(Matthew 5:3-12 NIV)

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

*****

The Beatitudes.  The standard of morality presented by Jesus.  A teaching whose logical outworking is despair.  For what man or woman could ever hope to actually meet such a standard, such an ideal?  To pursue meekness and humility in a world where identity is defined by one’s status and ability to effectively wield power?  To be merciful and forgiving in a world that seeks vengeance for wrongs, real or perceived?  To exhibit peace in a world tirelessly searching for reasons to war with one another?  To endure insults, persecution and slander all for the sake of righteousness?

Even the most honorable, the most moral, the most righteous of Jesus’ followers, ones who walked with Him, ate with Him, sat at His feet every day and witnessed His miracles firsthand, fell tremendously, even embarrassingly short.  The Bible is replete with examples of men and women who failed – often repeatedly – to live up to this lofty standard set by Jesus.  And they do not stand alone.  For as long as time endures, men and women will continue to do so.  No one is excluded.  Least of all myself.

So why did Jesus teach this standard knowing we are completely incapable of living up to it?  Some would argue doing so was cruel – to present a standard we cannot possibly live up to and then punish us when we fail.  But such thinking is misguided.  Jesus did not come for this purpose, to preach the standard and then leave mankind to fumble and fail in their efforts to meet it.  Jesus came to make blind men see.  All have been blind at some point.  Many still are.  Through the Beatitudes Jesus sought to restore our sight – so that we may see, contrary to what the world would have us believe, there is an ideal, that we may see He is the Ideal, and that we may finally see our need for Him.  For you cannot gaze upon the highest Ideal for long without realizing just how short of it you fall. 

Perhaps the reason “poor in spirit” comes first on Jesus’ list is because it is the most important and requisite for all that follow.  To receive the kingdom of heaven as God desires for all men, we must first know we need it.  And this awareness of our need comes only through spiritual poverty as we rid ourselves of the deception and illusion of self-sufficiency. 

*****

What if Jesus really is who He claimed to be?  Then I must recognize Him as not just an ideal but the Ideal, one I am called to live up to myself but am completely incapable of achieving on my own.  But I need not despair for by identification with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, He will be able to realize in me the standard of Himself by which He calls me to live.