THE BLESSED LIFE (Part II)

Earlier we wrote on the “Desire For Being Blessed.”  Language is powerful and being blessed means different things to different people.  What did it mean to Jesus?  His words are the most reliable source for that; so we continue on.
Our context for this writing is from Matthew 5:3-12

The Defining of Blessed (focus vs. 3) I cannot tell you how often I hear “I just want to be happy.”  Or, “all I care about is that you are happy.”  To our world, and all too many professing Christians, happiness is the result of having all “my” emotional, physical, and even spiritual needs met by living in and enjoying all the best external circumstances.  Happiness is all too often defined by freedom from any form of trouble or even discomfort.  Can you imagine the absolute shock when Jesus opens this great teaching on the hillside with nine, count them, nine points in a row of what being happy really is?  What immediately follows the word happy (blessed-GK makarios), seems to be anything but typical happiness.  Jesus thrusts the word “happy” into a whole new realm of thought, meaning and ultimately living.  The path to being Happy now becomes poor in spirit (surrender of spiritual ego and selfishness), mourning (the damage of all sin on self and others), meekness (His strength in His humility), spiritual hunger and thirst, mercy towards others, purity of heart motives, peacemaking, and receiving persecution and false accusations.

This re-defining of “happy” presents a threatening picture indeed to the person who thrives on the “I or Me” in life.  It is in fact a challenge to the professing believer who does not grasp the immense difference between pursuing particularly comfortable circumstances as “blessing,” versus the desire to have His character produced in us in all circumstances.  The former is rather common Christianity; the latter is “Kingdom of Heaven” Christianity.  There is in Jesus always a “for,” a “so that,” or a “because” that can revolutionize our thinking, and ultimately our living, from that which appalls us to that which amazes us.  “Happy (blessed) are the poor in spirit FOR theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 3:5 emphasis/parentheses mine). Unfortunately, many who hear this message quickly become repulsed by the discomfort of it all, and walk away sorrowfully, never knowing and experiencing the other side of the “for.”  There are really only two roads; one for those who walk away declaring it is too difficult (John 6:66), and one for those who know there really is no other lasting life, save Him (John 6:68).

From your father's heart with love (DWJ)