The Beatitudes

This morning, I was awakened about 2:30 with an annoying pain in my leg. I couldn't go back to sleep so I got up, fixed myself a pot of coffee and sat in the living room, sipping on a cup of coffee. I was thinking about a gift I had received for Christmas. I was given two marble plaques that rest on wooden stands. One has the Ten Commandments on it and the other has The Beatitudes listed. I proudly display them both on the table in my foyer so anyone who comes through my front door will see them. It was amazing to me that so few people knew what The Beatitudes were, and I was blessed with the pleasure of explaining them. I would like to share that explanation here on my blog following the list as written in God's word, Matthew 5:3-10.

"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 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 sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

The Beatitudes are the eight openly made statements of blessedness spoken by Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. They describe the ideal disciple and his rewards, both now and in the future. If you look up the word "blessed" in the dictionary, the meaning is to "make holy". The Greek word translated "blessed" means "spiritual well-being and prosperity", referring to the deep joy of the soul. The word "beatitude" is defined in the dictionary as "complete happiness". Those who experience the first aspect of a beatitude (poor, mourn, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure, peacemakers, and persecuted) will also experience the second aspect of the beatitude (kingdom of Heaven, comfort, inherit the earth, filled, mercy, see God, called sons of God, inherit the kingdom of Heaven). The blessed have a share in salvation and have entered the kingdom of God. The person Jesus describes in this passage has a different quality of character and lifestyle than those still "outside the kingdom".

Well, the pain in my leg has gone away, so I think I will try to go back to sleep for awhile. I don't want to be a grump all day. I wonder if Jesus would be upset if I mentally added another "beatitude" for one day. "Blessed are the weary, for they will find energy".

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY AT THE BOTTOM OF BLOG