The Beatitudes: An Invitation to the Good Life
The Beatitudes: An Invitation to the Good Life
The Beatitudes are well-known ... and very misunderstood.
Jesus began his public ministry with what have long been called the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12).
These statements of “blessing” are some of the most familiar words in the Bible, but what do they mean? Is Jesus providing entrance requirements for his kingdom? Is he telling us about God’s favored people, the ones who get "blessed"?
Session One — The Tangle of Blessing
We begin by looking at the meaning the Greek term makarios, the word most frequently translated “blessed” in the Beatitudes. It is a word with deep roots in ancient philosophy and the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. Seeing how Jesus intentionally taps into both helps us hear the Beatitudes with fresh ears, starting with the first one: “Flourishing are the poor in spirit because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.”
Session Two — Beyond Distraction and Rage
Following on from our first session, we begin seeing how each Beatitude critiques a common path down which humans try to seek happiness, but fail. The second and third Beatitudes address our drive to find happiness by distracting ourselves from sadness and by stoking the fire of our anger. The way of Jesus is better.
Session Three — Righteousness isn’t Boring
In the fourth Beatitude, Jesus uses a Bible word that often goes in one ear and out the other: righteousness. In this session, we linger on the meaning of righteousness throughout the Bible, why we flourish when we hunger and thirst for it, and how it is displayed in mercy and purity of heart.
Session Four — Flourishing for the Safe and Comfortable
In this final session, we see how the last two Beatitudes reveal our tendency to flee from pain and shore up on our own comfort. Jesus leads us beyond these dead ends, inviting us to walk with him on the path of the cross and empty tomb.