The words of Jesus
What Did Jesus Say About Being Blessed?
Jesus opened His great sermon by turning our idea of the good life upside down. He called blessed the very people the world pities, and showed that God's favor rests where we least expect it.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:3, King James Version
The kingdom belongs to those who know their need of God.
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:5, King James Version
The gentle, not the grasping, inherit in the end.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:6, King James Version
Those who long for goodness will be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:7, King James Version
Mercy given comes back to the one who gives it.
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:8, King James Version
A clean heart is the one that sees God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:9, King James Version
Those who make peace resemble their Father.
What Jesus is really saying
Jesus redefines the blessed life. It is not the powerful, the rich, or the self-sufficient He calls happy, but the humble, the hungry, the merciful, the pure. He is describing the shape of a life turned toward God, and promising that such a life, however overlooked now, is the one God is blessing and will reward.
Who these words reveal Him to be
He opens His sermon by pronouncing blessing, an act that belongs to God, and He blesses the very people the world overlooks. Jesus is not describing a distant ideal; He is describing the life that is His own and inviting us into it. He is the King whose kingdom belongs to the poor in spirit and the Savior who makes the mourner glad. To be blessed, in the end, is to belong to Him.
Come to Him
If you feel poor in spirit, hungry for something more, this is exactly the person Jesus calls blessed. Come to Him with your need, and step into the good life He is holding out to you.
His words were always meant to lead you to Himself. You can begin with Jesus here, ask someone to pray with you, or read His words in the Bible.