Living a Blessed LifeНамуна

Scripture

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said:

“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 children 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. Rejoice and be glad ,because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:1-12)

The opening of the Sermon on the Mount is, in my opinion, the grandest portion of Scripture recorded. They are called the Beatitudes, which define the inward life attitudes of a true Kingdom dweller! There are eight, or some say nine, small statements, which outline the very essence of this heavenly culture that Jesus first demonstrated, and then described. I believe that everything else in the Sermon is merely a practical application of these eight inward attitudes and values. It is very interesting to note that they are in no way meant as commandments but are far more like descriptions of the transformed man, the man who lives in righteousness!

Each of the statements has three parts:

• They each begin with the word, ‘blessed.’ Blessed means to be happy, to be envied, someone whom others look at and say, “Wow, I wish that was me!”
• Then the inward heart attitude or life value is stated in a very short description.
• At the end of each is a promise that will be granted if the attitude or value is received and then cultivated.

Jesus’ primary audience appears to be those men and women who had chosen to give their life as His follower. Matthew 5:1-2 states, “that seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.” They are the ones He is primarily addressing, although it is abundantly evident that the entire crowd heard and interacted with Him throughout the talk.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, open my eyes as I study The Beatitudes. Help me to become a transformed person who understands what it means to live a blessed life. Show me your promises and help me take hold of each one of them in my life.