In His Sermon on the Mount, Lord Jesus revealed the identity of the blessed who receive His grace and mercy in abundance and are envied by others. And then He also revealed the way into that blessed state and all that is within our own control to do and to follow. God is ever ready to fulfil the promise of ‘abundant life’ in Himself for all believers and we receive it through surrender and obedience.
Meaning of being blesse – The Hebrew words used in the Scriptures, translated as blessed are ‘barukh, barak and ‘makarios’ in Greek in the New Testament. All these words describe a person who is experiencing in his life God’s favour and abundance and is in an enviable state. God’s favour extends or makes large or long His grace benefits and this is received through faith. Thus faith, ‘pistis’ and makarios or blessed are closely linked for we enter this state of blessedness through faith only. While comparing His work with that of the devil Lord Jesus promised all believers ‘that they have life and that they may have it more abundantly’ (John 10:10).
While forbidding Adam and Eve from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God warned them ‘the day you shall eat of it you shall surely die (Genesis 2:17). Adam lived after that for ‘nine hundred and thirty years; and he died’ (Genesis 5:5). However, the death that was pronounced by God was separation from Him, that is spiritual death and they died that immediately on sinning. The life that Lord Jesus promised, is restoration of a believer’s close relationship with God the Father and this life then, is to be lived ‘more abundantly’ as children of God and members of His family. But in this closeness comes the responsibility of living in obedience to His Divine commands.
The Pharisees, Sadducees and The Jewish leaders repeatedly tried to catch Lord Jesus in something that they could term as contradiction of the Old Testament teachings, especially the Torah, the first five Books. One of the Scribes wanted to know the great commandment in the Law and was told by the Lord, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your soul’ (Matthew 22:36). He further taught, ‘the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourselves’. The first is the Shema command which all Jews recite daily (Deuteronomy 6:4) and is in conformity as the condensed form of the first three commandments. When the Lord said, ‘the second is like it’, as per Hebrew words, He equated this to the first, giving it the same importance, thus linking the two together. It is like two outlets from a vessel and the outflow of the two will reach the same level as the level of the fluid in the vessel. If the two levels are different, there is a flaw in the vessel that needs to be reset. Thus a blessed person is the one whose love for the LORD God is the same as His love for His creation, for the other seven commandments are linked to the love for others.
The love of the Lord is for the whole world and not for a particular community or group of people in the sending of His Son, as the Messiah, who came to save all of humanity (John 3:16). Lord Jesus prayed to God the Father for protection of the disciples ‘from the evil one’ (John 17:15-20). But He clarified that this protection be extended to all those ‘who will believe in Me through their word’. Apostle John, without naming Himself directly, repeated four times in His Gospel account, ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’ and since He had experienced that love firsthand, He could say, ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8). Because of this He overflows with love for His creation and this love has delayed the execution of His justice by giving all a chance to repent and turn to Him.
Jerome, a 4th century theologian, has told a story about Apostle John, who was old and unable to walk and his disciples would carry him to speak to the gathering of believers in Ephesus. Every week, he would speak the same one line only, ‘Little children, love one another’. He was so filled with the love of the Lord that his sole teaching was of this one line, despite the great masterpiece of His Gospel account. When this went on week after week, finally his disciples asked him, ‘Master, why do you always say this?’ Apostle John replied, ‘Because this is the Lord’s command, and if this is done, it is enough’.
The geographical location of Israel has two lakes or seas into which the water from the river Jordan that starts from Mount Hermon flows. In the north is the Sea of Tiberias or Galilee which is teeming with fish of various kinds, providing employment and food to the region. The river then flows on to the south and ends into the Dead Sea, which is salty with no life in it. The one receives and releases the same amount or more and keeps on getting filled again and again while the Dead Sea only receives. I have a friend in Jalandhar who has never been seen to lack anything and lives a very contented life and at times he gives more than he can afford. A blessed person is like the Sea of Galilee and is filled with life and is a blessing to others who come in contact with him. And this is not about financial help only for the Lord has identified the ‘blessed of My Father’ who will inherit ‘the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world’ (Matthew 25:34-36). And these are who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, host a stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and console those in prison. These deeds are an expression of the love of God overflowing in them and not to earn their salvation.
Reaching this state of blessedness – 2 Kings 4 has the story of two women of faith; the first, is the widow of a student of Prophet Elisha, who was left with the debt of her husband and the debtor wanted to take her sons as slaves to pay the debt. She only had a ‘jar of oil’ in her house and was told by the prophet to go and borrow as many large vessels as she could, close the door and start pouring oil into those vessels till they were filled. The oil is believed to be the precious fragrant oil and she was told to ‘go and sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest’.
The second, is the story of a Shunemite woman who asked her husband to make an upper room for Prophet Elisha to stay. She had no sons and her husband was old and the prophet blessed them and they had a son. The young boy one day suddenly died and the woman ‘laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him and went out’ to Prophet Elisha to seek his intervention. On the way whoever asked her the reason for her sudden visit, her answer was, ‘It is well’ till she finally reached the prophet and told him about her son’s death. She refused to leave without Prophet Elisha, who finally came and the child was brought back to life. Both the women were in deep distress but their faith could help them in that state. What we believe and speak, truly reflects the exact state of our faith.
King David danced before the Ark of the Covenant, when the Israelites brought it into Jerusalem, placing God far above his earthly status as king. He has taught all believers to worship the LORD God with songs and music, to say, ‘Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand’ (Psalm 149:5-6). Apostle John saw Lord Jesus in His glory as the Judge and ‘out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword’ (Revelation 1:15-16). The purpose of the sword is then given, ‘out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations’ (Revelation 19:14-15). The sword that David proclaimed to be in the hands of the saints is in their speech, in their mouth. With the sword they are supposed to ‘execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples’ (Psalm 149:7). We do not war with the swords but with our words that we speak in faith, believing that it will be done by the Lord for we aim to glorify God the Father in the name of His Son. A blessed person is a man of faith who blesses others with his words of love and peace.
Lord Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, four days after his death. He and his two sisters Mary and Martha were strong believers in the Messiah. Though there are no details about Lazarus, the two sisters’ actions of faith are totally different. Martha was always busy preparing food to serve the best to the Lord while Mary ‘sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word’ (Luke 10:38-42). Martha sought Lord Jesus’ intervention to ask Mary to help her in the kitchen to be told by the Lord not to unnecessarily worry for ‘one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her’. Women at that time were not permitted to learn Scripture from a Rabbi.
When Lazarus died and Lord Jesus was about to raise him from the dead, the two sisters spoke the same words, ‘Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died’ (John 11:21-32). Martha followed this with her request to raise him but did not believe that being ‘resurrection and the life’, Lord Jesus could raise her brother. When Mary was told about Him, she ‘came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet’ and repeated exactly the same words but nothing more. She expressed her faith in the Son of God but left the situation in His hands. Just after that, probably for the thanksgiving meal organised by the family, Mary ‘took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair’ (John 12:3). Mary found her place at His feet only, always looking up to Him while Martha was always busy arranging the best food for Him. Serving is important but without grounding in the Word of God and a close relationship with the Lord, it is of little value.
A blessed believer is one ‘whose delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law he meditates day and night’ (Psalm 1:2). It is not about leaving everything aside and devoting full time in Bible study only but to be grounded in the Word to hear, learn and obey. God, Moses and the Israelites repeatedly told Joshua to not be afraid, when he was to take over Moses’ role and lead them into the Promised Land. Finally God told him the secret of success, ‘This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success’ (Joshua 1:8). How can we expect God to bless someone who has no close relationship with Him through obedience to His Word? A blessed person’s life would then be an open Bible for people can see the Word being applied by him in his life.
Why do we keep swinging between peace and pain? God created the Garden of Eden and put man there to ‘tend and keep it’ with a restriction on the fruit of only one tree (Genesis 1:15). They were meeting God everyday and could have sought Him to let them have that fruit also but they decided to go ahead anyway. The Word of God lays down certain restrictions on us to live a blessed and peaceful life but we tend to ignore these markers. We sin and seek forgiveness and God is loving and does forgive but the consequences of that action must be borne by us. Sexual immorality may be forgiven but the resultant pregnancy or disease must be treated or borne. We feel, once we have sought forgiveness God must get us out of the second part of the sin also.
Lord Jesus while teaching about the indwelling Holy Spirit said, ‘I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you’ (John 14:20). He being God cannot have oneness with something that is not holy and my part that is in Him, He has sanctified. But the other part that is in me is being sanctified from ‘glory to glory’ and changed into His image. Nothing can be purified without removing the impurities and the Holy Spirit being shown as the ‘tongues of fire’ show this aspect. In us, He makes us go through difficult times to test us and make us more and more reliant on the Lord.
Apostle Paul was directly chosen by Lord Jesus Himself and appointed as Apostle to the Gentiles, the non-Jews. Over the years he suffered immensely and it is painful to even read about that (2 Corinthians 11:25-26). During his final months in prison in Rome, before his execution, in his epistle to Timothy, his spiritual son and a leader of the Ephesians Church, the change due to his sufferings is visible. He wrote, ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His immense patience as an example for those who would believe in Him and receive eternal life’ (1Timothy 1:15-16). Paul is recognised by all as the ‘greatest Apostle who ever lived’ but the fire of sufferings had purified him to such an extent that he could refer to himself as ‘least of the Apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle’ (1 Corinthians 15:9).
To receive and ensure that the blessings continue to pour in one must be clothed with humility and give all credit to the Lord for everything. Lord Jesus gave us His glory (John 17:22), His riches (2 Corinthians 8:9) and all things (Hebrews 1:2) and we are made joint heirs (Romans 8:17) with Lord Jesus. We have been given blessings beyond measure and we must be grateful to our LORD God for all that He has done to receive more in His Son.
The prodigal son sought his father to give him his share from the father’s property, took all that and spent it on immoral activities abroad. But when he repented and returned to his father, the father not only forgave him but embraced him and blessed him abundantly. Prophet Zephaniah saw the LORD God rejoicing over His repentant children with singing. How can such a loving God withhold any good thing from His children, whom He has made joint heirs with His Own Son, their Redeemer!
