The Paradox of Blessing- The Beatitudes

What does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? Ericka Graham continues our series on the Beatitudes by sharing the paradoxes that Jesus presents in the Beatitudes and challenges us to redefine what we consider blessed.

References

Matthew 5:1-10

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek,
 for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
 for they will see God.


Blessed are the peacemakers,
 for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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

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“We suffer to get well. We surrender to win. We die to live, We give it away to keep it. This counterintuitive wisdom will forever be resisted as true. It will be denied, and avoided until it is forced upon us by some reality over which we are powerless. And if we are honest, we are all powerless to the presence of full reality.”

— Fr. Richard Rohr