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The Beatitudes--what were they?
The sermon starts with what have long been known as "the beatitudes" from Matthew 5. In the Urantia Paper these beatitudes are collected into two groups of four, with explanations for each one being appended.
Obviously the revelators had difficulties with translating the exact meaning of the original sermon--one which would have been delivered to a group of puzzled fisherfolk in the vernacular of the Aramaic tongue of Galilee.
Various biblical translations provide an example of the problem in that translators tend to commence each of the beatitudes exclusively with either the word "happy," or else with "blessed." A check provided in excess of 25 words of similar meaning that could have been used--and given quite different meanings to the actual text. Here the meaning of the original Aramaic is taken to be that provided by the revelators' explanations.
With their first group of four beatitudes, the revelators inform us that Jesus was calling attention to special faith attitudes that his potential followers would need to develop in order to bring to fruition Jesus' real intention for the second group of four--a "fatherly" rather than a "brotherly" approach to loving our neighbor.
The "faith" group of beatitudes is meant to engender in us humans the kind of divine selflessness that will allow us to exercise a "fatherly" love far transcending normal human love. Included is an attitude of spirit that is neither pompous nor egotistical. Rather, it is one of dignified humility but lacking any semblance to either self-assertiveness or servile obeisance.
Only those possessing such humility are likely to "hunger after the righteousness" that generates the quality of humility allowing the revelation of true spiritual strength and spiritual power.
The attitude termed "meekness" is seen as one of mankind cooperating with God in a way that develops patience and forbearance, amplified by a motivating force of unshakeable faith in a lawful and friendly universe.
The last of the "faith" group of the beatitudes is one of being "pure in heart." It is described as lacking in suspicion and revenge, a love that does not pamper, an attitude that is always anti-cynical, having singleness of purpose in always looking for the best in our fellows, and possessing the kind of faith that a true parent has in a child.
This first group is meant to help us to "see God by faith," to acquire the spiritual insight that enhances Adjuster guidance, to augment God-consciousness, and to confirm our faith that we are beloved children of God. With all this well developed, human beings of both sexes are enabled to love their neighbor with the "fatherly" aspect of love that is much more concerned with the ultimate spiritual progress of our fellows than with their quota of material comfort in this world.
The Papers inform us that when we depart for the mansion worlds, our soul is what survives from mortal life. But the worldly experiences that contributed to the building of that soul consist only in those experiences that were adjudged by our Thought Adjuster to have spiritual meaning and value. (1235) Which is why "fatherly love" must be more concerned with helping to build the soul of our neighbor rather than with satisfying mere material needs.
The four components of the "fatherly love" group of beatitudes are the emotional attitudes of tender-heartedness, mercy, peace-loving, and attitudes to hardship. Tender-heartedness relates to being sensitive and responsive to human need, particularly those real needs of the soul and safeguarding it from the destructiveness of anger, hate, and suspicion.
Mercy is an unselfish attitude of loving kindness that is concerned with the spiritual progress of its recipient.
Conflict is the opposite of peace. It is primarily generated by greed for power and material wealth. Secondarily, conflict arises from fear--the fear of losing what we already possess.
Peace of the individual is generated by faith, the kind of personal faith and complete trust in the overcare of God that led Jesus to assert his absolute belief that no real harm could befall him--despite all appearances to the contrary and anything his enemies might do.
We could only have the degree of faith and trust that Jesus displayed if we can view our present life from the context of an eternal future career. But this way of perceiving ourselves as peacemakers concerns only our persons. When faced with the situation of harm being inflicted upon the defenseless, Jesus was not a starry eyed-pacifist. The courage to defend the defenseless is not lacking in the peacemaker.
The last of the four beatitudes relates to our attitude to persecution "for righteousness' sake," for which the supreme demonstration is Jesus' bearing of the cross.
The beatitudes and the ordination discussion point the way for preparing ourselves as would-be disciples of Jesus having the eventual role of becoming living examples of what
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