We’re memorizing the Beatitudes this New Year because they point to the kind of life we’re all looking for…

Makários is the Greek word for “blessed” that Jesus uses in Matthew 5. It describes a deep sense of flourishing. Being fortunate, well-off, fulfilled, deeply happy. It’s the kind of life every single one of our hearts longs for.

But when you read Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 with this meaning in mind, the entire passage suddenly feels even more shocking. (That’s if it can)...

Well-off… are the poor in spirit?

Happy… are those who mourn?

Fortunate… are the persecuted?

Well, that’s completely backwards. Maybe even appalling. And that’s exactly Jesus’ point. Jesus reveals the true ways of the Kingdom of Heaven. Where the ways of earth don’t apply, Jesus calls us to deeper righteousness and tells us that this is how we have the good life. The deeply happy life.

As we walk through Matthew 5, we will discover that true happiness is not tied to our circumstances but to who we are becoming. It’s actually tied to our heart and the very circumstances that on the surface seem contrary to happiness. 

We'll discover that the “blessed life” isn’t something you achieve. It’s something you receive.

Ultimately, the Beatitudes don’t just describe a way of life, they describe the very life of Jesus. Matthew 5 is not only an invitation to the ways of the kingdom; it is a revelation of the way of the King. 

And in this Kingdom,

the ones others usually overlook,

the ones we assume are losing,

are the very ones Jesus calls blessed.