Matthew 5:1-11
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
This doesn’t seem much like blessing to me and probably not to you either.
But notice that Jesus doesn’t say that being in these various conditions is a blessing, but rather that God blesses those who are caught in these states. Which makes me take notice. None of these persons, particularly in the first half of the list, would be called blessed by our culture. Pitied, perhaps, but not blessed.
Think about it: being desperate, or what Jesus calls poor in spirit; mourning loss; putting others first, what Jesus names meekness. It’s not just that these aren’t conditions we strive for, but that we do not consider those stuck in them to be blessed.
As for the next half of the list, our attitude may be more ambivalent. We may like the idea that some people hunger and thirst for righteousness, as long as they don’t bother us, don’t expect us to change in order that the world may be a more just place. Merciful sounds better, as long as it’s not interpreted as weakness. Purity of heart, similarly, as long as someone else’s purity doesn’t interfere with our goals. And while we may admire those who are willing to suffer for their beliefs, we don’t necessarily consider them blessed.
Yet Jesus calls them just that. The Greek word used here – makarios – can be translated in a number of different ways. In addition to “blessed,” it can mean “happy,” “fortunate,” “well off,” and more. But perhaps the most satisfying definition in the context of Jesus’ teaching to his disciples is “favored by God.”
When we are in these difficult circumstances, that is, we have God’s favor, God’s attention, God’s care and concern. Again, we must be clear – this does not mean that God desires such conditions for us, but rather that when we are in such straights, God is present, supporting, caring, seeing, and blessing.
This teaching – that God favors and cares for those the world is likely to forget, if not despise – constitutes the heart and soul of Jesus’ ministry and mission. For he is the one, as Matthew reminded us at the outset of his Gospel, who is Emmanuel, “God with us.” And so he starts his mission and ministry by gathering his followers on a mountain to give them a picture of the heart of the God who gives law that we may have life and who blesses even those who seem most unlikely to warrant God’s attention and favor. Including, even, us.
Prayer: Dear God, remind us that we – and all those around us – have found favor in your sight and that no matter where we go, what we may do, or what may happen to us, you are with us and call us blessed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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