Blessed
- Isabella Campolattaro
- Jun 1
- 7 min read
A more transcendent (and accurate) view of blessing for real life and trying times.
What drew you to read this? The mere mention of "blessed?" The tidy stacks of cash? The lovers embracing? The jewels? The applause or euphoric crowds? That sexy car? Me, too...and three! I could have added much more.
I want to holler, "Bring on the blessing, God!" "Pour it out!" "Pick me!!" We associate all that stuff with being blessed.
But is it what Jesus taught or modeled?
No, not by a long shot.
I hate to bait and switch. If you were looking for "8 Ways to Self-Actualize," or "4 Steps to Your Kingdom Mate," or "1-2-3 to Prosper in Your Purpose," I'm going to disappoint you. Better still, I'm going to let Jesus deliver the hard news and remind you of reality.
Mind you, there's a delicious and eternal silver lining! An accurate understanding of Christ's view on being blessed can enable us to better endure challenges, and even appreciate hard times or powerlessness, leaning in more fully on faith.
James says we should "count it all joy..." when we face trials. JOY! Many of you, like me, have experienced Christ's promised sufficiency only when we're at the end of ourselves; when we feel less than blessed, if we're honest. Yet, it's a priceless feeling to be content in Christ, and paradoxically empowering. People in Twelve Step recovery know it more than most since admitting powerlessness is Step One.
The Upside Down Kingdom
Jesus was revolutionary in so many ways, not the least of which is how he turned the religious elite and other power players, and their convictions on their head. Among many other things was the notion of blessing. The Old Testament idea of blessing which is still prominent in the Jewish faith and the Christian church is financial riches, a quiver full of children, many heads of oxen, landholdings, conquests, political power and influence, and other physical manifestations of God’s favor. That excludes most of Christendom worldwide and flies in the face of biblical evidence.
Jesus taught and modeled a difficult interpretation of being blessed--humbling, uncomfortable, and extremely challenging in the modern world, most especially here in America. We're inclined to select a few verses out of context to uphold our view of blessing, but it's hard to justify faced with the facts of Christ's own words and life.
Comfy Christian is an oxymoron.
If the goal is to be more like Jesus (and He says it is), transformation is needed. Because He loves us, He will finish what He started to conform us to His image, which is a lifelong endeavor and typically involves dying to self.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Matthew 16:24-26 (NLT)
Christianity explodes and grows in places fraught with conflict, persecution, poverty, and physical hardship. These are places where being a Christian is costly--Africa and Asia and parts of South America. That’s a fact.
Jesus’ teaching on what it means to blessed challenges our flesh above all, and that remains a snare for many of us who seek after what the world calls blessing--sometimes in Jesus' name--even if it’s explicitly opposed to what Jesus said.
In fact, money, power, and influence are still considered key indicators of godliness, success, or favor, even though the black and white testimony stands in stark contradiction. Jesus and all the apostles were essentially penniless, persecuted, and often powerless in many significant material ways, even while they were imbued with incredible influence and supernatural powers.
Those whose preaching is opposed this understanding of blessing do profit greatly from our desire to bend Jesus to suit our lusts and longings.
Apart from documented lives of Christ and early Christians through the ages, the most succinct and clear evidence of this is reflected by The Sermon on the Mount, the Sermon on the Plain, and Christ's letters to the churches in Revelation. Let's start with the widely familiar Sermon on the Mount, aka, The Beatitudes:
The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:1-12 (NLT)
5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
The Beatitudes
3 "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
The more familiar wording is "the poor in spirit," but I like the clarity of the New Living Translation. If we know that we know that we know we need Jesus, the Kingdom is ours! Our fleeting trials and tribulations this side of heaven are overshadowed in light of an eternal kingdom of truly heavenly bliss. Surrender.
4 "God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
I've experienced a lot of loss in my life and mourned deeply, which has led me to seek Jesus deeply, too. It's in these sorrowful seasons that I've felt Him most near and real. Loss is inevitable this side of heaven. If we mourn, we can also experience Christ's tender comforts in the darkest moments.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
The last thing most of us want to be is "meek," which Oxford defines as "quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive." Jesus promises that the meek shall inherit the earth's executive suite when it's restored to its heavenly perfection. Being confident of this when we're abused or abased brings encouraging perspective.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Some translations use "justice" for "righteousness." The Greek conveys a rich fullness of meaning. We're blessed if we long to be in right standing with God and to see His will and ways prevail on earth. This is not so much perfectionism, which is exhausting and unattainable, as it is a posture of the heart. A sensitivity to right and wrong that can be quite painful in this broken world can fuel Spirit-filled and -fueled drive for advocacy, justice, and faithful obedience. When the world seems cruel and unfair, it's reassuring to know our heartfelt desire for God's perfect rule will be fully satisfied one day.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Being merciful means being compassionate and forgiving toward others, whether they're suffering for their sin or if they've wronged us. For those of us who have suffered deep injuries at hands of others, it's important to know that this isn't enabling or condoning harm, nor does forgiveness mean reconciliation. Rather, it's a willingness to let go of the offense, extend kindness, and to spare someone the full consequences of their actions if we have the power to punish.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Only God can judge the human heart, but God offers us the clear mirror of His word and the revelation of His Spirit to guide our understanding of heartfelt purity. Thomas Merton's prayer conveys a sweet, humble heart that longs for God:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, will I trust you always though. I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
If you're the kind of person who seeks to mend divisions between people, to understand or help others understand the underlying cause of conflicts, or to bring peace to those in strife or struggle, you're blessed. Rest assured that this is not attached to the outcome because we're powerless over others, but our willingness to foster peace among warring factions honors God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
We might think of persecution as being burned at the stake, imprisoned, or fired from a job, but it's far more subtle and pervasive. The eyeroll at the mention of church, being ridiculed or undermined for moral standards, exclusion from social circles or events, antagonism for seemingly unrelated issues, wary formality or vaguely patronizing attitudes, unusual or chronic gossip and slander, or efforts to repress, oppress, silence, defeat, or derail you for any reason, are just a few sure-fire symptoms of persecution.
Jesus says "Rejoice and be glad!" Wowee!
Jesus and the apostles did their very best work under deadly pressure, beleaguered by vocal opposition, beatings, and imprisonment. I've been rereading the Book of Acts, about the early church, and was sobered to notice the believers prayed for boldness immediately after their release from jail, unjustly questioned, scolded, and imprisoned for preaching and performing miracles (Acts 4).
Can we do the same? Will we do the same under similar pressures?
We may pray for boldness to invite our neighbor to church or post a verse. Will we rise to the acts of the Acts church if need be? Jesus says the time will come when Christians will face extreme hardship and persecution before He returns.
Are we ready?
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