A Confession
I have to confess, I have not contemplated, steeped in, or spent enough time in, the Sermon on the Mount; not as often as I should — as I must.
The Beatitudes describe the ideal disciple and his rewards, both present and future. Each is a Proverb-like proclamation, without narrative; each is somewhat cryptic yet incredibly precise — full of heart wrenching application and meaning.
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.
St Gregory of Nyssa, a theologian who lived in Cappadocia in Asia Minor around 380 AD, described the Beatitudes this way: “[The] Beatitude is a possession of all things held to be good, from which nothing is absent that a good desire may want”
Granted, beatitude is an old, fancy word that ostensibly means blessed. We use the word blessing a lot. We ask God to bless our family, bless us, we even say “bless you” when someone sneezes! When you ask people what blessing means, you may get a lot of different answers. Perhaps the meaning of beatitude may become clearer to us if it is compared with its opposite, blight or misery. Let that percolate...
So what is your blessing?
Leave a comment, tell us how you believe
you are blessed ⤵️