Beatitudes 2022                                 Matthew 5:3-10

I was listening to a friend speak on the beatitudes the other week and he got me thinking. Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount, which the beatitudes are a part of over 2000 years ago.  I started to wonder what they would be like if given today.

Blessed are the poor in spirit… No, no, no, no; blessed are the self assured and the confident. Blessed are those who are courageous enough to see something and are secure enough in their own abilities to go out and get it. I want more money, I’m going to work my way up the ladder and step over others to get it. I want to be a leader so I’m going to say whatever it takes to get others to follow me.

Blessed are the poor in spirit; those who want what is beyond this life, those who want peace with God. Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who know they have no hope of heaven on their own and turn to Christ and the cross. They are the truly blessed. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn. I don’t think so. Blessed are those who lament what they don’t have or what they lost? Blessed are those who only see absence in their lives. I don’t think so. Blessed are the proud and the bold. Blessed are the ones who are bold enough to push others out of the way, those bold enough to grab the brass ring even if others are hurt in the process. Blessed are the proud and the bold for they will stand atop the pile of rubble and ruined lives they leave in their wake as they fight to gain their desires.

Blessed are those who mourn, those affected by loss, those who share in the pain of others. Blessed are those who see the power and influence of others and look to God to find their place in the world. Even the most faithful will lament at times but they know the prize is not on earth, the prize is heaven and they gain peace from that. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek. Ok, we know this is wrong. Blessed are those that are strong enough,    forceful enough, angry enough not to allow themselves to be pushed down or walked around. You will not make me come in second. You will not put me down. Try to step over me and watch out, you’ll find me a hard enemy to deal with. These people are blessed; they’re the ones who come out on top.

Blessed are the meek; not meek out of weakness, meek out of strength. Meek; not boastful in myself, not prideful in my own abilities, no angry and forceful pushing others out of my way, not belligerent until others give in to me. Meek; polite, empathetic, compassionate, loyal. Meek; strength from knowing God. Strength from knowing the Holy Spirit is living in you. Meek; strength from knowing the cross gains you everything. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Nope, blessed are those that work hard and obtain their dreams no matter who gets cast aside along the way. I can’t feed all the hungry  or make a real difference to those living in third world countries so I’ll just focus on making an empire for me and mine because my self worth comes from what I accomplish for me.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. No I can’t cure all the world’s ills but does that mean I should ignore the couple down the street because they live different than me? Does it mean I should pick on the poor family in my neighborhood because they don’t live in the best house or wear the best cloths? Does it mean I should assert my will on others or look the other way as one country makes war on another out of pure aggression?

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Jesus has a thousand reasons to turn his back on me yet he went to the cross for me because it was what God wanted and because it was right. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who see the wrong in society and work against it. Blessed are those who understand the depth of meaning in Jesus words “Love your neighbor.” Blessed are those who give aide to the poor, the hungry, the infirm and the lost. Blessed are those who dedicate their lives to making the lives of others better.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. These souls will be filled with a sense of purpose, a sense of satisfaction; a sense of God.

Blessed are the merciful, and to God part of mercy is forgiveness. What, no. You did me wrong and I have the right to hold a grudge; you cheated on me, you went behind my back, you let me take the blame for what you did, you wronged me.

We don’t like to think of the sin in our lives but try for just a minute. All the things I’ve done against God and he showers his grace and mercy on me. He forgives me for what I’ve done and he even forgives me for things I haven’t done yet. So yes, I should forgive; but remember forgiveness doesn’t equate to trust. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean putting yourself back into an abusive relationship. I know a young man who was emotionally abused by his mother for years, he has forgiven her but he set up boundaries so it doesn’t happen again.

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. By showing mercy God knows we understand his mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart… God I have to be perfect at all this before you bless me? No,     God knows we can’t. What God wants is for us to keep him in our minds and hearts; God, I’m having a hard time forgiving this one, please help; God, I know I was wrong, help me make things right. By your faith in Christ and your keeping God in your mind and heart you are fulfilling Jesus commandments of loving God above all else and loving your neighbor above yourself. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers. The Bible tells us there are things God expects us to do and things he expects us to avoid. But we need to temper this by the example of Christ. Nicodemus came to him,       Jesus didn’t say, “You’re a Pharisee, you don’t understand, just go away.” When the adulteress was brought to him he didn’t say, “Well, I guess you did it now, getting stoned is going to hurt.” When the woman washed his feet with her tears Jesus didn’t say, “Don’t touch me.” And when Peter denied him Jesus didn’t say to him, “Well Pete, that’s just one too many times you messed up, you’re out.”

Jesus continuously lived what he preached. He may not have agreed but he always treated people with love of the Father. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.

Can we be called children of God and followers of Christ if we let prejudice and hate and fear rule our actions? Christ brought peace to those he encountered. By our faith we are at peace with God our creator. As Christians, peace should be our driving force as we live for God. 

Blessed are those who persecuted because of righteousness. Now you’ve gone too far. I don’t mind trying to live the best I can but now you’re telling me I’m going to be ridiculed for it? Philippians 1:29, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for him.” I’ve refused to go to dinners with friends, gave up going to a Giants football game because I had worship to attend. I’ve openly prayed and thanked God and I’ve been teased and ridiculed for it. Yesterday was our son’s birthday and I’ve had people say, “All that praying and he still died,” All my praying and God ended his pain and brought him to paradise.

As followers of Christ God tells us to keep the right perspective. As followers of Christ, God tells us that if others think less of us because of our faith so be it. It is better for us to have men think less of us and have God hold us in his hand. It is better for us to be looked at as something different, as people who hold ourselves to a higher standard; to God’s standard.

Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” In Christ I am stronger than the ridicule. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

No one is perfect, there will be times each of us follows the beatitudes of 2022. But by keeping Christ in our minds and hearts; by making our faith and worship paramount in our lives, we will move to follow Jesus beatitudes much more closely.

Beatitude means blessing. Today Jesus tells us the blessings that we have in following him. We will be comforted. We will be satisfied. We will be known as children of God. And we will inherit the kingdom of God and live forever in his holy presence.

God Bless.