Wisdoms from the Desert

Today I dig down into the true meaning of the Beatitudes (St Matthew Chapters 5-7) as taught by Jesus in his "Sermon On The Mount", over two Millennia ago. To help me, I use the scholarship of the Presbyterian theologian, the Late Rev. Professor William Barclay, who studied the ancient Aramaic language spoken by Jeshua - in Germany, in the years prior to the outbreak of WW2. It is only by revealing the ancient Aramaic meaning of these eight Beatitudes that their meaning, power and relevance shine through to illuminate our lives, today. Ironically, these wisdoms were taught in a land that now reverberates with the sounds of war, rendering the Holy Land, "Unholy". These eight Beatitudes point the way to peace - within ourselves and between neighbours, communities, and nations. My address today is graced by excerpts from two late Mozart Sonatas for Violin and Piano: K 269 and K 301, played to us by Margaret (piano) and Barry (violin).