Blessed in the Kindom

Sermon Title: Blessed in the Kingdom

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Occasion: The Lord’s Day

Date: November 23, 2025

Opening Prayer

INTRODUCTION

This week, as we head into Thanksgiving, we’re going to hear the word “blessed” everywhere.

We’ll see it printed on fall décor (hobby lobby), posted on social media, and spoken around the thanksgiving table.

But before we let the holiday—or our circumstances—define that word, Jesus invites us to ask a far deeper question:

What does it really mean to be blessed?

Matthew places that question right at the beginning of the first major discourse of his Gospel.

He structures his entire Gospel around five great discourses—echoing the five books of Moses.

And the first of these—the one that sets the tone for everything that follows—is the Sermon on the Mount.

But notice the order:

Before Jesus gives the ethic of the kingdom…

Before He defines the righteousness of the kingdom…

Before He expounds the law of the kingdom…

He first declares who is blessed in the kingdom.

Before He tells us what kingdom citizens do, He tells us what kingdom citizens are.

And in the opening lines of the Beatitudes, the King Himself answers the question our hearts keep asking:

Who does Jesus call blessed in His Kingdom?

That’s why I have titled sermon: “Blessed in the Kingdom.”

And that is the question Jesus answers for us this morning.

Transition to Point One

So let us begin where Matthew begins—on the mountain, where he first lifts our eyes to the One who alone has the authority to define and to pronounce blessing.

Point One: The King Who Blesses His People

EXEGESIS — Hearing Matthew’s Words with Fresh Ears

Matthew begins simply, quietly—but with more weight than we may first notice.

“Seeing the crowds…”(vs.1)

Jesus sees them. (Just like he saw the disciples in Matthew 4:18,22).

Not just their faces—their condition.

Their needs.

Their wounds.

Their troubles.

He sees their hunger for blessing.

And Matthew tells us, “He went up on the mountain.”(v.1)

That word went up—anebē—is intentional.

Purposeful.

Jesus is not looking for fresh air.

He’s ascending a platform of revelation.

Because in Matthew’s Gospel, mountains are never mere terrain.

They are stages on which heaven touches earth.

A mountain of temptation (4:8)

A mountain of prayer (14:23)

A mountain of healing (15:29)

A mountain of transfiguration (17:1)

A mountain of prophecy (24:3)

A mountain of commission (28:16)

And now—here—a mountain of blessing.

Then Matthew says,

“He sat down…”(v.1)

That’s the posture of authority.

A rabbi sits to teach with authority.

A king sits to rule from his throne.

A judge sits to render verdicts.

A priest sits in the temple when the work is complete.

Jesus sits because He is all Four.

He is the ultimate teacher, ruler, judge, priest.

Jesus doesn’t sit because He needs rest.

Jesus sits because He holds all authority.

He takes His seat to show His rule.

Matthew wants us to see it:

A greater Moses goes up the mountain.

A greater Solomon speaks wisdom.

A greater David rules from His throne.

A greater Temple stands on the hill.

Christ takes His seat because the King is present, the Kingdom is at hand, and the Blesser of the blessed is about to speak.

Finally, Matthew tells us,

“His disciples came to him, and He opened His mouth and taught them…”(v.1)

This is a Hebrew way of saying:

“Pay attention. Something weighty is about to be spoken.”

This is royal proclamation.

This is kingdom constitution.

The King speaks to those He will bless.

Exposition — What Matthew Wants Us to Feel

Matthew is slowly lifting our eyes.

If we rush past these two verses, we miss the whole scene.

This moment is not casual; it is covenantal.

Before Jesus commands anything of the citizens of His kingdom, He declares His covenant blessings over them.

He wants us to see that before Jesus blesses anyone, the King takes His rightful place.

Before He calls us into kingdom living, He establishes kingdom authority.

Like Moses on Sinai, Jesus goes up the mountain.

Moses went up the mountain to receive the Law that shaped God’s people from the outside in.

But here, a greater than Moses goes up the mountain to give the law of the kingdom—a law written not on stone, but on the heart.

The Ten Commandments dealt with conduct;

the Beatitudes describe character.

The Law shows what righteousness requires;

the Beatitudes show what grace produces.

In other words, Jesus isn’t replacing Moses—He’s fulfilling what the Law pointed toward all along.

The Beatitudes reveal the inner life of those God has made new.

Moses shaped a nation by law; Jesus shapes a people by grace.

In Moses, God formed the people from the outside in; in Jesus, God forms His people from the inside out.

The Beatitudes, then, are not eight steps to earn God’s favor, nor eight moral achievements.

They are the marks of a new people—the ones in whom God is restoring the very righteousness the Law demanded but could never produce.

So Matthew is showing us here as Jesus ascends this mountain, and sits to teach with all authority, that…

This is the new mountain.

The new Sinai.

The new Eden.

The new place where heaven stoops low and God speaks to His people.

And the words Jesus gives on this new mountain are not commands to climb higher, but declarations of blessed grace flowing down.

APPLICATION

If you want to be blessed in the kingdom, you must draw near to the King who speaks from the mountain.

That’s it.

Blessing doesn’t begin with what you do—it begins with whom you come to.

TRANSITION TO POINT II:

And as we draw near to Him—seated, sovereign, speaking—we discover something surprising:

The first word out of the King’s mouth is not a command but a blessing.

And the first blessed people He describes are not the strong, the impressive, or the self-sufficient…but the dependent.

Point 2: The Blessed Dependence of Kingdom Citizens (Matthew 5:3–6)

EXEGESIS — Hearing Jesus’ Blessings with Kingdom Ears

Jesus begins His royal charter with a word the world does not expect: “Blessed…” (makarioi) (v.3)

This word is not a fleeting emotion, not “happy,” not surface-level positivity.

“blessed” is God’s own verdict of divine favor—His covenant grace, His saving approval, His life-giving presence resting upon a person because they belong to Him.

Being blessed by Christ is true flourishing—something the world cannot give and no circumstance can ever take away.

And that’s very different from the kind of ‘blessed’ we’ll hear around the Thanksgiving table this week—usually tied to full plates, good health, or financial comfort.

Those things are good gifts, but they rise and fall; the blessing Christ gives stands firm forever.

Blessing must be pronounced by the creator-King.

Only He can define what true flourishing is.

That’s why most of your Bibles have the heading ‘Beatitudes’—it simply means a blessing spoken by the King Himself.

Culture will try to define blessing for us—and often impose its definition on us—but only the King’s voice can declare who is genuinely blessed.

Illustration: Our society uses “#Blessed” to describe the good life—new trucks, vacation photos, raises, remodeled kitchens.

But you can have a full bank account, a full schedule, and a full house… and still have an empty soul.

And still not be blessed in the Kingdom.

Jesus would not call that blessed.

Blessedness is given and defined by the One from whom all blessings flow.

If Jesus says you’re blessed, that settles it—no loss can steal it and no gain can improve it.

When the King declares you blessed, no storm can undo it, no suffering can diminish it, and no success can enhance it—because His word of blessing is final, full, and forever.

Illustration: Blessed is like standing under a waterfall—your situation may change, but the water of God’s kindness never stops pouring over you.

And look carefully—Jesus repeats this word 4 times the way the Psalms do—Psalm 1, Psalm 32—declaring who truly flourishes in God’s kingdom.

The King is singing blessing over His people here on the mount of beatitudes.

It should remind us of Zephaniah 3:17

Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

That’s what Jesus does here.

And what does he sing?

V.3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”

The word “poor” here (ptōchoi) means begging-poor, utterly destitute, empty-handed.

But Matthew adds, “in spirit.”

This is not about bank accounts—it’s about the soul before God, the one who knows:

“I bring nothing. I deserve nothing. I can demand nothing.”

To people who feel spiritually empty, Jesus says,

“Yours is the kingdom.”

(“For the kingdom of heaven belongs to them” NIV)

Grant Osborn said it this way,

Matthew Explanation of the Text

The faithful disciple now belongs to the new kingdom Christ has inaugurated and at the final judgment will inherit it in full. There is both an authority and a privilege, as the powers of the kingdom are available to its citizens.

V.4 “Blessed are those who mourn…”

The Greek word (pentheō) is the strongest word for grief.

These are not the mildly sad.

These are those who grieve the brokenness of life, the horror of sin, the weight of suffering.

And the King promises:

“They shall be comforted.”

Not by distraction.

Not by time.

But by God Himself.

It reminds me of the apostle Paul at the end of his ministry when he says,

2 Timothy 4:16–17 ESV

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me... But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me..

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction,

V.5 “Blessed are the meek…”

Meekness (praeis) is not weakness.

It is strength under submission.

It is the spirit that trusts God enough not to grasp for control, push its agenda, or force its way.

The meek, Jesus says,

“shall inherit the earth.”

—echoing Psalm 37, which describes the righteous remnant who wait for God to act.

Psalm 37:5–9 ESV

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

V.6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…”

Jesus now uses the most primal desires we know:

Hunger and thirst— but points them toward righteousness, God’s restorative, saving action.

This righteousness is not moral performance; it is God making things right:

in us (transforming our hearts),

through us (shaping how we live),

and then around us (advancing His justice and peace in the world).

This is the longing of someone who sees the brokenness of sin—both within and without—and aches for God to make things right.

And to this aching desire Jesus says,

“They shall be satisfied.”

Not with self-effort, not with religious striving, but with God Himself supplying what they cannot produce.

EXPOSITION — What Jesus Wants Us to Understand

Jesus begins His list of blessings in a way that seems upside down to the world:

He blesses those who lack.

He blesses those who grieve.

He blesses those who wait.

He blesses those who long.

Why?

Because in the kingdom of heaven, need is not a deficit—it is the doorway to blessing.

Before Jesus shows us what His disciples do, He shows us what His disciples are:

Humbled, dependent, surrendered, aching for God.

The world calls the proud, the self-assured, the competent, the put-together “blessed.”

But Jesus reverses the values of earth and reveals the priorities of heaven.

These first four beatitudes are what the early church fathers called:

“the emptying graces.”

They describe the heart that has been emptied of self so that God may fill it.

And notice the structure:

Each blessing moves inward to outward— from poverty - grief - meekness - longing— This shows us the internal posture of every kingdom citizen.

Jesus is forming a people whose blessedness comes not from independence, but from dependence.

These are the ones who are truly Blessed in the Kingdom.

ILLUSTRATION — The Blessing of Empty Hands

When you go to a feast, a banquet, a Thanksgiving table— you don’t bring a plate full of your own food.

You come empty-handed so that the host may fill you.

If you showed up with your own turkey, your own stuffing, your own pie, and started serving yourself at the table you were invited to, you would not only insult the host— you would miss the joy of receiving what the host delights to give.

In the same way, Jesus says:

Blessing in the kingdom doesn’t belong to the self-sufficient who bring their own righteousness, but to the empty-handed who come to His table with nothing but need.

Augustine put it beautifully:

“God gives where He finds empty hands.”

Jesus says (Paraphrasing here),

“Come poor, come mourning, come meek, come hungry— and I will fill you.”

APPLICATION

To be blessed in the kingdom, you must come to Jesus with empty hands and a dependent heart.

This is where all kingdom living begins.

Blessing flows downward—into those humble enough to receive it.

TRANSITION TO POINT 3

And once the King has emptied us of self and filled us with His grace, that internal dependence begins to flow outward.

The heart that depends on God becomes a heart that displays God— in mercy, in purity, and in peacemaking.

Let us now look at the next movement of Jesus’ royal charter:

Point 3: The Blessed Devotion of Kingdom Citizens (Matthew 5:7–9)

EXEGESIS — Hearing Jesus Describe Kingdom Life

Jesus now shifts from the inner posture of dependence (vv. 3–6) to the outward expression of devotion (vv. 7–9).

The first four blessings were vertical—how a disciple stands before God.

These now become horizontal—how a disciple stands toward others.

V.7 “Blessed are the merciful…”

The Greek word eleēmōn describes compassion in action.

Not sentiment.

Not sympathy.

But the willingness to enter into another’s misery and move toward them with help.

Jesus says in Luke 6:36

Luke 6:36 ESV

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Romans 12:1 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Jesus says the merciful “shall receive mercy”— not because they earn it, but because they reveal they already know the mercy of God.

V.8 “Blessed are the pure in heart…”

The word pure (katharoi) means more than being spiritually “washed.”

It means unmixed—a heart that is not divided, diluted, or pulled in two directions.

And when Jesus speaks of the heart, He is not talking about emotions but the control center of a person—the core of loyalties, desires, and decisions.

This purity echoes Psalm 24:3–4 that we read for our call to worship this morning, where only those with clean hands and a pure heart may ascend the hill of the LORD and stand in His presence.

In Scripture, purity of heart has two inseparable nuances:

1. A morally upright life—not merely ritual cleanness but genuine obedience flowing from a transformed heart.

2. A single-minded devotion to God—a heart wholly given to Him, loving Him with all its heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30).

Purity of heart, then, is the opposite of religious double-mindedness and the opposite of Pharisaical hypocrisy.

It’s like this: Here in Sanford, if the speed limit on First Street says 25 mph, you can drive 25 because the sign tells you to—obedience from the outside.

But put your newborn in the back seat… and suddenly you’re driving 15.

Not because a law changed, but because your heart changed. Your love changes the way you drive.

That’s what Jesus means by purity of heart.

Not just doing the right thing because you’re supposed to, but doing it because your heart belongs to God— single, sincere, undivided.

It is sincere loyalty to God on the inside, only made possible by the transforming work of the Gospel when one believes, that produces wholehearted obedience on the outside.

And the promise?

“They shall see God.”

Not only someday in glory— but even now spiritually, in glimpses of His presence, His beauty, His guidance, and His goodness.

The vision humanity lost in Eden is restored in the kingdom.

To see God is the greatest blessing a human soul can receive—and Jesus pronounces it on the pure in heart.

V.9 “Blessed are the peacemakers…”

This word (eirēnopoioi) is rare and active.

Peacemakers are not people who merely enjoy peace, they pursue peace, create peace, restore peace, and model peace.

They refuse to throw gasoline on conflict; they move toward reconciliation— because that’s what their Father does.

Romans 12:18 — “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

James 3:18 — “A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Hebrews 12:14 — “Strive for peace with everyone…”

2 Corinthians 5:18–20 — “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… We are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.”

Jeremiah 29:7 — “But seek the [PEACE] of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its [PEACE] you will find your [PEACE].”

As the promise says:

“They shall be called sons of God.”

They resemble their Father.

They do the family work.

EXPOSITION — What Jesus Wants Us to See

These verses paint a portrait of kingdom devotion— what the blessed life looks like when it touches real people in real relationships.

If the first four beatitudes show us the heart emptied of self, these three show us the heart filled with God.

Mercy is how we treat the hurting.

We step toward the wounded.

We remember the mercy we’ve received.

Blessed people become merciful people.

Purity is how we walk before God.

Not with divided loyalty, not playing both sides, not giving God the lips while the heart belongs to the world.

Blessed people desire God without mixture.

Peacemaking is how we mirror our Father.

God is the great Peacemaker— reconciling sinners through the cross.

So kingdom citizens become people who restore, forgive, listen, repair.

By the way, this is all an inside job!

A new heart beats with a new rhythm—one tuned to the kingdom.

You can’t manufacture these virtues.

They’re not personality traits, self-improvement goals, or moral upgrades.

This is new-creation life—the heartbeat of a soul made new by grace, bearing the likeness of its Father and the heart of its Savior.

ILLUSTRATION — The Overflow of What Fills the Cup

If you fill a cup with clean water, the only thing that will spill out is what’s inside.

If you squeeze a bottle full of bitterness, bitterness spills.

If you squeeze a bottle full of grace, grace spills.

Jesus is saying:

When the heart is filled with the mercy of God, mercy spills out.

When the heart is filled with the holiness of God, purity spills out.

When the heart is filled with the peace of God, peace spills out.

WHAT’S IN YOUR BOTTLE?

A kingdom citizen doesn’t manufacture mercy, purity, or peace— they overflow it.

As John Bunyan once said:

“He who is most empty of self is most full of Christ, and Christ will overflow.”

APPLICATION

To live blessed in the kingdom, let your life overflow with the mercy, purity, and peace you receive from God.

Not forced.

Not faked.

Not performed.

But overflowed.

TRANSITION TO POINT 4

But Jesus knows something:

A life marked by mercy, purity, and peace will not always be welcomed.

Sometimes people will embrace you; other times they will oppose you.

And so, after describing the dependence of kingdom citizens (vv. 3–6) and the devotion of kingdom citizens (vv. 7–9), Jesus now prepares His disciples for the reality that being blessed in the kingdom will bring conflict with the world.

This leads us to the final movement:

Point 4: The Blessed Endurance of Kingdom Citizens (Matthew 5:10–12)

EXEGESIS — Hearing Jesus Prepare His People

Jesus ends His blessings where no one expects Him to start or finish— with persecution.

The final set of beatitudes now centers on what the earth gives the believer, not what we give to others.

V.10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…”

The word PERSECUTED (diōkō ) means to pursue, to chase down, to press hard against— not mild discomfort, not social awkwardness, but active hostility that comes because a person belongs to the kingdom of God.

And Jesus is precise about the reason:

“For righteousness’ sake.”

Not for foolish decisions.

Not for abrasive behavior.

Not for arrogance or self-inflicted wounds.

But for righteousness—for embodying God’s kingdom ways in a world that resists them.

Scripture is honest about this:

The merciful should not expect mercy from a harsh world.

The peacemaker should not expect peace from those who love division.

Don’t be suprised!

1 Peter 4:12–14 ESV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

1 Peter 4:19 ESV

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

So when believers live as citizens of the kingdom—doing good (Gal. 6:10), making peace, extending mercy, walking in purity— they inevitably collide with the world’s ways.

Acts 14:22 reminds us,

Acts 14:22 ESV

through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

And Paul says plainly,

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

To live righteously is to swim upstream in a downstream world.

And Jesus says— such people are blessed.

And the promise?

“Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus bookends the Beatitudes with the same assurance in verse 3 and here in verse 10—both in the present tense.

Not “theirs will be.”

Not “theirs might be.”

But “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Here is the King’s promise:

Persecution may touch you, but it cannot take anything from you.

Because what matters most is already yours.

The kingdom is not merely a future inheritance beyond the horizon—it is a present possession, given now, held now, secured now—not by circumstance, but by Christ.

While the world may push you out, the King pulls you in.

While hostility may surround you, the kingdom already belongs to you.

While opposition may press hard against you, your identity, your hope, your security, your future— ALL OF IT— is already established in the reign of Christ.

The persecuted do not wait for the kingdom; they walk in it, even as they suffer for it.

This is why they are called blessed.

Not because persecution is pleasant, but because the King is present.

And the presence of the King is the possession of the kingdom.

V.11 “Blessed are you when others revile you…”

Here Jesus shifts from general (“those”) to direct address (“you”).

This makes it personal and unavoidable.

Revilings (oneidizō) are verbal assaults—mockery, insults.

Utter all kinds of evil against you falsely means slander, lies, misrepresentation.

And note the reason:

“On my account.”

Faithfulness to Christ provokes opposition.

Jesus says it plainly:

John 15:20 ESV

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

This is why Peter later writes:

1 Peter 4:13 ESV

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

And Paul adds:

“…we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” —Romans 8:17

To be persecuted “on Jesus’ account” means this:

The world’s treatment of you is bound to its treatment of Him.

You suffer because you belong to Him.

You are reviled because you reflect Him.

You are slandered because you follow Him.

This is not a sign of failure.

It is the mark of union with Christ— the cost of being Blessed in the Kingdom.

V.12 “Rejoice and be glad…”

These two verbs (chairō and agalliasthe) describe overflowing, leaping joy— the joy of someone who knows what cannot be taken from them.

Why rejoice?

“For your reward is great in heaven…”

Persecution never subtracts—it multiplies blessing, the way a wise investment compounds quietly over time into a far greater return than what was first given.

This isn’t new by the way, Jesus tell us…

“…for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you…”

With one line, Jesus places His disciples (you and me who belong to Jesus and suffer for His names sake) in the long line of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel— those faithful ones who stood for God and suffered for God and righteousness sake.

Their suffering didn’t lessen their reward; it actually made it richer in the eyes of God.

So it is for every kingdom citizen.

Persecution doesn’t remove blessing.

It reveals blessing.

EXPOSITION — What Jesus Wants Us to Grasp

Here is the surprise of the Beatitudes:

The world’s opposition does not cancel God’s blessing— it confirms it.

Persecution is not the absence of blessing; it is the evidence of belonging to Jesus.

When Jesus forms a kingdom people marked by mercy, purity, and peace (vv. 7–9), those virtues confront the values of the world.

Mercy challenges cruelty.

Purity confronts corruption.

Peacemaking exposes division.

And when the kingdom confronts the world, the world pushes back.

Jesus is saying (Paraphrasing here):

“Do not be surprised when faithfulness brings fire.

Do not be alarmed when righteousness attracts rejection.

Do not be shaken when devotion draws opposition.

This is what blessed people endure.”

ILLUSTRATION — The Wind at Your Back

Sailors will tell you:

When the wind blows hardest against the sail, the boat moves fastest in the direction it was designed to go.

Opposition, to a boat, is not obstruction—it is propulsion (thrust or Power!).

So it is with persecution.

When the winds of opposition blow fiercest, the church moves forward with greatest conviction.

The early Christians knew this.

Tertullian famously said,

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

The world pushes, and the kingdom advances.

*Persecution is not the end of blessing; it is the wind that drives the blessed deeper into Christ, and farther on in mission. (repeat)

APPLICATION

When opposition comes for Christ’s sake, endure with joy, knowing it is the mark of those truly blessed in the kingdom.

Not joy in the pain— but joy in the promise.

Not joy in the hostility— but joy in the hope.

Not joy in the suffering— but joy in the Savior.

And Jesus frames persecution with the same bookends found in verse 3:

Theirs is the kingdom—now, not later.

God never abandons His own.

The King stands with His persecuted saints.

This is why the persecuted are called Blessed in the Kingdom.

Because the King and Kingdom and here with us, now.

TRANSITION TO CONCLUSION

So the King ascends the mountain.

He blesses the dependent.

He forms the devoted.

And He strengthens the persecuted.

And now, as we gather all these blessings together— from poverty of spirit to persecution for righteousness— Jesus brings the entire movement of the Beatitudes to one great, unforgettable reality:

This is what it means to be Blessed in the Kingdom.

CONCLUSION

And as we enter Thanksgiving week, with families gathering and gratitude filling our homes, this passage asks each of us a simple question:

Are we living blessed in the kingdom, or only blessed in the world?

Kim Melnick sent me something this week from Jim Denison that she read or heard many years ago called the The Anti-Beatitudes.

The is the contrast to the beatitudes.

This is what the world calls blessed.

It reads this way…

Blessed are the self-sufficient,

for they will climb the ladder of success.

Blessed are those with thick skin and no regrets, 

for they won’t appear weak, needy, or dependent on anyone.

Blessed are the bold, 

for they will conquer any challenge, no matter who or what is in their way.

Blessed are those live by their own personal truth, 

for they will never have to be corrected or change their mind.

Blessed are those who judge and cancel others, 

for they will always feel morally and intellectually superior.

Blessed are the carnal in heart,   

for they won’t need God.

Blessed are the fighters,    

for they will tear down anyone who disagrees with them.

Blessed are those who are praised, celebrated, and honored by many,

for they have reached the pinnacle of success.

Blessed are you when people love you, envy you, and follow all of your social media accounts. 

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in this life, for in the same way they celebrated all the other important people who were before you.

One-Sentence Take-Home

So to answer the question I began with:

What does it in mean to be blessed, and more specifically, blessed in the Kingdom?

The Answer it:

True blessing belongs to those who follow the King and live His kingdom way.

A Call to Respond

So as you gather around your tables this week— with family, with food, with gratitude— let this prayer rise above the noise:

“Lord, make me the kind of person You call blessed.”

Poor in spirit.

Pure in heart.

Merciful.

Peacemaking.

Enduring for Christ.

That is Blessed in kingdom.

That is the blessed life.

My prayer is that the Lord will show you your great need for the Savior this morning.

For only in Him are we truly blessed.

PRAY