Lessons From the Beatitudes

The Beatitudes

The Beatitudes were taught by Jesus when He came back from the wilderness after fasting for forty days an being tempted of the devil. Matthew wrote them in the gospel which he wrote.

Matthew 5;1. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2. And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Poor in spirit to me means those who are broken, beaten down, bruised, etc. . . Not because of how they live, but because of their belief in Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Jesus will be broken and bruised by those who do not believe.

They are blessed because they are believers in Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the truth and the Life. He is the only one who brings the kingdom of God to men.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Anyone who mourns will be comforted, but only if they know Jesus and receive Him according to the Word of God. Many try to make their own way and in doing so, they're actually saying their way is better than God's way.

Jesus told His disciples just before He went up to meet the cloud, to go into the upper room and wait there until the Comforter comes and endues them with power. There is comfort in the Holy Ghost, just as there was comfort in Jesus before he ascended back into heaven.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Meekness to me means quiet strength. This is one subject I really fall way short on. I have trouble at times keeping my mouth shut and it causes problems much of the time.

From this we can learn to be quiet. Silence is something that cannot be misquoted. Jesus stood seemingly helpless and weak before Pilate. Strength is not in overpowering another person, it is overcoming the agony, fear and pain of death.

Jesus taught self denial, and denied Himself by keeping His mouth shut while they judged Him a sinner.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Righteousness is the faithfulness of God concerning His children. It is the justification of all who do accept God on His terms. It is of God and Him alone. There is no righteousness outside of God.

We must long for the righteousness of God so much so that we feel that we may not make it without it. This is the hunger that we need to have each and everyone of us. Without it, we will simply just dry up.

Eating disorders are commonplace in the time that we now live. People with Anorexia and Bulimia are among the most talked about. Bulimia is the act of causing one to regurgitate food after eating. Usually it is done after binge eating.

Anorexia is caused by starvation of oneself. Most of the time it is due to the fact that the person thinks they are fat. The image stays with them even after they are down to skin and bones. There is a line where a person with Anorexia is unable to eat or hold anything down. If they do not go into a hospital they will just starve to death.

What I learn from this verse of scripture is that I must long for righteousness and the goodness of God. If I stop hungering after Him, I will dry up and die spiritually.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Have mercy upon me my Lord!!! God is merciful. In fact His mercy endures forever. A christian must be merciful in order to receive mercy from God. Many have different ideas of what mercy really is.

Mercy is showing compassion upon someone who in actuality doesn't really deserve it. Jesus had compassion upon many who were undeserving of compassion. I, myself, am one of those many.

There also were some who don't receive the compassion or mercy of God. Mercy can be given, as it can also be rejected.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Pure in heart is impossible for man to be on his own. The heart of man is deceptive, dark, full of micheif and evil. It takes God to make one pure in heart. It is the only way to be pure in heart actually.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

There is a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is the peace of God that is upon those who receive Him. True peace cannot come about by man's own strength. There can be an image of peace, but not real peace.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Persecutions come and go constantly agsainst the Church of God. Sometimes I get persecuted but there is always someone somewhere being persecuted simply because they believe God and have received Him.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

I am reviled by many. I am hated just as the world hates Jesus. I cannot overcome these feelings I have at times on my own. It is hard to sit back and let people talk evil about you.

When all is done.

After everything is finished, it comes down to one single point. Submission to the will of God. One cannot be any of these things until their heart is given completely to God through acceptance of Jesus Christ.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

One must receive Jesus in order to be called a Son or daughter of God. I have received Him personally. I am not all of the things which are listed above, I have merely begun my journey to become them. I am reminded daily to take it all slowly and diligently. One day at a time just as the song says.

One day I will be able to say say that I am perfect in the Lord Jesus Christ. Until that day, I will be a perfect example of imperfection.