2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
These first words of the public ministry of Jesus belong at the top of the list of the most subversive statements ever made. They are more powerful than “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal…”, “We the people …” or “I have a dream”. They cut to the heart of the principles that societies are built upon: self-gratification, self-preservation, and success through strength. If it is true that the meek will succeed in life, not the aggressive, then most of us have been playing by the wrong rules for our whole lives. When the most basic rules of life are changed, then everything changes.
If you have read this far, then it is safe to assume you hold the belief that the Word of God is true. BUT, do you believe it? What if it isn’t just a theological treatise to be affirmed, but is actually true in real life? Does that change things? Has that truth penetrated your assumptions and attitudes? Have they changed not just your behaviors, but your world view? For example, have you embraced the fact that being merciful to someone is vastly more important than convincing him/her that they are wrong? Has being merciful taken a higher place in your life than being right?
I hope you will wrestle with each of the nine “blessed are” statements, asking yourself, “What if this really is the way the world works?” “Have I been going about life all wrong?” These statements will change whole nations one heart at a time. Are you next?
