A whole bunch of people showed up.
Devastated. Tired. Overwhelmed. Politically oppressed. Poor. Depressed. Desperate. Outcast. Uncertain. Haunted. Disgraced. Uninvited. Afraid.
The enormous crowd found Jesus, wanting Him to say something encouraging to them.
So He sat on a hillside and rolled out the welcome mat of Heaven, which says Blessed, and shared The Constitution of Heaven.
He started every sentence with blessed, because it means to be filled with God’s nature, and to have God’s Kingdom brimming inside us.
Blessed…
Are you who are poor in spirit, whose spiritual poverty has led to total dependence on God, for you are welcome to the whole Kingdom of God for free.
Blessed are you who grieve and mourn, waiting on God, for you’ll be comforted.
Blessed are you when you’re gentle and meek, claiming nothing as your own, empathizing and co-suffering with anyone who suffers the consequences of their sins, for you’ll inherit the earth.
Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for justice and goodness, for you’ll be satisfied with gardens of righteousness.
Blessed are you who are merciful, when you forgive from the womb of your innermost being, for you will receive tender mercy also.
Blessed are you when your heart is pure, full of innocence, for your eyes will be opened to see more and more of God.
Blessed are you who make peace, for you’ll be recognized as a true child of God.
Blessed are you who bear the wounds of rejection because of doing what’s right, for you’ll experience the realm of Heaven’s Kingdom even now, here.
Blessed are you when people criticize and insult you and speak cruel lies about you because of your love for Me—Be ecstatic with joy because your reward in Heaven is unfathomable.
You’re the salt of the earth…the light of the world.
You let your enemies bring out the best in you.
You’re the peacemakers and empathizers, spreading what fills you. You bless with words and acts of love. You choose mercy. You’re good news. You’re healers and prisoners of hope. You’re a living prayer, a child of God. Your power is God’s Spirit in you—the power to bring life everywhere you go.
Welcome to Christianity.
~
Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for everything you can think of that He has already done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 4:5-7