Jesus teaches the Beatitudes to his disciples, describing nine attitudes and behaviors that are blessed, such as being poor in spirit, mourning, being gentle, hungering for righteousness, being merciful, and making peace. Later passages reflect on these teachings, applying them to bring comfort to those who mourn and granting righteousness. Some are warned that without these attitudes, they will be wretched and miss God's blessings. Questions are posed to help reflect on how well one lives according to these standards.

2. When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after
He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
shall be satisfied.
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:1-9

3. There are nine who come to mind as blessed, a tenth whom my tongue
proclaims:
[1] The man who finds joy in his children,
[2] and the one who lives to see the downfall of his enemies.
[3] Blessed [is] the man who lives with a sensible woman,
[4] and the one who does not plow with an ox and a donkey combined.
[5] Blessed [is] the one who does not sin with the tongue
[6] And the one who does not serve an inferior.
[7] Blessed [is] the one who finds a friend,
[8] And the one who speaks to attentive ears.
[9] How great is the one who finds wisdom,
[10] but none is greater than the one who fears the Lord.
Fear of the Lord surpasses all else. To whom can we compare the one who
has it?

4. 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.
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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.

5. 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.
Isaiah 61:1 –
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the
LORD has anointed me bring good news to the
Isaiah 61:2-3 - 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the
day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of
ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise
instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of
righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified
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.
Isaiah 49:10 - 10 "They will not
hunger or thirst, Nor will the
scorching heat or sun strike
them down; For He who has
compassion on them will lead
them And will guide them to
springs of water.
Psa 37:11 - 11 But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity
Psa 24:3-6 - 3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn
deceitfully. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.6 This is
the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face-- even Jacob.
afflicted (poor); He has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And
freedom to prisoners;
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.

6. • Wretched are those who trust in the things of this world and think
they have everything they need…they have no ability to take hold
of the far greater joy that is available in Jesus.
• Wretched are those who are content with the things of this world
and do not long for God to show up in their lives…they will miss his
coming.
• Wretched are those who insist on their own way and seek their
own justice…whatever they manage to achieve will be all that they
have coming.
• Wretched are those who hunger for what the world offers…they
will never be satisfied.

7. • Wretched are those who have no compassion for others…they will
get no compassion from God.
• Wretched are those who look good on the outside but who do not
have God’s heart…they will not see God.
• Wretched are those who do not protect the weak when it is in their
power to do so…they will be called the spineless.
• Wretched are those whose faith is so hidden that it attracts no
attention from the world…they will receive no welcome from God.

8. Some questions for reflection:
1. When I ask myself “how am I doing”, what standards do
I tend to use? How do those standards compare to the
standards of the beatitudes?
2. When evaluating my life according to the standards put
forward in the beatitudes, where do I come out “ok”?
3. When evaluating my life according to the standards put
forward in the beatitudes, in what areas do I see the
most need for change?