GoD Blesses
I enjoy the mountains. They provide unparalleled nature for me to escape from Berlin city life for a time. I find them impossibly high and powerful. At the same time I stand in awe of their beauty and grace.
This summer my family and I enjoyed a holiday in the beautiful Swiss Alps. As I enjoyed the beauty of creation, I remembered the important role mountains played in Jesus’ life and ministry.
Photo of my family in the mountains by Jody Esguerra
In Matthew 5:3-10, Jesus stood on top of a large hill or small mountain and taught, "the Beatitudes.” This list of blessings begins the Sermon on the Mount and give us the most comprehensive and practical teaching of Jesus. He said,
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
These eight blessings describe people walking with Jesus. They show the character and actions of those in an active relationship with God.
Jesus did not intend for us to “pick and choose” which blessings we want, like ordering pizza by the slice. No, Jesus intended these blessings to be taken together, like eight slices of one whole pizza. This means that if we walk with Jesus, each of these characteristics should be present in some area of our lives.
When I consider this truth, I feel quite overwhelmed. Even though I believe in Jesus and seek to honor him in my life, I still lack many of the attitudes and dispositions described in The Beatitudes. Like the impressive mountains I saw this summer, these blessings tower impossibly high above me. Left with my own abilities, I cannot achieve the character described in this passage.
Photo of the mountain in Lenk, Switzerland by Jody Esguerra
Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t expect us to achieve these results on our own. Instead, he give us his Spirit who develops these characteristics in our lives. Jesus lived out this character by blessing the world with his humility, love, and grace. He finalized this blessing through his perfect life, his sacrificial death, and his victorious resurrection from the grave. So when we turn away from sin and turn to Jesus, God transfers His character to us, encouraging and empowering us by his Spirit to receive and live out God’s blessing.
With God’s help, the beatitudes change from an unattainable spiritual state to a gift of his goodness and grace. Because Jesus was poor, mourned, humble, just, merciful, pure, peaceful, and persecuted, through him we share his Kingdom, comfort, inheritance, satisfaction, mercy, and relationship with the Father as a child of God. In Jesus, the beatitudes become realities of God’s beauty and grace on display in our lives.
Want to learn more about how God blesses those who follow Jesus? Join us at our next Explore The Bible event next Tuesday evening!
