Dedicated to my mother who is 91 today
Matthew 5:3-10 (NIV)
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who 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
sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus proclaimed that there are at least 8
ways that you can feel and be blessed.
The word He used for blessed (“makarios”) can mean “happy”, but Jesus
used this word in a broader sense to reveal who possesses
the favor of God and who is in the state of being in the fullness of God. Each of these 8 beatitudes (Greek for happy)
contrast the difference between what the world thinks brings blessings and what
Jesus proclaims brings blessings.
Jesus says that you are blessed
if you are poor in spirit. To be
poor in spirit is when you recognize your spiritual poverty and your need for
God. The world says that you are blessed
when you are self-confident and self-sufficient. That attitude will bring you only temporary
blessing. To be poor in spirit means to
have an attitude that you are not self-sufficient. God cannot fill you with His love unless you
are ready to empty yourself of self-sufficiency. Being dependent on God enables you to be part
of His kingdom of heaven that someday will be His kingdom on earth.
Jesus says that you are blessed
if you mourn. This is not
mourning because of the death of a loved one.
This is mourning or sorrow over the sin in your life and the sin in
others that if not forgiven in Christ will lead to eternal damnation. The world says that you find happiness when
you seek pleasure for yourself. Jesus
says that your mourning will be blessed by the comfort He provides, not what
the world provides.
Jesus says that you are blessed
if you are meek. Ha, says the world,
you cannot be happy unless you are proud, powerful and important. No, Jesus says that being meek is the right
attitude you have toward others, that you do not assert your rights over
others’, that you have given control of your life over to God and you along
with all other meek people will inherit the earth.
Jesus says that you are blessed
when you hunger and thirst for righteousness. This simply means that you have a sincere
desire to seek God, to be His child, and to practice His spiritual priorities. The world says that you will be blessed if
you are satisfied with what you have in the world, your possessions and
talents. No, you are truly blessed when
you desire to know God and His will for your life and you will be filled with
all that He has to offer that the world can never offer.
Jesus says that you are blessed
when you are merciful. Being
merciful means to be caring, forgiving and to love others as you love
yourself. The world will say that you
are blessed only if you take care of yourself without any concern for
others. Jesus says that when you have
sensitivity for the needs of others and feel their hurts, you will be blessed
because of the mercy you in turn will receive from God.
Jesus says that you are blessed
when you are pure in heart. To be
pure in heart is to desire holiness, to seek the truth of God and to avoid the
lust of the flesh, the eyes and the boastful pride of life. The world will say that those who are
“adult”, sophisticated and broad-minded, and pretending to be someone you are
not is the way to happiness. To be pure
in heart is to be completely open and honest to God and His presence in you
radiates through you in positive ways to others.
Jesus says that you are blessed
when you are a peacemaker. A
peacemaker is someone who brings peace to others and, of course, has peace with
God. You do not lose your temper, you
have self-control and you encourage others to work out their differences
without hurting each other. The world
will say that blessed are those who are competitive and aggressive. Lasting blessings happen when you bring peace
to others and do not exacerbate aggressiveness.
Finally, Jesus says that you
are blessed when you are being persecuted for the sake of righteousness. You will feel God’s favor when you stand up
for what you believe without compromising your beliefs. The world will say that people who want to be
popular no matter what and don’t ever take stands are the happiest. No, the Bible is clear that those who desire
to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (II Timothy 3:12), yet such
individuals solidify their place in the kingdom of heaven and this truth brings
true “makarios”.
What are your thoughts as you
meditate over what is basically a contrast between God’s value system and the
world’s value system? Realize that what
Jesus taught here challenges everything you may have been taught prior to
becoming a Christian. May all these
blessings happen to you as you allow the Lordship of Christ to change what you
value and who you become.
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