The so-called Beatitudes Jesus delivered in the "Sermon on the Mount" radically contradict the messages of many modern churches, let alone worldly notions of "blessing." Indeed, Jesus' blessings were radical even then, a time characterized by violent Roman empire-building, opulence, and oppression, ironically alongside strict Jewish religious empire-building, pious facades, and legalistic oppression of a different kind. Ummm...Sound familiar?
In a twenty-minute message, Jesus turned the world upside down, challenging the persistent notions of what it means to be blessed.
Oxford Dictionary defines "blessed" this way:
"to confer or invoke divine favor upon; ask God to look favorably"
"(of God or some notional higher power) endow (someone) with a particular cherished thing or attribute."
"to express or feel gratitude to; thank."
It originates from the Latin for "praise, worship."
Jesus blesses things like spiritual neediness and abject dependence on God, grief and longsuffering, zealous moral integrity, humility, contentment, purity, ardent advocacy, mercy, peacemaking, gentleness, and being persecuted.
Heavy sigh.
In Luke's account, Jesus concludes with the "four woes:"
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets."
(Luke 6:24-26)
Whoa!
I won't add anything. It's all so very clear.
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