Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible recap.

This three chapter section is called The Sermon on the Mount, and it's the most famous

sermon Jesus preached.

It is meaty.

I'm not going to recap every detail.

I'm just going to lean into some things that might help with grasping deeper meanings

or themes.

Let's get to it.

Jesus sits down on the rolling hillside around the Sea of Galilee, surrounded by his disciples,

and teaches them what life in the upside down kingdom of God looks like.

The launching point of the sermon is a list of eight blessings granted to God's people,

except much of what he says doesn't sound like blessing at all.

Lots of scholars believe these eight be attitudes at the start of chapter five are actually

not just a list.

They're cumulative, like a building he's constructing, and that this first blessing is

the foundation of everything else he says in the sermon.

Here's why.

It all starts out with poverty of spirit.

It all starts with recognizing that we're spiritually poor.

We have nothing to offer God.

No reason for him to choose us or love us.

And if we want to get really honest about it, we aren't just empty handed.

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