Matthew 5:1-9
5 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
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 they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Daily Devotion
I’ve always liked reading the Beatitudes, and the scriptures that follow. Like most of Jesus’s teaching it is easy to read and understand. Just because they are easy to read doesn’t mean that they are not challenging.
Matthew 5:3-4 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Having the kingdom of heaven, and being comforted sounds great, but I think most of us would like the blessing to come without loss.
Matthew 5:5-9 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 be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God.
These last four scriptures are encouraging, but how eager are we to be meek? Do we really hunger and thirst for righteousness? Is mercy really a top priority? Are we ever really pure of heart? Do we strive to be a peacemaker, or do we encourage the fight?
I think if we are ever too high on our horse, these scriptures can knock us down a peg or two. I also like to think about and ponder the fact that we’re able to read what Jesus was speaking out loud to an audience. That in itself is a pretty amazing thing.