The blessing of persecution
Scripture is clear that sometimes the righteous will suffer persecution. In this Beatitude Jesus assures us that when this happens we are blessed.
Beatitude
Purity of heart is the means of seeing God
The Beatitude tells us that the pure in heart will see God. What does this purity look like and how will it assist vision of God? When will this vision be manifested?
Muddy Waters, Mercy and the Fifth Beatitude
The fifth Beatitude tells us that those who are merciful will receive mercy. At first reading this sounds right to us. If you do good to others they will do good to you. It seem natural, like the popular concept of karma. Yet we see that this does not always hold true. How then should we understand this Beatitude?
Hunger and Thirst for the Right Thing
In the 4th Beatitude, Jesus tells us that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. What does this mean for today?
Blessed are the meek – Part 2
#7 in the Sermon on the Mount series. America will be holding a presidential election in 2012. As a result, political advertisements and discussions fill the airwaves and pixels of the news outlets. It is the way of politics to seek and to wield power and influence. It is not always the wisest voice that … Read more
Blessed are the meek; they get it all
This post is number 6 in the Sermon on the Mount Series and examines the familiar Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek.” which is found in Matthew 5:5. The benefit conferred upon the meek is that they will inherit the earth. The word translated meek (NIV, ESV, NKJV) can also be translated, mild, tame, gentle, kindly or … Read more
Introduction to the Beatitudes – Sermon on the Mount #3
Before examining the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-11, it would be helpful to offer a few words on the meaning of the word translated “blessed” in our English Bibles. The word in the original is makarios, which in Homer denoted the “transcendent happiness of a life beyond care, labor and death.” (Theological Dictionary of the New … Read more