“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those that mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Matthew 5:3-11
Commonly known as the Beatitudes, Jesus spoke these words to the people during what we call the Sermon on the Mount. Many of us have heard and read these verses multiple times and may even be able to recite them by heart. We may be so familiar with them that we really do not think about what Jesus was trying to teach us.
At first glance, we may think Jesus is trying to prepare us for a sad life here on earth. A life where there is only trouble, conflict and hurt. A life in which the only way to be blessed is to suffer. But as we take a closer look, we can understand that Jesus was saying just the opposite. Jesus wants to give us a good life and He wants to bless us. In the Beatitudes He is giving us a pattern to live by; a way of life that is greater than the world. A way of life that will draw us closer to our God and that will cause us to be blessed (happy and content).
Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” That is also what Jesus was saying in Matthew 5 — do not focus on the bad things, focus on righteousness (God and Jesus) and our desires, our attitudes, and our hearts will see the good that God has for us. Our lives will then ` be blessed more than we could have ever imagined.
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