Thanks for everyone’s input this week. I think the different perspectives are useful for all of us to consider. Feel free to continue to comment on the verses from this week.
A few more points to consider for the week…
What does “blessed” mean? It is happiness. Not happiness that we associate with worldly circumstances like money, fame, love, adventure, or power, but happiness that is independent of our circumstances. It is a deep, spiritual joy that comes as a gift from God. It is not something we can obtain ourselves. It is not something that can be extinguished by the sadness or sorrow that we encounter throughout our lives. This happiness only comes from God. Christ goes on to tell us what the life of happiness consists of in the first 12 verses of Matthew 5.
5:3 Happiness is recognizing our own spiritual poverty before God. This is a person who sees the sin and corruption in his own heart and recognizes there is nothing he can do through his own efforts that would be pleasing to God. It is not about trying harder to be a good person, or comparing ourselves to someone else we consider more sinful. It is about giving up, emptying ourselves, bowing before God, and allowing Him to fill us with His perfect righteousness. This is about salvation through faith in Jesus which results in the ultimate inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven.
5:4 The mourning in this verse is over our own sin and also, I believe, the sinfulness of this world. What does it mean to mourn for sin? Should we wallow in guilt over our sinfulness? When Isaiah (6:5) saw the Lord he said, “Woe is me! I am ruined! I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King…” It is similar with us as we grow in our relationship with Christ we become more conscious of our own sin and unworthiness. Thankfully we don’t have to live in defeat. He promises to comfort us and has done so by paying our penalty for sin on the cross.
Mourning over the sinfulness of this world is also a call to action. Compassion for the plight of our fellow man who needs to experience the love of Christ. I do physicals on foster children on a regular basis. I don’t always know the details of their situation but it is obvious they are desperate for the love of a father or mother. Sometimes all I can do is care for them by treating their immediate needs. Ultimately they need to know the love of Christ and I need to be ready to share it when there is opportunity. Where are you being called to action?
5:5 What does it mean to be meek? Is their strength in meekness? Some may think it means we should lie down and let others run all over us. Meekness is not weakness. It is a spiritual attitude of trusting and serving God. It is not something contrived by our own efforts but rather Christ working in us and through us. It is gentleness in our behavior. It is not rude or self seeking. It is bowing before God and allowing Him to lift us up. It is boldness knowing that Christ has sent us to do his work. Psalm 37 says the meek delight themselves in the Lord, commit their ways to the Lord, trust in the Lord and rest in the Lord. I agree with Aggie’s thoughts that the meek are promised everything that can’t be bought, i.e. reigning with Him forever. What does meekness look like lived out in our daily lives?
5:6 Hunger and thirst are such primal instincts for survival. Seeking to understand more of His truth should be a “primal instinct” for a follower of Christ. To be hungry or thirsty is to be desperate. Are you desperate to be filled with Christ? We should not be seeking happiness or blessedness. Christ is saying happiness will come to those who are seeking holiness. In John 6 Christ says he is the bread of life. Those who come to Him will never go hungry and those who believe in Him will never be thirsty. He will fill us with more and more of Him. What are you feeding on?
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