Begin with 2 minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Hey friends. We’ve come to the end of our week together, and it has been so, so good to lean into the good news of Jesus with you.

Today, we dive into the most powerful sermon ever preached: the Sermon on the Mount.

Over the next three chapters, we’re going to get a glimpse into the very heart of our Savior. What is His desire for the world? How does His view of the Kingdom of God affect how we should live with and relate to other people? He tells us all of this and more in the Sermon on the Mount.

I’d like to be honest with you. Over the past several weeks, I’ve been doing a deep dive on the Sermon, and it’s convicting me in a lot of places. I think this is what the Sermon on the Mount is all about; it takes the places where we feel the most “spiritual” and “comfortable” and shows us how we so often fail to live up to the paradigm that Jesus sets before us.

Yet, even though I am very, very convicted, I’m also encouraged. I see the love of Jesus in these words, and to know that He gave up everything so that we might be invited into this story overwhelms me. So instead of trying to expound on what is already the most perfect Sermon ever written, I want us to spend some time reflecting on the first part of chapter 5, what we commonly refer to as “The Beatitudes.”

Don’t rush past this. Slow down, take it all in, and really read through what Jesus is saying to all of us here. I’m going to go ahead and change out the word “Blessed” for “How good is life for those…,” mostly because “Blessed” is such an overly religious, churchy word and doesn’t really give the full heart of what Jesus is saying.

And now, to let the Teacher teach:

How good is life for the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

How good is life for those who grieve, because they will be comforted.

How good is life for the unimportant, because they will inherit the land.

How good is life for those those who hunger and thirst for right-relationships, because they will be satisfied.

How good is life for those who show mercy, because they will be shown mercy.

How good is life for the pure in heart, because they will see God.

How good is life for the peacemakers, because they will be called children of God.

How good is life for those who have been persecuted on account of doing what is right, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

How good is life for you when they insult you and persecute and speak any evil lies against you on account of Me. Celebrate and shout for joy. Because your reward is great in heaven, because this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

Amen.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Which of the Beatitudes challenge you the most, and why?
  
• How does understanding the Beatitudes as a blueprint for kingdom living change your perspective on daily interactions and challenges?
  
• What is one practical step you can take today to embody one of the Beatitudes in your life?
  
• Prayer: Father, I thank you for the profound, yet perplexing, beauty of the Beatitudes. Help me to grasp the depth of Jesus’ words and live them out in my daily life. Give me the courage to embrace humility, to seek out the right relationships with others, and to be a peacemaker in a world that so often values the opposite. Strengthen me in a way that reflects Your kingdom here on earth. May my life be a testament to others so that they may come to know, love, and follow Jesus. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.