What is it to be blessed? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provides eight beatitudes (or ways to be blessed). What does Jesus offer? Does He offer wealth? Does He offer happiness? Does He offer us a religious and pious greeting that allows us to smugly offer to others that we ourselves are blessed? Is “blessed” this smug feeling we receive from protecting ourselves from the pain of reality by lying to ourselves that we are somehow transcendent above the difficulties of this life?
“Blessed” means more than “happy.” It is more than an emotion or a game of pretend. Money and resources cannot hope to touch the true meaning of “blessed.” “Blessed” means “it will be well with.”
Would not that be nice? Would it be nice to know how to live in such a way that things would be well with you? Have you experienced life when it has not been well with you?
The promise of “blessed” must not be misunderstood to imply that all things go as you or I wish them. It does not mean that you will always win the game, you will always get the bonus, or that all will respect and appreciate your efforts. What it means is that even when these things do not happen, it will be well with you.
When misunderstood, the pressure to walk “blessed” causes Christians to pretend that all is well when it isn’t. It creates an environment where money and affluence and resource act as signals of spirituality and right standing with God. In doing so, it implies that a lack of resource and money signals sin (note: Jesus did not have material wealth or affluence). The misunderstanding of “blessed” causes us to be anything except blessed.
Life will not always go as well, but it can always be well with us.
Even before we find out how to live so that “it will be well with you,” take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to abandon the expectation that things will always go as you wish they would. Perhaps God wants you to allow an emotion other than “happiness” to find space in your soul. Maybe today you need to grieve. Maybe today you need to emote your honest emotions before God.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 96-97, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 5:3–9) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).