MATTHEW 5: 3-10
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The Pharisees, the ruling Jewish religious leaders during New Testament times, were busy men. They believed a man's spirituality could be measured by outward acts of righteousness---acts that would win the approval of other people. And they worked hard to assure that those under their supervision held fast to a laundry list of rigorous rules for living.
Jesus turned the Pharisees' world upside down. As the promised King, Jesus alone knew that people could enter the Kingdom of God only by accepting God's forgiveness through him. He stressed that such acceptance was evidenced in inner attitudes, not outward actions. He said that the man who was truly blessed and happy, the man who was truly to be envied, was the one who possessed such character traits as humility, remorse, mercy, and purity. Jesus' stress on personal godliness stood in sharp contrast to the false outward righteousness that the Pharisees demanded.
Ask God to turn these Beatitudes into your "be attitudes." As you allow him to work through you., you'll discover the blessedness that comes from cultivating inner attitudes that reflect Jesus, own character.
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