"BLESSED" (Part III)

We continue our study on the Blessed Life from the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.  We have briefly touched on the “Desire,” the “Definition,” and now Part III,  “The Demonstration” of the Blessed Life.

The Demonstration of Blessed:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt. 5:3 MKJV).  The person moved from spiritual darkness, or from going through the motions of purely religious activity, to a deeper experience in the person of Christ, at first has an unclouded sense of what being blessed is about.  They do not quibble about being “poor in spirit” for they now know exactly what Christ was saying.  They are tired of the show and sham that comes from being their own God, and welcome the freedom from the worship of self.  They find rest in allowing Jesus to be not only their Savior but the Lord in their activity.  They experience a rather startling awareness of “whereas I was blind, now I see.”  Eventually spiritual cataracts can fog over the initial “wow” of this illumination by the Spirit.  In the beginning they know they are “blessed” not for outward and passing success, but rather by an unusual and inward shift of their passions and desires. 

Jesus does not present a “how to” program or prescription for achieving happiness, but rather a description of what is birthed and can increasingly grow in the one who has responded in the face to face meeting with the Kingdom of Heaven.  This is that meeting which fuses together the relationship with, and the reign of Jesus.  You will know when this happens to you.  You will be moved from selfishness to selflessness.  The road to this description is a narrow one and few will find it according to Jesus.  The reason is rather simple; in order to be living in the “Kingdom of Heaven” there must be a relinquishing of competing kingdoms, and a continuing life of response to the One who opened your eyes.

The kingdoms at odds here are strikingly different.  One kingdom is based on producing and preserving “wins” for myown life’s trophy room, and that other is based on the production of Him in my life for the pouring out of “wins” onto the world around me.  Preservation or pouring is a rather accurate indicator of which kingdom I am living in.  Oh yes, there is good news; Jesus did not preach to us that which He did not live out.  Jesus has already performed this, so He can live it out in us.  Do we have that?

2 Cor. 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in order that you might be made rich through His poverty. (MKJV)
From your father's heart (DWJ)