Blessed are You

"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." – John 13:17

In the Sermon on the Mount, which you find in chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus began by pronouncing nine blessings. These described the conditions of the heart and life which result in blessing–the real kind which touches our lives with the grace of God and brings wholeness and healing to our relationships.

The first eight blessings are called the Beatitudes. Here you could count eight categories of people–usually those considered not very important by the world–who are blessed. These represent the family of God, and different attitudes of the heart, or aspects of behavior, which result in blessing.

Should you read the Beatitudes in a modern Bible version, you will probably find the word "happy" instead of "blessed". Our English word happy comes from the word hap, which means good luck, chance or good fortune. When you hear the word happy today, it conveys something quite different from what Jesus was talking about.

The Greek word that Jesus used is as old as Homer and Pindar who used it of the Greek gods as well as of men. This word primarily meant you are in a good mood, yes, happy, because of your circumstances.

Jesus, though, wasn’t trying to be a popular motivational speaker. He wasn’t into making the crowd feel good, so they could go home "pumped up" with a positive mental attitude. Jesus never did that. Regardless of how unpopular it was, He confronted people with the truth. He was bringing their lives– both their attitudes and actions–into direct confrontation with the resources of God. Did they walk away with a blessing in their pocket? No. They walked away with changed attitudes, with resolve to do things differently, no matter how unpopular it may have been. That encounter could only be described as a blessing. If you insist: a happy heart with the grace of God for a hat.

If you haven’t yet discovered these beatitudes for living, here they are: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, 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 theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3-10).

A final thought: I’m convinced that the happiness many seek is found in doing what Jesus upholds. This is the real lasting happiness–the kind that doesn’t go out when the party is over, or when beauty fades, or when resources fail.

Resource Reading: Matthew 5:13-30