William Barclay once wrote that, “Both worry and serenity come not from circumstances but from the heart.” He retold a story of Johann Tauler, the 14th Century German Mystic who recounts a day in his life when he met a beggar:

Tauler said to the beggar: “God give you a good day my friend.” The beggar answered, “I thank God I have never had a bad one.”

Then Tauler said: “God give you a happy life, my friend.” “I thank God,” said the beggar, “I am never unhappy.” Tauler in amazement said: “What do you mean?”

“Well,” said the beggar, “when it is fine, I thank God; when it rains, I thank God; when I have plenty, I thank God; when I am hungry, I thank God; and since God’s will is my will, and whatever pleases Him pleases me, why should I say I am unhappy when I am not?”

Tauler looked at the man in astonishment. “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am a King”, said the beggar. “Where then is your kingdom?” asked Tauler.

And the beggar answered quietly, ”In my heart.”

In today’s Gospel Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.”

This is a HARD Gospel. In my daily life, my experience is people want to be right, exact revenge and be sure people “get what they deserve.” It seems sometimes we live in and “eye for an eye” world. We want to be politically correct, religiously correct and are willing to go to battle to be sure we are heard. But here’s the question – does it bring JOY? How about PEACE? Happiness? Prosperity? Does it bring us closer to Jesus, and becoming the person HE wants us to be?

Growing up I told my children “you play for an audience of 1.” I meant Jesus. But maybe we all play for an audience of 1, the 1 may just be someone else, even our very selves. When we look at the beggar in Tauler’s story, we see it isn’t circumstances, prosperity or even getting his own way that makes him happy. It’s the state of his heart.

When we hear “love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, that YOU may be children of our heavenly Father,” do we WANT to be like that? Like Jesus? Like the beggar? Can we say with confidence as the beggar did, “God’s will is my will, and whatever pleases Him pleases me.” ?

I pray we see that we are truly Kings and Queens of God, and God’s kingdom is alive in our hearts!

-Justine Dufour