Today’s reading:
My Selection:
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:2-5
Irony according to my Google search is “a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.”
The Bible is full of ironies. In the Scriptures we find statements like “So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16). That is biblical irony. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are poor in spirit. Other blessings like comfort, inheriting the earth, satisfaction, mercy, and being called God’s sons all go to those who seek them according to the ways Jesus lays out.
Our Ultimate Goal
It is not that our desires are completely wrong but that our means to achieve them so often are. Think about your goals and how you are seeking to reach them. Biblical irony will enlighten you to God’s ways of achieving His goals. If you seek His goals by His means, you will be using God’s wisdom to bring glory to Him. His glory, after all, is our ultimate goal.
For more reflections on today’s reading, see the corresponding reading in my book Cover to Cover: Through the Bible in 365 days.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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