of self-indulgence without a sideways glance at the impact it has on our family, friends, co-workers and neighbours, not to mention our own eternity. He is most excellent at his job and his human resources department is constantly recruiting members.

You see it. You know what I am talking about, don’t you dear reader? This isn’t news to you in fact, you may be watching people you love self-destruct, grabbing all they can get in this life because they think this is all there is: it is a sad state of affairs, isn’t it, to witness this kind of human dilapidation?

Full circle

What if dear reader, I take the Meatitudes, and replace them by living the Beatitudes? What if I let God form and shape me into the image of his Son? How would that impactyour world, if the selfless me lived to love you like God asks me to? What if that?

What if we all, choose to live and love by blessing each other as Jesus suggests? The Beatitudes are other focused, the Meatitudes are me focused:

Which will you be known by, your giving, or your getting? 

It is a question all thinking humans must ask themselves. To not ask, leaves us open to a hostile takeover, one unconscious thought, word, and deed at a time.