His People: A study through the Sermon on the Mount (Part 2)

Just before the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says in Matthew 4:17b, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Last month, we talked about why the decision to follow Jesus (or not follow Jesus) is so important – it has an eternal impact! For this month, we're going to look at the first large section of the Sermon on the Mount – the Beatitudes, meaning "extreme blessedness". Jesus starts His sermon telling those around Him who will benefit and be blessed by His Kingdom. His answer might surprise some of you…

This list doesn’t quite fit our usual understanding of blessings. When we hear the word blessed we tend to think things like happy or fortunate. This might have left His audience curious. How are these people blessed?

In order to understand why Jesus refers to these unlikely people as blessed, we have to shift our mindset. Jesus isn't looking at what they have done. Instead, Jesus alludes to what is going on in their heart – this causes them to be blessed. These people Jesus mentions are ready to receive His Kingdom. They are ready to repent and align their hearts and lives with Jesus.

Let's take a deeper look at the unlikely people Jesus says are blessed:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (v3)

The definition of poor is "worse than is usual, expected, or desirable; of a low or inferior standard or quality." So these people have a spirit that is in need. The poor in spirit are blessed according to Jesus' definition because they have a heart that recognizes their need for a savior. They understand that they can't do things on their own.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (v4)

Again, you don't think of someone mourning as blessed. To mourn is to, "feel or show deep sorrow or regret." To Jesus, those who mourn are blessed because they need hope. They recognize the need for repentance and the resurrection. Similarly to the poor in spirit, they understand that they can't do this on their own.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (v5)

When we think of someone who is meek, we think of someone who is submissive, easily imposed on. However, in this case, we're talking about people who have an accurate view of themselves. In Philippians 2, we can see Jesus as an example of humility and meekness.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (v6)

These are people who hunger for what is right. Deep in their heart, they truly want justice and things to be made right. Hunger causes a feeling of discomfort or weakness. Usually, this is in reference to lack of food, making you strongly desire food. However, in this case, Jesus talks about people who have a strong desire for what is right, making them blessed.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (v7)

Mercy is "compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm." Jesus shows all of us mercy; therefore, we should show others mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (v8)

The motivation behind our actions is very important! The pure in heart are motivated by one thing – allegiance to Jesus.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (v9)

Jesus was a peacemaker and our goal should be to become more like Jesus. Peacemakers are those who bring people together like Jesus did. This can be very difficult when so many people choose violence/revenge in today's society.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (vv 10-12)

While being persecuted isn't something we typically look at as a good thing, we should expect it when following Jesus. Just like Jesus was persecuted, we will be too if we are becoming like Jesus.

Which people are blessed according to Jesus? A people who bring glory to their king.

• Blessed are those who recognize their need for Jesus.
• Blessed are those who reflect the heart of Jesus.
• Blessed are those who are rejected for their allegiance to Jesus.

Are you blessed according to Jesus' definition? Are you truly ready to receive Jesus? Do you know how much you truly need Him?

Cornerstone Impact Update

We have a new mid-month series for 2025: Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work. Through this series, we hope to help people see that you can make an impact for the Kingdom in your workplace. The first part of the series goes back to the beginning with creation and God's design for work. If you missed it, you can read the full blog here.

Kingdom Advisors

Next week is the annual Kingdom Advisors conference! We look forward to this conference every year to have the chance to meet other Christian financial advisors. This year we will actually have a booth set up so we can have more conversations with people and help them learn how to align their faith with their business. If you're going to the conference, make sure to stop by and say hi!

Eventide

Back in January, one of our fund partners, Eventide hosted a webinar on the state of the U.S. and global economies and implications on financial markets. It's important to understand the state of our financial landscape in order to make smart investment decisions. We are here to help you with that!

Inspire

Last month, Meta Platforms made the decision to end its controversial censorship policies. Check out this blog where Inspire's CEO, Robert Netzly shares their engagement efforts and how this is a win for free expression and biblical values.

It's been about a month since President Trump's inauguration. There have been a lot of news on what he has already done and what is planned during his presidency. Robert Netzly shared a blog on how Trump's policy agenda could benefit Biblically Responsible investors.