Blessed Are....

Show of hands, how many of you have ever gotten directions that seemed completely wrong? GPS telling you to turn into what looks like a dead end, only to discover it’s actually a shortcut? Maybe you’ve had a friend give directions to their house, and you’re thinking, “This can’t be right. This road doesn’t go anywhere.” But you follow it anyway, and suddenly you’re exactly where you need to be.

Today we are going to be starting a new journey. One that will put us in the gospel of Matthew for a little bit. We’re going to be starting off in chapter 5. We will be starting by looking at the Beatitudes. We are going to see Jesus presenting a radical view of what it means to be blessed, turning worldly values upside down by associating happiness with humility, mercy, and purity of heart.

Imagine if I told you that to become wealthy, you need to give everything away. To become strong, you need to admit you’re weak. To find happiness, you need to mourn. To inherit land, you need to refus to fight for it. You’d probably check my mental health, right? You might even leave! Yet this is exactly what Jesus teaches in the most famous sermon ever preached.

We live in a world that operates on completely different principles. Our culture screams at us that happiness comes from accumulating more; more money, more power, more recognition, more followers on social media. We’re tolda that strength means never showing vulnerability, that success means climbing over others to get to the top, and that the good life is found in comfort and ease.

But Jesus stands on that mountainside and gives us directions that seem to lead nowhere, or worse, seem to lead to failure, poverty, and persecution. Yet He promises that these seemingly backwards directions are actually the shortcut to true blessing, genuine happiness, and lasting joy.

See, true blessing comes from aligning our values with those of Christ’s Kingdom, promoting a life that seeks righteousness, compassion, and peace. This isn’t just a feel-good spiritual talk, this is a complete revolution of how we understand what it means to live a truly successful life.

Surprising Sources of Joy

Let me set the scene for you. Just before Jesus starts speaking on the Beatitudes, in chapter 4, He had just called the disciples and then He was healing the multitudes. Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Picture this massive crowd, thousands of people who had heard about this rabbi who could heal the sick and cast out demons. they came from everywhere, walking for days just to see Him.

Then we come to chapter 5, and we see that when He saw the multitudes, He went up on a mountain. After He was seated, His disciples came to Him. This isn’t accidental—Jesus sees the crowd, but He positions Himself to teach His disciples. The crowd can listen in, but this teaching is primarily for those who have committed to follow Him.

Matthew 5:1–4 NKJV

1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

We live in a culture that says “fake it till you make it”, but Jesus says “admit your brokenness and find the kingdom.” This is revolutionary thinking. In Jesus’ day, just like today, people believed that blessing was obvious, you could see it in someone’s wealth, their health, their status, their power. The blessed people lived in big houses, wore fine clothes, and never seemed to struggle.

But Jesus opens His mouth and immediately flips everything upside down. “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, not the spirittually proud, not those who have it all figured out, but those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy. These aren’t people who are putting on a show of righteousness; these are people who have come to the end of themselves and realized they need God desperately.

What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” It means recognizing that you have nothing to offer god that could earn His favor. It means acknowledging that all your good works, all your religious activity, all your moral efforts are like filthy rags before a holy God. It means coming to Him empty-handed, admitting that you’re spiritually bankrupt and desperately need His grace.

This is completely backwards from how the world thinks. The world says, “God helps those who help themselves.” Jesus says, “God helps those who can’t help themselves and know it.” The world says, “Believe in yourself.” Jesus says, “Stop believing in yourself and start believing in Me.”

And look at the promise: “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Not “theirs will be the kingdom of heaven” someday—theirs IS the kingdom of heaven right now. The moment you recognize your spiritual poverty, you become a citizen of God’s kingdom. You don’t have to wait until you die; you don’t have to earn it through years of good behavior. The kingdom belongs to those who know they don’t deserve it.

Then Jesus continues: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Again, this seems backwards. We spend our whole lives trying to avoid mourning, trying to stay happy, trying to keep our spirits up. We medicate our pain, distract ourselves from grief, and do evertying we can to avoid the uncomfortable reality of loss and sorrow.

But Jesus says mourning is pathway to blessing. What kind of mourning is He talking about? Certainly, He includes those who are grieving the loss of loved ones, those who are walking through seasons of deep sorrow and pain. God sees their tears, and He promises comfort.

But there’s a deeper mourning here-mourning over sin. Not just being sorry you got caught, not just feeling bad about the consequences of your choices, but genuine grief over the way your sin has offended a holy God and hurt others. This is the kind of mourning that leads to genuine repentance.

King David understood this kind of mourning. After his sin with Bathshebe was exposed, he wrote Psalm 51: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions...Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done evil in Your sight.”

This mourning isn’t morbid self-hatred; it’s the healthy sorrow that leads to genuine change. It’s recognizing the gravity of sin and the beauty of God’s grace. And Jesus promises that those who mourn in this way will be comforted-not just eventually, but they will receive the comfort of God’s forgiveness, the peace of a cleansed conscience, and the joy of restoration.

Think about it: the people calls blessed in these first two beatitudes are the exat opposite of what the world considers blessed. The world celebrates the self-confident, the ones who never seem to struggle, the ones who have their act together. Jesus celebrates the broke, the needy, the ones who weep.

This challenges us to consider that true contentment is discovered when we recognize our need for God. It’s not about having enough money in the bank or enough likes on your Instagram post. True contentment comes when you stop trying to find your identity and security in the things of this world and start finding them in your relationship with god.

Jesus calls us to redefine our values and pursuits according the Kingdom’s principles. This means asking ourselves some hard questions: What are we really pursuing? What do we think will make us happy? Are we chasing after the world’s definition of blessing or are we embracing the upside-down values of the Kingdom?

2. Pure Paths to Peace

If I asked you to name the most successful people you know, you’d probably list CEOs, celebrities, politicians-people who fought their way to the top, people who never backed down from a fight, people who demanded respect and took what they wanted. But Jesus points to the meek and says “they’re the real inheritors.”

Matthew 5:5–8 NKJV

5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

Let’s talk about meekness, because we’ve completely misunderstood this word in our culture. We think meek means weak-a doormat, someone who gets walked all over, someone who never stands up for themselves. But that is not what Jesus means at all.

The word “mee” describes strength under control. It’s the same word used to describe a powerful warhorse that has been trained to respond to the slightest touch of its rider’s reins. The horse hasn’t lost it’s strength; it has learned to channel that strength under discipling and control.

Moses was called the meekest man on earth, but he wasn’t weak. He confronted Pharaoh, led two million people through the wilderness, and dealt with constant complaints and rebellion. But he submitted his strength to God’s control.

Jesus Himself said “I am meek and lowly in hert.” but He wasn’t weak. He drove money changers out of the temple with a whip, He boldly confronted religious leaders, adn He willingly went to the cross. His strength was perfectly submitted to the Father’s will.

Meekness means having your ego under God’s control. It means you don’t have to win every argument, you don’t have to have the last word, you don’t have to prove you’re right all the time. You’re secure enough in God’s love that you can afford to be gentle with others.

And look at the promise “they shall inherit the earth.” Not just heaven someday, but the earth itself. The meek don’t have to fight and claw for their inheritance; it’s freely given to them by their Father.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Jesus uses the strongest possible language here. Hunger and thirst represent our most basic, desperate needs. You can live weeks without food, but only days without water. When you’re truly hungry and thirsty, nothing else matters-you’re consumed with getting what you need to survive.

Jesus says we should have that same desperate longing for righteousness. Not just being good enough to get by, not just avoiding the really bad sins, but having an all-consuming desire to be right with God and to live in a way that pleases Him.

This isn’t about perfectionism or legalism. This is about recognizing that righteousness-being in right relationship with god and living according His standards-is not optional for the Christian life. It’s essential, like food and water.

The beautiful promise is that those who have this hunger will be filled. God doesn’t leave us staving for righteousness; He provides what we need through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” this one hits close to home. In our culture of cancel culture and social media pile-ons, mercy seems like weakness. We want justice, we want peple to pay for thier mistakes, we want consequences.

But Jesus says the merciful are blessed. mercy doesn’t mean ignoring sin or pretending wrong is right. Mercy means choosing to extend grace instead of demanding payment. It means forgiving when you have every right to hold a grudge. It means showing compassion to people who don’t deserve it.

And here’s the beutiful reciprocal promise: those who show mercy will receive mercy. Not just from other people, but from God Himself. Jesus isn’t teaching us to earn God’s mercy by being mercifu—He’s teaching us that thos who have truly experienced God’s mercy will naturally extend mercy to others.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” In Jesus’ day, ritual purity was everything. People were obsessed with external cleanliness, washing their hands in just the right way, avoiding contact with the wrong people, following hundreds of ceeremonial lawws.

But jesus says it’s not about external purity-it’s about purity of the heart. It’s about having undivided motives, genuine sincerity, and authentic love for God. It’s about integrity—being th same person in private that you are in public.

A pure heart doesn’t mean a perfect heart—it means an honest heart, a heart that’s been cleansed by God’s grace and is genuinely seeking to please Him. It’s a heart that’s not trying t serve two massters, not divided between love for God and love for the world.

And the promise is incredible: they will see God. Not just in the future, but right now. Pure hearts have spiritual eyes that can see God’s hand at work, recognize His presence, and experience His reality in ways that others miss.

Jesus is challenging us to pursue genuine integrity and mercy rather than superficial morality and judgment. These traits, while countercultural, alight us with Jesus’ character. This suggests a divine promise that those who strive for such purity and peace will encounter a reater vision of God in their lives, producing a deeper, unshakeable happiness.

the world’s path to happiness is beuilt on getting-getting more stuff, getting more recognition, getting more power. But Jesus’ path to happiness is built on being-being meek, being merciful, being pure in heart. It’s not about what you accumulate; it’s about who you become.

3. The Blessing of Boldness

In our cancel culture, standing for righteousness often means standing alone. We live in a time when having strong convictions can cost you your job, your friends, even your family. People are afraid to speak truth because they don’t want to face the backlash. But Jesus says that’s exactly where blessing is found.

Matthew 5:9–12 NKJV

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Let’s start with peacemaking, because this is often misunderstood. Peacemaking doesn’t mean being a people-pleaser or avoiding all conflict. It doesn’t mean compromising truth for the sake of harmony. Biblical peacemaking sometimes requires confrontation—speaking truth in love even when it’s uncomfortable.

A peacemaker is someone who actively works to reconcile broken relationships, who brings helaing where there’s been hurt, who builds bridges instead of walls. Sometimes that means having difficult conversations, addressing sin directly, and calling people to repentance. Jesus was the ultimate peacemaker, but He wasn’t afraid of conflict when it served a greater purpose.

True peacemaking begins with recognizing that we were at wr with god because of our sin, and Jesus made peace between us and the Father through His death on the cross. Those who have experienced this peace become agents of peace in a broken world.

The promise is beautiful: “they shall be called sons of God.” Peacemakers bear the family resemblance. They act like their father who “so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” to make peace between Himself and humanity.

But then Jesus drops a bombshell: “blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Wait a minute—persecution is a blessing? That seems like taking the upside-down kingdom too far.

but Jesus is being realistic about what happens when Kingdom values collide with worldly values. When you stand for truth in a world that loves lies, when you choose purity in a culture that celebrates compromise, when you show mercy in a society that demands revenge, you’re going to face opposition.

Notice Jesus is very specific—this is persecution “for righteousness’ sake.” This isn’t about being persecuted for being obnoxious, judgmental, or unnecessarily offensive. This is about facing hardship because you refuse to compromise biblical values.

In many parts of the world today, christians face literal persecution—imprisonment, torture, even death—simply for following Jesus. But even in places where christianity is tolerated, believers can face social persecution, professional setbacks, and family rejection for living out their faith authentically.

Jesus gets even more personal in verses 11-12: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heave, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Notice the progression; first he talked about persecution in general terms, now He’s talking directly to His disciples: “Blessed are YOU when they persecute YOU.” He’s warning them that following Him will come with a cost, but He’s also promising them that hte ccost is worth it.

Jesus acknowledges the paradox of being blessed amid rejection. This doesn’t make sense to the natural mind. How can you be happy when people are saying terrible things about you? How can you rejoice when you’re being mistreated?

The answer is found in perspective. When you’re persecuted for Jesus’ sake, you’re in good company-the prophets faced the same treatment. You’re also storing up treasure in heaven that far outweighs any temporary suffering on earth.

More than that, persecution for righteousness’ sake is actually a badge of honor. It means you’re living differently enough that hte world notices and feels threatened. If everyone loves you and no one ever opposes you, you might want to ask yourself whether you’re really living for Jesus or just trying to be a nice person.

Christ’s life is the ultimate example of this path. He came to bring peace between God and humanity, but His message created division. He spoke truth in love, but religious leaders plotted to kill Him. He lived a perfect life, but He was crucified as a criminal. Yet through His apparent defeat, He acheived the greatest victory in human history.

We are to pursue peace and righteousness, mirroring Jesus’s hope and joy even when facing trials. This means we don’t seek persecution, but we don’t avoid it by compromising truth. We speak with grace and love, but we don’t water down the gospel to make it more palatable.

The reward for such dedication is the joy of being aligned with God’s will. When you know you’re living for something bigger than yourself, when you know your life is making an eternal difference, you can endure temporary hardship with genuine joy.

Think about the martyrs throughout church history-men and women who chose death rather than deny their faith. What enabled them to face such extreme persecution with courage and even joy? They understood that their identity and security weren’t found in this world’s approval, but in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Peacemaking and enduring persecution become hallmarks of the Kingdom’s citizens. These aren’t optional extras for super-spiritual Christians; these are normal characteristics of everyone who truly follows Jesus.

Conclusion: Living the Upside-Down Life

As we come to the end of our journey through the Beatitudes, I want you to think back to that GPS illustration I started with. When you're following directions that seem wrong, you have a choice - you can turn around and go back to familiar territory, or you can trust the one giving the directions and keep moving forward.

Jesus has given us directions for happiness that seem completely backwards by the world's standards. He's told us that blessing comes through admitting our weakness, that strength comes through gentleness, that true success comes through serving others, and that ultimate joy can be found even in persecution.

Now you have a choice. You can decide these directions are too risky, too costly, too different from what everyone else is doing. You can turn around and go back to pursuing happiness the way the world does - through accumulating wealth, seeking power, avoiding difficult relationships, and living for your own comfort and pleasure.

Or you can trust Jesus and follow His upside-down directions, even when they don't make sense to your natural mind or to the people around you.

I want to challenge you with three questions as you leave here today:

First, which kingdom are you really living for? Are you pursuing the values of this world's kingdom, or are you genuinely seeking first the Kingdom of God? Your checkbook, your calendar, and your conversations will reveal the answer.

Second, where do you need to embrace the upside-down values Jesus teaches here? Maybe you need to admit your spiritual poverty instead of trying to impress God with your goodness. Maybe you need to choose meekness instead of demanding your rights. Maybe you need to show mercy to someone who has hurt you. Maybe you need to be willing to stand for truth even if it costs you something.

Third, are you willing to follow Jesus even when His directions seem to lead away from what you think will make you happy? True discipleship isn't just about believing the right things; it's about living them out even when it's costly.

The Beatitudes aren't just nice thoughts for us to admire; they're a blueprint for Kingdom living. They show us what citizens of God's kingdom look like, how they think, how they act, and what they value.

But here's the beautiful truth - you don't have to manufacture these characteristics through willpower and determination. These are the natural fruit of a heart that has been transformed by the Gospel. When you truly understand how much God has forgiven you, mercy flows naturally. When you grasp how much He loves you, you don't need to fight for your rights. When you comprehend the magnitude of His grace, you can afford to be generous with others.

The upside-down kingdom isn't just about following a set of rules; it's about being transformed by the love of God so that His values become your values, His priorities become your priorities, and His joy becomes your joy.

Jesus promises that those who live by these upside-down principles will find true blessing - not the shallow, temporary happiness the world offers, but deep, lasting joy that can't be shaken by circumstances.

The question isn't whether you understand the Beatitudes intellectually. The question is whether you're willing to live them out practically. Are you willing to trust Jesus enough to follow His seemingly backwards directions to true happiness?

The choice is yours. You can keep following the world's map to happiness and end up exactly where millions of others have ended up - frustrated, empty, and still searching. Or you can trust the One who made you, who died for you, and who knows exactly what will bring you the joy your heart is searching for.

Choose the upside-down kingdom. Choose to be poor in spirit, to mourn over sin, to be meek and merciful, to hunger for righteousness, to be pure in heart, to make peace, and to stand for truth no matter the cost.

Choose to follow Jesus, even when His directions seem completely wrong to everyone else. I promise you, He knows the way to true blessing, and His path - however upside-down it may seem - will lead you exactly where your heart longs to be.

Let us pray.