for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Matthew 5:3-12
A few weeks ago, I borrowed the book, Blood Brothers: The Dramatic Story of a Palestinian Christian Working for Peace in Israel, from a friend. It was my first real look into this conflict in the Middle East. As he roamed the same hills that Jesus walked 2,000 years ago, the author, Elias Chacour, learned the meaning of "blessed are the peacemakers" and he continues his work to bring reconciliation and peace in Palestine.
I finished the book just as we started a new sermon series at church based on none other than the Beatitudes that Chacour quoted over and over in his book. God has been showing me how much I need him. On my own, I am poor in spirit but most of the time I think I can do it on my own instead of crying out in desperation to Him. I have learned that being meek means being confident in God and responding in love, mercy, and grace. He has taught me that being a peacemaker requires love and forgiveness that must be experienced before they can be given to others.
Then, I started hearing the song, "All the People Said Amen", by Matt Maher on K-Love. You should definitely listen to all of it, but my favorite part is the refrain that says:
Blessed are
The poor in spirit who are torn apart
Blessed are
The persecuted and the pure in heart
Blessed are
The people longing for another start
For this is the Kingdom
The Kingdom of God
We are all broken and in need of the Savior. He is the only one that can fill us. And not only fill us but make us overflow and become merciful, pure, meek, and peacemakers.
God has been speaking through these verses to me lately and I wanted to share and encourage you to seek Jesus + nothing and be blessed eternally. And we are only half way through the sermon series, I can't wait to see what else He is going to open my eyes to in the coming weeks!
On a side note, I have an interview this Wednesday with The World Race through Adventures in Missions. In short, the World Race is an 11 month journey to 11 countries around the world to serve, love, and spread the gospel to the broken and needy. Please pray that the Lord will continue to direct my steps and that His will would be done. I will keep y'all posted about what lies ahead as my second year with Teach for America comes to an end.
