say what?

Matthew 5

1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, 
Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. 
His disciples gathered around him,
2 and he began to teach them.


3 "God blesses those who are poor in spirit and realize their need for him,
  for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
(Why does it seem that we see fewer & fewer people "poor in spirit" feeling safe to make contact with Christians, let alone connect with Jesus?)


4 God blesses those who mourn,
  for they will be comforted.
(It seems I see a lot of folks toting a load of grief all by themselves - is sympathy & empathy no longer a trait that's trending?)


5 God blesses those who are meek,
  for they will inherit the whole earth.
(Talk about a word that isn't trending in Christendom these days - meekness = weak - and Christians seem to be doing a lot of muscle flexing these days.)

 
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
  for they will be satisfied.
(As I listen to Christians talk, is it just me, or does it seem that holy living is not a priority?)


7 God blesses those who are merciful,
  for they will be shown mercy.
(And we seem to be a whole lot short on mercy - cutting people slack doesn't seem to be a exercised very much - that is, unless someone is a part of our particular faith based cadre, or suits our political purposes."


8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
  for they will see God.
(Purity? Hmmm... see note with verse 6.)


9 God blesses those who work for peace,
  for they will be called the children of God.
(Is it considered working for peace when it seems the tools we use to attain it are waving nuclear warheads or stiff economic strangleholds?)

10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
  for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
  11 "God blesses you when people mock you 
and persecute you 
and lie about you 
and say all sorts of evil things against you 
because you are my followers.
12 Be happy about it! 
Be very glad! 
For a great reward awaits you in heaven. 
And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
(Clearly Jesus hadn't heard of "religious freedom.")


I just wonder if when Jesus was doing this teaching on the side of a mountain that maybe He'd forgotten about what life would be like in the USA during the second decade of the 21st century.

Yeah, that's probably what happened...