When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the humble, 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 sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. —Matthew 5:1-12
“So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics…Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.” —Matthew 4:24-25
The
Beatitude means “
It is blessed to be of
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” —Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” —Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.” —Matthew 5:5
God’s Kingdom is a
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captive and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” —Luke 4:18-19
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” —Matthew 5:6
“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 sons of God.” —Matthew 5:7-9
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” —Matthew 5:10-12
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” —Matthew 13:31-32
Small acts of grace by God’s people will greatly change our world!
For further study:
Scripture: Isaiah 61; Psalm 119; Matthew 13
Resources: “The Divine Conspiracy” by Dallas Willard
To prepare for next week: Read and meditate on Matthew 6