What can we learn from the Beatitudes?
I continue to come back to these words of Jesus in Matthew 5:1–12.
The Beatitudes show us a different way to live.
Jesus speaks of the poor in spirit.
Those who mourn.
The meek.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
The merciful.
The pure in heart.
The peacemakers.
Those who are persecuted for doing what is right.
These are not necessarily the qualities the world tells us will make us successful.
Yet Jesus says these are the people who are blessed.
I especially appreciate something I learned years ago from N. T. Wright.
The kingdom of heaven is not simply about going somewhere called heaven someday.
It is about God becoming King.
It is about God’s will being done here on earth.
And Jesus invites us to participate.
God works through people.
People like those Jesus describes in the Beatitudes.
Blessed are the meek.
God does not need us to bully or force our way through life.
God can work through humility.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
We are invited to care deeply about what is right.
To notice where healing, justice, mercy, and compassion are needed.
And then take the next faithful step.
Blessed are the poor in spirit.
I think of this as remaining teachable.
We do not have everything figured out.
We remain open.
We allow God to guide us, shape us, and lead us.
Blessed are the pure in heart.
Our motives matter.
Are we doing something because there is something in it for us?
Or are we doing it because we believe it is the loving and faithful thing to do?
Blessed are the peacemakers.
We live in a noisy and divided world.
Jesus invites us to become people who bring peace rather than more noise.
The Beatitudes are not always the way of the world.
They are the way Jesus calls us to live.
We are invited to become humble.
Merciful.
Teachable.
Peaceful.
Hungry for what is right.
Open to God’s presence and action.
This is also one of the reasons I practice centering prayer.
I sit quietly with God.
I let go.
I consent to God’s presence and action within me.
And then I get up and try to bring that presence into the world.
The Beatitudes are not simply words to read.
They are an invitation to live differently.
Will you accept the invitation?
Grateful you are here,
Rich
Want to go deeper?
In my book Sitting with God, I explore the Beatitudes in Chapter 10 and how centering prayer can help us become more aware of who God created us to be.