Blessed Are....

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.  He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:2-12 NIV)

A while back I was reading through Matthew and had so much fun “re-discovering” truths and precious nuggets that I sometimes just skim through or take for granted.  One of those precious truths is the word “blessed”.  According to Warren Weirsbe, blessed was a powerful word for those in Jesus’ day.  To them it meant “divine joy and perfect happiness”.  The word was not used for humans; it described the kind of joy experienced only by the gods or the dead. “Blessed” implied an inner satisfaction and sufficiency that did not depend on outward circumstances for happiness.  So in a sense verse 2 of Matthew 5 could say, “Divine joy and perfect happiness for the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Weirsbe goes on to explain that the beatitudes describe four attitudes:

1. our attitude toward ourselves (v.3)
2. our attitude toward our sin (vv.4-6)  When I read those verses, the word “meek”          jumped out at me.  I found out that the word was used by the Greeks to describe a horse that had been broken.  It refers to power under control.  Gives a whole new perspective on that word, doesn’t it?
3.  our attitude toward the Lord (vv.7-9)
4.  our attitude toward the world (vv.10-16)  The Pharisees thought they were conserving God’s word, when in reality they were preserving it; “embalming it so that it no longer had life!” (Weirsbe)  

Sometimes I can be like the Pharisees.  I get so concerned about obeying the letter of the law for the sake of the law instead of obeying out of love for my Lord.  The difference between being a Pharisee and a follower is the attitude and motivation behind our actions.  It all comes back to our hearts.

I encourage you to re-read the beatitudes closely.  Maybe stop and examine one or two of them closely.  You now have a better understanding of the word “meek”, but what does it mean that the “pure in heart” will see God?  What does a pure heart look like?  Act like?  How can one possibly achieve one?  (Hint:  power of the Holy Spirit) Or what does it mean to be a “peacemaker”?  Is that the same as a “peacekeeper”?  And why do you think they are called “children of God”?  Have some fun “treasure hunting” in the Scriptures today!  I can promise you, you will find something of value and worth!

Worshiping (and treasure hunting) with you today!

Lisa