BLESSED
Matthew 5:3-12
When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, he launched into the longest sermon ever recorded. At the beginning of that sermon are what we know as The Beatitudes. My husband recently preached a sermon from Matthew 5:3-12, and he stated,
The Beatitudes are "holy attitudes for living the Christian life." #thebeatitudes #attitudes #holiness Share on XThe Beatitudes are “holy attitudes for living the Christian life.”
Rev. Skip Atchison
v. 3: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Poor in spirit: humble. A servant knows that they are reliant on God. The desire to serve God by serving others comes from the love that God pours into our hearts. The more we allow, the more he bestows!
v. 4: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
We tend to link this verse with earthly sorrow and mourning for a loved one who has died. But consider the sorrow that comes because of separation from God because of our sin? Sorrow for our sin brings us into the comforting arms of Jesus.
v.5: Blessed are the meed, for they shall inherit the earth.
Jesus was meek, but not weak. Meekness is not spinelessness. It’s humility. Meekness is knowing that you need God.
v. 6: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
How intense is our hunger and thirst for God? How much do we desire to be more like Jesus, to have more and more of His love filling us? Until we know that what we are seeking is God himself, we will not be satisfied.
v. 7: Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Where would we be without God’s love, mercy and grace? Where would we be? When Jesus taught what we know as “The Golden Rule, (love your neighbor as yourself), He was teaching simple mercy.
v. 8: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
A pure heart is an unselfish heart, a heart with pure motives, a heart like Christ. The more we can truly be like Christ, the more likely we are to bring others to Him.
v. 9: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.
The only way to truly have peace is through Christ. Even when we get that peace, Satan will try to steal it or disturb it. We should seek peace in Jesus, and we should let Him be our peace.
v. 10: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
v. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
We read, hear and see stories of Christians persecuted for their faith. These persecutions range from “no public prayer” to execution for your faith (depending on where you are in the world.) We must stay strong in our faith. Jesus told His disciples that this would happen, and sure enough, it does!
But Jesus also said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)
v. 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.
Being persecuted for our faith is nothing new. It has happened since the old testament prophets were proclaiming their faith in God.
Finally, Our hope is in Christ.
My point in all of this is a simple one:
BLESSED.
If we live according to God’s Holy Word,
… follow the teachings of Christ,
… accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior,
then WE ARE BLESSED.
No matter what each day of life brings,
- joy or sorrow,
- good or bad,
- in abundance or in want,
we are so blessed because of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Count your blessings, and have a great day!
Glenae Atchison
It’s Your Turn!
Add a link to your post about Leaving a Legacy. We’re looking forward to reading it.
Glenae Atchison is a native of Indiana, and a long time resident of Mississippi. She graduated from Asbury College in 1983 with a BS in Music Education. She and her husband, Skip have been married for over thirty years. They have two married children and three grandchildren. Glenae is active in choir, two group Bible studies, United Methodist Women, and is a certified lay servant in the United Methodist Church. Her favorite activities include singing and playing the piano, sewing, quilting, and making Swedish weave blankets.
Thank you for sharing these precious thoughts today! Oh, to remember this truth, that we are BLESSED because we are in Jesus now. This holy living is being set apart inside of HIM. Blessings to you, Glenae, and to Mandy & Michele today too!