We’re in the first of five episodes in our Jesus in the Loves Language mini series where we look deeper at the ministry of Jesus. Tune in to hear ways Jesus showed words of affirmation, quality time, giving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Today’s episode 25 is 8 Encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes.
CLICK PLAY TO LISTEN: EP 25
You may have grown up hearing a completely inaccurate phrase, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, how has that gone for you so far? I heard this phrase a ton growing up, and I’m pretty sure as a collective, those of us born in the late 1900s decided to just let that phrase die out with us instead of passing it along to our children.
Someone wise once said, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” Let me say that again…the tongue can bring life or death. Oh, and that wise someone? It’s God. That verse is Proverbs 18:21, and it’s one we could all stand to log away in our brains.
Words of affirmation are effective, and a wonderful way to show love to someone. Who doesn’t love a compliment, or a deeper encouragement that spurs them on to do great things? As humans, we’re wired to tune in to what others say, and our brains log that away for use later. Since the Bible is 100% true, then yes, words have the power to bring death, but they also can bring life. What better way to learn about this than from the mouth of Jesus? We’ll look at 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes. These encouragements will challenge you to make a conscious choice to grow towards God.
Sermon on The Mount Facts
Who loves a legendary speech that transcends time? That would be…everybody. In fact, legendary speeches are embedded into all great movies, books, stories, and histories. There is a skill for speech writing, and people get paid top dollar to be great at it, but perhaps there’s more to it? What if I told you that the greatest speech that was ever written is by Jesus Christ? Pretty cool, huh?
Today, we’re talking about Jesus and the love languages, and words of affirmation in particular. What better way to do that than talk about Jesus’ famous speech, The Sermon on the Mount? This speech was given 2,000 years ago and is still relevant today. It’s one of his most well-known sermons and history’s greatest speech ever given. More quick facts about The Sermon on the Mount:
- You can read The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7. 10/10 Highly recommend
- This sermon happened near the Sea of Galilee
- This is where you can read about the Golden Rule, The Lord’s Prayer, righteous living, and our topic today, the Beatitudes
I have couple of recommendations for you if you’d like to dive deeper or spend more time on this. You can do this in your study time this week or whenever works best for your schedule.
- Read Matthew chapters 1-7
- Reread the Sermon on the Mount 3 times this week
- Write down the Beatitudes which is Matthew 5:3-10 3 times this week
The Beatitudes
Beatitude means supremely blessed, and in the case of the Bible, God blessing different qualities or circumstances found in people. This example of the Sermon on the Mount helps us see how Jesus uses words of affirmation to inspire and give hope. It’s a pep talk from Jesus!
Ready to hear 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes? Let’s do this! First, let’s read the Beatitudes aloud. I’m reading from the NLT, so your version may be a little different in the phrasing. Matthew 5:3-10:
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”
Matthew 5:3-10
#1: The Poor In Spirit
Matthew 5:3 says, “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” This poor, means “poor in spirit”. When we realize we’re poor from an eternal standpoint, we realize that we can’t afford an eternity with God.
We need a savior who can pay our fee and redeem our souls. Before Jesus died on the cross, this is what the sacrifices would atone for. Once Jesus came down to Earth, he became the ultimate sacrifice. We were poor, and Jesus stepped in and paid the cost of what it takes to get into Heaven.
I love that this is the first of 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes. God blesses those who realize that they’re a sinner needing saving. We get to spend eternity in Heaven with him! You are blessed, believer, because you recognize that you’re a sinner needing saving, and you’ve chosen to follow Christ.
#2: The Mourning
Matthew 5:4 says, “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” This seems contradictory at first; I’m blessed because I’m mourning? Don’t stop the sentence too early! Jesus is reminding us that although we mourn, we will be comforted by him.
You may be right in the middle of a relationship hurt, a rough diagnosis, dealing with the death of a loved one, or some other type of pain. Maybe it’s something that happened years ago, but the sting of sadness hasn’t faded after all this time. Take heart, dear listener, Jesus promises to be your comfort.
The second of the 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes brings me such hope. We know that we’ll face some disheartening trials with our time on Earth. When we recognize that Jesus is here for us, we can rest in his arms of comfort. You are blessed during your mourning, because God is there to comfort you.
#3: The Humble
Matthew 5:5 says, “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” The best way I can describe humility is it’s not thinking less of yourself, rather, it’s thinking of yourself less. We’ve all seen some really great non examples, and you can see that those people are not the most enjoyable to be around.
When we walk in humility, God blesses us, and promises that we’ll inherit the whole earth. God made and owns the earth, so if He says we’ll prosper, we will. Want to be more humble? Look at the life of Jesus and how he treated others.
The third of our 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes challenges us to consistently check ourselves, and that is good for our soul. It’s a way to help us safeguard how we live our lives with the benefits of honoring Jesus and inheriting the earth. It’s a win-win. God blesses you when you live a humble life.
#4: Hunger for Justice
Matthew 5:6 says, “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” Let’s address the facts, God blesses those who long for justice, yet it says nothing about us being the ones who carry out the justice. Multiple times in Bible, God says he’s the one who carries out the justice. He is all truth, and wields the power to properly carry out the sentence.
This also doesn’t mean walk around with an attitude of, “They’re going to get theirs.” whenever something doesn’t go your way. God is the judge, jury, and justice. You, keep on walking humbly.
The fourth of our 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes let’s us know that no matter what happens, God is going to satisfy that longing for justice that we have inside us. Be encouraged that God sees what’s going on, and that He will bring all things to proper justice in his timing. God blesses you when you long for his justice, for you will be satisfied.
#5: Merciful
Matthew 5:7 says, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Plot twist! We just talked about God carrying out his justice, and the very next verse talks about showing mercy. It’s almost like those two don’t go together, when in fact, they do. Mercy and justice aren’t opposites. Mercy is when we don’t get what we deserve.
Showing mercy is when compassion or forgiveness is given when you have the power and authority that gives you the opportunity to bring the hammer of punishment or consequence. How are you doing with this one? I have a strong sense of judgement, so Jesus knew exactly what he was doing when this was the very next line. That’s humbling in itself.
The fifth of our 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes challenges us to be merciful to others. Remember, don’t stop the sentence too early. We are blessed when we’re merciful, and we will be shown mercy. I don’t know about you, but I want the guy who’s bringing the ultimate judgement to be merciful on me and all the things I’ve done, don’t you? God blesses you when you show mercy to those around you, and he will show you mercy.
#6: Pure of Heart
Matthew 5:8 says, “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” There’s only one way to get a pure heart, and that’s through the work of Jesus Christ, who is the guy who’s saying this line. If you have admitted you’re a sinner needing saving (poor in spirit), you believe that God sent his son to die on the cross and rose three days later in order to redeem us, and you’ve chosen to follow him, then you’ve been given a clean slate.
Have regular check ins with God, and ask him if there are places in your heart that need refining, and he will help you do it. Pure heart, intentions that support the teaching of Jesus, and choosing to follow him are all ways this can look.
The sixth of our 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes challenges us to make sure are hearts are aligned with what God says. Those who are pure of heart are blessed, and bonus, get to see God! We can see God working in our hearts and lives, and we’ll see him when we’re called home. That’s definitely a perk I want to be a part of! God blesses you when you have a pure heart, and he promises that you’ll see him.
#7: Work for Peace
Matthew 5:9 says, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” A lot of versions use the phrase “peacemakers”, which is those who are working to create peace. God is peace, and wants that sprinkled around like glitter at the preschool your kids go to. Those glitter crafts go home in their backpacks and then get everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
That’s how peace should look in our lives. Actively getting everywhere, and like glitter, found in the most unexpected places and it keeps turning up. When we are regularly creating peace for Godly reasons (not out of conflict avoidance or power trips), we will be blessed and call children of God. Kids reflect their parents, and peace is a good indicator of who our father is.
The seventh of our 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes shows us the power of peace, and what it can do for our lives and of those around us. When you’re household, marriage, work environment, etc is peaceful, there’s a noticeable difference. God blesses you in that department as well as calling you his. When you actively work to create peace around you, God blesses you as his child.
#8: The Persecuted
Matthew 5:10 says, “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” This is a tough one. Last time I checked, persecution was zero fun. It can be difficult to stand up for your beliefs, and there are some right now in the world who are being put to death because of their love for Jesus.
Here’s the bit of encouragement straight from the mouth of Jesus, God blesses you and the Kingdom of Heaven will be yours. You get to spend eternity in Heaven, the greatest reward in existence. Being persecuted is never easy, but choosing to follow Jesus is worth everything.
The eighth of our 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes is to have the internal eternal mindset. We may be persecuted in our life on Earth, but that is nothing compared to forever with Jesus. Perspective is everything. Persecuted one, you are blessed, and you will get to be in Heaven.
Podcast Recap
Jesus used words of affirmation and encouragement, to inspire us to be these things. When we do, we will be blessed:
- Encouragement 1: Poor in spirit, the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs
- Encouragement 2: Those who mourn, they will be comforted
- Encouragement 3: The humble, they’ll inherit the Earth
- Encouragement 4: Those who hunger and thirst for justice, they’ll be satisfied
- Encouragement 5: The merciful, they’ll be shown mercy
- Encouragement 6: Those with pure hearts, they’ll see God
- Encouragement 7: The peacemakers, they’re called children of God
- Encouragement 8: The persecuted, the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs
I find that I need encouragement in both good and bad times. The good times to keep me on track, and the bad times to give me hope. These 8 encouragements from Jesus in the Beatitudes are full of hope and promises. These words of affirmation straight from the mouth of Jesus are true, and I’m grateful we get to experience some of these blessings on this side of Heaven.
When it comes to mourning, humility, justice, merciful, pure of heart, peacemaking, and persecution, we all have room to grow. Are we going to get it right all the time? No, but we can do our best to embody these characteristics and point people back to Jesus. Be encouraged today, because no matter what you’re going through, God loves and cares about you.
Links from the Show
- Pinterest: Brooke Collier BCM
- Busy Christian Mom Instagram
- Etsy Shop: Busy Christian Mom
- Jesus in the Love Languages Mini Series (ep 25-29)
