Day 7: February 3

MATTHEW 5:1-11

SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHTS:
vs 1-2 Jesus gets away from the masses for an intimate lesson to his disciples.
vs 3-11 Details condition of those who are blessed and their reward.
vs 12 Encourages response for Beatitudes or for circumstances

OBSERVATIONS:
The passage opens making it clear that Jesus moves away from the masses and it was the disciples who made the move to him. The Beatitudes was a lesson to be learned because Jesus opened his mouth to teach.

In light of the beatitudes as a teaching, it appears Jesus is drawing on the OT revealing what had not been considered. The blessings of God appear to most as associated with a state of material abundance but in the Beatitudes, blessing is a state of being in the same way God’s name is a state of being. I AM. These states of being are all traits that can be seen throughout Scripture. Those traits, some perceived from low times in our lives, are spoken to positively by Jesus.

The Beatitudes speak to kingdom character. Those who have kingdom character are blessed so because the kingdom of God has come near. They are a declaration of God’s grace not attained blessing by man’s action. The state of being is a blessing because God is near.

APPLICATION:
The fact that the disciples got this teaching when they went to where Jesus was speaks to what the business world calls the power of proximity. We need to make every effort to be in the presence of God. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us and show us his heart for us in challenging times as well as high times.

Draw on the word. Allow the word of God to determine how you perceive and feel about the world around you and the situation you find yourself but make sure you know that your blessing is not a consequence of material possessions or if you are up or down. You disposition is that of Blessed!!!! Allow the community of faith to be what the Lord has intended us to be to each other…Blessed to be a blessing.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord God, help me cultivate the character of heaven. What you have intended for the community of faith which is made of imperfect individuals who are made in your perfect image. Allow me to embrace the blessed reward and look with expectation to its arrival. Allow me to know I am blessed because you are always near not because of where I find myself.