The Blessed Life
READ
This week we’re studying the beginning of one of the most famous sermons ever given: Jesus’ sermon on the mount.
Let’s take a moment to read Matthew 5:3-12:
He said: “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.”
REFLECT
These verses are some of the most popular verses in the Bible and yet, if we’re honest, they don’t really reflect how we operate. We don’t live in a world that honors the meek, the poor in spirit. We don’t live in a world that elevates the merciful, the peacemakers.
No, according to the world’s rules:
You should hustle, work hard, fight your way to the top so that you can be successful and build your own kingdom.
Grief is for the weak. Wipe your tears and pull up your bootstraps and carry on.
Don’t be naive or you’ll be taken advantage of.
When people insult you (or your beliefs), you should defend yourself, villainize them, and/or completely cut them out of your life. Who needs that negativity anyways?!
It doesn’t take but just a few moments on social media to scroll through and see posts and reels of people living by the world’s rules. And none of us can judge, because we’ve all done it in one way or another.
But Jesus is inviting us into His way of living and what the Kingdom of God looks like in contrast to this world’s ways:
Where the world offers strife and division, Jesus calls us to be peacemakers.
Where the world tells us to ignore or distract ourselves from hard things, Jesus calls us to mourn.
While the world blesses the hustlers, Jesus says blessed are the meek and poor in spirit.
When the world rewards those who chase after comfort and materialism, Jesus says blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
And here’s the interesting thing, Jesus doesn’t say that if we do these things we’ll be blessed and highly favored here on earth. No, Jesus isn’t jumping on the “hashtag blessed” trend we see online. No, He simply calls those who mirror His ways, “Blessed.”
Why is that? And what does that even mean?
It’s no surprise that if the ways of Jesus are different from the ways of the world, His use of the word blessed is also different. The Greek word for “blessed” in these passages is “makarios” which means “fortunate, happy” and the Hebrew counterpart for this word is “ashrey” which means “the good life.”
Now, why am I getting in the weeds with Greek and Hebrew on this?
Because the world says the road to the blessed life looks one way, but Jesus redefines what the blessed life looks like and it looks nothing like the picture the world has painted for us! And if we’re using Jesus’ ways to gain a happy life according to the standards of our world, we’ll come up short every time because the Sermon on the Mount isn’t a to-do list for prosperity and popularity. It’s a picture of Jesus and how His kingdom operates.
This passage is showing us that the blessed life, the good life, is found in the upside down ways of the Kingdom, and that “blessedness” isn’t something you can find apart from Christ. Jesus is giving us an invitation to a rule of life that doesn’t quite make sense here on earth, but it points to beauty and goodness and restoration that are all found in Him.
What Jesus is saying in these verses is that the person who is blessed is the one who forsakes the ways of this world and accepts His rule of life. In John 10:10 Jesus tells us that He came so we could have life, and life abundantly. And this passage tells us that those who accept that invitation? Well, they have found abundant life, the blessed life indeed.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
What does a fortunate, happy life look like according to our world? In what ways do you tend to pursue “a blessed life” or a good life by the world’s standards?
What would it look like for you to accept the invitation to living a blessed life using Jesus’ definition and ways found in these verses?
Reread the verses, which of the “blessed’s” stands out to you and why?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Lord, thank you for your holy word. Thank you that you say your word is living and active and has the power to change hearts. God would you help reshape my heart to long after the blessed life that Jesus described in these verses? Would you open my eyes to the lies that this world is selling me about where happiness is found? Lord, your word says that life and life abundantly is found in you, so would you help me to believe that with my heart, my mind, and my actions today. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.
Port City writer Brittany Salmon wrote today’s devotional.