Blessed People in world

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

The Beatitudes: An Overview Beatitudes are referred to, as the account of the 'Sermon on the Mount' preached by Jesus Christ, recorded in Matthew 5: 3-12 in the Bible. It is one of the most quoted passages of the Bible. A similar list of beatitudes is also given in Luke 6:20-23. What is the meaning of the word 'Beatitude'? And how does it relate to the word 'Blessed' used in Matthew 5? The word 'Beatitude' is not found in the English Bible. But it is derived from the Latin word 'Beatus' meaning 'Happy' or 'Blessed', the meaning of which is very close to the original Greek word that Jesus used during His sermon on the mount. The Greek word for 'Blessed' is 'Makarioi' which means 'happy, supremely blessed and fortunate'. Before we start looking at each of these beatitudes, let us first examine the similarities and the differences in the gospel accounts of Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-23. In Matthew, all the 8 beatitudes are written in the third person ('those', 'theirs'), except for the last one. On the other hand, in Luke, the Beatitudes are in the second person ("you"), followed by the list of 'Woes' as well. (Luke 6:24-26) The location where Jesus preached the sermon are different in both accounts. (Mat 5:1 - 'On the Mount' and Luke 6:17 - 'On the plain') Bible scholars differ on their views regarding these two accounts. They wonder if they are, Different records of the same sermon, or Two different sermons with similar content People often tend to pick on such differences in order to discredit the authenticity and reliability of the gospel records. But paradoxically these minor differences actually serve as an evidence of the genuineness of these records. Other than these minor differences, there is a remarkable unity and order of thought and substance in these gospels. The Beatitudes - The Great Paradox The Beatitudes are a great contrast to the worldly notion of 'blessedness' and 'happiness'. Therefore, it's not surprising that it does not make sense to the carnal mind and almost seems contradictory to it. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1st Cor 1:18) Continue Reading Blessed are those who mourn Who are "those who mourn"? The "blessedness" literally means the state of being happy or blessed! In that sense, this beatitude seems contradictory, for how can one be happy, when he is mourning or sad?! There can be various reasons for mourning. It could be due to: loss of a loved one or any other kind of personal loss (Jesus heals Jairus' daughter) suffering from sickness or disease (Jesus Heals the Woman with Blood Issue) personal sin, mistakes or failures mourning along with those who are afflicted or suffering for the 'Lost' People react differently during their time of mourning or suffering. Some people may try to replace it (find solace) with something else. They try to escape it by preoccupying themselves in worldly pleasures, assuming that it may ease their pain. Some may try to run away from it. When they cannot bear the pain, they just run away from it, by means of alcohol or drugs. Many try to recover from it, thinking that time is the greatest healer. And there are few, who turn to God to finding rest and restoration in their time of suffering and pain. (Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.") Godly Sorrow vs. Worldly Sorrow It is fascinating that the Bible talks about two kinds of sorrow. 2 Cor 7:10: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." We can understand these different types of sorrow from two very famous events during the Crucifixion of Jesus.