
The Beatitudes are the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-10). They sum up Jesus' teaching about living as a child of God's kingdom. They are a series of blessings told by Jesus on Mount Sinai.
After Jesus was tested in the wilderness by the devil in Matthew 4, Jesus called His first disciples. He then went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Large crowds started following Him, and when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.
Jesus said to them:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Jesus teaches us that if we live according to the Beatitudes, we can live a happy, Christian life. The Beatitudes fulfill God’s promises made to Abraham and his descendants and describe the rewards that will be ours as loyal followers of Jesus.
When we understand that we have a poor spirit, we know that we must go to God to fill our buckets. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you are labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
When we see the work meek, we often think of weakness. But meekness in the Bible isn’t a weakness; it is an inner strength that we have during tough times. Meek leaders in the Bible demonstrated courage, conviction, and strength. Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jesus called Himself meek and humble.
Finally, when we hunger for righteousness, we hunger and thirst for God. When we search for Him, we will be filled. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus tells us that we don’t have to worry about anything if we seek God first. If we seek God first, He will give us everything we need.
The Beatitudes are like a playbook for life. God spoke these things so that we could know how to live a good life filled with love, joy, and peace.
All we have to do is learn and follow the playbook.
THIS WEEK
1 - What is the verse that speaks to you the most? 2 - Which verse can you work on this week?
3 - What are you going to do, and how are you going to work on it?
For a Google doc version of this devo, click here: The Beatitudes Playbook
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