The Beatitudes - Pt 1

 

Seeing the crowds, he [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “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. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:1–12 ESV).

 

I have looked back in the archives of Morning Devotionals and have not found any that I have used containing all of the verses of today’s reading in at least five years. They are known commonly as “the Beatitudes,” and are a part of the larger teaching of Jesus that is known as “the Sermon on the Mount” (cf. Matthew 5-7). I must confess that these devotionals will read a bit more pedantic rather than inspirational. However, when we understand that discipleship is about learning as much as being encouraged, we are able to receive the full blessing of God’s intent to sanctify us making us fit for our heavenly home. So, today, we will begin our journey through these verses with a bit of background and end with a bit of wisdom.

 

The Beatitudes are a set of teachings delivered by Jesus Christ within the context of His teaching the multitudes that gathered on the hillside in northern Israel on the northwestern shores of the Sea of Galilee. This site overlooks the fertile Plain of Gennesaret and sits near the ancient fishing village of Capernaum. They consist of eight powerful declarations of blessing, each outlining a specific virtue or circumstance that leads to this divine favor and a spiritual reward.

 

The word “beatitudes” is derived from the Latin beatus ("blessed" or "happy"). The Beatitudes are a revolutionary framework for Christian living that challenges traditional values of power and wealth. These teachings outline the values of God's Kingdom on Earth, often focusing on inner virtue over external status. Since we are nearly overwhelmed with the concept of “more” in our culture, especially wealth, power, and prominence it will serve us well to understand and practice each of these in our lives.

 

Two of the questions we may start with in beginning this series are “Am I happy? Am I Blessed?” Using those as a prompt for meditation we may arrive at the conclusion that we are chasing the wrong things for happiness and blessing. Then it becomes easier to make the course corrections Jesus indicates in these declarations.