Recently, my pastor preached a powerful series on the Beatitudes, and it opened my eyes to the depth and beauty of these words from Christ. Though short in length, the Beatitudes are rich with spiritual wisdom and promises of blessing for believers.
Found at the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, this passage marks His first recorded teaching to the disciples. While the full sermon spans three chapters (Matthew 5–7), these opening verses set the tone for kingdom living and reveal the heart of God’s call to His people. I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned with you.
The Sermon on the Mount
5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:1-12
The Beatitudes offer a beautiful framework through which we can understand and appreciate the character of Christ. Each Beatitude emphasizes a specific virtue or moral value that Christ embodied and encouraged in his followers. By reflecting on these Beatitudes, we can gain insights into the virtues and moral values that Christ embodied. They serve as a guide for us to cultivate these qualities in our own lives and to follow the example of Christ in our relationships with others.
“If we are blessed, we will strive to possess and pursue the characteristics Jesus speaks of in the Beatitudes, and as we demonstrate them in this world, we will be persecuted. But if we are self-absorbed, self-centered, hard-hearted, unmerciful, divisive, and arrogant, then we not only aren’t blessed, we aren’t saved. But if the conditions and characteristics of the Beatitudes are true of us, we are blessed.”
Burk Parsons
Let’s take a closer look at the Beatitudes and how they shed light on the character of Christ:
- “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This highlights Christ’s humility and his recognition of the spiritual poverty of humanity, inviting us to rely on God’s grace. When we first think of being “poor in spirit” we assume it means to lack something we’re supposed to have. However, being “poor in spirit” is actually us recognizing that we are nothing aside from God because our natural character is sinful.
- “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Christ shows compassion and empathy, extending comfort to those who are grieving for their sin and offering them hope through salvation. While God does comfort those who are mourning for many reasons, this Beatitude is specifically referring to us grieving over our own sins toward God and being comforted with His grace and mercy.
- “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Christ demonstrated gentleness and meekness, teaching us to walk in humility and self-control. We are to rest in God’s sovereignty and not steal His glory by trying to control everything ourselves. We are to trust God to do what He promises and not retaliate when we are faced with adversaries and troubles.
- “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” In this Beatitude, Christ emphasized the importance of pursuing His righteousness and seeking God in all aspects of life. We can never have enough of God and we should always be striving for a better relationship with Him and a deeper understanding of His Word. We will be satisfied eternally if we rely on God the same way we rely on food and water to live.
- “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Christ exemplified forgiveness and mercy, urging us to extend the same compassion to others that we have received from God. The Greek word used for “mercy” and “merciful” here is elee. It means to have compassion or show pity to another who is in deep need. God shows us immeasurable mercy and because of that, we should do the same for others. Mercy is compassion in action.
- “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Christ emphasized the need for sincerity and purity of heart, teaching us to align our motives and desires with God’s will. The only way this is possible is if we have been born again and God has given us a “clean heart” like we see in Psalm 51:10-12.
- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Christ advocated for reconciliation, urging us to actively pursue harmony and unity among all people. Being a peacemaker requires inner peace with God before outward peace can be accomplished. Peacemakers are not passive and they do not avoid conflict. They are actively committed to the Truth and sharing it with the world the same way Jesus did.
- “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Persecution is the act of being rejected in this world for being like Jesus. Christ’s teaching often brought opposition, and he encouraged his followers to remain steadfast in their faith, even in the face of persecution.
- “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” If we are living like Christ and not like the world, we will be persecuted. Jesus says this is a good thing because it means we are acting out His commands and for that, we will be rewarded. Actively practicing these Beatitudes and all of God’s commandments will not provide us with immediate approval of man, but it will give us an eternal reward in heaven.
Living out the Beatitudes can only be accomplished by those who have been born again because being aware of our iniquities, wanting righteousness, the ability to be merciful, having a pure heart, and being committed to the Truth can only happen with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is clear that living like Jesus will cause persecution but it should be considered a blessing because we will be rewarded for it in heaven.
“The Beatitudes do not teach us what we must do to earn the kingdom; the Beatitudes speak of the blessings of those who have been redeemed.”
Brandon Crowe
As followers of Christ, let’s commit to aligning our hearts with God’s will by living out the Beatitudes daily—reflecting His grace, humility, and love in all we do.
Dawn Zauner 