By show of hands, how many of you think you are blessed? Come on, don’t be bashful, being blessed is nothing to be ashamed of or feel embarrassed about. Do you believe you are blessed?
Amen. You can put your hands down. With so many of you thinking you are blessed, I’m curious as to why you believe you are blessed? Is it because you have a good job? Is it because you have a nice home and all the trimmings? Perhaps it’s because your life is going pretty good with no major concerns or challenges. You know, your bills are paid, you have a few dollars in savings, your health is good, and your family all gets along extremely well with one another.
That’s the type of blessedness we hear about from our friends on TV. They tell us that if we just believe and pray and have faith, we will be blessed not ten fold, not 20 fold, but 50 to a hundred fold. "Just think of the blessings you’ll receive if you send just $50.00 to our ministry", they say. Do you know what 100 times 50 is, my friend? "That’s what the Bible says in Matthew 13 - A hundredfold blessing", they shout.
They go on and say anything you need, a new car, a better house, a better job, or all your relationships will just magically be healed and everyone will get along, all you have to do is say a special prayer, believe and you will be blessed. "It’s all right here in God’s word", they say. And, to some degree, they are right. God’s word does say that for those who call on the Lord in prayer, He hears, and He answers. God is always faithful in blessing those who earnestly seek Him.
But the reality is, God never promised some of the things the TV preachers try to persuade people into believing. God never promised us monetary riches in this life. God never promised us mansions on the hill or a Mercedes in the drive. He never once promised we would be cured of all our ills in this life. And He never promised all of our relationships would be smooth as silk. What He promised is that He will always be faithful in blessing those who earnestly seek Him.
In our passage this morning we here Jesus repeat the phrase, "Blessed are, or blessed are those....." Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who morn, blessed are the meek..... and so on. Nine times in succession Jesus said "blessed are....."
So what does He mean blessed, or to be blessed. According to several reliable sources, this term, to be blessed, can best be summed up in three words - God's gracious favor. To be blessed, it to have God's gracious favor. To have God's gracious favor. Can you imagine that? We read of Mary, and Noah, and Abraham and Sarah - all who had God’s gracious favor.
Another translation defines blessedness as happiness. But not the earthly kind of happiness, which is derived from the Greek word 'hap', which means haphazard. To be happy, or blessed is to have an unshakeable joy, and peace, and contentment. A happiness, or joy which is completely independent of all the chances and the changes of life.
True blessedness, according to Elwell's Theological Dictionary, 'is the happy state of a man to where Christ's righteousness is imparted by faith.' Here again, happiness, or being blessed is to have - God's gracious favor.
How do we qualify or quantify God's gracious favor? The answer to that question is as diverse as we are, and as diverse as the plans God has for each of us. As opposed to God's grace, which is a free gift, God's favor is only achieved through right motives and a right relationship and with the Lord.
This morning, Jesus helps us understand what it means to be blessed in God's kingdom and the means by which it is possible. Jesus begins by saying blessed are the poor in spirit. Translated, "Blessed is the man who has realized his own utter helplessness, and who has put his whole trust in God."
Blessed is the man who knows God alone can bring him help, and hope, and strength. The man who is poor in spirit is the man who has realized that things mean nothing, and that God means everything.
Blessed are those who mourn. This beatitude carries with it several inclinations. Blessed is the man who has endured the bitterest sorrow that life can bring, and cries out to God. Blessed are those who mourn and cry out for the suffering of this world. But the main focus of this beatitude is - Blessed is the man who is desperately sorry for his own sin and his own unworthiness. Blessed is one who cries out to Christ for the forgiveness of sin, and for salvation.
Blessed are the meek. Simply put, blessed is the man who has self-control. One who may be extremely passionate, but exercises his passion through controlled, constructive behavior. Blessed is he who keeps his own pride in check and offers humility to thers.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed is the one who seeks the kingdom of God
Blessed are the merciful. The term merciful can best be described as forgiving. The New Testament is insistent that to be forgiven we must be forgiving. The Lord's Prayer underlines this imperative in these two verses, "Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors". "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses".
Blessed are the pure in heart. This beatitude is very demanding. There is no grey area or room for error. It clearly says, "Blessed is the man whose motives are always entirely unmixed, but fixed on God, for that man shall see God."
Blessed are the peacemakers. This beatitude is quite often misinterpreted. Some would argue that a peacemaker is a passivist. One who doesn't want trouble and will go to any extreme to avoid it, or one who will try anything to avoid confrontation or struggle, even to the point of giving in and compromising their beliefs - just to avoid an issue, or situation.
However, what this beatitude demands is not the passive acceptance of things because we are afraid of the trouble of doing anything about them, but the active facing of things, and the making of peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle. Another way to look at it is, Blessed are those who produce right relationships, even in the face of adversity and peril, for they are doing a godlike work!
And finally, Jesus says, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness" sake. As with the early Christians, we often find ourselves where we find a conflict between our business interests and our loyalty to Jesus Christ. Sometimes, our Christianity disrupts our social and family life. Families, friends and neighbors become divided. Every day we hear about the assaults on our belief from civic and governmental agencies.
Persecution is inevitable because the Church, when it really is the Church, and the Christian, when he really is a Christian, is bound to be the conscience of the nation and the conscience of society. Where there is good the Church and Christian must praise: where there is evil, the Church and Christian must condemn--and inevitably men will try to silence the troublesome voice of conscience.
Persecution of the faithful is surely a sign of faithfulness. And as William Barclay said, 'When a man has to suffer something for his faith, that is the way to the closest possible companionship with Christ.'
In many ways, we are a blessed people. But in may other ways, well, we fall quite a bit short. Honestly, are we poor in spirit? Do we mourn for the less fortunate, or our own shortfalls? Do we exercise self-control, or let our pride go before us?
Do we honestly seek the kingdom of God
Are you a peacemaker, a passivist, or one who just likes to stir the pot? Do you take a stand for your beliefs, or do you try to white wash or hide your Christianity so as to not be singled out?
Are you satisfied with the status quo? Do you want to have God’s gracious favor bestowed upon you? Jesus lays it out for us here this morning. He also tells us in Luke 11:13, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God - and keep it!"
Do you know God’s gracious favor?
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