Go Ahead, Be Blessed
Do you want to be blessed? Likely, your answer is, “Yes!!” But as the old saying goes, maybe you should be careful what you wish for. Today people say they are blessed when everything is going the way they want. #Blessed has been used ad nauseum to describe comfortable and influential lives.
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers." Matthew 5:3-11
Matthew 5 is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount, and verses three to eleven are The Beatitudes. Here Jesus lists unlikely paths to blessing: neediness, mourning, humility, persecution, abuse. Anyone want to sign up for those?
Yes, He also says blessing results from being merciful and having a pure heart and working for peace. But even these more attractive terms carry a heavy burden. To show mercy, you have to first be offended in some way. In order for a pure heart or peacemaker to be evident, they would need to be confronted with their opposites.
So if it wasn't health, wealth and prosperity that Jesus was promising, what did He mean by "blessing"? Well, one meaning of the original Greek word described those in Heaven who could look on the face of God. They are truly blessed. What if the paths Jesus listed were actually ways to be closer to God?
That isn't to say that God does not also bless in physical, tangible ways. He blessed Abram and Job abundantly with "livestock, gold and silver."
But what if that isn't God's highest priority?
And to be clear, Jesus wasn't saying, "If you want to be blessed, do these things!" No one seeks out opportunities to suffer, yet suffering comes to us all. I hate to tell you this, but if you aren't suffering now, it's not far away. And if you aren’t suffering now, someone you know is.
But that's why Jesus' words are so hope-filled and encouraging. Read His words again and when you see the word "blesses" remember that He's promising to be WITH you in all these things, when they come, just as those who are in Heaven are WITH God.
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers."
As I’ve said before, the storms are not optional. But Who you choose to navigate them with, is.
Our son, Jeremiah was only on this earth (not counting in utero) for three and a half months. But he got to have something on many people’s bucket lists: a Hawaiian vacation. Thanks to the generosity of my mother, our family traveled to the Big Island and spent a wonderful week with her and my sister’s family.
One day we found a little beach and had it to ourselves. After a while, I swam out and then, turning back, treaded water while looking at my family. Mom was in a little tent with the sleeping Jeremiah. Our four oldest were building sand structures. Tony was keeping a hand on almost-two-year-old Linnea who was repeatedly running straight into the waves that knocked her down. Behind them a big hill seemed to be holding back dark and ominous clouds.
When I started to get tired, I had a moment of panic that perhaps I had swum out too far. I had a sudden memory of a TV show that said there was a current you could get caught in that would take you all the way to Alaska. I love Alaska, but I’d rather fly there! Just then my foot touched something and I discovered a large rock right under my feet. As I stood there and rested, the waves continued to push me back and forth, but I was secure. When I’d caught my breath, I swam back in without difficulty.
Three weeks later Jeremiah didn’t wake up from his nap. The waves of sorrow threatened to take us all under. I didn’t know how to navigate the waters of grief while trying to care for five grieving siblings. One of the first dark days without our bright boy, God reminded me of that day in Hawaii. He whispered, “I’m right here. Just like that rock that allowed you to catch your breath. I will hold you.”
Psalm 73:28 says, “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” The nearness of God is good and the best refuge for your soul. I will spend the rest of my life telling how He has met me right where I am over and over again. Seek God with all your heart and you will find Him. It’s the promise from Jeremiah 29:12 that was the reason we gave Jeremiah that name.
In the Sermon on the Mount and today, right where you are, Jesus is inviting you to walk through your day, whatever it holds, with Him. It is the greatest blessing you can ever have. And it’s available anytime, anywhere to anyone. Go ahead, be blessed.
