The Beatitudes (part 2)

Righteousness

Righteousness occurs when someone is in a condition where they are completely innocent of doing anything against the commands or will of God. In our legal system, if someone is accused of committing a crime, they are either found guilty or not guilty. The judge and jury do not attempt to claim that the person has done nothing wrong, only that they don’t believe they committed this crime.
The righteousness that Jesus is speaking of here is where someone is completely innocent of any wrongdoing against God and others. People who long for this righteousness the same way that someone who is starving or dehydrated longs for food or water will be satisfied, which will make them blessed.
Of course, the only person that I know of Who has ever been completely innocent and righteous is Jesus.

Sinless

Jesus never sinned (“knew no sin”). He knew what it was like to live a sinless life. Even though He was God while walking on this earth, He was still a man. He still had temptations and trials. He had to overcome them, the same way that we need to.

Sinners

The Bible plainly tells us that we have all sinned, and none of us deserves the glory of God. We had no hope, because just one failure was enough for us to be sinners. Some people think that they are better than other people because they don’t sin as much as they do. Unfortunately, we were all in the same position, because we all have sinned.

Hopeless

Jesus told a parable about someone who owed a huge amount of money – so much so that it would be impossible to pay.

In Jesus’ day, a talent was about 75 to 100 pounds of weight, either in silver or gold. Assuming that it was only 75 pounds per talent:

For the average laborer (much less a slave), it would take them over 192,000 years to earn enough to pay that debt, assuming they spent nothing on anything else.
Our sin debt was just as hopeless for us. Because Jesus knew this, He provided the only way possible for our debt to be paid – He paid it Himself.

Substitute

Jesus took our place. He became our propitiation (substitute). He paid all of the legal obligations of sin that we had. We literally owe Him our eternal lives.

Hunger and Thirst

Considering all that Jesus did for us, you would think that more of us would be longing to do everything we could to please Him, and seek His righteous. That’s what Jesus said we should be doing. He doesn’t just say to do this, though; He also tells us that if we seek His righteousness in this way that we will be satisfied. That’s a promise! That is why and how we are blessed, because if we hunger and thirst for His righteousness, the righteousness that He purchased for us with His own blood, we will be satisfied. We will be righteous.

Merciful

The Greek word for mercy that is used here also implies a type of empathy. A merciful person cares for others, and can even identify with them. They reach out to those in need.
Jesus has already shown all of us incredible mercy. If we want mercy, we need to be merciful. We need to be proactive; we need to take the initiative. Don’t wait for someone else to make the first move. Be merciful. Be gracious. Be forgiving.

Pure in Heart

For many years, it has been the longing of my heart to see God. I know that I will see Him when I die, unless the rapture comes first. Jesus said that the way to do this is to be pure in heart. All evil thoughts, jealousies, hatred, lust, and greed have no place in a pure heart. Pure gold has no impurities. A pure heart only has goodness and godliness.

Peacemakers

In this world, we see wars and fighting everywhere. One political group says the other group is hateful, so we need to hate them. The other side says the same thing. Groups of criminals and street gangs do all kinds of horrible things, because they think that is what will make them happy. If you tell people that we need to find a way to get along and live in peace, often you will find yourself being mocked as simple-minded and naïve.
The problem is that people who don’t have peace in themselves can’t live a peaceful life with anyone else. Peace comes from not having any worries. People will always, sooner or later, let you down, whether they want to or not. Only God will never let us down, because He is all-powerful and has a truly pure heart.

Jesus said that the peacemakers will be called sons of God. It doesn’t matter what others might say or do. If God calls us His sons and daughters, that is the greatest gift we can have.

Persecuted

Jesus said that those who have been “persecuted for the sake of righteousness” would have the kingdom of heaven. All of the 12 disciples, except for one, were killed because of their faith in Jesus. They were all persecuted – stonings, beatings, imprisonment, losing their friends, losing family, and more. It really doesn’t make sense why other people should get offended when someone wants to live a righteous life, but it happens. Maybe, it’s because that person feels guilty for their own sin.
Notice that Jesus says that they were persecuted for righteousness. If we do bad things, or say things just to offend people, that is not righteousness; it’s just the opposite. He did say that some people would insult, persecute, and lie about Christians, because of Jesus. When that happens, we should rejoice and feel blessed, because our “reward in heaven is great”, because that is how every prophet was treated.

Be Blessed

Receiving God’s blessings is both easy and the hardest thing we will ever do. He tells us what to do, but trials and temptations can get in the way. Trusting Him and relying on Jesus will get us closer and closer to Him, becoming more and more like Him every day. There is only one answer. There is only one truth. There is only one way.

It’s All About Jesus!

More…

We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.