Blessed Are The
What does it look like to be like Jesus?
It can be overwhelming to think about the perfection of Jesus and the imperfection of ourselves.
The Bible is filled with charges, proverbs and parables of what it looks like to live like Jesus. My favorite, though, is Matthew 5, also known as the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes.
What exactly are beatitudes? Well, that’s a great question! Like it sounds, “be-atitudes” are best described as the attitudes (or characteristics) that a believer should “be,” hence the name.
Throughout Matthew 5, Jesus clearly lays out what believers should aspire to do and be.
In verses 3–12, we are presented with traits that should be practiced in our pursuit of Jesus. Every Christian is responsible for living out these attitudes. And no, we don’t get to pick and choose our favorite ones. Instead, we are called to live out all of them.
The cool thing is that when we participate in the beatitudes, we are able to recognize one another because of it. Not only should these attitudes describe each individual believer, but they should describe the Church as a whole.
Let’s dig a little deeper in Matthew 5:3–12:
At the foundation of living like Jesus, we have to recognize our need for Jesus.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
First off, the word blessed in the Greek means happy. Happiness, not based on our circumstances or surroundings, but happiness in a different form. In this verse, happiness is described as being completely satisfied in God.
Okay, now that we are using the world blessed correctly and not as a trendy hashtag, we can move on to what it means to be poor in spirit.
By nature, humans were created with purpose and dignity. When sin entered the world in Genesis 3, our spiritual condition changed.
Even though we still have purpose and dignity as image bearers of God, our spiritual condition made us enemies of God. When we acknowledge that we are poor in spirit, we are confessing that we are totally sinful and in need of God’s help.
This confession isn’t a type of self hatred or apathetic disposition. By the power of the Holy Spirit, our eyes are opened to the depths of our sin.
This first beatitude is the foundation of the Christian life. Being poor in spirit is a prerequisite for Jesus.
God doesn’t say that the perfect will gain the Kingdom. He says that the poor of spirit will. Which let’s be honest, is so comforting. We have nothing to offer for eternal life. Not our good works or morality. Charles Spurgeon sums it up nicely, “Not what I have, but what I have not, is the first point of contact, between my soul and God.” We have nothing to bring God — it’s actually our lack of that makes salvation possible and necessary. It is the work of God in our lives that makes us Kingdom citizens.
We become Kingdom citizens through the work of the gospel. As we walk through the beatitudes, we see an important key is the use of ‘for’ that acts as a sort of cause and effect in each beatitude. The blessings we receive does not come from being spiritually bankrupt, the blessing comes from the fact that they will get the Kingdom. Despite our spiritual bankruptcy, God offers eternal life to us.
Once we acknowledge that we are poor in spirit, how should we respond?
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Mourning is not a casual act. Instead, it’s a godly response to a painful or devastating situation. This response leads us to repentance which ultimately leads to salvation (2 Cor. 7:10).
As Christians, we recognize our complete need for God. Because of our sin and the consequences of those sins, we mourn. We cry out to God, who alone can bring comfort to the sinner. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we find rest.
This leads us to verse 5, which is the first time we see a beatitude that applies to how we treat others.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Many times people equate the word meek with being a push-over. Walking in meekness, however, means that we walk as someone who has strength under control. A person who walks in humility is free from anger and a hostile spirit.
This verse is asking believers to use restraint and walk in obedience to God rather than obedience to personal desires. A meek person denies their sin nature and chooses to walk like Jesus in the treatment of others.
However, this can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we walk in obedience and self-control, we walk as people of God. Do you remember what verse 5 says about the people of God? Yep, it’s the people of God who have hope of inheriting the earth.
By an earthly standard, it’s easy to think that the meek do not gain the big promotion, respect of others, money and power. But, Jesus is saying the exact opposite. Those who walk in meekness, the people of God who control their anger and seek the good of others, they are the people who will inherit much.
Living the Christian life has many facets. When we acknowledge that being poor in spirit also looks like mourning our sins, we’re ultimately striving for obedience and self-control. With God’s strength, we’re given an actual desire to seek for righteousness.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Having a hunger and thirst for righteousness isn’t like grabbing a quick protein bar and bottle of water. It’s a deep hunger that longs for satisfaction in the truth of God. This desire for righteousness is intense and a sign of a healthy Christian.
It can be hard for most of us to imagine what it looks like to starve for something. When we want food, we have it delivered. When we want a new pair of shoes, we search online and can have them on our doorstep in 1–2 business days. We live in a world of ease. When we hunger for something, it usually isn’t righteousness. We have the tendency to hunger for money, power, comfort or entertainment.
It’s a daily fight, but instead of feeding into our selfish desires, we have to push into these godly desires that God gives us. We must invest in the desire for righteousness. As Christians, we must push into the desire to be more like Jesus, not run from it or push it aside. At the end of the day, when we pursue God, we’ll get to experience the fullest form of satisfaction we can ever know.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
God’s mercy was shown to us at the moment of salvation. God’s mercy allowed us to mourn over sin, and it was an act of mercy that God continues to allow us to experience a relationship with Him. In the same way, the Christian not only experiences mercy, but is called to show mercy.
By showing mercy to others, we can be a light to those in our life. Mercy looks like protecting those who are weak, bringing comfort to those who mourn and forgiving those who wrong us. When we start thinking of others’ needs before our own, we show compassion and are ultimately concerned with the souls of mankind.
God showed us grace and mercy, even when we were still in our sin. How much more should we show mercy to others?
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
The pure heart is the heart that is completely devoted to God. It’s a heart that doesn’t push God aside for idols or selfish desires, but instead, is focused on keeping God the center of everything they do.
When we strive for purity of heart, we grow a deeper relationship and understanding of God. When God is the focus of our hearts, intimacy with Him grows because there isn’t anything distracting us from that intimacy.
This leads us to verse 9,
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Being a peacemaker isn’t someone who lives in peace. Being a peacemaker is someone who brings peace. Being a peacemaker is a person of action, or someone who fights against evil with good. This can be accomplished by living out and spreading the gospel. It’s the work of Jesus that brings true peace and reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18).
The peacemakers are advocates of the gospel.
And it’s the peacemakers that are called sons of God. At the end of the day, we have the ultimate reward when we bring peace into the world, because we’re recognized as God’s children. It’s peacemakers that share the same desire for peace and reconciliation that God desires for the world.
As we come to the end of the beatitude passage, we see a weird thing happen in Matthew 5.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 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.”
You read that right.
The Christian is called “blessed” when faced with persecution. Believers walk in meekness, show mercy and strive to have a pure heart. And yet, we will still face persecution for our faith.
The beatitudes aren’t a to-do list for us to accomplish so that we experience blessings and ease. It’s actually the opposite. When we pursue God above all, we will face situations that will lead to suffering. Unlike what you may think, this suffering is what helps to strengthen our faith.
Just as being poor in spirit is the foundation of the Christian life, persecution is the cherry on top. I’m not speaking of the kind of suffering that is brought on by our own sin, but instead, the type of suffering caused by standing for truth.
When we walk in faith despite pain and persecution, we’re given endurance. It’s a comfort to know that early Christians were also persecuted. From being falsely accused to immorality, the Christians from years past persevered. Hardship didn’t stop them. They pursued God, regardless of the opinions of others or the physical pain brought to them.
Not only did they endure, they also rejoiced. Friends, we’re called to do the same.
Jesus shared these “beatitudes” as a road map for the Christian. From the moment of repentance to the endurance in persecution, we are called to pursue God above everything else.
We can faithfully sing,
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
