In Matthew 5, Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount with these eight blessed attitudes, and the rest of the message is His application of them. In Matthew 10:8, Jesus commands His disciples to “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.” Salvation is a free gift. We can not earn it with our work. Even so, Jesus call us to join Him in giving away the good things of the Kingdom of God.
The blessed attitudes show us true Christian character. The four metaphors - salt, light, city, and candle – coming up in the Sermon on the Mount, will show us how we live out that character in a world that needs Christ.
The first four beatitudes are about coming to Christ, and the second four beatitudes are about going for Christ. We learn the first as we connected to God through worship, prayer and reading the Bible, the last we develop as we love other people in Jesus’ Name. It is also helpful to look at the Beatitudes in pairs. So what are they?
Coming to Christ Jesus
The Poor in Spirit Who Mourn
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Each beatitude couplet explains a truth that must be learned by a disciple of Jesus before they can be part of His solution and one of His answers. The first two beatitudes – being poor in spirit and mourning – help us reflect on our need for Jesus: “It is not a matter of what I can do, but of what He can do.”
The Meek Who Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
The second couplet helps us to set our hearts on Christ: “It is not a matter of what I want, but of what He wants.”
Going for Christ Jesus
The Merciful Who Have a Pure Heart
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
The third couplet can be summed up this way: “It is not a matter of who or what I am, but of Who and what He is.”
The Peacemakers Who Are Persecuted.
“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.”
The fourth couplet teaches us to respond this way when we do Kingdom of God work: “It was not anything I did, but what He did.” When the Apostle Paul had a growing and powerful ministry in Corinth, he told the Corinthians that nothing was coming from him and everything was coming from God (2 Corinthians 3:5).
The word “blessed” is translated “happy” in some Bible translations. This parallels joy, the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, 23. This blessed joy can be paraphrased as the happiness that does not make logical sense because it comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and is not controlled by circumstances. To be with Jesus and do this Kingdom work with Jesus is to live life to its fullest and most satisfied.
“Spiritually prosperous” is another way this word “blessed” has been translated. It does not equal economic wealth. If economic prosperity is the definition of what it means to be blessed, then none of the apostles were blessed. Because they lived these beatitudes of Jesus, they were not rich when they died horrible deaths. Teachers who promise you wealth if you do exactly what they say are focused on things that Jesus never promised to us.
APPLY IT:
How does God want to shape your character as He meets you in prayer and as you read the Bible? How does God want to shape your character as you go out and love people in His Name?
Take a moment to pray, thanking God for meeting you and guiding you with His truth. Ask Him to give you courage to apply what you learned in your neighborhood and city.
This post is adapted from a lesson of the Mini Bible College, an online study of the whole Bible. We highly recommend their audio resources and written materials, available in many languages, to anyone who wants a stronger understanding of the Bible.