The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy. The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God. The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God. Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Matthew 5:7-10 HCSB
What does it mean to be blessed? When someone tells you to have a blessed day, what do they mean?
We are blessed because we have God’s grace through our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. This doesn’t mean we will never suffer here on earth. We will experience times of being poor in spirit, mourning, and persecution. We, however, must focus on our eternal rewards.
He began by addressing the poor in spirit and said the kingdom of heaven would be theirs. He then said those who mourn are blessed, for they will be comforted. He addressed the gentle or the meek and said they would be blessed for they would inherit the earth. He said those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed because they will be filled.
None of us want to be poor in spirit, nor do we want to mourn. But when we go through these difficult times, we must remember we are only passing through here on planet earth. We must focus on eternity. Jesus is encouraging His listeners to have an eternal mindset.
If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, God will be the top priority in our life. He will hold the number one position. And we know from what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 that when we focus on God and seek His righteousness, we will have all we need here on earth.
When we show mercy to others, God shows mercy to us. It’s that simple. We are told in Matthew 6:14-15 if we fail to forgive others, God will not forgive us. We are to be gentle, in Philippians 4:5 we are told to let our gentleness be known to all.
It’s not easy to be pure in heart in today’s society, but it is a requirement for God. We must do our best to avoid deliberate sin. We are told in Hebrews 10:26 if we continue sinning after knowing the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and a fire about to consume the adversaries. Sin begins in the heart, keep your heart pure.
Peacemakers will be blessed because they will be called Sons of God. It’s not about getting the last word or holding your grudge the longest, it’s about keeping the peace as best you can. We are told in Romans 12:17-18 not to repay evil for evil, try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes and do your best to live at peace with everyone.
Last but not least, Jesus says we are blessed when we are insulted, persecuted and lied on for His sake. My friend if people oppose you because you are a Christian, your reward is great in heaven.
None of us want to be poor in spirit, mourn, or be considered weak. We don’t want to be the one to have to keep the peace when we are angry at someone. It’s not easy to show mercy when someone wrongs us. And it’s definitely not easy to be pure in heart when the temptation to sin is great. But we must understand life on earth is temporary. We must focus on an eternity in heaven.
Trust in God. Surrender your life to Him. You won’t always have it so easy here on earth, but if you stay true to Him, you will be blessed. The kingdom of heaven will be yours. You will be comforted. You will inherit the earth. You will be filled. You will see God. You will be called a child of God, and your reward will be great in heaven.
This is how we are blessed. Being blessed doesn’t always mean being wealthy, comfortable or happy here on earth, but it looks to our future blessings with God in heaven. And this is what it’s all about.
Be blessed in this New Year!