"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:3-10)
Have you ever noticed that the first and last beatitude have the same outcome? Why would that be? When I saw this and thought of the gulf between being poor in spirit (weakness) and being able to stand persecution (strength), I began to see the beatitudes as stepping stones leading from being poor in spirit to be one persecuted for the sake of righteousness. And like justification, by which we are credited with righteousness, so the beginning of the beatitude journey foresees the end. To take the first step gives the kingdom of heaven to you. There is also a sense where the first four speak of weakness, while the second four speak of strength. And from this I see an interesting pairing between the first four and second four.
Being poor in spirit pairs with being merciful—knowing what it is like to need and receive mercy invites one to be merciful
Being one who mourns pairs with being pure in heart—Mourning has a way of giving perspective about what is important and what is not. It helps focus the heart on the good things.
Being gentle pairs with being a peacemaker—Being gentle and patience helps bring others to peace.
Hungering for righteousness pairs with being persecuted for the sake of righteousness—Because our hunger is satisfied, we are able to stand the persecution that can come from it.
There is a sense where the last half is the positive outcome of the first.
In this series, I will explore each step. We will begin with our need of salvation and end with the strength inherent in a follower of Jesus.