Sermon on the Mount as told by Emmet Fox

Well, I started this on the heels of the Zoom meeting finishing the first three Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount (Emmet Fox) and have a greater understanding of these teachings from Jesus. However, I am finishing it almost two weeks later.

You can learn more about Emmet Fox HERE.

Questions I asked my Grandmother

Growing up I went to church almost every Sunday and Wednesday from age 4 or 5 to about 12. Early on I was happy to go and be in the “kids” section that was more about basic bible study lessons and playing games. Pretty lighthearted and fun.

I spent tons of time with my Norwegian grandmother, who was a devout Christian her entire life. If it wasn’t for her, I would not be alive today for several reasons. My Mom was only 17 when she had me and I had a very abusive 2nd stepfather at the age of two. That’s an entirely different chapter though.

Being around my grandma so much I was taught a lot about Jesus, but it was mostly 20th century answers to my questions that she was taught during her life. I remember distinctly to this day getting dried off after a bath standing on the toilet asking her things like “What do we do when we are in Heaven?” to which she replied, “We praise Jesus and sing songs to his glory.”

I was not inspired by that answer. I asked why there were trees that bore all fruit and roads that were paved in gold if we were going to be spirits like angels and didn’t have bodies to use those things.

I asked a few other childlike questions like “will we be with our family?” and she said “yes if everyone had asked Jesus to be in their heart.” That moment lasted about 5 minutes, and I could tell that she was just giving me standardized “church” answers to what I was asking but at that age I quickly moved off the subject after I was dressed and given supper.

Growing Up with Friends

I was a shy kid growing up and didn’t have many friends until I got a little older. Around 3rd grade I was picking things up more from my peers and their parents. My best friend at the time was Theban. He had a single mom like me at the time, who was a nighttime nurse, and an older brother.

They were able to do pretty much whatever they wanted to, and they were not religious people, in fact they didn’t believe in God at all. They could watch scary movies, play D&D, swear and eat whatever they wanted. All foreign things for me but was intriguing none the less. I watched Children of the Corn at their house and couldn’t sleep for 3 nights.

In 5th grade I met Matt M., he was the first real cool guy that wanted to be my friend. He lived kitty corner from the house we moved into that year. He had two older brothers, Jamal who was 1 grade above us, and Tom, who was 5 or 6 years older.

I have some insane stories over 4 years of being best friends with him that would probably be a little too much to share here but I do have many in the barrel if I ever write a book. Let’s just say that it was transformative going from a religious shy big white kid that was in advanced classes with virtually no friends to hanging with two very popular mulatto brothers.

I got my ass kicked, embarrassed, lost my virginity, tried hard drugs and nearly died by 7th grade.

That was the year my sister Katrina was born, and everything got a whole lot freer for me. I could essentially do whatever I wanted because there was a baby to take care of. My Mom was pretty messed up as she was bi-polar and had manic episodes, so my stepdad Charlie had his hands full.

They started getting pretty heavy into church at that time which just pushed me further away. There was so much fakeness that I turned away completely from the church and religion in general.

That’s also when I met Matt D, Larry and Jesse, three guys I’m still friends with 40 years later. Needless to say, that’s when even more insanity ensued. By age 16 I was doing things that would make a sailor blush. It’s amazing what I survived and have so many stories.

Back to Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount

Back to Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount, four decades later. Believe me I am just jumping forward to end this blog, I am certain I will drop some of the stories over the next few months.

I have always believed that he existed, I have always believed he was special and important. I still do not know if he was actually the son of GOD any more than we all are. That’s kind of the whole point of this rambling.

Learning about the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount from Emmet Fox’s perspective really balanced out what Jesus means to me from a metaphysical and spiritual standpoint, not a religious one.

It still makes me a little uncomfortable acknowledging my earliest programing by the church, but I understand so much more clearly after years of doing the Master Key Experience that it all comes together.

We were given exceptional power and gifts at birth that we get tricked or convinced that we need others’ opinions or permission to achieve what Jesus says we have within us. That resonates with me so much more than any Sunday school I ever attended.

That gives me comfort that the choices and direction of my life are self-fulfilling and not determined by someone else’s perceived rules to enlightenment. I am nervously excited to see how this is going to play out but can’t wait to peel a little more concrete off.

Until next time….