📖 Injili ya Mathayo — Somo la Kina — Sehemu ya 3: Mahubiri ya Mlimani I — Tabia ya Ufalme📖 Matthew Intensive — Unit 3: The Sermon on the Mount I — The Character of the Kingdom

Somo: Mathayo 5:1-12Text: Matthew 5:1-12

Mfalme Anapanda MlimaniThe King Goes Up the Mountain

Makutano walipokusanyika, Yesu alipanda mlimani, akaketi kama mwalimu aketivyo, akafumbua kinywa chake akafundisha. Mathayo anataka tukumbuke mlima mwingine. Musa alipanda Sinai akashuka na torati iliyoifanya Israeli kuwa taifa; sasa aliye mkuu kuliko Musa anapanda na kutoa sheria ya ufalme wa mbinguni. Kwa maana fulani, Mahubiri ya Mlimani ni katiba ya ufalme huo — na yanaanza si kwa kanuni bali kwa picha. Heri zinaeleza tabia ya watu walio wa ufalme wa Mungu. Na jambo la kwanza la kuangalia ni jinsi tabia hiyo inavyoonekana ya ajabu. Kila baraka ni kitendawili, kinyume kabisa cha kile ambacho ulimwengu huita heri. Ulimwengu huwabariki wenye kiburi, walioshiba, wenye nguvu, washindi. Yesu huwabariki maskini, wenye huzuni, wapole, wenye njaa. Ili kuingia katika ufalme wake, ufahamu wetu wote wa maana ya "heri" lazima upinduliwe juu chini.When the crowds gathered, Jesus went up on a mountain, sat down as a teacher sits, and opened His mouth to teach. Matthew means for us to remember another mountain. Moses went up Sinai and came down with the law that made Israel a nation; now a greater than Moses goes up and gives the law of the kingdom of heaven. The Sermon on the Mount is, in a sense, the constitution of that kingdom — and it opens not with rules but with a portrait. The Beatitudes describe the character of the people who belong to God's kingdom. And the first thing to notice is how strange that character looks. Every blessing is paradoxical, the very reverse of what the world calls blessed. The world blesses the proud, the full, the powerful, the winners. Jesus blesses the poor, the mourning, the meek, the hungry. To enter His kingdom we must have our whole sense of "blessed" turned upside down.

Heri Walio Maskini wa Roho (5:3)Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit (5:3)

Nilipokuwa Mkristo kijana nilidhani kwamba vipaji vyangu vya asili na elimu yangu ndivyo hasa kazi ya Bwana ilivyohitaji, nami nikavitegemea sana. Wazia jinsi nilivyochanganyikiwa wakati vile nilivyovitegemea vilipoendelea kuporomoka chini yangu. Nilikuwa nikishindwa na kuhangaika, nikiona kidogo sana baraka ya Mungu. Kisha Roho Mtakatifu alinifumbua macho, nikaona kwamba kwa kipimo cha milele kulikuwa na ufukara katika maisha yangu — umaskini halisi wa kiroho ambao sikuwahi kuukiri. Wakati huo maisha yangu yaligeuka, nikaanza kumtafuta Bwana Mwenyewe, uwepo wake na nguvu zake na riziki yake. Kuwa maskini wa roho ni kuhisi ufukara huo mzito wa kiroho, kutambua kwamba wewe si kitu mbele za Mungu. Ni kinyume cha kiburi cha Farisayo, aliyemshukuru Mungu kwamba yeye si kama watu wengine. Lazima kuwe na utupu kabla ya kuwepo ujazo; umaskini wa roho huja kwanza, kisha utajiri wa neema. Na watu kama hao ufalme wa mbinguni ni wao, kwa sababu ni mikono mitupu tu inayonyooshwa ili ijazwe.As a young Christian I thought my natural talents and my education were just what the Lord's work needed, and I leaned hard on them. Imagine my bewilderment when what I leaned on kept giving way under me. I was failing and floundering and seeing little of the blessing of God. Then the Holy Spirit opened my eyes, and I saw that on an eternal scale there was a destitution about my life — a real spiritual poverty I had never admitted. In that moment my life turned around, and I began to seek the Lord Himself, His presence and His power and His provision. To be poor in spirit is to feel that deep spiritual destitution, to comprehend your nothingness before God. It is the opposite of the pride of the Pharisee, who thanked God he was not like other men. There must be emptiness before there can be fullness; poverty of spirit comes first, and then the riches of grace. And to such people belongs the kingdom of heaven, because only the empty hands reach out to be filled.

Heri Wenye Huzuni (5:4)Blessed Are Those Who Mourn (5:4)

"Heri wenye huzuni," alisema Bwana wetu. Hasemi juu ya mtu mwenye mtazamo hasi anayetafuta mabaya kila wakati, wala mtu mbinafsi ambaye matamanio yake yamezuiliwa, wala mtu mwenye uchungu na uasi kwa sababu ya hasara fulani. Heri ya kwanza ilisema juu ya "maskini wa roho" waliotambua kwamba wanamkosa Mungu. Ya pili, wenye huzuni, ni wale wanaohuzunika juu ya hali yao ya kimaadili na ya kiroho."Blessed are those who mourn," said our Lord. He is not talking about the pessimist who constantly looks for the bad, nor the selfish person whose ambitions have been frustrated, nor the person who is bitter and rebellious over some loss. The first Beatitude spoke of the "poor in spirit" who were conscious of their lack of God. The second, the mourners, are those who are grieved over their moral and spiritual condition.

Padre Damien, aliyekuwa mmisionari kwa wenye ukoma huko Molokai kwa miaka kumi na sita, hakuweza kujihusisha kikamilifu na ugonjwa ule wa kutisha. Asubuhi moja kwa bahati mbaya alimwaga maji ya moto mguuni pake, wala hakuhisi maumivu. Ndipo alipojua kwamba amehukumiwa. Alijua kwamba mauti yangekuja mwilini mwake na kidogo kidogo kuumiliki. Lakini sasa aliweza kujihusisha na watu wake. Na kutoka katika huzuni ile ilikuja baraka.Father Damien, who for sixteen years was a missionary to the lepers on Molokai, was not able to fully identify with the dread disease. One morning he accidentally spilled hot water on his foot and felt no pain. Then he knew he was doomed. He knew that death would come to his body and little by little take possession of him. But now he could identify with his people. And from the mourning there was a blessing.

Kuna sababu nyingi zinazowafanya watu kuhuzunika, na ingawa huenda mstari huu hauwahusu wote moja kwa moja, naamini kwamba Yesu anaweza kusaidia katika kila mojawapo.There are many reasons that people mourn, and although this verse probably does not apply directly to all of them, I believe that Jesus can help with each one.

1. Tunahuzunika kwa sababu ya taabu.1. We mourn because of trouble.

Kwa kiasi fulani, angalau, tunaweza kuichukua Heri hii kama ilivyo kwa maana yake ya wazi. Kuna thamani fulani katika huzuni ambayo hakuna kitu kingine kinachoweza kuchukua nafasi yake. Mpaka mateso fulani yaingie katika maisha, daima kutakuwa na kitu kinachokosekana. Methali ya zamani ya Kiarabu inasema, "Jua kila siku huzaa jangwa." Inasimuliwa kwamba Elgar, mwanamuziki mkuu, alikuwa akimsikiliza msichana mdogo akiimba. Alikuwa na sauti nzuri na ustadi karibu usio na kasoro, lakini alikosa ukuu kidogo tu. "Atakuwa mkuu," Elgar alisema, "jambo fulani litakapotokea likauvunja moyo wake." Kuna mambo ambayo ni huzuni peke yake inayoweza kufundisha.To some extent, at least, we can take this Beatitude literally. There is some value in sorrow that nothing else can take the place of. Until some suffering enters a life there will always be something missing. An old Arab proverb says, "All sunshine makes a desert." It is told that Elgar, the great musician, was listening to a young girl singing. She had a beautiful voice and a nearly faultless technique, but she just missed greatness. "She will be great," said Elgar, "when something happens to break her heart." There are things which only sorrow can teach.

Nilitembea maili moja na Furaha;
Alipiga domo njia nzima,
Lakini hakuniachia hekima yoyote
Kwa yote aliyosema.
Nilitembea maili moja na Huzuni,
Wala hakusema neno lolote;
Lakini, lo, mambo niliyojifunza kwake
Huzuni ilipotembea nami.I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chattered all the way,
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne'er a word said she;
But, oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me.

Inaweza kusemwa kwa haki kwamba huzuni ni shule ya uvumbuzi mkuu wa maisha. Ni katika huzuni tunagundua mambo yenye maana kweli na yasiyo na maana. Ni katika huzuni tunagundua maana ya urafiki na upendo. Ni katika huzuni tunajifunza kama imani ni sehemu ya lazima ya maisha yetu au ni pambo tu. Ni katika huzuni tunamgundua Mungu. "Unapofika chini kabisa," alisema Minnie Talbot, "unamkuta Mungu." Na Mungu hupatikana katika machozi ya Mkristo. Tunapofiwa na mzazi au mtoto, tunalia. Lakini kuna watu wengine ambao wameyafungia tu majonzi yao ndani wala hawayatoi nje. Lakini kulia ndiyo njia ya asili ya kuitoa huzuni. Yesu, mwanadamu pekee wa kweli kabisa, alikuwa mtu wa machozi. Alimlilia Lazaro, aliwalilia watu wake, alilia katika maumivu.It might well be said that sorrow is the school of the great discoveries of life. It is in sorrow that we discover the things that really matter and the things that do not. It is in sorrow that we discover the meaning of friendship and love. It is in sorrow that we learn if faith is an essential part of our lives or merely an ornament. It is in sorrow that we discover God. "When you come to the bottom," said Minnie Talbot, "you find God." And God is to be found in the tears of the Christian. When we lose a parent or child, we cry. But there are some people that have only bottled up their grief and don't let it out. But weeping is the natural outlet for sorrow. Jesus, the only genuine man, was a man of tears. He wept for Lazarus, he wept for his people, he wept in pain.

2. Tunahuzunika kwa ajili ya dhambi na huzuni na mateso ya ulimwengu.2. We mourn for the sin and sorrow and suffering of the world.

Watu wengine wanapoteseka ni jambo la kawaida kwetu kuwahurumia. Yesu hataki tuwakatae watu wake kama alivyowaona wakimkataa yeye au kama walivyowakataa manabii.When other people are suffering it is natural for us to sympathize with them. Jesus doesn't want us to reject his people as he saw them rejecting him or as they had rejected the prophets.

Kwa mtazamo wa Kikristo ni sahihi daima kutofungamana na vitu, lakini kamwe si sahihi kutofungamana na watu. Lilikuwa fundisho la Yesu katika mfano wa kondoo na mbuzi kwamba mtazamo wetu kwake huonekana katika mtazamo wetu kwa watu wengine. Tusipohuzunika juu ya wenye njaa, wenye kiu, wageni na wagonjwa, hatushiriki huruma ya Kristo.It is always right from the Christian standpoint to be detached from things, but it is never right to be detached from people. It was Jesus' teaching in the parable of the sheep and goats that our attitude to him is seen in our attitude to other people. When we do not mourn over the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers and the sick, we are not sharing the compassion of Christ.

Katika mfano huo Yesu anasema, "Amin, nawaambia, Kadiri mlivyomtendea mmojawapo wa hawa ndugu zangu walio wadogo, mlinitendea mimi" (Mathayo 25:40). Daima kuna watu ulimwenguni wasiowapenda watu wa kawaida na wasio na huruma kwao. Mwandishi mmoja Mfaransa anasema, "Umati! Jinsi ninavyouchukia! Nachukia upumbavu wake duni. Nachukia sauti yake na sura ya uso wake. Ni mbaya; ni mchafu mno." George Bernard Shaw aliwahi kusema, "Nisingekuwa na hisia yoyote kwa tabaka la wafanyakazi isipokuwa tamaa ya kuwafuta na kuwaweka watu wenye akili mahali pao." Carlyle, akifikiria ukosefu wa hekima ya kisiasa wa nchi yake, aliwahi kusema, "Kuna watu milioni ishirini na saba na nusu katika nchi hii — wengi wao wapumbavu." Huo ni kinyume kabisa cha Kristo aliyesukumwa na huruma, aliyelia na kufa hata kwa ajili ya mwenye dhambi mbaya kuliko wote.In the parable Jesus says, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:40). There are always people in the world who do not like ordinary people and who have no compassion for them. One French writer says, "The mob! How I loathe it! I hate its mean stupidity. I hate the sound of its voice and the look of its face. It is ugly; it is so vile." George Bernard Shaw once said, "I would have no feeling for the working class except a desire to abolish them and to replace them with sensible people." Carlyle, thinking of the political unwisdom of the country, once said, "There are twenty-seven and a half million people in this country — mostly fools." This is the precise opposite of Christ who was moved with compassion, who wept and died even for the vilest sinner.

Lord Shaftesbury alifanya mengi kwa ajili ya wafanyakazi wa kawaida, wanaume kwa wanawake. Kazi yake kama mwanamageuzi wa kijamii ilianza kwa urahisi sana. Alipokuwa mvulana, siku moja alikuwa akitembea barabarani akakutana na mazishi ya maskini. Jeneza lilikuwa sanduku duni. Lilikuwa juu ya toroli likisukumwa na wanaume wanne waliolewa, nao walipokuwa wakitembea walikuwa wakifanya mzaha na kuimba nyimbo za matusi. Walipokuwa wakilisukuma jeneza kupanda kilima, lilianguka kutoka kwenye toroli likapasuka wazi. Watu wengine wangeliona hilo kuwa la kuchekesha; wengine wangegeuka kwa kuchukizwa; wengine wangeinua mabega tu na kuondoka. Mvulana yule aliliona akasema, "Nikikua nitayatoa maisha yangu kuhakikisha kwamba mambo kama hayo hayatokei." Hivyo aliyaweka wakfu maisha yake kuwahudumia wengine.Lord Shaftesbury did much for ordinary working men and women. His work as a social reformer began very simply. When he was a boy, he was going along the street one day and met a pauper's funeral. The coffin was a shoddy box. It was on a wheelbarrow being pushed by four drunken men, and as they walked they were joking and singing ribald songs. As they pushed the coffin up a hill, it fell off the barrow and burst open. Some people would have thought that funny; some would have turned away in disgust; some would have shrugged their shoulders and turned away. The young boy saw it and said, "When I grow up I'm going to give my life to see that things like that don't happen." So he dedicated his life to caring for others.

Huenda mawazo haya yote yamo katika Heri hii, lakini msisitizo wake mkuu bila shaka ni huzuni ya kiroho. Tunahuzunika kwa sababu ya dhambi na kwa sababu ya yale ambayo dhambi hufanya.Possibly all these thoughts are in the Beatitude, but the main thrust is surely spiritual sorrow. We mourn because of sin and because of what sin does.

3. Tunahuzunika kwa sababu ya dhambi yetu wenyewe.3. We mourn because of our own sin.

Huku ni kusadikishwa kwa kutisha. Mtu wa Mungu anayejiona kweli jinsi alivyo hataridhika na wema wake mwenyewe. Paulo, mtume mkuu, aliweza kusema, "Ole wangu, maskini mimi! Ni nani atakayeniokoa na mwili wa mauti hii?" (Warumi 7:24). Aliweza kusema, "Kwa maana sijui ninalolitenda; kwa sababu lile nilipendalo, silitendi; bali lile nilichukialo, ndilo nilitendalo" (Warumi 7:15). Tunaweza kumwazia Paulo akilia kwa uchungu mkuu. Na bado Mungu hutuhurumia tunapomgeukia kwa machozi, naye hutusamehe tena na tena.This is a terrible conviction. A man of God who truly sees himself will not be satisfied with his own goodness. Paul, the great apostle, could say, "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24). He could say, "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do" (Romans 7:15). We can picture Paul crying out in agony. And yet God takes pity on us as we turn to him in tears and forgives us over and over again.

Katika makanisa mengi ya zamani kulikuwa na benchi ya wenye huzuni (benchi ya toba). Ilikuwa mahali ambapo wenye dhambi walikuja kutafuta msamaha. Leo, mara nyingi tunaliweka jambo hilo katika kliniki ya saikolojia. Ushauri nasaha bila shaka unaweza kuwa na thamani, lakini kuna huzuni fulani ambazo ni maombi na machozi peke yake vinavyoweza kuziponya.In many old churches they had the mourners' bench. It was a place where sinners came to seek forgiveness. Today, we often put it in a psychological clinic. Counseling can certainly be valuable, but there are some mournings that only prayer and tears can cure.

Kuna kanuni ya toba ya kweli na ya kuongoka. Kwanza kuna kutambua dhambi. Tunatambua kwamba dhambi si kuvunja kanuni tu; ni kosa dhidi ya Mungu. Pili, kuna huzuni kwa ajili ya dhambi. Hii si hofu ya adhabu tu. Tatu, kuna kuungama. Nne, kuna nia thabiti ya kubadilika. Tano, kuna imani katika msamaha wa Mungu.There is a formula for real repentance and conversion. First there is consciousness of sin. We realize that sin is not simply a violation of a rule; it is an offense against God. Second, there is sorrow for sin. This is not simply fear of punishment. Third, there is confession. Fourth, there is the determination to change. Fifth, there is faith in the forgiveness of God.

Mtu anaweza kuwa na majuto bila toba. Yuda alijuta, lakini hakumrudia Kristo kwa imani. Petro naye alijawa na huzuni baada ya kumkana Yesu, lakini alimrudia Bwana akarejeshwa. Tofauti si machozi tu. Tofauti ni kile ambacho huzuni inatufanyia.A person may have remorse without repentance. Judas was sorry, but he did not return to Christ in faith. Peter also was filled with sorrow after denying Jesus, but he returned to the Lord and was restored. The difference is not simply tears. The difference is what sorrow does with us.

Mkristo anaweza kuhuzunika na bado akawa heri kwa sababu huzuni inaweza kutuongoza kwa Mungu. Inaweza kuondoa kiburi na kujitosheleza. Inaweza kutufundisha huruma. Inaweza kutufumbua macho tuone mahitaji ya wengine. Zaidi ya yote inaweza kutuleta kwenye toba.The Christian can mourn and yet be blessed because sorrow can lead us to God. It can strip away pride and self-sufficiency. It can teach compassion. It can open our eyes to the needs of others. Most of all it can bring us to repentance.

"Heri wenye huzuni; maana hao watafarijika." Faraja si mara zote kuondolewa kwa chanzo cha huzuni. Wakati mwingine Mungu hubadilisha mazingira; wakati mwingine hutubadilisha sisi ndani ya mazingira hayo. Faraja iliyo kuu kuliko zote ni kwamba Mungu yuko pamoja nasi, anatusamehe, anaturejesha, na hatimaye atafuta kila chozi."Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." The comfort is not always the removal of the cause of sorrow. Sometimes God changes the circumstances; sometimes he changes us in the circumstances. The deepest comfort is that God is present with us, forgives us, restores us and will finally wipe away every tear.

Heri Wenye Upole (5:5)Blessed Are the Meek (5:5)

Kuna kikundi kilichoanzishwa na J. Upton Dickson kinachoitwa DOORMATS (yaani "mikeka ya mlangoni") — "Dependent Organization Of Really Meek And Timid Souls," yaani "Chama Tegemezi cha Nafsi Pole Kweli na Waoga." Kauli mbiu yao ilikuwa, "Wapole watairithi nchi — kama hilo halina shida kwa mtu yeyote." Hivyo ndivyo hasa upole wa kibiblia usivyo. Upole si udhaifu; si kuwa goigoi wala mkeka wa mlangoni. Mfikirie Musa akimkabili Farao, au Yesu akitengeneza mjeledi wa kamba na kuwafukuza wabadili fedha hekaluni. Wote wawili wanaitwa wapole, lakini haya si matendo ya watu dhaifu. Churchill alipowahi kumkemea mtumishi wake, mtu yule alimjibu, na baadaye Churchill akakiri, "Ulinijibu kwa ujeuri." Mtumishi akasema, "Ndiyo, lakini wewe pia ulikuwa mjeuri," naye Churchill akajibu, "Ndiyo, lakini mimi ni mtu mkuu." Alikuwa kipofu kwa makosa yake mwenyewe, na upofu huo hatimaye ulimgharimu imani ya watu wake. Linganisha naye na daktari mpasuaji mkuu aliyesimama peke yake kwa muda mfupi kabla ya kila upasuaji; alipoulizwa kwa nini, alisema kwamba kabla ya kila upasuaji aliomba msaada wa Mungu. Upole ni nguvu iliyo chini ya udhibiti — nguvu kubwa iliyofungwa na kuwekwa miguuni pa Mungu — na kwa watu kama hao Bwana anaahidi kwamba watairithi nchi.There is a group founded by J. Upton Dickson called DOORMATS — "Dependent Organization Of Really Meek And Timid Souls." Their motto was, "The meek shall inherit the earth — if that's okay with everybody." That is exactly what biblical meekness is not. Meekness is not weakness; it is not being a wimp or a doormat. Think of Moses confronting Pharaoh, or of Jesus making a scourge of cords and driving the moneychangers from the temple. Both men are called meek, yet these are not the actions of weak men. When Churchill once berated his valet, the man answered him back, and afterward Churchill admitted, "You were very rude to me." The valet said, "Yes, but you were rude too," to which Churchill replied, "Yes, but I am a great man." He was blind to his own faults, and that blindness eventually cost him the trust of his people. Contrast him with the great surgeon who paused alone before every operation; asked why, he said that before each surgery he asked the help of God. Meekness is strength under control — great power harnessed and laid at God's feet — and to such the Lord promises they shall inherit the earth.

Heri Wenye Njaa na Kiu ya Haki (5:6)Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness (5:6)

Katika kiangazi cha Antaktika mwaka 1908, Bwana Ernest Shackleton na wenzake watatu walianza safari kuelekea Ncha ya Kusini. Farasi wao wadogo walikufa, chakula chao kiliisha, nao walilazimika kurudi, wakitembea kwa siku mia moja ishirini na saba. Kama Shackleton alivyoandika, katika safari ya kurudi, wakipepesuka na kufa njaa, walitumia kila saa ya kuwa macho wakizungumza juu ya chakula — karamu, orodha za vyakula, milo ya fahari waliyoweza kuiwazia tu. Tamaa hiyo inayoteketeza ndiyo picha ambayo Yesu anatupa ya nafsi yenye njaa na kiu ya haki. Tatizo letu ni kwamba tunaridhika upesi mno; njaa ya kidunia huzaa tu njaa zaidi, kama yule kijana tajiri mwenye cheo alivyogundua utajiri wake ulipomwacha mtupu. Lakini haki hapa si jambo jepesi — ni kusimama sawasawa mbele za Mungu katika kuhesabiwa haki, na kuishi sawasawa kwa wanyonge katika huruma na utii. Na ahadi ni tamu kuliko zote: wenye njaa na kiu ya haki watashibishwa. Mungu kamwe hainyimi chakula hamu ambayo Yeye Mwenyewe ameitoa.In the Antarctic summer of 1908, Sir Ernest Shackleton and three companions set out for the South Pole. Their ponies died, their rations gave out, and they were forced to turn back, trekking one hundred and twenty-seven days. As Shackleton recorded, on the return journey, staggering and starving, they spent every waking hour talking of food — feasts, menus, sumptuous meals they could only imagine. That consuming craving is the picture Jesus gives us of the soul that hungers and thirsts for righteousness. The trouble with us is that we are too easily satisfied; earthly hunger only leads to more hunger, as the rich young ruler found when his wealth left him empty. But righteousness here is no thin thing — it is right standing with God in justification, and right living toward the helpless in compassion and obedience. And the promise is the sweetest of all: those who hunger and thirst for it shall be filled. God never starves an appetite He Himself has given.

Heri Wenye Rehema (5:7)Blessed Are the Merciful (5:7)

Mama mmoja aliwahi kumwendea Napoleon akiomba uhai wa mwanawe, aliyekuwa ametenda mara mbili kosa ambalo haki ilidai kifo kwa ajili yake. "Siombi haki," alisema. "Naomba rehema." "Lakini mwanao hastahili rehema," mfalme yule alijibu. "Bwana," alilia, "isingekuwa rehema kama angestahili, na rehema ndiyo yote ninayoomba." "Basi," alisema Napoleon, "nitamrehemu" — naye akamwachilia mwanawe. Huo ndio kiini chake. Rehema maana yake ni kujizuia kuwadhuru au kuwaadhibu wale walio katika mamlaka yetu na wanaostahili adhabu. Niliwahi kuona jambo hili likijaribiwa katika familia yangu mwenyewe: msusi mmoja asiye makini alipomkata kidogo sikio mwanangu mdogo, dada yake mkubwa alikasirika sana akataka kulipiza kisasi, nami ilinibidi nimfundishe, kwa upole, tofauti kati ya kudai haki na kuonyesha rehema. Wenye rehema ni wale ambao, wakiisha kupokea bahari ya rehema kutoka kwa Mungu, hujifunza kuwapa wengine rehema hiyo — na ahadi ni kwamba wao wenyewe watapata rehema.A mother once came to Napoleon pleading for the life of her son, who had twice committed an offense for which justice demanded death. "I don't ask for justice," she said. "I plead for mercy." "But your son does not deserve mercy," the emperor answered. "Sir," she cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask." "Well, then," said Napoleon, "I will have mercy" — and he spared her son. That is the heart of it. Mercy means refraining from harming or punishing those who are in our power and who deserve punishment. I once watched it tested in my own family: when a careless stylist nicked my young son's ear, his older sister was incensed and wanted retribution, and I had to teach her, gently, the difference between demanding justice and showing mercy. The merciful are those who, having received an ocean of mercy from God, learn to extend it to others — and the promise is that they themselves shall obtain mercy.

Heri Wenye Moyo Safi (5:8)Blessed Are the Pure in Heart (5:8)

Msichana mdogo alitaka kusaidia kazi za usafi, kwa hiyo mama yake akampa kazi ya kusafisha dirisha. Baada ya muda mama alimkuta akilia juu ya doa moja chafu sugu ambalo halikutoka hata alisugua kwa nguvu kiasi gani. Mama aliangalia kwa karibu — na doa lilikuwa upande wa pili wa kioo. Hakuna kiasi cha kusugua upande wa nje ambacho kingeweza kulifikia kamwe. Huo ni mfano wa jinsi watu wengi wanavyoishi, wakijitahidi sana kuyafanya maisha yao yaonekane safi na mazuri kwa elimu, mitindo ya mavazi, na vipodozi, ilhali mahali halisi pa kuanzia ni ndani ya moyo. Yesu aliwakemea vikali Mafarisayo kwa kusafisha nje ya kikombe huku ndani kukibaki kuchafu. Kuwa na moyo safi ni kuwa na maisha ya ndani yaliyotakaswa na yasiyogawanyika, ujitoaji wa nia moja kwa Mungu badala ya uso uliong'arishwa unaoficha nafsi iliyochafuka. Na kwa wenye moyo safi imetolewa ahadi kuu kuliko zote katika Heri — watamwona Mungu.A little girl wanted to help with the cleaning, so her mother set her to washing a window. After a while the mother found her in tears over one stubborn dirty spot that would not come off no matter how hard she scrubbed. The mother looked closer — and the spot was on the other side of the glass. No amount of rubbing on the outside could ever reach it. That is a parable of how many people live, working hard to make their lives appear clean and beautiful through education, fashion, and the cosmetic counter, when the real place to begin is within the heart. Jesus came down hard on the Pharisees for scrubbing the outside of the cup while the inside stayed filthy. To be pure in heart is to have an inner life cleansed and undivided, a single-minded devotion to God rather than a polished surface hiding a soiled soul. And to the pure in heart is given the greatest promise of all the Beatitudes — they shall see God.

Heri Wapatanishi (5:9)Blessed Are the Peacemakers (5:9)

Mwaka 1899 Argentina na Chile zilikuwa tayari kuingia vitani, mpaka maaskofu wa pande zote mbili walipoomba amani na ugomvi ule ukapelekwa kwa usuluhishi na kumalizwa. Kisha bunduki za mataifa yote mawili ziliyeyushwa na kufinyangwa kuwa sanamu kubwa, Kristo wa Andes, ambayo imesimama hadi leo juu ya mpaka wa milimani kama ushuhuda wa maneno ya Yesu, "Heri wapatanishi." Lakini angalia kwamba sanamu hiyo ni maarufu hasa kwa sababu ni jambo lisilo la kawaida; ni nadra majeshi kuyeyusha bunduki zao. Kupatanisha ni kazi ngumu yenye gharama, na Yesu ni mwangalifu juu ya kile anachomaanisha. Mpatanishi si tu mpenda amani kama Neville Chamberlain, aliyetaka amani kwa hamu kubwa kiasi kwamba alinunua tu vita mbaya zaidi. Wala mpatanishi si yule anayedumisha amani kwa gharama yoyote; Yesu Mwenyewe alisema hakuja kuleta amani bali upanga, na Paulo anasema, "kwa upande wenu, kaeni kwa amani na watu wote." Amani ni ya kutenda. Mpatanishi huingilia kati, hujitwika gharama, na hufanya amani pale ambapo haikuwepo — na kwa kuwa hivyo ndivyo hasa Mungu alivyotutendea katika Kristo, wapatanishi wataitwa wana wa Mungu.In 1899 Argentina and Chile stood poised for war, until bishops on both sides appealed for peace and the quarrel was submitted to arbitration and settled. The guns of both nations were then melted down and cast into a great statue, the Christ of the Andes, which stands today on the mountain border as a witness to Jesus' words, "Blessed are the peacemakers." But notice that statue is famous precisely because it is the exception; armies rarely melt their guns. Peacemaking is hard, costly work, and Jesus is careful about what He means. The peacemaker is not merely a peace-lover like Neville Chamberlain, who wanted peace so badly he purchased only a worse war. Nor is the peacemaker one who keeps peace at any price; Jesus Himself said He came to bring not peace but a sword, and Paul says, "as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all." Peace is active. The peacemaker steps in, takes the cost on himself, and makes peace where there was none — and because that is exactly what God did for us in Christ, the peacemakers shall be called the sons of God.

Heri Wenye Kuudhiwa (5:10-12)Blessed Are the Persecuted (5:10-12)

Polikarpo, askofu mzee wa Smirna, aliletwa uwanjani akaambiwa kwamba angeweza kuachiliwa huru kama tu angemlaani Kristo. Alijibu kwamba alikuwa amemtumikia Kristo miaka themanini na sita na katika muda wote huo Bwana wake hakuwahi kumkosea; angewezaje kumkufuru Mfalme aliyemwokoa? Basi wakamwua. Orodha inamalizika si kwa sifa ya tabia bali kwa jinsi ulimwengu unavyoijibu tabia hiyo. Maisha yanapochukua umbo hili la ajabu, la juu chini, ulimwengu hautapiga makofi kila mara; mara nyingi utaudhi, kama ulivyowaudhi manabii na Bwana Mwenyewe. Paulo anasema waziwazi, "Na wote wapendao kuishi maisha ya utauwa katika Kristo Yesu, wataudhiwa" (2 Timotheo 3:12). Lakini angalia maneno "kwa ajili ya haki." Yesu hambariki yule anayeteseka kwa kuwa mpumbavu au mkali; anambariki yule anayeteseka kwa kuwa kama Yeye. Na ahadi inarudi pale ambapo Heri zilianzia: "ufalme wa mbinguni ni wao." Kwa hiyo Yesu anatuambia tufurahi na kushangilia, kwa maana thawabu yetu ni kubwa mbinguni. Tertuliano aliandika kwamba damu ya Wakristo ni mbegu, na historia imethibitisha kwamba alikuwa sahihi.Polycarp, the aged bishop of Smyrna, was brought into the arena and told he could go free if only he would curse Christ. He answered that he had served Christ eighty-six years and in all that time his Lord had never done him wrong; how could he blaspheme the King who had saved him? So they put him to death. The list ends not with a trait of character but with the world's response to it. When a life takes on this strange, upside-down shape, the world will not always applaud; often it will persecute, as it persecuted the prophets and the Lord Himself. Paul says plainly, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). But notice the words "for righteousness' sake." Jesus is not blessing the one who suffers for being foolish or harsh; He blesses the one who suffers for being like Him. And the promise circles back to where the Beatitudes began: "theirs is the kingdom of heaven." So Jesus tells us to rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is our reward in heaven. Tertullian wrote that the blood of Christians is seed, and history has proved him right.

Chumvi na Nuru (5:13-16)Salt and Light (5:13-16)

Akiisha kuchora picha, Yesu anawaambia watu wake kile ambacho tabia kama hiyo inafanya ulimwenguni. "Ninyi ni chumvi ya dunia... Ninyi ni nuru ya ulimwengu." Chumvi huhifadhi kile ambacho vinginevyo kingeoza na hutia ladha kile ambacho vinginevyo kingekuwa bila ladha; nuru hufukuza giza na huonyesha njia. Lakini chumvi inaweza kupoteza ladha yake, na taa inaweza kufichwa chini ya pishi. Kwa hiyo Yesu anasema, nuru yenu na iangaze mbele ya watu, wapate kuyaona matendo yenu mema, wamtukuze Baba yenu aliye mbinguni. Tabia iliyobarikiwa ya Heri haikusudiwi kufichwa katika utauwa wa faraghani; inakusudiwa kuonjwa na kuonekana, ili ulimwengu unaotazama uvutwe kumsifu Mungu.Having drawn the portrait, Jesus tells His people what such a character does in the world. "You are the salt of the earth... you are the light of the world." Salt preserves what would otherwise rot and gives flavor to what would otherwise be flat; light drives back the darkness and shows the way. But salt can lose its savor, and a lamp can be hidden under a basket. So Jesus says, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. The blessed character of the Beatitudes is not meant to be hidden in private piety; it is meant to be tasted and seen, so that the watching world is drawn to praise God.

Sikuja Kutangua bali Kutimiliza (5:17-20)I Came Not to Destroy but to Fulfill (5:17-20)

Kisha Yesu anazuia kutoelewana kabla hakujaanza: "Msidhani ya kuwa nalikuja kuitangua torati au manabii; la, sikuja kutangua, bali kutimiliza." Torati ilitolewa ili kutuelekeza upande wa mapenzi ya Mungu, lakini haikuweza kamwe kuyakamata mapenzi hayo kikamilifu. Mapenzi ya Mungu yanajumuisha si tu yale ambayo hatupaswi kufanya bali pia yale ambayo tunapaswa kufanya, na hata vitabu vikubwa vya sheria visingeweza kuyaeleza yote hayo. Kwa sababu Yesu aliyajua mapenzi ya Baba kwa ukaribu, aliweza kwenda nyuma ya sheria na kuonyesha hasa kwa nini Mungu alizitoa. Amri hazikuwa kamwe njia ya wokovu; zilikuwa kiashiria kinachoelekeza kwenye moyo wa Mungu. Ndiyo sababu Yesu anasema haki yetu lazima izidi haki ya waandishi na Mafarisayo. Haombi kushika kanuni zaidi; anaomba haki iliyo ya ndani zaidi, ya kiwango cha moyo, ambayo Mafarisayo, pamoja na uangalifu wao wote juu ya mambo ya nje, hawakuwahi kuifikia.Then Jesus heads off a misunderstanding before it can start: "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." The Law was given to point us in the direction of God's will, but it could never capture that will completely. God's will includes not only what we are not to do but also what we are to do, and even huge volumes of law could never spell all of that out. Because Jesus knew the Father's will intimately, He was able to get behind the laws and show exactly why God gave them. The commandments were never a means of salvation; they were a pointer toward the heart of God. That is why Jesus says our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. He is not asking for more rule-keeping; He is asking for a deeper, heart-level righteousness that the Pharisees, for all their care about the surface, never reached.

Mmesikia Kwamba Imenenwa... Lakini Mimi Nawaambia (5:21-48)You Have Heard It Said... But I Say to You (5:21-48)

Katika sehemu iliyobaki ya sura hiyo Yesu anafanya hasa kile alichoahidi — anakwenda nyuma ya sheria hadi kwenye kusudi lake. "Mmesikia watu wa kale walivyoambiwa, Usiue... Lakini mimi nawaambia, Kila amwoneaye ndugu yake hasira" amekwisha kuivunja moyoni mwake. "Mmesikia kwamba imenenwa, Usizini; lakini mimi nawaambia, Kila mtu atazamaye mwanamke kwa kumtamani" amekwisha kuitenda. Anapita zaidi ya tendo hadi kwenye tamaa, zaidi ya tendo la nje hadi kwa mtu wa ndani, kwa sababu huko ndiko Mungu alikotazama siku zote. Na anakiweka kiwango katika kimo chake halisi: "Basi ninyi mtakuwa wakamilifu, kama Baba yenu wa mbinguni alivyo mkamilifu" — si ukamilifu tunaoufikia kwa juhudi, bali ule ukamilifu ambao neema yake inampeleka kila raia wa ufalme.In the rest of the chapter Jesus does exactly what He promised — He gets behind the law to its intent. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not murder'... but I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother" has already broken it in his heart. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'... but I say to you that whoever looks to lust has already committed it." He reaches past the action to the desire, past the outward act to the inward man, because that is where God always looked. And He sets the standard at its true height: "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" — not a perfection we achieve by effort, but the wholeness toward which His grace is carrying every citizen of the kingdom.

Tabia ya UfalmeThe Character of the Kingdom

Rudi nyuma kidogo uitazame picha nzima. Maskini wa roho, wenye huzuni, wapole, wenye njaa ya haki, wenye rehema, wenye moyo safi, wapatanishi, walio tayari kuudhiwa — ni kinyume kabisa cha wazo la ulimwengu juu ya maisha mazuri, na, sura kwa sura, ni picha ya Yesu Kristo Mwenyewe. Haya si masharti manane ya kuingilia tunayoyatimiza ili kujipatia nafasi ya kuingia; ni tabia ambayo Mungu huitenda ndani ya wale ambao tayari ni wake. Mahubiri ya Mlimani hayatuambii jinsi ya kukubalika kwa Mungu. Yanatuonyesha jinsi neema ya Mungu inavyoonekana inapoyashika maisha ya mtu. Heri — heri kweli — ni yule ambaye ndani yake Mfalme anaiumba tabia hii.Step back and look at the whole portrait. Poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure, peacemaking, willing to be persecuted — it is the very reverse of the world's idea of the good life, and it is, feature for feature, a portrait of Jesus Christ Himself. These are not eight entrance requirements we achieve to earn our way in; they are the character God works in those who already belong to Him. The Sermon on the Mount does not tell us how to become acceptable to God. It shows us what the grace of God looks like when it takes hold of a life. Blessed — truly blessed — is the one in whom the King is forming this character.

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