Who are the Blessed? Who are Living the Dream Life?
Many listening to Christ’s Sermon on the Mount had dire physical and mental needs. Surprisingly, Christ told them they could be blessed (Matthew 4:23-5:10).
Typically, those considered to be blessed are the talented, rich, powerful, healthy, beautiful, well-built, or crafty. Advertisements constantly depict the weak, poor, old, sad, awkward, fat, bald, or ugly as the unfortunate.
However, according to Christ, those with desperate spiritual needs, those who consider themselves insignificant, are blessed. The humble, the gentle, and those who grieve are blessed (Matthew 5:3-5). Typically, we do not consider such people to be living the dream life.
According to Christ, the determining factors of a blessed life are not based on what one owns, how one looks, where one lives, or how much one knows. There is no need to be the slave of the world’s demand.
Because of Christ, we can be blessed. By depending on the grace of God, even the worst of us can be secure in the kingdom of God. The deplorable and the misfits, all can be blessed if they are in God’s kingdom.
Not only did Christ see people differently, He was a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:19). He took them in as who they were.
Alcoholics Anonymous’ success is at least because everyone there fully embraces each other as addicts. There is no pretending.
Do not pretend there is no sin, assuming everyone is perfect and happy. Instead, accept everyone to be sinners, to be inadequate (1 John 1:8-10). Though we are a train wreck, God still accepts us as His children through Christ.
This is the context of the Sermon on the Mount. May we see others differently than the world (2 Corinthians 5:16). May we see others as God sees us. May we accept others because God has accepted us.
Summarized from a John Ortberg’s sermon, titled, “Still haven’t found what I am looking for”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsGQ0ZXfW2o
Typically, those considered to be blessed are the talented, rich, powerful, healthy, beautiful, well-built, or crafty. Advertisements constantly depict the weak, poor, old, sad, awkward, fat, bald, or ugly as the unfortunate.
However, according to Christ, those with desperate spiritual needs, those who consider themselves insignificant, are blessed. The humble, the gentle, and those who grieve are blessed (Matthew 5:3-5). Typically, we do not consider such people to be living the dream life.
According to Christ, the determining factors of a blessed life are not based on what one owns, how one looks, where one lives, or how much one knows. There is no need to be the slave of the world’s demand.
Because of Christ, we can be blessed. By depending on the grace of God, even the worst of us can be secure in the kingdom of God. The deplorable and the misfits, all can be blessed if they are in God’s kingdom.
Not only did Christ see people differently, He was a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:19). He took them in as who they were.
Alcoholics Anonymous’ success is at least because everyone there fully embraces each other as addicts. There is no pretending.
Do not pretend there is no sin, assuming everyone is perfect and happy. Instead, accept everyone to be sinners, to be inadequate (1 John 1:8-10). Though we are a train wreck, God still accepts us as His children through Christ.
This is the context of the Sermon on the Mount. May we see others differently than the world (2 Corinthians 5:16). May we see others as God sees us. May we accept others because God has accepted us.
Summarized from a John Ortberg’s sermon, titled, “Still haven’t found what I am looking for”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsGQ0ZXfW2o