When I began preparing today’s talk, there was a sudden moment when I felt very small

The spiritual wisdom of Jesus rivals every other enlightened text
- even gurus, like Gandhi, who rejected Christianity have admired the Sermon
• reading the words of Jesus, and trying to explain them to you,
◦ leaves me feeling inadequate and foolish
◦ like a four-year old who is told, “Explain quantum physics
- what I know about these two Beatitudes, I learned on the job,
• not from other Bible teachers or commentaries,
◦ but in my own ministry of applying the words of God to the lived experience of people on this journey
• what we’ll go over today may be challenging, but it will be practical and liveable,
◦ and what I believe Jesus wants us to learn