Blessed

Jesus’ time on earth was focused on doing the will of His Father and that included preaching and teaching. One such teaching took place on a mountainside as He taught what is know as the “Beatitudes”:“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 children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-11)If you notice, every blessing feels more like solemn declarations instead of a benefit or favor. In some cases it feels like blessings only come to those who experience sadness, longing, persecution, etc. Obviously these aren’t things that would make anyone happy. If anything it portrays the Christian life as troublesome and filled with trial. This is a plausible conclusion if you only hear the first part of His teaching. What Jesus is teaching are the truths of living in today’s world. But to those who believe, Jesus is offering reassurance and promise.There is a future hope and eternal joy for those whom Jesus calls “Blessed”.