WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE "BLESSED"...JESUS TELLS ALL!

In our quest to live and survive in this often cold and cruel world, many of us turn to all sorts of things to find a time of happiness and satisfaction; and some things in this world do give us those temporary feelings ...but that's where the problem lies; THEY ARE ONLY TEMPORARY!

When Jesus returned from his confrontation with Satan, he began his ministry by calling out that first inner circle of disciples. It was Simon Peter and brother Andrew, who first threw down their nets and left the shore to follow Jesus. Likewise, when Jesus encountered the Sons of Zebedee, James and John, he beckoned them to follow and they, too, left behind their father and their livelihood to follow this man from Galilee.

Shortly after this calling, Jesus and his new band of friends were traveling about the countryside of Galilee. Matthew 4:23- 5:2 says, "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom; all the while, healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Chapter 5 continues, "Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them."

And what was the first sermon that Jesus preached to the multitudes and to this band of men who had become his disciples? I like to call it, "Happiness for a lifetime and beyond...all according to Jesus"

Others and theologians of great renown refer to the next 8 verses as The Beatitudes, which means a  "condition or statement of blessedness;" however, the concept of blessedness is not easily translated into English. "Happy, " "fortunate, " and "favored" have all been offered as less than completely satisfactory translations. "Happy" focuses narrowly on emotional well-being, not taking into account that within relationship to God sin must be confessed. "Fortunate" is derived from the Latin word for chance or luck and was used also for the Roman goddess who determined arbitrarily and capriciously each person's destiny. It still means a haphazard random selection for success, collective possessions and wealth; however, who would consider the poor to be fortunate? And Favor? Favor is the Latin word for grace: but to avoid confusion, "favored" should not be used. 

So why all this gestation over the word, "Blessed"? Because for the next week or so, I want to take a closer look at these special words, uttered by our Savior to the crowds that had gathered on that Galilean hill and see what they would say to us as we seek to be blessed by the Father.

Know this...being blessed is not about our working to receive, but about God's bestowing His favor on those who seek to be blessed, happy and favored by a gracious and loving God.

Come back tomorrow and start this journey to happiness according to Jesus.

BLESSED AND BELIEVING,

WPQ