The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 5:3,
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus began his sermon on the mount with the "beatitudes". His beatitudes observe the blessed or happy state a person possesses based on conditions that a person may have or observations of their life. Merriam-Webster defines the word "beatitude" as "a state of utmost bliss".
Among the conditions or observations of a person's life that Jesus points to include:
Being poor in spirit, quoted above.
Those who mourn.
The meek.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
The merciful.
The pure in heart.
The peacemakers.
Those persecuted because of righteousness.
Those insulted, persecuted and falsely accused because of Jesus.
In the same order, here are the blessed circumstances the above brings:
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
They will be comforted.
They will inherit the earth.
They will be filled with righteousness.
They will be shown mercy.
They will see God.
They will be called children of God.
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Great is their reward in the kingdom of heaven.
Breathtaking isn't it?! These happy, blissful and blessed nine circumstances of those who are observed as living the nine observations Jesus made make up these beatitudes. This is why coming to know God and living our lives for him result in something seemingly to be so rare these days that the term is rarely used anymore: joy! Joy, joyful, joyousness!
On a side note. I don't know how many times I have heard a misguided sermon given on these beatitudes that betray a lack of understanding. You probably have as well. Do-gooders and law-keepers have a mistaken notion that if we use the nine conditions or observations as a punch-list of things we need to go out and "do" during the week, then we will receive the blessed and happy state of joyful circumstances. It doesn't work that way and that is not the nature of God's work in our lives.
The way it does work is that if we embrace Jesus Christ in faith, he sends his Holy Spirit to dwell in us, and as new believers, the Spirit begins to change us from the inside out. It is this work the Holy Spirit does that brings the conditions or observations in the first list above that Jesus spoke of, which results in the blessed conditions of the second list above.
We don't simply go out and "do" the beatitudes as if they were a list of things required of us, like the ten commands God gave Moses. I am reminded of Paul's words in Romans 7:6, "We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."
Paul speaks of this in Galatians 5:22-24, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
Such a remarkable thing God does in our lives that redounds to our lives marked by such bliss and happiness!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus began his sermon on the mount with the "beatitudes". His beatitudes observe the blessed or happy state a person possesses based on conditions that a person may have or observations of their life. Merriam-Webster defines the word "beatitude" as "a state of utmost bliss".
Among the conditions or observations of a person's life that Jesus points to include:
Being poor in spirit, quoted above.
Those who mourn.
The meek.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
The merciful.
The pure in heart.
The peacemakers.
Those persecuted because of righteousness.
Those insulted, persecuted and falsely accused because of Jesus.
In the same order, here are the blessed circumstances the above brings:
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
They will be comforted.
They will inherit the earth.
They will be filled with righteousness.
They will be shown mercy.
They will see God.
They will be called children of God.
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Great is their reward in the kingdom of heaven.
Breathtaking isn't it?! These happy, blissful and blessed nine circumstances of those who are observed as living the nine observations Jesus made make up these beatitudes. This is why coming to know God and living our lives for him result in something seemingly to be so rare these days that the term is rarely used anymore: joy! Joy, joyful, joyousness!
On a side note. I don't know how many times I have heard a misguided sermon given on these beatitudes that betray a lack of understanding. You probably have as well. Do-gooders and law-keepers have a mistaken notion that if we use the nine conditions or observations as a punch-list of things we need to go out and "do" during the week, then we will receive the blessed and happy state of joyful circumstances. It doesn't work that way and that is not the nature of God's work in our lives.
The way it does work is that if we embrace Jesus Christ in faith, he sends his Holy Spirit to dwell in us, and as new believers, the Spirit begins to change us from the inside out. It is this work the Holy Spirit does that brings the conditions or observations in the first list above that Jesus spoke of, which results in the blessed conditions of the second list above.
We don't simply go out and "do" the beatitudes as if they were a list of things required of us, like the ten commands God gave Moses. I am reminded of Paul's words in Romans 7:6, "We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."
Paul speaks of this in Galatians 5:22-24, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
Such a remarkable thing God does in our lives that redounds to our lives marked by such bliss and happiness!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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