Blessed? Part 1

The Beatitudes

24^th March 2012

A "beatitude" is "a state of blessedness" or "a declaration of blessedness". By far the most famous beatitudes were spoken by Jesus as the start of His Sermon on the Mount, and they are some of the most amazing and challenging words ever spoken:

Matthew 5v3-10
³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

(If you'd like an explanation of why I don't include verses 11 and 12, please see the note at the end)

The kingdom of heaven is quite unlike the kingdoms of this world, and we shouldn't be surprised that heavenly values are different from earthly values. Nonetheless, the idea that the poor in spirit, and those who mourn, and the meek, and those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, are blessed (or "happy", or "fortunate") is so counter to what we're usually taught that we might wonder how these beatitudes could possibly be true. But Jesus is being very serious when He says these things.

To understand what Jesus is saying, let's start by observing that:

The beatitudes - Jesus's definition of who can be "blessed" - begin and end with the idea that to be truly blessed is to possess the kingdom of heaven

And that must be right. We can try to live purely earthly lives. Some of us can make some money and buy some nice things, and maybe go on some nice holidays. Some of us enjoy good health and happy marriages. But to live a totally earthly life is to miss out on what life is really all about. Life in relationship with God, life blessed from heaven, is real life. And all the toys and fun in the world can't compare to the joy of a heavenly life.

We so degrade the word "heavenly" when we just mean "very pleasant" (as in "that ice cream was heavenly"). A heavenly life is a life empowered by heavenly forces, enlightened with heavenly wisdom, led for a heavenly purpose, and ruled by Jesus Christ, the King of Heaven.

Who can enjoy a heavenly life? Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". This means, surely, that unless you're spiritually poor, and you realise it, then you can't enter the kingdom of heaven.

If you think you're capable, confident and self-assured, happy and fulfilled, you won't have the motivation to seek out the kingdom of heaven:

Matthew 19:23
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

But if you know that you're spiritually poor, if you know you need help, then you might seek God's heavenly kingdom. And if you seek it, you will find it (Matthew 7v7).

Jesus describes these seekers of the kingdom of heaven as "those who mourn". Coming where it does, this must mean "those who mourn their spiritual poverty" (although it can mean other things too). If we know we're poor on the inside then we may begin to be sad about it, to have a sense of loss of our connection with God and of the well-being that could be ours if we were united with Him. Jesus promises that those who mourn "will be comforted". God will come alongside those who regret their spiritual poverty.

And Jesus says these seekers must become "meek". We must become the opposite of the arrogant, brash, selfish, me-first high achievers that the world so admires, and become humble. And, if we're truly aware of our spiritual poverty, and if we mourn because of it, we will become meek. We'll be gentle with our fellow men and women, and we will humble ourselves before God, because we will come to understand that we deserve judgment and need mercy. We'll stop asserting our "rights" and acknowledge our emptiness, weakness, and sin. And Jesus promises that the meek "will inherit the earth"". This is a promise from Jesus Christ! It will happen! All the strivers, all the proud self-seekers, will lose everything, and the meek - those who are humble before both God and man - will inherit everything, because God will endow them with everything. Remember Mary's song in Luke 1v46-55. God is still "mindful of the humble state of his servant". God's mercy still "extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation". Mary said God "has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty". And He still does.

Only the meek can willingly accept being ruled by another person, even if that person is God. And the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom.

And Jesus says that to be truly blessed, we must "hunger and thirst for righteousness". Do you hate injustice? In particular, do you hate your own sin? If you truly mourn because you're spiritually poor, then you will know that the cause of your poverty is your own sin. If you get to the point where you hate your sin, then you can come to Jesus Christ, confess all the unjust things you've done, and said, and thought, and you can be forgiven. You will be "filled" with a sense of God's forgiveness, love and acceptance. And you can be filled with God's Spirit, and you can acquire God's wisdom, and you can begin to work for justice (but be careful that your idea of justice is in line with God's idea of justice, as explained in the Bible).