BLESSED—AS GOD SEES IT
Opening Prayer
O Lord, make me a truly blessed child in Your family.
Read MATTHEW 5:1–12
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
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 children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“The Beatitudes are no spiritual ‘to do list’… They are a spiritual ‘done’ list of the qualities God brings to bear in the people who follow Jesus” (Ronnie McBrayer, How Far Is Heaven? Rediscovering the Kingdom of God in the Here and Now).
“Prosperity. Blessings. Longevity. Success.” These are the words with which I greet other ethnic Chinese during the Lunar Chinese New Year. When I was growing up, my parents prohibited me from saying anything that would contradict the good omen during this auspicious day. The beatitudes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount transcend all this. Being blessed is not measured according to the four words I was so used to saying!
The words of the beatitudes are simple—but they could not be more profound. They describe the eight qualities that should characterize Jesus’ followers in every generation. Those who exhibit them are described as “blessed.” It is almost impossible to translate the Greek word, makarios, into English. Some translations render it as “happy,” but makarios means much more than being happy, because happiness is a subjective state depending on one’s circumstances. Jesus was not talking about what makes people happy, but rather how God views them on account of who they are—they are blessed because they are poor in spirit, they hunger for righteousness—and they demonstrate the qualities found in the beatitudes.
The second part of each beatitude highlights the blessing from God upon those who exhibit each of the eight qualities. Collectively, these blessings are rewards for those who choose to follow God and to live their lives in light of the values of the kingdom. They are assured that while the rest of the world might mock, they are blessed—blessed by God because they choose what pleases him. This is the life God has called us to lead. May our new year begin with a resolve to develop those qualities that transform us into citizens of God’s kingdom.
Apply
Reflect on the eight beatitudes. Which do you find hardest to live out? Prayerfully consider what you should do about it.
Closing prayer
Lord, we thank You for issuing such clear-cut guidelines for us to live by in order to conform to kingdom thinking.
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