‘One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,#5:3 Greek poor in spirit. 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. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.’ Matthew 5:1-12(NLT)
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described the ethic that defines His kingdom. As a king, He has sovereign rule and is free to determine which values and actions will be praised. Much like a political party constructs a platform or a nation drafts a constitution, the kingdom of heaven has a defined way of life. Jesus described that life in His famous sermon.
The introduction to the Sermon on the Mount sets the stage for how different God’s values are from ours. He begins with eight “blessed” statements. The word blessed has been translated many ways. Because of its Latin connection, some would translate it as “happy.” “Lucky” is another option. Jesus says, “These are the lucky ones,” yet what he lists do not seem to be lucky: the poor in spirit, mourners, the meek, those who hunger and thirst, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted.
Christian marriages are intended to be a striking contrast to our world. God’s kingdom values people this world rejects—the least expected, the least deserving. The ones pitied in this world are envied in God’s kingdom. The ones this world might call cursed, Jesus calls blessed.
Marriage was God’s idea. Before sin, before the chaos of the fall, and in the midst of perfection, God said it is not good for humans to be alone. He created men and women to be together, knowing this relationship would be complicated after the fall. The original differences that complemented one another would irritate each other as pride came into the equation.
The Beatitudes, which were a bold announcement of who is lucky in God’s kingdom, can form a matrix through which a successful marriage can be experienced. If a good marriage feels like good fortune, what defines the lucky ones? The order of these commitments is no accident. While each influences the other, there is a natural progression to how Jesus listed these attitudes. It all begins with humility, just like in a marriage done happily.
These eight concepts reveal an attitude, which shows us the “how” of God’s kingdom and can easily translate to the “how “of marriage. In a world fixated on the external, a good marriage begins on the inside. The Beatitudes differ from what we would naturally expect or naturally do. They confront our sinfulness and invite us into a different way of life…and into a lasting marriage.
What’s one specific change you can make regarding your marriage that will make it better?
from Happily By Kevin Thompson