Blessed are those who mourn. Wait. What?

I don't know about you, but I find myself grieving a lot. I can't say that I like it always; it really can ruin the mood. For some reason, I don't know how to keep it from happening, other than if I lived in a cave somewhere. I suspect that would not even work.

I can't really call myself a super spiritual person, but I can say that the grieving has become more "normal" as I've studied Scripture more, spent time trying to understand Jesus and follow him more closely, and as I've been more engaged in Christian community. Something's changing in me.

Maybe this is true of you also.

Mourning or grief is a huge part of life, and there are many, many reasons for grieving or mourning: death, sickness, loss of what once was, disappointment, broken relationship. It shows up in hospital rooms, cafeterias, living rooms, driveways, and lonely nights. It can be noticeable, or go on for years unknown, unseen. Mourning or grieving knows no tact, it has no timing. It is an equal-opportunity life messer-upper.

I'm afraid sometimes we want to avoid it. We don't want messer-uppers, we prize fixer-uppers. Our inclination is to move on to something better; life more enjoyable.

Jesus doesn't seem to be an advocate of moving on from grief or mourning. If those who mourn are blessed, then it makes sense to embrace it, does it not?

Blessed are the poor in spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

This may be the most recognized of Jesus' Beatitudes. Probably because it's the first. But, maybe also because it's kind of cryptic. What exactly does the "in spirit" part mean? Luke, in his version of the Beatitudes, just refers to the poor. That's easier to understand (if we keep it simple don't try and add all kinds of layers to what "poor" might mean).

But "poor in spirit"?

Question: What comes to mind for you? Whom would you identify as "poor in spirit"? Think of someone right now. What does that reveal about what you think the phrase means?

Who are the blessed ones?

The Beatitudes get their name from the Latin word that means "happiness." (If you want to know, the Latin word is beatitudo.)

The Greek word used in Matthew is makarios (mah-kar-ree-os). Greek is the language of all of the New Testament writings.  

The Greek word, like the Latin, refers to someone considered as happy, fortunate, prosperous. 

In Jesus’ world, this word usually referred to people who were to be envied because they had good social status, prosperity, privilege. They were the ones who did not have much to worry about when it came to daily living and necessities. The Blessed Ones were the ones who had a relatively secure life and a future ahead of them. If someone had difficulty or pain or burden, those who are "blessed" could overcome, because they had the means to do so. And to be "blessed" was to overcome, because best way ahead in life was to triumph over adversaries and adversity, to come out on top. The Blessed Ones were traditionally the ones who were thought of as recipients of God’s favor. “Things are going well for you! The gods are in your favor! Consider yourself happy and fortunate!”

The Beatitudes: Jesus' Portrait of the Way of the Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus' Beatitudes. You know a few of them, don't you? Maybe you know them all. Or maybe in your mind you're thinking something like this:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit...Blessed are the meek...Um...the pure in heart, or something?" 

Maybe some of you think of classic quotes from Monty Python's version of Jesus' Beatitudes in the movie Life of Brian..."Speak up!" or, "I think it was 'Blessed are the cheesemakers'." (And then follow with discussion about why the cheesemakers are so theologically important.)

No matter how many of them you know, the important question is: what are the beatitudes, anyway? Why are they important?  They show up in two of the four gospels--Matthew and Luke--and they are a bit different in each gospel. (Let's not get started on which version Jesus actually spoke...that's another matter for another time.) I invite you to take some time and read each version, if only to ore-familiarize yourself with them: Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-26.

As you read them, ask yourself: What are these statements? How should we take them? What do we do with them? Are the Beatitudes like commands? Or are they ideals we'll never quite reach? Are they things Jesus said we must be in order to be blessed? Are we supposed to take the beatitudes seriously with the goal of getting a reward in heaven?

Here's a question to ponder: What is it that you center your life around? 

You can say “Jesus.” But, let's face it. Our real lives often are centered around other things. Answer the question based on your habits, your attitudes, your outlook on who you are, how you should live, what you pursue, and generally what life’s about. Here are a few things to ask:

• Do I pursue my own agendas?
• Is my outlook on life such that I find that I want to make sure people know what I'm good at and what I've done?
• Do I judge others for any reason, thinking of myself as superior in any way?
• Do I actively seek reconciliation in all relationships, or am I more likely to harbor anger and resentment?
• Do I talk about someone in a less than uplifting way?
• Does sarcasm fill my talk rather than straightforward edification of others?
• Do I show love or favor to certain people, but not to others?
• Do I avoid the hard thing of proclaiming and living in ways that reflect Jesus' kingdom because it will make me uncomfortable or because I might have to turn away from ways of living that I am used to? 

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it is reason to ponder whether your life is centered on something other than Jesus’ Beatitudes. This is not to say that you won't be saved or something. And it's not to suggest that you need to just do better. That's the wrong approach.