Verses: Matthew 5:1-11
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said:
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.
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 children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Devotion
Normally when I read this section of Scripture I like to take one of the verses and think about it. Today’s devotion is supposed to be about all of them though. And taken together as a whole passage, they really do paint a counter cultural picture of who God blesses. And if that’s who he blesses, presumably, we should be blessing them to and/or emulating them!
Some of these qualities are celebrated in our culture for sure: we do believe in caring for those who are grieving, and we do celebrate people who are merciful I think. But other than that? The meek? Those who hunger for righteousness? Those who are pure? The peacemakers? Not so much.
It’s amazing when you think about it how counter cultural this teaching of Jesus really is. It was counter cultural in his day, and it is maybe even more so today.
No wonder he says that we will stick out like a sore thumb if we follow him! He says we’ll be stars in the sky, lights in a dark room, and a city on a hill. If we live like this, people will notice. And even more, I believe they’ll be drawn to it.
So this morning as you read this passage be encouraged! It can be hard to live this way, but it is worth it! Where are you seeing this counter cultural lifestyle evidenced in your life? Where do you feel the friction between living like Jesus, and living in this culture? Where is the tension? And keep leaning into God’s grace to keep you on his path!
Author: Christian Dunn
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