“20 Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.” Luke 6.20-22
Two places in Scripture contain the “Beatitudes” as we know them—Matthew 5 and Luke 6. The Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew, while the parallel segment in Luke is called the Sermon on the Plain. In both, Jesus offers statements that begin with “blessed,” meaning happy or fortunate.
Luke’s four statements describe those who are poor, hungry, weeping, and hated. How can anyone be blessed in such conditions? Yet with each pronouncement, Jesus attaches a promise: the poor will receive God’s kingdom; the hungry will be satisfied; the sorrowful will laugh; the hated will leap for joy because of their reward in heaven.
I appreciate a broad interpretation of each affliction. “Poor” can mean “poor in spirit”; “hungry” can refer to spiritual and emotional longing, not just physical need; those who weep from sadness or depression will find joy and contentment; and those who are hated, excluded, or insulted can rest their security in God’s promise of salvation through His Son, Jesus.
So why wouldn’t everyone cling to the promises of Christ? Why, if you identify with any of these troubles, would you not find solace in Jesus? The world identifies these problems but offers no lasting solutions. Christ culminates the issues with the ultimate hint of the solution: relate to Him! Worries, fears, struggles, and difficulties may not vanish completely from this world, but we will find our hope in the risen Christ today, and in eternity we will receive our ultimate reward.
So today, we trust in Christ. Lean into Him, and you will find Him responding with quick and ready love and grace.
“O Lord God, You are truly just a prayer away. You have called us simply to ask for Your help, and You grant it. If we pray, ‘Lord, I surrender,’ Your immediate Comforter takes up residence in our bodies. Come now, Holy Father; help us find strength in You. Fill us with Your love and cover us with the blood. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen.