Kingdom Peopleنموونە

The Beatitudes

In the intro to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, He shares eight blessings—eight puzzle pieces that come together to form a picture of what a Kingdom person looks like. This description ultimately points us to the perfect depiction in King Jesus. These are the things we are called to be as we represent Him for the world to see.

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Kingdom people aren’t the proud or seemingly powerful people in the room. We are the ones who recognize our brokenness and need for Jesus. He resists the proud, but offers grace—offers the Kingdom—to the humble.

Blessed are those who mourn. It breaks our hearts, as Kingdom people, to see the world not as it should be. We desperately long for the restoration of the earth, for God to wipe away every tear, and for His justice to reign over all.

Blessed are the meek. We have power from God. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. But this immense power is under control. It’s pointed toward compassionate action for others. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. This means we long to see Jesus and pursue Him with intensity! We are hungry and thirsty for who He is and want others to walk closely with Him too. Our craving for His justice is stronger than the taste for bitterness or vengeance. 

Blessed are the merciful. Mercy is choosing to offer compassion, regardless of the situation. So, Kingdom people give when they could withhold and forgive when it’s undeserved.

Blessed are the pure in heart. Kingdom people pay attention to their intentions and to the condition of their hearts. We recognize that our actions follow our motivations, so we cultivate thoughts and attitudes that honor God.  

Blessed are the peacemakers. We are not the side-takers. Kingdom people do their best to live at peace with everyone. We are ready to answer and share our hope but not looking to argue and prove our point. We stand in the gaps and fight for unity. 

Blessed are the persecuted. We are ambassadors of our King and His Kingdom, so we do things differently than the rest of the world. People don’t always applaud differences. In fact, they usually attack them. But Kingdom people are able to look at our example, Jesus, and remain joyful even when the odds are stacked against us.

Challenge: Now, deep breath. Pause. Go back and read through those Kingdom qualities again. Which ones sound like you? Which ones are new? Write down a prayer that revolves around one or two of the beatitudes that need to be more true of you as a Kingdom person.