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MATTHEW 5 (ESV)

¹Seeing 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 receive 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 others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

REFLECTION

• Jesus spoke as King with absolute authority in His kingdom. And He spoke as God, not abolishing, but reinterpreting the meaning of biblical words whose implications had long been lost. He announced blessings for citizens of His kingdom and expects them to do good deeds, for He requires a righteousness that surpasses that of even the zealous Pharisees.
• Jesus is contrasting the two ways to blessedness: (1) the kingdom way of pure gift from God, and (2) the worldly way of human attainment. Jesus takes those people ordinarily thought to be unblessed or unbless-able and shows that there is something about life in the kingdom of God that makes these people blessed.
• Are you a blessed person according to Jesus’ teaching here? Why?
• How would you allow God’s blessing flow from you to your community and people around you?

Prayer & Journaling:

On your prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.