Reflection On Beatitudes
Matthew 5: 1 – 16
The Sermon on the Mount has fascinated me with Jesus’ teachings. It is contradictory to the system in which we live, and sometimes seems to contradict the culture in which we grew up. These verses have challenged my thinking, urging me to not walk in the systems of this world but to walk by the Word which is life. The first verse, as Jesus sat on the mountain, reminded me of when God gave the law to Moses on the mountain. Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, and He is God and greater than Moses. As I prayed and studied the Beatitudes, my sole prayer was that I could see life as Christ sees it. I was convinced that living our lives from the values of Jesus is not easy, and I needed God’s strength to help me live a life that reflects His attitudes in me. At the same time, I am excited to be part of His kingdom and want to live the values that He has laid out for us.
The first beatitude about being poor in spirit refreshed me, reminding me that I am nothing without Christ. Knowing that I need Christ and accepting Him as my Lord and Savior is the only way to be in the kingdom of heaven. I am thankful for Christ, and knowing that my life purpose comes from the relationship with Him. It is also encouraging to know that my mourning is not temporary, but I will be comforted. In my discomfort, I have to cling to Christ, who is my refuge and rock. Many times, people think that sadness and suffering will last forever in their life, but in Christ, I have hope that those who believe in Him shall be comforted, and their mourning will turn into dancing. This beatitude has encouraged me to live in hope that everything is going to be fine because I have faith in Christ, and His Holy Spirit is my comforter even in my struggles and shortcomings. When I lean on Him, then I will be comforted and restored from my misery and wretchedness.
The beatitude on meekness taught me to put others first and live a life of surrender to God. In His kingdom, the meek shall inherit the earth, not the proud, because God hates pride. I have decided to follow Christ’s example and live humbly because being humble is being powerful. I commit myself to God that I will stay humble under His hands.
One of the beatitudes has grasped my attention, being merciful. When I meditated on it, I was amazed to find out that it is not something we do occasionally, but something we do constantly in our life, regardless of how we feel. Not just feeling mercy, but acting on it and showing mercy to people who have done me wrong. I pray that God will help me to be able to live mercifully in every kind of way and not just sometimes because there is a promise that those who are merciful will receive mercy. The truth is that everyone makes mistakes in their lives, and I am one of them. So, I should give people the advantage of making mistakes but at the same time forgive them and be merciful because this is the right way to do so.
Pursuing the pleasures of the world and looking for happiness has never satisfied me. I could follow those vague ambitions of this world, but following those urges and having a hunger for them will not do any good to me. This is going to have a void in my life, but having a hunger and thirst for righteousness will satisfy my soul. Only Christ can satisfy my soul. I pray that I would never forget these things, and His Holy Spirit will keep reminding me that the pursuit of worldly lust will leave me unfulfilled, and I have to keep my eyes on Jesus.
I have found myself not being glad even in the good times, but this scripture of being persecuted and being glad and rejoicing is really contradicting to the mindset that I have. This verse encourages me to be glad when people revile me and say all kinds of evil just because I belong to Christ and have faith in Him. I choose to rejoice because Christ is alive, and He is my living hope. I cannot stay sad or feel bad about myself but be glad, knowing who my God is and what He has done for me to deliver me from sin and made me His son through the cross and resurrection.
I question myself, is there anything in my life that is letting me lose my saltiness, or am I preserving the world as God’s ambassador and bringing His gospel to people? Is my life shinning the light through dark places and leading them to Christ? These verses are a very good reminder for me to show Christ to the world and not hide from the world but show Christ through my life example. I have to do good works not to receive salvation but because people will see the good works and glorify my Father who is in heaven. I should not hide my good intentions but actively work on them to show people what God’s kingdom looks like.