The Beatitudes for Today: What Does It Really Mean to Be Blessed?

To live like a Christian, sometimes we have to stand on our heads. A biblical worldview is the polar opposite of the prevailing culture in which straw is treated like gold and everyone can be "right"—even if it's logically impossible. Author and apologist Stuart McAllister wrote, "Feeling good and looking good have replaced being good and doing good" as the primary value of our era.

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount refutes the false idea that somehow we can be Christians and citizens of the Kingdom of God in good standing without experiencing life change. He began with a manifesto of blessing, a description of how the citizens of his kingdom would find satisfaction, and we've come to call this proclamation the Beatitudes.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10)

Remembering that Jesus was teaching and living within the context of the Roman Empire helps us today to hear how jarring his words would have been to his listeners. Rome conquered and subdued. The people in power were right because they had the power to crush dissenters.

By contrast, Jesus described a condition of blessing—perfect peace, perfect joy, perfect rest—which depend NOT on doing, NOT on possessing, but on BEING. He put character before conduct and sought to correct everyone's mistaken notions about national greatness. The Beatitudes, then, are not a list of gifts to make people happy, but rather a list of character traits that result in a blessed life.

The religious elite and the politically powerful in Jesus' day sang the same melody dominating our 21st-century playlist: "Happy are the rich, noble, successful, macho, glamorous, popular, and aggressive!" Someone once said, "Jesus went into the great display window of life and changed all the price tags."

And that's why I started reading my slow way through the Sermon on the Mount this year. I don't expect to read the last verse of Matthew 7 until sometime in May, but over the next several weeks, what you can expect here in this space is a thoughtful processing of my reading, first in the Beatitudes and then in Jesus's unpacking of righteousness that "exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees."

Like you, I struggle sometimes with the counter-cultural calling of the Christian to grow DOWN, to choose the humble path, to agree and be glad that I am governed by God, that I am NOT God, and that my highest good will be found by getting down low and lifting others up.

Praying Together: "Let Your Kingdom Come"

Lord Jesus, we are so prone to forget your rightful rule over our lives as followers of the way. In a world that values autonomy as its highest good, give us hearts that rejoice over your Lordship. Every beat of our hearts is a gift from you and our lives continue at your pleasure. Give us eyes to see the unseen beauty of a world that rejects self-reliance, self-confidence, and self-determination. Help us to pray "your kingdom come" with courage and to do our part to make it a reality within our small sphere of influence.
Amen

Let's continue this conversation:

• Reading through the Beatitudes (above), which one is the most baffling to you?
• Which metaphor is most helpful to you as you understand Jesus' heart in the Beatitudes:
  ~a king looking at a disorderly kingdom?
  ~a shepherd looking at a flock in great need?