Blessed … for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3,5:10
The last of the beatitudes that Jesus offers in his Sermon on the Mount contains the same promise as the first: “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This promise is for those who are poor in spirit and for those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Why does Jesus begin and end his beatitudes with this same promise? Perhaps it is to show us how deeply connected these beatitudes of his are. They all lead us down the same path, the path of blessedness. And like pieces of a puzzle, the whole picture is incomplete if any of these beatitudes are missing.
We will not have the courage to be persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for example, if we are not poor in spirit. The first and last beatitudes are tied together. When we are poor in spirit – when we see in Jesus everything that we need in this life – then being persecuted in this life is just one more way to show our thanks to him. These beatitudes go hand in hand.
But not just these two. Because how will we ever be persecuted for righteousness’ sake if we do not first hunger and thirst for righteousness? And why would we hunger and thirst for what we do not mourn, for the absence of righteousness in our world? And how can we pursue righteousness apart from being merciful? And how can we be merciful in the way that Jesus teaches if we are not meek and pure in heart? And, finally, what good is pursuing righteousness if we are not also striving for peace in our world?
You see? These eight beatitudes paint a picture of what it looks like to follow Jesus – they are puzzle pieces that all fit together. But Jesus offers us more than a puzzle, or a picture of what this looks like: He offers himself, the perfect example of what it looks like to live out these beatitudes, fully and completely. If you want to learn more about living out these beatitudes, simply read the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, and the rest of the Gospel of Matthew. And then move onto the other gospels. Every story you read about Jesus will give you another perfect example of how to live out these beatitudes. Jesus teaches us, and he shows us, in every way possible, how to walk the path of blessedness.
But Jesus does even more than that. He not only shows us how to walk the path of blessedness, he also offers to walk with us. He invites us to follow him. He promises to lead us, every step of the way. And he promises to be with us as we follow him. In fact, this is his very last promise to us in the Gospel of Matthew: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). What an amazing promise! And blessed are all who trust in his promise! Amen.
This is the last of a series of devotions on the Beatitudes in Matthew’s Gospel. You can find the others here:
My Pastoral Ponderings 
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