What we really need is God's blessing. Some might think blessedness and happiness are synonymous, but they are not. In His masterful sermon recorded in Matthew 5-7 Jesus describes the blessed person. Though some translate the well-known Beatitudes the sermon's introduction with "Happy are." it is a shallow translation of the word used. God's blessing is often defined in material or physical terms, but this greatly limits its depth and breadth. Biblically blessing can be simply understood as the opposite of being cursed. In its fullest sense it involves God's "Shalom," salvation, and wholeness. A person in poverty or ill health, or both can still know full blessing. Blessing includes joy, and times of happiness are surely present. However, we dare not limit it to these.
Jesus explains this in a powerfully succinct way in His sermon. The beauty of the Beatitudes goes well beyond their poetic style. They describe a disciple as well as explain what is involved in being blessed (5:3-12). A blessed person is one who is a citizen of the Kingdom of God, is comforted, will inherit the earth, is filled with righteousness, is shown mercy, sees God, is called a son of God, is unjustly treated by the world, and has a reward in heaven. Not exactly what most consider blessed is it? Nonetheless, this is blessedness and it alone offers the fulfillment and completeness that people think happiness brings.
Blessedness comes from God alone and it is not granted indiscriminately. Jesus revealed that the blessing of God is granted to His people, a people who meet certain criterion. Do not misunderstand. This is not suggesting that we merit God's blessing by meeting the qualifications. Nor does it imply that we deserve His blessing because we might do so. The Beatitudes stifle any such surmises. What it is saying is God's blessing cannot be received by anyone who is not prepared in his or her attitude of heart and life.
There is an order to the Beatitudes and it is important to recognize that order if we are to understand blessing, as well as the holy living message of the sermon. They need to be understood together, for they are connected. It is not that each Beatitude cannot stand-alone and holds a wealth of truth. Rather it is that Jesus connected them and used them in sequence for a reason. Therefore it is important for us to understand them in their order.
It all begins with our recognition and confession that we are totally destitute before God. "Blessed are the poor in spirit" Jesus begins. We mourn our condition, crying out to God knowing what we deserve, but pleading for mercy. Such mourning precipitates meekness. Meekness is not being wimpy. In this case its primary focus is our posture before God. Unable to do anything about our condition we meekly bow before God mourning our destitute weak condition. This attitude of heart engenders a deep hungering and thirsting for righteousness, which is pivotal for meeting the next five Beatitude characteristics. For it is only as we are filled with His righteousness can we be merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and rejoicingly persecuted. Only as we are filled can we receive God's mercy, see Him in all things, and live in such a way that the world will persecute us. This is the person who knows and enjoys God's blessing.
Beloved let us be a blessed people being sure we are prepared to receive and ready to recognize His blessing. Let us be a Beatitude people!
Keep Close to Jesus
Pastor Gerry