When you look ahead to a new year and the new you that you will be, do you hope external things will change? Do you hope that this year will be the one that is different? Do you find yourself saying, “This year will be better than last, and it has got to be better than the one before that. Easier, more fun, more relaxed, more enjoyable.”? What if the change that is needed isn’t external, but internal? Jesus spoke statements of blessing that may shock us at first, but they help us understand how the new perspective of faith allows us to see God’s blessing in every situation.
When you look ahead to a new year and the new you that you will be, do you hope external things will change? Do you hope that this year will be the one that is different? Do you find yourself saying, “This year will be better than last, and it has got to be better than the one before that. Easier, more fun, more relaxed, more enjoyable.”? What if the change that is needed isn’t external, but internal? Jesus spoke statements of blessing that may shock us at first, but they help us understand how the new perspective of faith allows us to see God’s blessing in every situation.
If you’ve ever been on social media, it doesn’t take very long to run into a #blessed post. The basic formula for these posts goes like this: You write about something good that happened in your life, and immediately follow it with a #blessed. For example, “Four green lights in a row” #blessed. Now, there are more examples of using #blessed for deeper things like the birth of a child, a job promotion, or beating cancer, but in all of it, what are we saying when we call ourselves “blessed?” As you can guess, there are thousands of answers out there. But there’s only one person whose answer is right. How would’ve Jesus used #blessed? What’s his definition?
Merriam-Webster gives three main definitions for “blessed:” Honored in worship, of or enjoying happiness, or bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune. Is this how Jesus conceptualizes it too? The people in Jesus’ time very much saw definition number three as the answer. Right before Jesus gives his “Sermon on the Mount,” thousands were flocking to him. At the end of Matthew chapter four, we hear about the thousands of people coming to Jesus to be healed of their diseases. Their view of being blessed was to be healed. This idea is that if their physical life was made better, life would be happier, and they would be more blessed. Now as you can imagine, Jesus is exhausted. He has had zero alone time for days, and he starts going up a mountain for some one-on-one recharge time with his Father, but the people won’t have anything to do with that. So, he pauses, sits down (which is how teachers taught in those days), and speaks. This is a huge moment, there’s a solemnity here. Clearly, Jesus has something important to say.
Today was the day that he was going to describe what being blessed really is. So, how does he start? “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” Keep in mind, in Jewish culture, much like ours, many believed material wealth reflected spiritual wealth. In other words, if you had money, God must hold you in high regard. But notice Jesus says nothing about money, about physical possessions, about externals, but being “poor in spirit” means being able to acknowledge your spiritual bankruptcy before God, knowing you have nothing to offer to be forgiven of your sins. Talk about a radically different definition of being blessed! But Jesus wants to flesh it out even more. He says next “blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” You are blessed if you mourn over your sins, and your loss of innocence. Then he says, “Blessed are the meek.” You are blessed when you welcome someone calling you out for sin, or blessed when your work goes unnoticed. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” You are blessed when you pursue the things of God even when it means earthly loss and emptiness. “Blessed are the merciful.” You’re living a blessed life when you hold back from vengeance. “Blessed are the pure in heart.” You have a blessed life when your heart is consumed by pursuing the Lord in every way. “Blessed are those who are peacemakers.” Instead of being pulled into delighting in division, you make peace even when it’s hard, not appeasing, but loving. Then comes maybe the most unexpected one of all, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness…Blessed are you when people insult you…because of me.” If you were sitting on that mountainside that day, the deepest thought on your mind would’ve been this…Um, what?!
Jesus, are you sure that’s what being blessed is like? Sorrow over sin, mourning over guilt and regret, gentleness not aggressiveness, hungering and thirsting for an abstract thing like righteousness, how I am supposed to feel happy doing that? Then, Jesus, you bring up persecution as a sign that you’re blessed, what am I supposed to make of that? Can you relate to the wrestling of Jesus’ audience that day? Do you and I see where they’re coming from?
We do. More than any other definition of blessed, our culture very much aligns itself with happiness or pleasure. If things around me feel right, then I feel right. If things go my way this year, 2023 will be a great year! Tell me if you have ever seen these kinds of posts on social media: “I’m super guilty over how I treated my parents growing up #blessed.” “I regret how I handled myself coaching my daughter’s basketball team #blessed.” “Kids at school started sending mocking texts after I stood up for a classmate struggling with weight #blessed.” You get the point. We never see posts like that. That doesn’t fit how we see blessedness by nature and as a culture. We have to admit, it seems almost silly, laughable, dare I say idiotic to our logic to call any of those things blessings, but that’s exactly what Jesus is saying! Isn’t that convicting?! Why is our definition of blessedness so wrong and so far off from Jesus’? Three letters: S-I-N. Sin.
For starters, we see blessedness often through the lens of emotion and externals. We have problems with the three E’s: Emotion, Externals, and Eternal. Emotions: We chase after what makes us feel good, secure, elated, and excited. Externals: What we use to achieve that emotion: money, sex, admiration, followers, substances. Eternal: What we forget. The devil and our sinful flesh are good at getting us to gravitate toward instant gratification over eternal gratification. We think in the moment, instead of in the faith, and the world’s definition and pursuit of being #blessed ends in emptiness, loss, and disillusionment. We know by experience what being blessed isn’t, so how can we achieve this state of blessedness that Jesus is talking about?
First things first, we need to throw out any idea that to be blessed is something we can work up in and of ourselves. It’s something given by the original Blessing himself.
This was Jesus at the height of his popularity, people loved what he was doing for them physically, but that was nothing compared to the kind of blessing Jesus had in mind for them spiritually and eternally. The same is true for you today! Jesus has a far different kind of #blessed to give you. Are you ready?!
Notice the problem of the “E’s.” They all focus on “Me-Cubed:” Me, myself, and I. To feel and stay blessed is placed on your shoulders to accomplish. But notice here, who alone has the right to call you blessed: Jesus himself. Do you know what it means to be blessed? To be blessed is simply this: Blessedness=the constant state of being for the Christian given by God’s Word. Think this through. If you’re going into this new year hoping to convince yourself that you’re a good person, and that you deserve God’s favor, don’t mistake the guilt you are shoveling on yourself. It is crazy hard for us as people to declare ourselves completely blessed. If you are a perfectionist like I am, you see your flaws far more than your gifts. If you struggle with letting go of the past, it’s hard to feel blessed in the present. If you think that if enough people, or the right people, tell you that you are worth it, then you’ll feel blessed, you’ll be disappointed. You know that already.
But if Jesus is the one telling you you’re blessed. If Jesus says that being blessed is the state you are always in as a child of God, then it must be true! Jesus is different than emotion that changes by the second. Jesus is greater than external circumstances that change in an instant. Jesus is certain and his Word always comes true. Notice how many times Jesus uses the word “will” here. This is certain. This is real. This is #blessed. Many people have looked at this riff of blessedness by Jesus here and have felt overwhelmed. These are impossible standards to follow. If this is what it takes to be blessed by God, we can’t do it. But that’s not the point Jesus is making here. This is not a checklist. It’s a reality. By faith, you are all of these characteristics. This is the new person, your true identity given through baptism and faith. Jesus isn’t talking about externals. He’s talking about the righteousness of the heart. A righteousness only given through faith in the Savior who won for us the blessings of new life, forgiveness, hope, and heaven on the cross!
Do you understand why you are constantly blessed? Do you see how in every moment of your existence, you live in a state of ongoing blessedness? It’s because Jesus has made you his own. His Word has set you apart. Notice what his grace has given you: the kingdom of heaven, comfort, an eternal inheritance, satisfaction, mercy, seeing God for who he really is, status as a child of God, and a reward in heaven. This is what it means to be blessed. It’s all grace! Even when the world considers your external circumstances and your emotions as the exact opposite, you live a #blessed life through it all. Why? Because Jesus has called you by name. His unchangeable Word has said you’re blessed. If Jesus has said it, it’s true, no matter what evidence the powers of darkness try to put past your glance.
Because you stand forgiven, redeemed, and loved in the eyes of God, you’re blessed! Because you live blessed, persecution, hardship, loss, disappointment, none of it changes that fact. Because you know God in his grace has given you the constant status of being blessed, do you know how you react naturally through faith? Jesus tells you and me, “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.” Rejoicing and being glad when you are knocked down, put down, or dismissed seems insane. It’s absolutely ridiculous to react that way, but that’s the point, and that’s what the people around you will notice. That’s what your own heart will notice.
Emotions and externals aren’t what make you blessed. Jesus is! We rejoice when we face pain for who we are as Christians. Pain that comes in many unique forms: The pain of other parents thinking you’re weird for making sure you read a Bible story as a family each day. The pain of saying no to events and activities with friends that we know would give momentary happiness but wouldn’t be loving Jesus. The pain of missing out on promotion by doing things by the book at work instead of cutting corners. The pain of sticking out when someone asks you how you view abortion. The pain of awkwardness when your family sees you as “high and mighty” for bringing up Jesus and the Word in conversation. But that pain doesn’t compare to the blessings we have in Jesus.
The last thing that any Christian wants to hear is “you’re no different than anyone else.” We want people to see that we’re different because that difference is where we find what living blessed is all about. It’s about living life with a constant focus on Jesus, his Word, and his love. You live blessed because instant gratification is far too little for you. As a Christian, you know the eternal gratification that awaits. It’s been amazing to see that in Rocco, Tim, and Gina, all facing deeply tough health situations, yet confident through it all because they know who holds them in his hands. That’s blessedness! The more you and I encourage one another to keep that in front of mental space, the more we realize that nothing in this world compares to what Jesus has already promised us.
So what does it mean to be #blessed? As we enter 2023, you know what you have: Jesus. You follow in the way of the many Christians who’ve gone before you, a movement that transforms the very being of people, their own hearts. You are blessed because Jesus has said so. No one and no circumstance can change that. And all God’s people said, “Amen!”