{"id":334,"date":"2014-07-25T12:00:52","date_gmt":"2014-07-25T12:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/forbiblestudynerds\/?p=334"},"modified":"2014-07-13T21:35:21","modified_gmt":"2014-07-13T21:35:21","slug":"matthew-51-12-the-beatitudes-word-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/forbiblestudynerds\/2014\/07\/matthew-51-12-the-beatitudes-word-study.html","title":{"rendered":"Matthew 5:1-12; The Beatitudes (Word Study)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The longest recorded sermon of Jesus begins with a repetitive theme word: \u201cBlessed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBlessed are the poor in spirit\u2026Blessed are they that mourn\u2026Blessed are the meek\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Historically, that word was understood to mean \u201chappy\u201d\u2014or in the literal Hebrew translation, \u201chow happy!\u201d The Greek equivalent, used in Matthew\u2019s record of Jesus\u2019 sermon, is makarios<\/em>, and it mirrors King David\u2019s use of the Hebrew term in Psalm 1:1, \u201cBlessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked\u2026\u201d<\/em> Additionally, in pagan writings, makarios<\/em> indicated a heavenly \u201cstate of happiness and well-being,\u201d and Christ seemed to communicate that meaning here as well.<\/p>\n

Still, in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus\u2019 repetitive emphasis on the word \u201cblessed\u201d seems hard to understand. For instance, his exhortation in Matthew 5:4 could be literally interpreted, \u201cHow happy are those who are sad!\u201d For his original hearers, and for us today, that kind of statement seems to make very little sense.<\/p>\n

It appears that Christ intended, and therefore divinely assigned, a broader interpretation of what it truly means to be \u201cblessed,\u201d\u2014that being blessed by God is not simply enjoying a circumstantial, happy feeling. As a result, today we understand makarios<\/em> to communicate much more than perhaps Christ\u2019s original hearers would have understood.<\/p>\n

Blessed, in Jesus\u2019 usage, carries many shades of meaning, all wrapped up like a gift for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. It includes the idea of \u201capproval\u201d\u2014as in both the approval of God and people. It implies that one is \u201clucky,\u201d not so much in the sense of random luck, but in the sense that God orchestrates seemingly random coincidences to deliver happiness in a person\u2019s life. And, uniquely, it is a congratulatory term, as in \u201cCongratulations for being chosen to endure sorrow! You will one day understand with great happiness what it means to be comforted by God.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this sense, then, Jesus\u2019 proclaimed that even in the worst of circumstances, we can be happy \u2026 approved \u2026 lucky \u2026 and congratulated. We are blessed<\/em>, simply because God himself has determined to make it so, both here and in eternity to come.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Works Cited<\/a>:<\/p>\n

[ID1, 201; SOM, 22]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2126\u2126\u2126<\/p>\n

About: For Bible Study Nerds\u2122<\/a><\/p>\n

About: Mike Nappa<\/a><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2014 to present by\u00a0Nappaland Communications Inc<\/a>. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The longest recorded sermon of Jesus begins with a repetitive theme word: \u201cBlessed.\u201d \u201cBlessed are the poor in spirit\u2026Blessed are they that mourn\u2026Blessed are the meek\u2026\u201d Historically, that word was understood to mean \u201chappy\u201d\u2014or in the literal Hebrew translation, \u201chow happy!\u201d The Greek equivalent, used in Matthew\u2019s record of Jesus\u2019 sermon, is makarios, and it…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":571,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,15],"tags":[110,16,302,111],"class_list":["post-334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-matthew","category-wordstudies","tag-blessed","tag-jesus","tag-matthew","tag-sermon-on-the-mount"],"yoast_head":"\nMatthew 5:1-12; The Beatitudes (Word Study) - For Bible Study Nerds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/forbiblestudynerds\/2014\/07\/matthew-51-12-the-beatitudes-word-study.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Matthew 5:1-12; 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