1A. Blessed are the poor in spirit - Jesus is saying that happiness comes from recognizing that we are humanly sinful, in debt to God for everything, & find our sufficiency only in His grace. By admitting that we are dependent on the Lord for everything we are giving Christ His rightful place as Lord of our life.
1B. Unhappy & unblessed are the proud, self-sufficient, & self-righteous people who have a hard time admitting that they are sinful & need the Lord's grace for anything. These folks have a hard time acknowledging that the Lord is the giver of every good & perfect thing. Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction & a haughty spirit before stumbling. They struggle to forgive & others.
2A. Blessed are those who mourn. One who mourns is passionately lamenting, sorrowing, & grieving over something missing or lost. Christians grieve over the lost of this world that are yet to know Christ as their Savior & Lord. Mourning is the sorrow of a broken heart over the wrong that is done in the world. Christians feels compassion for those who are hurting, or hungering & wish to help alleviate peoples' pain.
2B. Unhappy & unblessed are the cold, uncaring, & insensitive people. Callous individuals prefer to follow legalistic rules, regulations, & policies rather than showing Christ like love. Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their strict observance of their traditional laws while failing to show compassion to those around them. The opposite of love is not hate, but an apathetic coldness that leaves people empty.
3A. Blessed are gentle. Gentlepeople exhibit power under control. They are able to maintain their peace under the heat of criticisms, misunderstandings, or injustices. Being meek does not equate with weakness. A person is gentle not because one cannot help himself, but because he is not insisting on his own rights.
3B. Unhappy & unblessed are brash, brazen & prideful. Some people just like to argue, fight, & take the opposite position of other people. They get a sinister pleasure out of seeing others struggle as a means of exerting their control. God rejected King Saul because of his attempts to control others through his own strength rather than trusting & obeying the Lord in all things.
4A. Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness. Hungry & thirsty people long for what is right, holy, & Christ like. They are never satisfied with the mediocre. These people insist on Christ's standards in justice, relationships, and all matters of life.
4B. Unhappy & unblessed are the indifferent or careless people. Many people have an appetite for success, power, & possessions, but lack a healthy desire for what is good, holy, & right. Our appetites are conditioned by what we think about. As a person thinks within oneself so they become. (Prov. 23:7) Solid food is for the mature who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good & evil. (Heb.5:14)
5A. Blessed are the merciful. Those who forbear or show compassion to enemies or offenders exhibit Christ like mercy. Merciful people render help to those who are hurting, underprivileged or anyone in need. Mercy denotes a feeling of empathy, sympathy, or identification with someone who needs a touch of grace. When we remember how merciful the Lord is to us we only need to
follow His example.
5B. Unhappy & unblessed are the merciless. The cold, hard-hearted, & uncompassionate have callused their minds so that they can overlook the hurting without feeling any guilt. The world is filled with hurting people who are looking for a touch of mercy, but many grow increasingly preoccupied with themselves.
6A. Blessed are the peacemakers. A peacemaker is a harmonizer, a reconciler and a bridge builder between people. Only those who are peace with God & themselves are able to act as intercessors, arbitrators, & negotiators between differing parties. Peacemakers do not resurrect old grievances, criticisms, or sore points to prove their point. By looking to be at peace with all men
they seek to amicably resolve conflicts.
6B. Unhappy & unblessed are who stir up strife. People who love to complain, bicker, or argue enjoy stirring up others emotions. Skeptical, cynical, & suspicious by nature, these people enjoy spreading rumors. These folks have a hard time looking at the 50% of the glass that is full preferring to emphasize what they do not have or wish they could have. They focus on the negatives
rather than the positives.
7A. Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. These are people who are willing to experience ill treatment because of their stand for Christ's truth, grace, & love. These folks are willing to endure misunderstandings, criticisms, or false accusations without becoming bitter.
7B. Unhappy & unblessed are the revengeful. Some people are quick to insist on their own rights & refuse to accept criticisms for Christ's sake. Many individuals struggle with controlling their anger and are consequently quick tempered, easily offended, & superficial wishing not to be hurt by anyone. These folks will harbor a grudge for years without forgiving others.
