Greetings in Christ,
‘Blessed are you…’, so begins the part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that we call the Beatitudes. The blessings of which Jesus speaks do not sound like blessings as we think of blessings. ‘Blessed are you poor in spirit, who mourn, the meek, those hungry and thirsty for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and the persecuted.
We regard a blessing as a thing that is a benefit or good in our lives. We don’t think of poverty of spirit, mourning, or persecution as blessings. Indeed, we would see them as things to avoid if we could. Yet, Jesus tells us that even in these things we can know blessing. The blessings that Jesus speaks of find their source in God the Father.
A blessing that based on the things of this life can change or disappear entirely. They too often depend on things that are out of our control or if we do have some say, depend on our emotional, physical or financial state. Then what was once seen as a blessing no longer is and we are filled with sorrow, pain and loss.
The blessings that flow from God the Father are ours in all circumstances of our lives. They cannot be taken from us or undone by anything we encounter in this life. Even in the deepest valley of sorrow, loss and death, the love of the Father is ours. It may not be easy for us to see the blessing of the Father in our struggles, but in faith in Him, we can learn the confidence of His enduring presence.
Blessings in Christ,
Pr. Hatcher