A ROADMAP to Jesus lives in “THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT”

When asked about what part of the Bible I love the most, my answer has always been “The Beatitudes”.  They say it all.  They contain everything you need to know in searching for Jesus.  And even if you have already feel you have found Him, they are good reminders of what He wants of us.

Recently, I have been rewatching, over and over again, The Chosen, the much-watched television series.  For those who haven’t seen it yet, it tells the story of Jesus and those chosen to follow Him.  I am no representative of The Chosen, only a fan; but if you’ve not watched it, it’s quite something else.  An associate of mine called it “life-changing” for her.

Like I said, I’ve always thought of The Beatitudes among my favorite truths.  And now, I think of them as points on a map to heaven.  While watching The Chosen, Jesus asks Matthew to help Him structure His sermon to the people, and while talking to him, Jesus now knows what He wants to say and that He’s figured out the “map”.  It’s a beautiful scene.  And quite frankly, I had never thought of The Beatitudes the way He delivers them (a map).  He says to look for these groups of people when looking for Him.  Sometimes I don’t think The Beatitudes get the credit they deserve.  If we focus on these special groups as Jesus describes, we truly can identify those who are “Jesus-like”.

Perhaps many of you have always thought of The Beatitudes this way.  It’s comforting to know I can continue to learn the closer I grow to Jesus.   It’s so simple.  So perfect.  If you are looking for a way to understand who Jesus is or was, look for Him in these “Beatitudes” groups.  They describe a map to God.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Poor in Spirit…..Everything good about us comes from God. We can be blessed with many wonderful things in our life.  For many of us it includes a nice house and the ability to provide for our families.  But it is those of us who recognize that these gifts are from Him, and our desire to share them with others, who will be with Jesus in His kingdom when our time on this earth ends.  We are nothing without God.  All we have comes from Him.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Mourning does not just come when we’ve lost a loved one.  It can also be sorrow in sinfulness we experience, loss of self-confidence, loss of spirituality, loss of our health, or loss of our job.  Comfort will come when we ask forgiveness, and our sorrow can be lessened through Jesus.  Our comfort comes as a blessing with the love of Christ.  If we have a relationship with Jesus, our mourning will be softened.  Jesus will not let us go but will be there to wipe away our tears.  And His love and care for us will follow.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Gentleness…this a wonderful word to describe the meek among us.  They do not call attention to themselves.  They stand in the background so as not to proclaim or demand their own wishes and desires.  These are the children of God who will not want or choose power, but will be with God in his kingdom.  They count on God to ensure that earthly events will be determined through His vision and wisdom.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Striving to do the right thing is not easy for many.  People pursue all kinds of things they think will make them happy.  However, also believing that it is right in the eyes of God is difficult.  Fulfillment of this desire to please God will allow the Holy Spirit to be upon them and fill them with God’s grace.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Give a little mercy, get a little mercy!!  Basically, this is what Jesus is telling us.  Be kind, forgive, care, show compassion, and you will be the recipient of these as well.  Forgiveness for the little sins of others we experience can be a lot easier than forgiving the big ones.  Those who can show mercy for both the big and the small transgressions are those among us who we should call the “Face of Jesus”.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Purity of the heart…that is a high bar for most in our world today.  We can be cleansed of sin.  However, to do so, we must put God above all else.  Yea, the evil one will do his best to impose his will on us and encourage us to sin.  And sin will continue to creep in; however, acknowledging our sins, and asking for forgiveness will produce the pure heart Jesus talks about.  It is then that the “pure of heart” group will be with God in His kingdom.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Peacemaking can be a lot harder than it sounds.  One’s own heart must be where peace begins.  Taking active steps to ensure others are working to form a relationship with God or repairing one, is a step worth taking to be that peacemaker God wants us to be.  Helping others to reconcile with God and others is a peacemaker.  And as we work toward bringing kindness and a happy co-existence with others, we are sure to be among the children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The pain and suffering we may experience from others for doing the will of The Father will gain us God’s grace and His kingdom.  This suffering may come in many forms but will be blessed by God and will ensure his embrace and love.   In other words, do the right thing, regardless of how others may treat you, and heaven will be in your future.

Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Those of us who are willing to endure persecution, ridicule, or cruelty because of faithfully following Jesus, shall be blessed with God’s grace.  To tolerate and suffer persecution as a result of our defense of Jesus demands faithfulness to Him, regardless of the fear or pressure from others.

Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Really…. does Jesus want us to be excited and joyful about being treated badly because of Him?  Even Jesus does not want us to be treated badly, but if we do experience pain while defending Him, then, yea, we should be joyful.  Those who suffer pain and sorrow for His sake can expect great rewards in heaven.  It’s not just the prize of being welcomed into heaven, but the rewards once we get there.

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So, there you have it.  If you are traveling and hoping your heart will find Jesus, look for Jesus’ map.  Those who already are the “FACE OF JESUS” have already determined how to read His map.  They have fallen into one of The Beatitudes groupings Jesus designed.  If you are driving the streets of life and are looking for a Savior, a friend, a father, a brother or the bright Light of Salvation, it’s right there on the map He’s drawn.  (Matthew 5:1-10) You can’t go wrong, and no GPS is required.  Just follow it and HIM!!!