New Testament 50-51

Flowers on the Mount of Beatitudes — A view, from the Mount of Beatitudes, of the Sea of Galilee with the Golan Heights in the background
(Click on the image to enlarge it.)

Compare Mark 3:7-13; Luke 6:17-23

I have a very great deal to say about the Beatitudes, but not the time to say very much of it right now. I hope to eventually write a small book on them.

For right now, I’ll content myself with a brief comment about Matthew 5:6, which reads “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Piraeus and Athens in map — A Dutch-language map showing the geographical relationship between Athens and Piraeus.

(Click to enlarge.)

There’s a story that’s told about the iconic Greek philosopher Socrates, who was standing, one day, near the seashore — perhaps (I don’t recall, offhand) near the Athenian port city of Piraeus — when a man approached him, asking to be his disciple.

Socrates, who was reputedly quite strong (as well as quite homely), suggested that the man follow him out into the surf. Puzzled, the man did as he was asked.

When they had walked some distance into the water, Socrates suddenly grabbed the man and thrust his head into the water, holding him down for an uncomfortably long time. Finally, he allowed the man to surface again, telling him “When you seek the truth as desperately as you were craving air just now, you can be my disciple.”

How many of us really “hunger and thirst for righteousness” with anything remotely approaching that degree of intensity?

Jesus didn’t say “Blessed are those who kinda imagine that righteousness might be a good idea,” or “Blessed are those who approve of righteousness when they aren’t busy with something else and happen to think about the subject.”