Read: Matthew 5:1–12
Then Jesus began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:2–3
The message of the Beatitudes is as beautiful as it is simple. Jesus tells us that what God values and what we tend to value are often entirely different. We seek popularity, prosperity, prestige, and political power. We envy and admire people who possess such things. We want them for ourselves. Jesus lets us know that God couldn’t care less about our high-profile desires. God values those who are poor and meek and hungry. God celebrates the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers. God blesses those our world hardly notices. And, God’s blessing lasts a whole lot longer than the world’s admiration!
What kind of people do you admire and value?
Lord, You love the least—those people who are of little interest to us—the poor, the lowly, and the unremarkable. You remind us that those we often choose last are first in line for Your kingdom. The people we think of as broken, You call beloved and blessed. Help me to learn to value what You value, to love as You love, to see as You see…and respond accordingly. In Your name, I pray. AMEN.