The Beatitudes of Jesus

The Beatitudes is the title tradition has given to this most succinct series of blessings that came from the mouth of Jesus. An itinerant teacher, people marveled at how much he could say with so few words, the Beatitudes being prime example.

They are the opening summary of The Sermon on the Mount, the most famous sermon of all time. In that Jesus said he was not really bringing anything new, rather fulfilling, reminding, and further expounding what had been given by God of old. The truths of the Beatitudes are, in all cases but the last, already found in the Old Testament.

A beatitude is a blessing. Some have translated the word as "happy," but it's deeper than that.

All seek to be happy, but it's easy to seek it in the wrong way and the wrong places. It means more than just abundance. Its true meaning is only found in God, the source of all goodness and blessing.

The Beatitudes are both descriptive and prescriptive. They both define the believer, explaining what the life looks like—and they instruct the believer, relating what the life should look like.

The kingdom Jesus refers to is right now, not distant future only. We are subjects of the kingdom in our current life. Jesus is our king.

The Beatitudes are comprised of eight unique statements, each with their own reward. These are not intended to describe eight different kinds of people; rather all eight are a composite picture of all believers. True Christians will have all of them in measure.

The more these truths are manifest in us, the greater the reward, in this life and the life to come.

By them we can be blessed, even when times are hard. And that is a blessed thing.

The Beatitudes, a series of nine paintings, placed together, 22.5 feet (686 cm.) wide. Courtesy of Muldoon Community Assembly, Anchorage, Alaska.