Jesus Speaks to the Disciples

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus actually told the disciples what kind of attitudes they should have and why.  If it was good enough for the disciples, then it should be good enough for us as well.

We may not always understand why we should act this way.  However, we can see where it is in the Bible, and how Jesus himself told his disciples about being blessed.  Many of us refer to these as the Beatitudes: the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.  Some of these are not always easy to understand, for example "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  We all mourn at some point in life and may not understand it to be a blessing.  However, from personal experience, there is a point when you are at your lowest and you reach out for that comfort and you receive that burst of energy to continue on.  It may come in the form of a friend with a hug, or remembering God mourned the loss of his own son.  Jesus also mourned, but they continue to love us even though we continue to sin.

If you need a good section of the Bible for attitudes and reminders, this section is a wonderful one for everyday reminders.  For me, personally, it is a section I have found comfort in more than once and the fact that they are Jesus' actual words brings a smile to my heart.

Have a blessed Day!

© Denise Kirkpatrick, 2015