Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount – “The Way” (11/1/2021)

(Note: this is the first is a series of 10 articles on The Beatitudes in the Christian Life)

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount begins with the beatitudes. Jesus taught not only his disciples, but the crowd on the Mount that day. The Beatitudes are “the Way” given us by Jesus himself that describe the path we need to follow that lead us to the Kingdom of Heaven and the eternal presence of our LORD. Jesus didn’t randomly choose these characteristics that we need to not only assume but practice lovingly every day of our lives; they truly are the steps of the journey, “the Way.”

The Beatitudes as given us by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount represent the spiritual and moral choices we must make as illustrated by Jesus himself in his life, his teachings, and his sacrificial death for our salvation. Put another way, the beatitudes illustrate for us the very countenance of Christ, whom we have promised to follow and to imitate.

The beatitudes are the vocation of all who accept Jesus Christ as Son of God. They open up for us the steps of the journey in faith, hope and love. They illuminate for us the Christian life and the attitudes, characteristics, even actions that we must live and choose.

Jesus gave us these beatitudes knowing that following in his footsteps could and would lead to challenges, tribulations, even persecutions at times. Yet, if we will seek to put on Christ, not just use his name but live Christ loudly in our day to day lives, Christ assures us He will remain with us through this life and we will enter into his glory and the joy of life in the eternal presence of our Triune LORD.

Let those of us who are following Christ, seeking to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him, learn the beatitudes not only with our minds, but learn them so deeply they are ingrained within our hearts and muscles so that we can live them daily.

Until tomorrow, love well.