Matthew 5:3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the gentle, because they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be
filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, because they will receive mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
These words of Jesus are beautiful, there can be no denying that. But are they practical? Can anyone possibly live out their day-to-day life following the principles Jesus presents?
Human life has been and always will be brutally competitive. There are winners and there are losers. The losers don’t stick around long. Humble, gentle, merciful, peacemaker, open to being persecuted? All of those behavior traits would seem to lead to absolute disaster. We live in a world which if you don’t look out for yourself, no one will!
And yet, we haven’t yet mentioned the word Jesus repeatedly used to describe the result of living out his plan for our lives – “blessed”. People define “blessed” in different ways, but one thing all the definitions have in common is that it is good to be blessed. Every human being wants blessings! And so, we are left with the confusing thought that behavior which common sense would tell us leads to a whole lot of pain and suffering, Jesus says leads to blessings beyond our comprehension.
Jesus never said that his teaching would always be obvious. But he did prove beyond any doubt through his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from the dead, that when he says something is good for us, we should listen carefully. Some might say the “blessed” statements of Jesus present life through overly optimistic rose colored glasses. Jesus might well respond, “But are they true? That’s what matters.”
Worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm &
Sunday: 10:00 am
