Blessed are you!

‘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 be shown 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 because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 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

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The beatitudes or blessings are Jesus’ manifesto for all who wish to be His disciples. The word “blessed” comes from the Greek makarios and is sometimes translated ‘happy’. However, the more precise meaning will be ‘blessed’ or ‘fortunate’. Who can be happy when crying, suffering or being persecuted? Happiness is subjective, varies from person to person and is dependent on circumstances, whereas God’s blessing is a promise and a certainty, both for the present and for eternity.

Blessed are the poor in spirit (v.3)

Jesus is not referring to the poor in terms of socio-economic disadvantage. Although at times material wealth and prosperity can be an obstacle to intimacy with God, there is no revelation here or elsewhere in Scripture that the materially deprived will for that reason be more blessed by God. Nor does the expression ‘poor in spirit’ refer to the uneducated, ignorant, or mentally retarded. Poverty of spirit is an indispensable condition for entering the Kingdom of God. It means recognizing our spiritual poverty and failure before the high standards of conduct that a holy and perfect God requires, like the tax collector who said, ‘O God, have mercy on me, a sinner’ (Luke 18:13).

Blessed are those who weep (v.4)

This is not just any weeping but a deep sadness, as when we go through a mourning process for the loss of someone we love. It results from our recognition of the extent and seriousness of our sin and the sin of others (cf. Psalms 139:136). It is the feeling of emptiness, of a lack of meaning in life, which has driven many to suicide or madness and which only God can satisfy. As Pascal said, ‘there is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing’.

Blessed are the meek (v.5)

In the Bible the adjective ‘meek’ is used to describe the character of two people: Moses (Numbers 12:3), who defied the powerful Egyptian pharaoh, and Jesus (Matthew 11:29), who voluntarily submitted to the torture and humiliation of cruel Roman soldiers, and did not bow down before the governor Pilate. Meekness does not mean weakness, cowardice, or timidity, but humility, obedience, and self-control. Like a trained horse, about which we say it is meek because it is submissive and obeys its owner, not because it is weak, in the same way the meek ones Jesus refers to are people who willingly submit to God’s will and are led by his Spirit.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (v.6)

Having this kind of hunger and thirst that Jesus talks about is something that few of us have experienced, but which Jesus’ disciples knew well. It means being so desperately in search of water or food that all other things no longer matter. Physiological needs like eating, drinking, and sleeping are at the base of Maslow’s iconic pyramid, before other needs like security, belonging, or self-esteem. To hunger and thirst for righteousness is the burning desire to see God’s Kingdom established as people come to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord of their lives.

Blessed are the merciful (v.7)

There are many texts in Scripture that refer to God’s mercy, and the need for us to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. The Lord told his disciples that he was giving them a new commandment concerning love: ‘Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another’ (John 13:34). This compassionate love includes care for the weak and vulnerable who have need of food, clothing, and comfort in sickness or prison, and goes beyond traditional Jewish teaching as it includes love for enemies. It was the desire to fulfil God’s will and this love for others that led to the creation of the first hospitals and orphanages, the abolition of slavery or the development of palliative medicine, pioneered by Christians committed to God.

Blessed are the pure in heart (v.8)

The pure in heart are sincere in their relationship with God and with others. They don’t put on masks because they have nothing to hide. They don’t have to prove anything because they know that they are nothing without God (they are poor in spirit). They are people who do not behave one way in church and another way at home or at work but who, whatever the occasions and circumstances, try to live with a clean conscience before God.

Blessed are the peacemakers (v.9)

The followers of Jesus should seek peace and reconciliation among human beings and with God, who is a God of peace. Contemporary history is full of examples of committed Christians who have played a decisive role in bringing reconciliation between people and groups in conflict. Their actions and prayers also contributed for a peaceful political transition in some countries, as for example in South Africa in the 1990s, where a bloodbath was to be expected with the regime change after decades of racial segregation.

Blessed are those who are persecuted (v.10)

Despite our efforts towards reconciliation, some will oppose it. Every Christian should expect opposition which is the result of our identification with Jesus and proclaiming his divinity and exclusivity as the only way to God. There has never been a time in the history of the world when more Christians are persecuted because of their faith in Jesus than in our days. And hostility and persecution will increase as we approach the end times.

Conclusion

In the beatitudes, Christ challenges us to live according to God’s highest standards and eternal values and not according to the ideologies and value systems of this world. It is a challenge for every true disciple of Jesus everywhere, in every culture, and in every age of history. We cannot present these qualities by our own strength or efforts, but only by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, following the example of the Lord Jesus, who manifested each of these virtues in abundance.

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Jorge Cruz MD PhD (Bioethics) is a vascular surgeon working in Portugal. He is a member of the national committee of the Portuguese Association of Christian Doctors and Nurses (AEMC).