The Beatitudes
Read: Matthew 5:3-12
In the beatitudes, Jesus makes pronouncements to the crowds and religious leaders concerning
the nature of life in the Kingdom. The Beatitudes all begin with “…blessed are…” from the Latin
beatus, which means blessed or happy. Blessed is more than a temporary feeling of happiness.
Jesus is talking about a state of well-being in relationship to God that belongs to those who respond
to Jesus ministry rightly. The beatitudes outline the attitude of the true disciple, the one who has
accepted the demands of God’s Kingdom. The rewards of discipleship are therefore contained in
the second half of each verse although we must remember that God’s timeline is often not like our
own. These verses remind us of future rewards; that growing as a disciple of Christ is not in vain.
“Poor in spirit” does not speak of material poverty but rather that those who have a humble heart
and trust in God, even when their loyalty results in oppression or material disadvantage. They will
receive His Kingdom one day. What a promise! What a motivation to grow in dependence on God!
“Those who mourn” does not necessarily refer to the bereaved but rather those who see the losses
that sin brings into their lives and therefore long for God’s forgiveness and healing. “The meek” are
the gentle, who do not assert themselves over others in order to further their own agendas. They
trust that God will position them so they don’t have to position themselves. “Those who hunger
and thirst” recognize that God is the source of real righteousness so they long for His righteous
character in their lives. They desire a relationship of obedience and trust. He promises that this
desire will be satisfied. “Mercy” is kindness and forgiveness shown to others. “Pure in heart” are
those whose pursuit of purity and uprightness affect every area of their lives. They love God with
all their heart, with an undivided loyalty. “Peacemakers” are those who promote God’s messianic
peace as they reflect the character of their Heavenly Father.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Thank the Lord for the rewards that He will give you one day as you seek to live as a true
disciple. Go through each reward in the passage, thanking Him for each one.
2. As you read each beatitude ask the Lord which ones you are doing well in and which ones He
would like you to work on. Then spend a few moments thanking Him for what He showed you
and listen in prayer for an action strategy to grow as His disciple in that area.
3. Ask the Lord to pour His happiness or joy into your life as you seek to live as His disciple.
