A summary of Jesus' teachings is known
as Beatitudes. In the Gospels, we have recorded a lot of His teachings; but the
Beatitudes are one unbroken tradition of eight inspirations. In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us eight
character-types of blessed people, which represent the principal graces of a
The first four Beatitudes:-
1. The poor in spirit are blessed. They bring their faith to their condition, even when it is a low condition. In their own eyes, they are humble and lowly. They see their want, confess their guilt, and thirst after hope. The kingdom of God is for them.
2. Those that meek are blessed. The meek are those who quietly submit to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else. These meek ones are happy, even in the world. Meekness promotes wealth, comfort and safety, even in this world.
3. Those that mourn are blessed. Heaven is a mountain of joy, to which our way winds through a vale of tears. Such mourners shall be comforted by God.
4. Those that hunger and thirst after justice are blessed. Justice is the bedrock of all our spiritual blessings. Our desire for spiritual blessings must be accompanied by our daily desire to do God's will.
The last four Beatitudes:-
5. The merciful are blessed. We must not only bear our own afflictions patiently, but we must do all we can to help those who are in misery. We must have compassion for others and do all in our power to help them.
6. The pure in heart are blessed. They shall see God. The heart must be purified by faith, and kept for God. None but the pure are capable of seeing God.
7. The peace-makers are blessed. They love and desire and delight in peace. They keep the peace, so that it might be not broken; they recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-makers!
8. Those who are persecuted for the cause of justice are happy. God provides that those who are persecuted for Him through life shall not be lost to Him in the end. With hope, we can cheerfully welcome any painful circumstances that come our way.
We are to be ambassadors of peace into whichever place we are sent or we find ourselves. We should conduct ourselves courteously to all. Like the disciples, we are told how to act towards those who refuse the whole message of God. Those who choose not to accept the gracious message should be shown that their position is dangerous.