Matthew 5:1-12 for Sunday, February 3, 2020

Todd SpencerJanuary 28, 2020Lectio Divina

Artwork: Flight of Knowledge by Mary DeLave
(marydelave.com)

Music: Be Still and Know by Trinity Music*
(https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/trinitymusic6)

*used with permission

Published by Todd Spencer

I am a spiritual director, a minister of spiritual formation, a husband and father. I live in the beautiful town of Colorado Springs, Colorado. View more posts

4 thoughts on “Matthew 5:1-12 for Sunday, February 3, 2020”

Rev. Raymond Medeiros says:

February 1, 2020 at 8:24 am

Todd, just wanted to say again how much our Lectio Divina/Centering Prayer group appreciates this ministry that you have faithfully maintained. In the coming weeks, I and several members of the group will be on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I am entrusted with leading worship at certain places along the journey, including the “Palm Sunday Road.” With your permission, I would like to use an archived lectio from a past Palm Sunday for our group worship as we approach Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives. I am looking forward with great anticipation practicing lectio in the actual location of which the scripture speaks. Blessings, Ray

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1. Todd Spencer says:
  
  February 1, 2020 at 2:46 pm
  
  Wow. What an honor to be asked for this. Yes! Of course! Please do. And may all of your group’s pilgrimage be rich with felt nearness of God.
  Warmly in Christ,
  Todd
  
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jonwillms says:

February 2, 2020 at 10:15 am

Hey Todd
I am not going to take you through to victory

Beatitudes.

He climbed the mountain to get away from the crowd. He resists the work of submission and then he relented. They stopped at a quiet place and he reflected.
This thing I am speaking of is not quid pro quo, it is not currency, it is not victory. It is freedom and it is submission but it is no victory. When you realize what I’m talking about you will reject it. We all do. We all will. But if we surrender you will pass through. This is not victory this is surrender. Surrender is timeless, victory is a moment. Victory is always a battle. Surrender is not. I think sometimes I have mistaken victory with surrender. In surrender there is no victory in humility there is no victory. We still try to encourage each other to surrender in order for things to change, circumstances, lives whatever. But I think J is saying, no there is no victory on this road. Victory requires a foe and I have no foe but my pride, my ego, my ambitions, my fear tell me there is an enemy. Even in surrendering my heart wants to believe that I win. I think J was explaining how things really are and not how we should be. You are blessed when you are poor in spirit, wait what? So I should become poor in spirit in order to be blessed? No I don’t think so, our whole being resists surrender but if in fact we are like the lilies, then surrender is part of us as it is with the flowers and seasons.
The climbing definitely spoke to me today and not in the usual metaphorical sense. The thing with climbing is if you keep climbing you will eventually run out of mountain.

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1. Todd Spencer says:
  
  February 2, 2020 at 2:26 pm
  
  Thank you for sharing your interplay with our text, Jon. God’s peace with you!
  
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