Reward

"Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven," Matthew 5:12.

Jesus' words, those. Thus sayeth the Lord. And to whom sayeth He so? To the: poor in spirit; the mourners; the meek; the hungry and thirsty; the merciful; the pure in heart; the peacemakers; the persecuted; the bullied. To those people who lost the world's rat-race. To those who lost because they held fast to other standards: the Way of Jesus. The Way of the Word. To those who, having lost the world, gained: Kingdom of heaven; comfort; the earth (!); satisfaction; mercy; experiencing God; God's adoption. To those receiving a great reward. To the rejoicing crowd in the vast sky arena victoriously praising their God! To the blessed. To. The. Blessed! 

When we meet with a brother or sister today we remind each other that the Way of Jesus is way more than worth it all. And, together, we give thanks, gladly, for our God's gracious reward.