Jesus seeks to destabilize our arrogance and construct a new way of thinking and acting in its place. While religious outwardism crushes the ego, the anti-kingdom outlook coddles it. Jesus offers a third way, one in which the ego can breathe at ease.
Remember that for the “middle-class in spirit” life is their film and the planet is their stage. They get top billing and the rest of us are just playing bit parts in support of their stardom. They might allow even Jesus to play a small part in their story, but they get the credit and everyone, including him, just read off the script they’ve written. They intend to “inherit the earth” without any assistance from above.
The ego of the meek, on the other hand, is an ego at rest. It’s not haughty or hungry for praise. It’s not restless or demanding, nor does it clamor to be spoon-fed with “atta-boys.” It’s content.
This is an excerpt from a book I hope to publish in the near future on the Sermon on the Mount called: What In The World? Some Moral, Social, and Politically Disruptive Implications of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
As such, I’d appreciate your feedback on this post and others to come in order to make the final copy publish-worthy.
barney wiget 