What Might Have Happened
Then Jesus took his disciples up on the mountain and gathered them around him. And he taught them, saying,
"Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Blessed are the meek.
Blessed are the merciful.
Blessed are you who thirst for justice.
Blessed are you who are persecuted.
Blessed are you who suffer.
When these things begin to happen, rejoice, for your reward will be great in Heaven."
And Simon Peter said, "Do we have to write this down?"
And Phillip said, "Will this be on the test?"
And John said, "Would you repeat that?"
And Andrew said, "John the Baptist's disciples don't have to learn this stuff."
And Matthew said, "Huh?"
And Judas said, "What's this got to do with real life?"
Then one of the Pharisees, an expert in the law, said, "I don't see any of this in your syllabus. Do you have a lesson plan? Is there a summary? Where's the student guide? Will there be a follow-up assignment?"
Thomas, who had missed the sermon, came to Jesus privately and said, "Did we do anything important today?"
... And Jesus wept.
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Now notice all the personal questions here. "Who has bewitched you?" "Bewitched" is another wonderful word. Tricked you, fascinated you, hypnotized you and turned you away from the truth by their clever words. You know you can talk to some people and they can prove to you that two plus two equals five. Have you met those kinds of people? They’re the sort of people who you ask what is the time and they tell you how a chronometer works! These Galatians had been tricked out of the great truth of liberty in Christ into legalism.
