Jesus has a surprising way of defining blessing. We tend to think blessing comes from life going smoothly, not from difficulty or struggle. Yet in Matthew 5:10-12, Jesus says that those who are persecuted are the ones who are blessed. Our hearts naturally recoil because no one wants to suffer persecution. Still, Jesus teaches that this is the path to blessing. At this point, our desires and Jesus’ words stand in sharp contrast, which is where the Gospel does its work. It reorients and rewires how we move through life and what we pursue most. Join us on Sunday as we look at the final Beatitude and the closing bookend that theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
