Introduction
As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, when we gather in church for worship or for prayer, we should be glad and joyful to meet our fellow believers. We should not feel uncomfortable about being watched and judged by what we wear, what we drive, or other superficial factors. Also, we ourselves must refrain from watching other believers with critical eyes and judging them. When we focus on these external aspects, we lose sight of our true purpose in gathering: to glorify the Lord Jesus.
We must remember that we gather in the name of the Lord Jesus, and it is through Him that we are united as brothers and sisters. The Bible teaches us to worship the Lord in unity and to be glad to worship Him alongside our fellow believers.
As followers of the Lord Jesus, we must always remember to have a humble attitude, as the Bible teaches. A spirit of pride and selfishness can keep us far from the Lord, while a spirit of humility and obedience can keep us close to our Lord. In this blog, we aim to remind ourselves and our readers of the importance of cultivating a spirit of obedience and humility toward the Word of God. We also seek to encourage showing mercy and gentleness toward our fellow believers as well as those in the world.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit”
In this section, we present two Bible passages: one from Ephesians 4:1-8 and the other from Matthew 5:1-7. These passages of Scripture emphasize the importance of gentleness, humility, mercy, meekness, patience, and love toward one another. By living in love and peace with one another, the Holy Spirit will be pleased with us and keep us united.
Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith you were called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
Comment Ephesians 4:4-6. When the verse declares that we all have one Father, it also means we must love and treat one another as true family, without any bad intent or feelings toward anyone in the family.
7 But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore He says, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.
In Matthew 5, we find the Sermon on the Mount, where the Lord Jesus teaches, among other things, about the blessings of the kingdom. In this blog, we will comment only on the first five blessings.
Matthew 5:1 Then seeing the multitudes, He ascended on the mountain; and when He had sat down, His disciples draw near to Him,
2 and opening His mouth, He was teaching them, saying,
Comments Matthew 5:2. The Lord Jesus spoke softly, and the air carried His voice miraculously further and further, so everybody in the crowds could hear His voice at the same time while He was speaking.
3 Blessed are the poor in the spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
Comments Matthew 5:3. “Poor in the spirit” refers to a humble soul seeking the Lord. The humble soul is the one who is hungry for the Lord; it seeks first to please the Lord, not themselves; it lives just for the Lord.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Comments Matthew 5:4. “Those who mourn” are the ones who grieve for those who do not seek the Lord. They mourn for the lost, for those who do not have a portion in the Lord’s kingdom.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Comments Matthew 5:5. “The meek” (quiet, gentle, obedient) are the ones who keep the Word of God in them at all times.
“... inherit the earth.” Here, the earth refers to the new earth (not the earth we are on now) that has been prepared for the elect. Only the chosen ones will be there, and they shall reap their reward on the new earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Comments Matthew 5:6. This righteousness is the righteousness of following the Bible’s teaching, which means to follow the Word, obey the Word, and do what the Word is telling you. The Lord Jesus is our example of righteous living. He does not live by His own will but by the will of the Father. We can only be righteous in the Lord Jesus.
“Filled” (satisfied) is not about the body but about the soul. The soul is satisfied and full of joy when it feels near the Father. This filling can happen only when we come to the Father through the Lord Jesus. There is no other way to come close to the Father, only through the Lord Jesus.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Comments Matthew 5:7. “The merciful” are those who have mercy on lost souls and pray to the Father to have mercy on them and take them in. Be merciful to the ones you dislike the most and pray for them.
Conclusions
The Lord Jesus alone is the way to the Father. We will feel satisfied within our souls when we come to the Father through the Lord Jesus. As followers of the Lord Jesus, we must seek to please the Lord, not ourselves; we must care for the unsaved. We must obey the Word of God in all things. And, whenever we gather, we should do so in humility, with joy and gladness, glorifying the Lord from our hearts, lifting our brothers and sisters’ needs in prayer, and praying for those who are lost. It is important to obey the Word of God with humility and faith. For all our good behavior on this earth, wonderful blessings await us in heaven. Our minds should always be focused on eternal life in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ.
We must always remember that our God is One, and there is unity in the Trinity of God; God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit are united in all things. As followers of the Lord Jesus, we must live in unity, pleasing the Lord God Almighty. As the psalmist says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, that came down upon the skirts of his garments; like the dew of Hermon that comes down upon the mountains of Zion; for there Jehovah commanded the blessing, even life forevermore (Psalm 133).”
Meditation Tasks
- We invite all readers to explore Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7, and to reflect on the entire Sermon on the Mount that the Lord Jesus delivered, to learn how to become true disciples.
- Additionally, we encourage you to visit our blog titled “Take Up Your Cross and Follow!”