Matthew 5:3-10

Sermon on the Mount is a very, VERY common passage, but God has really shown me an interesting way to look at it, and I'd like to share it with you guys! :)

Matthew 5:3-10

"3They are blessed who realize their
spiritual poverty,
for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to 
them.
4They are blessed who grieve,
for God will comfort them.
5They are blessed who are humble,
for the whole earth will be theirs.
6They are blessed who hunger and thirst
after justice,
for they will be satisfied.
7They are blessed who show mercy to
others.
for God will show mercy to them
8They are blessed whose thoughts are pure,
for they will see God
9They are blessed who work for peace
for they will be called God's children
10They are blessed who are persecuted for
doing good.
for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to 
them."


Alrighty so... This is very, very interesting. Okay, get ready. :P I know that when people see this passage they may think, "Oh my goodness, that is WAY too hard!! How can He expect that of us???" I know that I have thought that. OR you may think, "Oh my gosh.... I had to write that in school when I got in trouble. I don't even want to LOOK at that verse." But listen... this is a step-by-step thing. God does not ask you to learn all of these things at once, and each one is a consequence of the one before it. It's like He is literally giving us instructions. Here is how God broke it down for me...

If you realize your spiritual poverty (realizing that your spirit is empty and unfulfilled without God)
it will cause you to grieve (for God).
If you realize your spiritual poverty and grieve
it will cause you to be humble.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, and be humble
it will cause you to hunger and thirst after justice.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, and hunger and thirst after justice
it will cause you to show mercy (because you know the justice of God and not of man, so you show mercy as justice, as well).
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, and show mercy
it will cause your thoughts to be pure.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, show mercy, and have pure thoughts
it will cause you to work for peace.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, show mercy, have pure thoughts, and work for peace
it will cause you to be persecuted for doing good.

And although that may sound like a downer, here are the step by step rewards....


If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, show mercy, have pure thoughts, work for peace, and be persecuted for doing good....
The Kingdom of Heaven WILL belong to you
God WILL comfort you
The WHOLE EARTH WILL be yours
You WILL be satisfied
God WILL show mercy to you
You WILL see God
You WILL be called God's child
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN WILL BELONG TO YOU!!!! :D That's AWESOME!!!


God is GOOD, no matter what, and He doesn't ever give us something that we can't handle. :)