I’ve been preaching on what are called the Beatitudes lately, that’s the fancy Latin word for “blessing” and each Beatitude begins with the words, “Blessed are…” These are 9 sayings of Jesus found at the beginning of Matthew 5 and form the introduction to Jesus’ longest sermon recorded in any gospel…the Sermon on the Mount.
What we find in these sayings and the larger sermon is Jesus’ “manifesto,” what he believed about the kingdom of heaven and what really matters to God. The Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount offer the radical, countercultural vision Jesus had for what it means to live faithfully in a chaotic, uncertain, and divided world.
The Beatitudes aren’t lofty ideals or abstract spiritual goals; they’re a practical way of being that can transform our lives. They show us how to live and how to face life’s challenges with grace, humility, courage, and hope.
The first Beatitude is, “Blessed are the Poor in spirit.” I told you they were countercultural. In their poverty, it is hard to view the poor as blessed. In our world, you’re blessed if you’re rich, famous, powerful, not lacking for anything in life. But that’s not who Jesus calls blessed. As soon as he said, “Blessed are the poor…” his audience would have been left scratching their heads. We know what it means to be poor. We see it on the news or on the street corner. We think of “poor” as not having enough money…but Jesus was talking about more than just money.
When Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” he’s telling us being blessed isn’t about your bank account or status in society; it’s not about material blessings in a physical kingdom; it’s about the spiritual blessings of living in tune with God’s kingdom right now. We immediately know where Jesus stands and what the kingdom of heaven looks like. And it’s a whole lot different from the kingdoms of this world.
In a world that equates blessing with wealth, power, and influence, Jesus offers us a different vision. The blessed aren’t self-sufficient but humble; not powerful but meek; not indifferent but merciful. I picture Jesus walking through the crowd, putting his hand on the shoulder of a beggar as he says, “Blessed are the poor,” looking into the eyes of a grieving widow or mother as he says, “Blessed are those who mourn,” touching the cheek of a child as he says, “Blessed are the meek.”
Do you know someone (or maybe you are someone) who thinks their circumstances, identity, or past exclude them from a blessed life? With his strange blessings, Jesus is announcing that a thriving life, a blessed life is available to anyone. Jesus is calling us to a life of humility and grace, recognizing our need for the divine presence in our lives. No matter what your story is or your struggle or where you find yourself, you are never outside of God’s blessing. You don’t have to prove your worth to God. You don’t have to be good enough for God…because you are already enough.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Where in your life do you need to admit your need for God? Where are you clinging to the values of the world instead of the kingdom? It’s time to live with hope, courage, compassion, and love, and allow yourself to be drawn into God’s kingdom where humility leads to abundance and surrender brings life.