Jesus' Beatitudes lived out today

The Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch

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 sons 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

The Beatitudes...familiar words spoken by Jesus to many during His "Sermon on the Mount." I was reading this a few days ago and was struck by how these Beatitudes are being lived out today, by Christians, all over the world. I'd like to take each Beatitude and give an example of what I mean.

To begin with, "Beatitude" means "blessed, a state of supreme happiness." Jesus was saying that those who fit these character descriptions would be happy, envied by others, spiritually prosperous, with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions. Jesus is not talking about being blessed the way many people use that term today. It's not about physical or monetary blessings but about spiritual and mental blessings...peace, joy, happiness, satisfaction. These are things that money can not purchase and can be found in abundance even in the most austere locations, for those who live according to the Lord's will.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

To be "poor in spirit" means to be humble, to rate yourself as insignificant (Amplified Bible).

I believe a good example of this Beatitude lived out is Auntie Katie...the young female missionary to Uganda I have shared about; see Katie from Uganda. Here is a young, beautiful girl from a well-off American family, leaving behind everything that this world calls a blessing. Her days are spent caring for  the 13 Ugandan girls she has adopted plus the countless number of people who come to her with great needs. From removing parasites to nursing a dying child to holding a young woman suffering from AIDS, Katie has humbled herself to serve those in need. And she is blessed! Just read her blog and you will see the incredible spiritual blessings the Lord gives to the humble.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Colombian guerrillas killed her husband for spreading the gospel but Luz is not defeated. Instead she is joyful in the Lord. This is one of many such testimonies...testimonies to how God can bring joy to believers amongst horrific situations. Jesus can bring joy from mourning!

Watch joyful widow to see the story of Luz.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Meekness is a word that has lost it's true meaning over time. Today, many people think of meek people as being weak, ineffective, afraid. But that is not the original meaning of the word. Originally the word "meek" comes from the Greek word Praus which mean gentle strength. Jesus was meek as He was the God of the Universe and was able to do anything, but He was humble about it. He was completely confident in all His power, but He wasn't arrogant about it.

This type of meekness is often seen in Godly, Christian fathers. Men who are strong in so many ways, yet gentle with their children and their wives...loving them as Christ loved the Church. Men who follow in the footsteps of Christ will practice this type of meekness. Their gentle strength and humility will draw their family and others to Christ.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Gospel for Asia missionary Hirla and his family are committed to Christ, hungering after Him for themselves and those who have never heard His name in North India, a place where very few Christians live. He has opened his home to a house church, is a speaker for GFA radio, he and his wife meet their neighbors' physical needs, and they have five Bible college students living with them...all while raising five children.

You can see their story at They Pour Out Their Lives

I will continue with the rest of Jesus' Beatitudes and how they are lived on today in the next post.