The Beatitudes: Ways You Are Blessed

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came unto him. And he opened his mouth, and taught them. (Matthew 5:1-2)

The Beatitudes are found in Matthew 5 in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. It was customary at that time for teachers to sit with their students in a circle around the teachers' feet. Therefore, Jesus went up into a mountain so He could see the crowds and the crowds could see him. After He was seated, Jesus opened His mouth and taught the people, which included His disciples.

Notice the formula in each of the beatitudes.

• The words "Blessed are"
• The unpleasant condition
• The reward

First Beatitude: The Poor in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)

The first beatitude is that those who are poor in spirit are blessed. Not having earthly possessions has nothing to do with being poor in spirit. Some of the richest people in the world are miserable because they are poor in spirit. They make the mistake of thinking they can do everything on their own because of their money, power, popularity, and status.

Second Beatitude: Those Who Mourn

Blessed are those who mourn; for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

Mourning is not limited to grieving only the loss of loved ones. Blessed are those who mourn for the loss of anything valuable, including the loss of a relationship, a job, a piece of jewelry, etc.

Third Beatitude: The Meek

Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:4)

A third blessing is that the meek will inherit the earth. Some people often make the mistake of thinking being meek is the same as being weak and thin-skinned. Meekness is the act of being gentle and humble.

Fourth Beatitude: The Hungry and Thirsty

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6)

Have you ever felt hungry even after you have eaten? Often, we make the mistake that the empty feeling we have is for more food. However, the hole that needs to be filled might not be in our stomach. It might be in our soul, which is more intense. Jesus said those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled

The Fifth Beatitude: The Merciful

Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

Because God shows mercy to us, we should show mercy to others. Mercy is what God shows us when we don't deserve it, but because He loves us so much. When others mistreat us, we should forgive them and show them mercy, as God shows us. According to this fifth beatitude, when we show mercy, we shall obtain mercy.

The Sixth Beatitude: The Pure in Heart

Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Those who see God with a pure heart are blessed. They understand things God reveals to them that they could never see with their physical eyes and comprehend with their physical senses.

The Seventh Beatitude: The Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.(Matthew 5:9)

Peace is a fruit of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22. Those who are peacemakers are blessed because they follow Jesus, the Prince of Peace. They keep peace every place they go.

Those people are peacemakers in their homes, workplaces, and in their communities. They know it is not important who gets the last word.

The Eighth Beatitude: The Persecuted

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10)

The world doesn't always stand for people who stand for Jesus. They sometimes lose family members and friends. They are often persecuted when they live by the truth. Even though the world rejects them, Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Blessed Are You!

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad; for great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)

Rejoice and Be Exceedingly Glad

We should rejoice when we suffer for Christ's sake. People who live for Christ will be talked about and insulted. They will be persecuted and falsely accused of all kinds of evils because they stand for Christ and against the world. Those who rebel against God will take it out on those who stand for Him.

There is a great reward waiting in heaven for those who stand for God on earth. That often means being persecuted even unto death, like some of the saints in the Bible.