book: sermon on the mount

"What you think with your mind, you will produce in your experience" ~ Emmet Fox

On vacation. Our host's library shelf on spirituality. I decided to pick up The Sermon on the Mount: The Key to Success in Life, by Emmet Fox (c 1934). The book takes a closer look at the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount and the Lord's Prayer. I was only able to get through the Beatitudes before our stay was over, but was intrigued with was I was able to read.

In his book Emmet Fox takes an indepth perspective of The Sermon on the Mount. What I appreciated was his outlining the etymology of the words used. I have always found this area particularily fascinating and revealing.

BEATITUDES

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Fox says: "to be poor in spirit means to have emptied yourself of all desire to exercise personal self-will" (p. 21); and, "it means to be willing to set aside your present habits of thought, your present views and prejudices, your present way of life if necessary... anything and everything tht stands in the way of your finding God." (p. 21)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Fox notes here that "mourn" during this time meant to suffer, stumble or fall; and that "comforted" refers to the great growth that comes from great suffering

Fox says: "...trouble and suffering are often extreemly useful, because many people will not bother to learn the Truth until driven to do so by sorrow or failure" (p. 23)

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

Fox defines meekness as a state of mind that includes "a perfect willingness to allow the Will of God to come about in whatever way Divine Wisdom consides to be best, rather than in some particular way that we hav chosen for ourselves" (p. 29)

By "inherit the earth", Fox explains this as: "to have dominion over [your] outer experience"; with earth meaning, "the the conditions of our lives from our bodily health outward to the farthest point in our affairs" (p. 28), "Our earths are our lives and destininies".

What is most interesting, is Fox's inner-focused or self-focused interpretation of these teachings. Previously, I have read the Beatitudes more "literally" and as "other-focused". In other words, I was reading: Blessed are "those guys over there" and maybe me too if I was really really meek/pure/mourning/etc. I had never considered a figurative, contextual interpretation of the Beatitudes, nor had I considered that they were teaching of a deeper inner spiritual work and insight.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

Fox writes: "The peacemakers spoken in this Beatitude are those who make or bring about true peace, or serentiy, in their own souls... This condition of mind is the objective at which Jesus aims in all the instructions which he gives us in the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere" (p. 42).

A study of the Sermon on the Mount reveals, Fox writes, that "outside things are but expressions (ex-pressed or pressed out) or out-picturing of our inner thoughts and beliefs; that we have dominion or power over our thoughts to think as we will; and thus, indirectly, we make or mar our lives by the way in which we do think" (p. 31)

This book was first published in 1934, which makes me wonder how this perspective would be received by modern theologians. (Hopefully I'll find out! ;) Although I found this book heavily weighted on intellect (and less valuing of sensation, intuition or experience), I greatly appreciated the perspectives shared.

Best, AM