Blessed?

I’m meditating/studying my way through that section of scripture we call “the sermon on the mount.” (Matthew 5-7) These are teachings Jesus shared with his disciples, and overheard by the crowd, while he was sitting on a hillside. Since he was sitting on a mountainside, someone somewhere began calling this section of scripture “the sermon on the mount.” The title stuck.

Jesus begins with several statements, each starting with the word “blessed.” So “blessed” is a key word that needs to be understood in order to get the full impact of what Jesus is saying. So, I decided to spend the thirty minutes I allotted for today trying to understand what was meant by the word “blessed.” Two hours later this is where I’ve landed.

There are multiple Hebrew and Greek words we translate into some form of the English word “bless.” The concept of blessing is such a huge component of our faith I soon found it impossible to survey the entire concept and all of the original language words, so I limited myself to trying to understand the Greek word we translate as “blessed” in Matthew 5. That word is makarios, and its structure in a sentence is apparently as important as what the word itself means. (Don’t worry. I’m not going to bore you with the details, partially because I am not sure I understand it well enough to explain it!)

Some would say the word means “happy.” If it means happy, it is a happiness that comes from something other than circumstances, for one would not expect those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who hunger, or those who are persecuted to be happy. The definition I like best, hopefully because it is correct and not just because it fits with things I already believe, says that to be blessed is to be “marked by fullness from God.” It indicates a state of being that transcends one’s immediate circumstances. “To be blessed, is equivalent to having God’s kingdom within one’s heart.” This certainly fits well with the very first statement Jesus makes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3, NIV84)

There’s more work that needs to be done at some point to fully understand what the word “blessed” in Matthew 5 means, but for now it may be enough to know that it means a state of happiness and fulfillment within oneself that is not dependent upon present circumstances but relies instead upon the King establishing himself within us. After all, it is not possible for God’s kingdom to be established within us if he, himself is not also established there.