All of the eight Beatitudes start with the word “blessed,” i.e., with the Greek …

All of the eight Beatitudes start with the word “blessed,” i.e., with the Greek word, Makarios, often translated into English as “Happy,” but the Greek word means to be spiritually approved by God. He who God blesses has obtained the favour of God! Yes, he is a happy man, but he is only happy because the approval of God rests upon him. Blessed is also a statement that can be translated as congratulations, but why are we congratulated? If you are in Christ Jesus, you have been chosen and called out by God because no one enters the Kingdom of God without an invitation by the King of Kings (Matthew 11:27). One never comes into the kingdom of God by one’s intellect or some other merit, but each of us, as believers in Christ, are sovereignly called and invited by God’s love and grace (Romans 8:29-30).

1. “𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣.”

– The poor in spirit are those who never forget that all that they are and all that they have is from GOD… With Job they say, “The LORD gave, the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!” (1:21).

2. “𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙠, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝.”

– The truly meek are anything but weaklings. It takes great inner strength to accept disappointment, misfortune and even disaster, and to keep one’s face turned all the while in undimmed hope to GOD.

3. “𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙.”

– These, who see their pain as the rightful lot of sinful humanity, and accept it without repining and without complaint, in union with the cross of CHRIST Himself.

4. “𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙.”

– We must have a zeal for justice, whether it be the justice of a square meal for our fellow man or the higher justice towards GOD which is sinlessness, in others as well as in ourselves… Satisfied in Heaven, but never satisfied here.

5. “𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙗𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮.”

– The very essence of the Christian spirit is here. There can be no forgiveness for him who will not forgive.

6. “𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙂𝙊𝘿.”

– It refers not only to chastity, but to selflessnes; everything viewed first of all from GOD’s viewpoint, rather than our own. It means singleness of purpose; GOD first, without self-deceit or compromise.

7. “𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙊𝘿.”

– As I listen to CHRIST saying that, I must ask myself whether I am a center of peace and harmony in my own home, an island of good will in my neighborhood, a mender of discord in the place I work. It is a sure path to Heaven.

8. “𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙠𝙚, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣.”

– And with the eight beatitude we hang our head in shame as we recall the small inconveniences our own religion costs us – and think of (and pray for) the tortured souls of our brethren behind the Iron and the Bamboo Curtains.

Source: The Faith Explained