4.24.2026 - Lisa Liou
Friday, April 24, 2026
Matthew 5:3-10
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
This week we have been taking a closer look at God’s will. So far we have learned the following:
From the Lord’s prayer, we learned that God’s kingdom is coming, we can invite God’s will to be done on earth, and God’s will is happening in heaven right now and always.
From Joseph’s story, we learned that God’s will can come from bad things but it does not mean God wanted it. It means he redeemed it.
From John’s vision in Revelation we learned that God’s will is that we worship him forever.
From Paul’s letter to the Romans we learned that God’s will is for our minds to be renewed, that we participate in God’s will and worship by offering our bodies as living sacrifices, and that both of these things improve our ability to discern God’s will.
Our final stop for this topic is in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the verses commonly known as the Beatitudes. In Matthew’s gospel the Beatitudes come in the chapter just before the Lord’s prayer. What can they tell us about God’s will?
I have been a Christian all my life and, I confess, I have often found the Beatitudes confusing. What does it mean that these things bring blessing? If that confuses you as well, one way to aid in your understanding might be to replace the word with happy. Happy are those who…
Beyond the implications of the word blessed, one of the reasons that I find the beatitudes particularly hard to understand is because they show the clash between heaven and earth so starkly. On earth it is not desirable to be poor in any way, to mourn, to be meek, hungry or thirsty for anything, or persecuted. We may talk about the virtues of being merciful, pure in heart, or a peacemaker, but we know those people do not have the kind of might and strength that gets you what you want.
Jesus gives us an alternative vision to the narratives of the world of what it looks like to be blessed and happy. Allow me to rewrite the beatitudes from a worldly point of view.
If you want to be happy, be rich.
Make sure you never have to experience loss.
Be strong so you never have to experience subordination.
Fill your belly with food and drinks so you never have to long for anything or notice any emptiness inside of you.
Demand that you get everything that is owed to you by any means necessary.
Let your heart become jaded, bitter, and untrusting.
Don’t worry about making peace with those who cause you trouble.
If you’re going to get in trouble, make sure it’s for something that was worth it.
Jesus gives us a completely different picture of what it looks like to live aligned to heaven on earth. It teaches us that his will on earth looks like:
A humble life, mourning and a tender heart for the things that are not as they should be, meekness over strength, an appetite and thirst for righteousness more than carnal food, showing mercy, remaining pure in heart like children rather than jaded like adults, making peace, and receiving persecution for living this way.
I invite you to take a few moments and do a little examination of your life as I compare and contrast the ways of the world taking over our hearts and minds versus the way of Jesus on earth. Let the Holy Spirit highlight to you any area where you need realignment.
Am I seeking a life of earthly riches or content with a humble life?
Do I mourn the things that break the heart of God for myself and in the world?
Do I put on an armor of strength to get what I want or am I willing to be gentle?
Do I crave carnal things or is my true appetite for righteousness?
Do I make demands for myself or do I show mercy?
Am I jaded and bitter or am I pure in heart like a child?
Am I willing to make peace with those who hurt me or cause me trouble?
Am I willing to suffer for righteousness?
This is no easy list. We can only align with it by the Spirit of God. If the Spirit is highlighting something for you today, trust that you have been given the power to walk in the Spirit toward renewal and to do the will of God.