Good Shepherd Bible Study Webcast

From this fourth beatitude our attention then turns to the fifth, which is dealing with mercy. Just how merciful do we find ourselves? Often we long for the happiness of an easy life, but the one who shows mercy is concerned with the pitiable and the unjustly oppressed in our world. It is difficult to live the easy life when our neighbor needs our Christian mercy. So please come and learn more of these great Beatitudes with us at Good Shepherd.

Growing up I understood the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 to be for an exceptional group of Christians. I thought that these Christians who were poor in spirit, mournful, and meek would make up a heavenly all-star team. Yet these eight beatitudes are not for eight exceptional groups of believers, instead they are the blessings given to all Christians. Rather than eight groups of Christians the beatitudes give us eight characteristics for all followers of Christ. So just what do they mean for us? What does it mean for us to be poor in spirit? Or mournful? Or meek? This week we examine these first three beatitudes from Matthew 5:3-5 and we will see just how our heavenly king desires his citizens to live in this world.