What Does it Mean to be Blessed?

Everyone wants to be blessed. Now, maybe that’s a generalization, maybe its a truism, but I think it is pretty accurate. Why is that? Practically speaking, I believe there is a general sense in which we equate blessing with positivity. After all, blessing is the opposite of cursing, right? How could we not jump on board with that?

I mean, if you ask someone point blank if they would rather be blessed or cursed, without any other context, I think at least 9/10 people are probably going to say they would rather be blessed. We could poll the room right now to confirm my hypothesis, I don’t think that’s necessary. Everyone wants to be blessed.

But on what basis do people want to be blessed? Most likely, people want to be blessed because they associate blessedness with good circumstances, good results, good experiences. It is sort of the natural thing to speak of being blessed in terms of tangible, experiential goods or circumstances. We speak of being blessed with an abundance in crops, blessed financially, blessed with family, blessed with health, blessed with good weather. We say “bless you” when someone sneezes, mostly because it has become a cultural norm, but that “blessing” presupposes there is some negative to be avoided. Today is July 4th. On days like this, we might think in terms of desiring God to bless our nation, our land.

All of this talk of blessing today is because we are about to jump in to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. This sermon is one of Jesus’ longest recorded teaching discourses. In this sermon, quite simply, Jesus is describing life in light of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom being here is the good news that Jesus was preaching, and the Kingdom Life described in the sermon on the mount is the good life that accompanies the good news.

The ethics described in the sermon on the mount are not natural, they are supernatural. They are not “common sense” or “just plain decency.” They are other-worldly and self-evidently counter cultural. No one just happens upon the kind of living described by Jesus in his teaching. It cannot come by good personality or even intense effort. It must come from outside of us, it is bestowed upon us, granted us, worked in us by a power that is much greater than our will or exertion.

If we are not careful, it would be very easy to look at the sermon on the mount and see it as a road map to the kingdom. That is, we could take an anti-gospel view of the sermon and see Jesus’ teachings as works we must accomplish perfectly in order to gain entrance into God’s kingdom. But Jesus makes it very clear that the ethics of the kingdom go far beyond mere outward formalism, or physical adherence to the law. The kind of person described in this lesson is a transformed person, changed from the inside out.

Jesus says many times, “you have heard it said” concerning one element of the law, and then says “but I tell you...” and then proceeds to explain how mere religious formalism is never the answer, never the key to the kingdom. No, the person described in the sermon on the mount does not come by these attributes because he is morally robust. He comes by them in an entirely grace-filled way.

Matthew 5:1–2 ESV

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

Jesus is addressing his disciples - that is, those who are already commited to following him. He is not explaining to them how to enter his kingdom, or how to earn their way into his leadership - no, he is describing to them the kingdom life. How they are utterly different than those who don’t follow, and how blessed a position that is.

One of the keys to understanding this is the section that starts the sermon on the mount, and that is the beatitudes. Beatitudes, from the latin for “blessings,” refer to the 8 lines of teaching that show an utterly different way of viewing life.

These beatitudes are not telling us “how to be blessed.” They are telling us, “you are blessed, even though you may not think so. Even though it may not feel like it.” Listen to that carefully - the beatitudes are not a “road map to blessedness,” they are a description of the blessed man or woman. It is an entirely anti-gospel notion to think that if someone could just follow these directions perfectly, they will unlock blessing in their life. Again, this whole sermon does not describe natural good works, or natural common sense. This is an encouragement, a description, a confirmation of those who are blessed because they are following the king.

The teachings in the beatitudes, and the whole sermon on the mount, cannot be separated from the teacher. You cannot have the blessedness, the good life, apart from Jesus Christ. In this teaching, Jesus describes both the perfect experience of the Kingdom to come one day, and also gives us expectations of how our lives should reflect that image now. We are both already citizens of and living in the Kingdom of heaven now, but we will one day experience it fully. The beatitudes, and the whole sermon on the mount, are not a roadmap to get to God. If that were the case, no one could ever achieve it. But they are a description, and an encouragement on our journey as we follow Christ, as we live in light of the Kingdom both now and in eternity.

So, everyone wants to be blessed. But the question today is not “how to be blessed?” but what does it mean to be blessed?

Jesus, the ultimate “Blessed Man” shows us and teaches us what it means to be truly blessed.

1. Defining Blessedness

We are going to slow down a bit at this point in Matthew and look at Jesus’ teachings very carefully. With that, we will look at the beatitudes one by one over the next couple of months. To some, that may sound like a nightmare. To others, that may sound like we’re going too fast. But you can’t please everyone. And I believe there are timeless, beneficial truths to be meditated upon as we do this.

In both the Old and the New Testament, there are two basic ideas that come into our English translations as “blessing” or “blessed” or “bless.” One speaks of the action of “blessing” or “being blessed” and one speaks of the state or experience of being blessed. Maybe that was a little confusing, let me put it this way. One word for blessing says “this is how you are blessed” and one says “this is how you are because you are blessed.”

The first, usually in verb form, speaks of being blessed. Sometimes it is used of mankind “blessing” God. In that sense, and the most basic of meanings, it simply means to speak a good word - to speak highly or favorably.

Psalm 103:1 ESV

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Ephesians 1:3 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

That same word, when used to speak of God blessing mankind, has a little more strength. When God blesses someone he endows them with a measure of favor, a measure of grace, a measure of strength. When we read the benediction from Numbers 6, and we say The Lord Bless you and Keep you.” we are calling upon God, petitioning Him to bestow his favor upon us, or a measure of grace or strength. Where Paul uses the term in Ephesians 1, he speaks of the action of God blessing or bestowing good gifts upon is in the form of spiritual blessings.

In other words, we bless God by lifting up his name, speaking truth and praise about Him, and extolling or spreading his name and goodness. God blesses us by lifting us up in his grace, giving us a measure of strength or provision, and giving us his great and precious promises.

But the kind of “blessedness” spoken of in the beatitudes is the other kind of blessedness spoken of in scripture. It is the word for “blessed” that speaks of our state of blessedness. It speak of who we are, what we are in our blessed state.

The most basic way to think of that word for blessed is “happy.” But that is a really limited way of looking at it. We use the word happy to speak of an emotional condition. We are “happy” as opposed to being sad or angry. When Jesus says “blessed are the poor in spirit” or “blessed are those who mourn” it doesn’t make much sense at all to think about being emotionally “happy” in those cases.

Another way to think of it is “fortunate.” But fortunate has a lot of baggage tied to it in our day as well. When we think of being fortunate, we think of good luck. We use these terms so flippantly. It doesn’t make much sense to think of those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, or those who hunger as “fortunate.”

I think the term that finally helped me in my understanding of how Jesus was using the word “blessed” will help you also. Think of someone who has just gone through a major milestone in life. Think of someone who has just gotten a promotion, or had a birthday, or graduated high school or college, or passed a major exam, or gotten married. What do we often say, with our words, in greeting cards, in notes. We say, “Congratulations.” Why do we say that? Well, when we say congratulations, we are recognizing that the person is in a good position. They are in a good season of life. They have had a good experience, achieved a good milestone, or have made a good condition.

This is an excellent way to understand what Jesus meant when he said “blessed are the poor in spirit” or “blessed are the meek.” He is not saying they are merely “happy” emotionally, or “fortunate” in the sense that they’ve had a good streak of luck. He is saying, they are those who should be congratulated - for they are the ones who are truly in the good life.

2. Picturing Blessedness

Matthew 5:3–12 ESV

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

When we read those beatitudes, it gives us a picture of blessedness. Blessedness in that sense of, those whom this is true of are to be congratulated, because they are in the right way. They are in the “good life.” Remember, these are Kingdom ethics. These are marks of the kingdom life. And the kingdom is Good News, it is Gospel. The Kingdom Citizens are Blessed Citizens.

But when we read this list, its not immediately or naturally obvious that this is the good life. Especially with a few. The poor in spirit? The Mourners? The Meek? The Persecuted? They are to be congratulated? They are blessed?

We find that the good life, the blessed life, reaches beyond norms and expectations in both time and scope. It reaches beyond the norm in time, because the blessed life now reaches into the fullness of the blessed life in eternity. It reaches beyond the norm in scope because the blessed life now is often counter-cultural. When culture says “be bold, climb the ladder of success, do what makes you happy,” Jesus says, you are in the good way if you are meek, if you are a peacemaker, if you are persecuted and reviled for His sake.

The eternal benefits of being a blessed man in this sense far outweigh the temporary, experiential difficulties.

Another passage that illustrates this so well, and really I believe may have been on Jesus’ mind as he taught these things, is Psalm 1.

Psalm 1:1–4 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

This opening Psalm of the whole Psalter uses the same kind of word for “blessed.” Happy, but not just emotionally. Fortunate, but not because of luck. To be congratulated, lauded, and recognized because there is something significantly different - something supernaturally different - about the blessed life.

The blessed man in Psalm 1 is also in the right way. He is not in the way of sinners, not following the counsel of the wicked, not sitting in the seat of the scorners. But he is in the right way, not because of his sheer moral fortitude - notice where his affections are. Notice where his delight is

His delight is in the law of the Lord, and he meditates on it day and night.

Now, we don’t normally think of delighting in the law. Actually, naturally, thats not even possible.

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Romans 8:7–8 ESV

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

So clearly, this blessed man is not a natural man. He is not a mere fleshly man. Something is utterly different - categorically different. His whole being and disposition is changed.

And look at his experience.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water. Growing, thriving, prospering. Notice, though, that this is not circumstantial. It says nothing about the broader location. This tree may be on the edge of the desert near the only stream in sight. It says nothing about the weather. It could be in a parched, dry, and windy-swept environment. But, it is by the streams of water. It is tied directly to the source of blessing. That is why this tree, or this man, rather, is the blessed man.

In the same way, our blessedness is not circumstantial. We may be in a world that is withering and fading. We may be in a nation that is anything but righteous. We may be surrounded by people in our lives who don’t honor or love the Lord, but we are connected to the source of blessing. We are blessed, we are to be congratulated, because even though the circumstances and situations in our lives are less than desirable, we have a higher priority - a higher calling - a higher view. We are happy, not just emotionally, but truly happy. We are fortunate, not because of good luck, but because we are in the providential care of God. We are to be congratulated, not because we have earned this good position - but because we are in the right way, the good way, the blessed way - the kingdom way.

3. Applying Blessedness

So how do we apply this?

Well, the first way to apply it is to apply it how Jesus told us to apply it at the end of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:12

Matthew 5:12 ESV

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

How do we live when we realize we are the blessed ones? We rejoice! We have overwhelming gladness! For our blessedness is not temporary or superficial - it is genuine and eternal. It is deep and thriving, fertile and rooted firmly in the source of all blessing.

We will look at these beatitudes one by one in the coming weeks, so I will leave much of the application for those specific weeks - but as a general rule, know this. If you are one of these blessed ones which Jesus speaks of, then you have all the cause in the world - in the universe - for rejoicing. Your weeping, mourning, and persecution are but for a night. Joy comes in the morning.

But another way we can apply this is to consider what the Bible says about the blessed man, and realize, we can never live up to this kind of standard! That is why we cannot take the sermon on the mount, or even just the beatitudes, as a road map on how to get to God.

That is why Jesus did not give us the list of beatitudes as a checklist or a ladder, but rather as an encouragement. In other words, the beatitudes are not about what we must do, but about who we are as disciples, as kingdom citizens. It reveals that, even though we are not perfect in these things, we do reflect them as the Spirit is working them in our lives. And as we reflect them, we reflect the miraculous nature of the change that is taking place within us.

And in the moment we feel we are failing, that we are not reflecting these things well enough, we realize that is true of every disciple - every kingdom citizen.

But there is one man of whom these things are completely true. There is one man who exhibits all these characteristics perfectly and without fail. There is one man of whom we can say, he truly is the blessed man.

Jesus Christ, he is the blessed man. He is the true Blessed man of Psalm 1, and He is the true blessed man of the beatitudes. That is why he told us later in the sermon that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and pharisees to enter the Kingdom. It cannot be normal, humanly achievable righteousness. It is supernatural righteousness only achieved by one in the history of existence - and that is Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:3 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

Notice the wording, God has blessed us “in Christ.” That is our position.

Galatians 3:26–28 ESV

for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:3 ESV

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

How can these things be true of us? How can we be blessed people even though we fail? Because we are “in” the blessed one! We are rooted in the root of all blessings. We are hidden in the blessed Savior, and in Him we are blessed.

So rejoice, and be exceedingly Glad! For in Christ, we are blessed. We are happy, but not just emotionally. We are fortunate, but not simply because of good luck. We are those who are to be congratulated, but not because we have achieved something - but because we are blessed, we are blessed because we are in Christ.

As we look at all these beatitudes in the weeks to come, remember, remember, remember, that the teaching cannot be separated from the teacher. We cannot have the blessed life, the good life, apart from the teacher, the giver of life. Jesus is the blessed man - we are blessed in Him.