Supreme Blessedness
.
Matthew 5:1-11
1. Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to 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 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 obtain mercy. 8. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11. "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
This discourse is usually called The Beatitudes. Dictionary.com defines beatitude as “supreme blessedness or happiness.” The short and sweet commentary on these passages is that only through complete and absolute dependence upon God as our source and our center will we ever achieve supreme blessedness or happiness. It’s just that cut and dried. Only by absolutely and completely yielding every aspect of our lives, every ounce our being, every hint of conscious thought to our Creator will we know the blessedness of living in his presence.
I don’t think Jesus is saying that you need to be glad if you are in mourning or celebrate being persecuted for living up to what you believe. What he’s telling us is that in the grand scheme of eternity, our lives on earth are like a little blip on the radar. Don’t make this tiny part of your existence the most important thing. Don’t dwell on this fleeting little blink of an eye. All this will pass away. All of it will fade into obscurity at the end of all time. When we are with our heavenly father in heaven, none of it will seem significant or important.
While we are here on earth, though, embrace every experience; know that everything you are going through is in God’s divine plan to prepare you for eternity with Him. Make the most of this time. God loves us so much that he affords us this life to strive after the perfection of His Beloved Son. To be loved that much! It is truly unimaginable! To be a creature of such intrinsic value -- that’s why we can rejoice when we are persecuted. To be valued the most in all of creation -- that’s why we can live righteously, without fear. We are meek and mild before God because His strength and might upholds us.
The world may not understand. They may mock and ridicule us. They may think us fools. But my friends, know it is so. This is our time. Use it wisely.
My prayer today is that you experience the extreme blessedness only possible through Jesus Christ. And that you rejoice in this life as a gift from the One who loves us too much to leave us on our own.
Mary
