The Beatles and the Beatitudes

Have you heard the Beatles song “I’m Looking Through You”? Released in 1965 on the Rubber Soul album, it’s a song about romantic love and how our perceptions of people change. (I can still recall the first time I saw that album cover in L.Oppleman in downtown Lynchburg; funny how those flashbulb moments stay with us for no apparent reason, isn’t it?) Anyway, the song popped into my head as I was thinking about the Beatitudes; a strange leap you may think, but there is link.

In chapters five, six and seven of the Gospel of Matthew, we find what is called “The Sermon on the Mount”, the teachings of Jesus Christ in His own words. He opens His message with what we call the Beatitudes, a string of statements that all begin with the word “blessed”, which could also be translated as “happy”.

A lot has been written about the Beatitudes and I don’t intend to add any more at this point but they are on my mind because we are talking about them on Life Matters, a weekly discussion program we produce and air on Equip FM. One point that has been made in our conversation thus far is these are “BE-attitudes” not “DO-attitudes”. These statements from Jesus are not so much commands but rather a description of what a Christian believer looks like, and what they can expect.

In other words, this is who we will “be” when we allow God’s Holy Spirit control of our lives. Jesus is describing those who belong to His kingdom and chances are you may think “but I don’t look much like that!” Don’t worry; most of us have plenty of room for improvement. That, however, is not an excuse to fall short and live however we please but hopefully a challenge to consider your relationship with the Lord, because these statements include a promise!

The Lord Jesus promises blessing to those who allow Him to live in them and through them! You’ll be blessed when you are poor in spirit, when you mourn, when you are meek, merciful and yes, even persecuted! It goes against our normal way of thinking but Jesus usually does, doesn’t He?

So, what about the Beatles song? Here’s the connection for me; if I allow God to have control of my life and His Holy Spirit is free to live fully in me, then, in a way, others will be looking through me and seeing Him. That’s not what Paul McCartney was writing about but for me it’s sort of a pop music take on that hymn “Let Others See Jesus in You”. The third verse of that hymn reads:

Your life's a book before their eyes,
They're reading it thro' and thro'
Say, does it point them to the skies?
Do others see Jesus in you?

You may have heard it said that the only Gospel some people will ever read is your life. That’s what that hymn is all about; that’s the essence of the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Bible you might say. God wants His people to look like Him and Jesus says those who belong to Him, those in the kingdom, will look like Him, and be blessed because of it, even if you suffer because of Him!

Wouldn’t it be great if people could say to us, as the Beatles sang:

I'm looking through you, where did you go
I thought I knew you, what did I know
You don't look different, but you have changed
I'm looking through you, you're not the same

God wants to change you, and He promised you will be blessed if you allow Him to do so. If you are a believer, are people seeing Jesus in you? Are they looking through you and seeing Him?

If you’re not a believer but sense a need in your life, that’s God’s Holy Spirit drawing you to Himself! Don’t resist! Ask for His help! There is a link below that explains how to invite God into your life. Go there now and begin a new life with Jesus today!

Another song popped into my head as I was writing this (there’s always a song with me) that goes “if everyone was just like me, what kind of world would this world be?” If Jesus has control of my life, it would be a pretty good world, huh? I pray that today He will have more of all us!

Join our discussion on the Beatitudes on Life Matters. New programs air Wednesdays at 12:30am, 7:30am, 12:30pm and 5:30pm, and at 9am Saturdays and Sundays. The programs are also posted on our website

To learn more about a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ click here.

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