Upside-Down
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3-12
I won’t go into specifics on each of Jesus’ 8 statements. For that, I encourage you to listen to the sermon from last Sunday (13.10.24).
But let’s just take the opportunity to reflect on the ‘spirit’ of Jesus’ commands. Maybe you could call it the sermon behind the sermon.
Here is a question I need to continually ask myself. What do I think the blessed life looks like? I’ll be honest - it’s a far cry from Jesus’ description.
For instance, I know a guy who retired at 35 and now plays golf around 2-3 times a week. And there is a part of me that says, that’s it. That’s the blessed life? But is it?
Jesus says the blessed life looks very different to the version our world puts forward. Our world says the blessed one is someone who is content because they have everything. But Jesus says, blessed is the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness.
Our world says the blessed one is someone who is perfectly safe. Jesus says blessed is the one who is persecuted for their faith.
The question for us is who do we believe? Do we believe the TV shows and the advertising that preach to us their own sermons? Or do we believe Jesus, God the Son, who not only spoke on the mountain but by His Word created all things?
For Today:
Pray:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3-12
I won’t go into specifics on each of Jesus’ 8 statements. For that, I encourage you to listen to the sermon from last Sunday (13.10.24).
But let’s just take the opportunity to reflect on the ‘spirit’ of Jesus’ commands. Maybe you could call it the sermon behind the sermon.
Here is a question I need to continually ask myself. What do I think the blessed life looks like? I’ll be honest - it’s a far cry from Jesus’ description.
For instance, I know a guy who retired at 35 and now plays golf around 2-3 times a week. And there is a part of me that says, that’s it. That’s the blessed life? But is it?
Jesus says the blessed life looks very different to the version our world puts forward. Our world says the blessed one is someone who is content because they have everything. But Jesus says, blessed is the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness.
Our world says the blessed one is someone who is perfectly safe. Jesus says blessed is the one who is persecuted for their faith.
The question for us is who do we believe? Do we believe the TV shows and the advertising that preach to us their own sermons? Or do we believe Jesus, God the Son, who not only spoke on the mountain but by His Word created all things?
For Today:
- Have another listen to the sermon from this passage.
- Pick one of Jesus’ statements and reflect on what it means for you.
- Take a few minutes to think on what you believe the blessed life looks like.
Pray:
- Praise the Father, Son & Spirit that they are blessed.
- Give thanks for Jesus who lived a blessed life and taught us His ways.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others trust in Jesus and pursue living His way.
Posted in Matthew
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