With honesty and hope, Claire
The Beatitudes are not a list of virtues to achieve. They are a single portrait of Jesus, and anyone who belongs to Him. An 8-day journey through the most counter-revolutionary words ever spoken.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3 (NIV)Jesus sat down on a hillside and opened His mouth. The crowd in front of Him was not impressive. The poor. The grieving. The powerless. The hunted. People who had nothing to offer and nowhere else to go.
And He looked at them and said, blessed. Not because of what they had done. Not because of what they could achieve. But because of who they were, and Who God is.
We have turned the Beatitudes into a checklist. Eight virtues to work toward. Eight boxes to check. But they are not a list. They are a portrait. One person. And that person is Jesus first. Then anyone who is in Him.
With honesty and hope, Claire
With honesty and hope, Claire