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Introduction
The word ‘blessed’ occurred 50 times in the New Testament, 44
of which are beatitudes, 13 in Matthew; 15 in Luke; and 2 in John. Jesus’
blessings show four special things.
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The state of happiness or
blessedness is caused by the presence and the activity of Jesus. He blessed
happiness to those who are poor, hungry, weeping and hatred, not because these
persons have achieved anything themselves, but because the presence of Jesus
introduces the Kingdom of God. So those who are the happy people are not
embarrassed by who Jesus is and what he does.
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Blessings had become
associated with the new age of God’s rule (see Luke 14:15; Revelation 19:9).
So, when Jesus blessed people, he implies that the
kingdom
of God is already here. People of the Old Testament were not able to receive
such blessings. Therefore, the disciples of Jesus is truly blessed because
they are able to see and hear what the prophets and the righteous longed to
see (Matthew 13:6-17; Luke 10:23-24).
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The blessings of Jesus
are strange when compared with the practical wisdom of Old Testament. The
poor, the mourners, the meek, the hungry and the persecuted would not be
esteemed as happy by those who prize only earthly well-being; they would be
placed in the category of the unfortunate and miserable. By contrast, Jesus
announces, “Happy are the unhappy for God will make them happy.” Their
deliverance is not yet, but they should be fully conscious of God’s blessings
and favour.
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One might also say that
the blessings have the capacity to establish a new existence for the hearer
(see the connection in Isaiah 61). They bring forth what they declare.
(Adapted from an article by D. E. Garland)
Right at the start Jesus teaches us about what matters most
in life – not what we have or what we do but who we are
Eight
‘beautiful attitudes’
The first four are about our relationship with God
1. We are blessed when
we are poor - v. 3
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Dependent on others for support : the opposite of spiritual pride
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To
recognize how far short we fall of God’s standard
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To beg
for God’s mercy e.g tax collector (Luke
18 : 13)
2. We are blessed when
we are mourning - v. 4
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It is
not wrong to weep and mourn (Ecclesiastes 3 : 1, 4)
Jesus (John 11)
Paul (Philippians 3 : 18)
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Broken-hearted over our own poverty of spirit
Peter (Matthew 26 : 75)
3. We are blessed when
we are meek - v. 5
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Not
weak, spineless, feeble, lifeless or dreary, but gentle, considerate and
unassuming
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Strength under submission to God
Moses (Numbers 12 :3, RSV)
4. We are blessed when
we hunger and thirst for righteousness” (v. 6)
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A
consuming passion, a grand desire and an overwhelming ambition
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A
longing to live in a right relationship with God and other people
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When we
are really desperate God fills and satisfies our desire
Conclusion
The person who follows each of these steps in their
relationship with God will live under God’s blessing
For Discussion
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Make a list of the four or
five aspects of life which matter most to you. How do you think Jesus would
respond to your selection?
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Why is ‘happy’ an
inadequate way of translating what Jesus means by ‘blessed’? What would
be a better way of expressing this idea?
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What does it mean to be
‘poor in spirit’? What prevents people from developing this quality? How
about you?
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Under what circumstances
would it be right for a Christian to be unhappy? What specifically does Jesus
focus on here?
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What is meekness? How is it
related to inheriting the earth?
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What does ‘righteousness’
really mean? How desperate are you to be righteous? What tends to blunt your
enthusiasm in this area?
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