the Gospels

[lonnienord]

3 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, 4 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

God blesses those who realize their need for him,[a]
for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.

if we know we need GOD we will seek HIM and HE will bless us with eternal life with HIM? Is that they way you understand this verse?

 

[lonnienord]

4 5 Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

4"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you The Message

I think this is a very basic verse but i like that The Message made me think outside the box!!

 

[Colabomb]

4 5 Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

4"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you The Message

I think this is a very basic verse but i like that The Message made me think outside the box!!

(Interesting paraphrase, not sure he translated well the original intent.)

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

(Mat 28:16-20)

 

[lonnienord]

and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

(Mat 28:16-20)

that is one of my favorite verses!!

 

[lonnienord]

5 6 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. NAB

5
God blesses those who are gentle and lowly,
for the whole earth will belong to them. NLT

5"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are--no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought. The Message

is this bassically saying blessed are the humble?

 

[lonnienord]

6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 7 for they will be satisfied. ​

6"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.


yup that descibes me!!

 

[lonnienord]

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

 

[lonnienord]

8. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

 

[dcyates]

Isn't it interesting that the first several chapters of Matthew's Gospel recapitulate in the life of Jesus the defining events in the history of Israel? I think this tells us a tons about who Jesus is and what he came to do.

 

[lonnienord]

Excellent points would you like to expand on that?

 

[lonnienord]

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

9"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

 

[dcyates]

Excellent points would you like to expand on that?

Certainly. As I'm sure most of us are already aware, the exodus was the defining event for Israel as a nation. Thus I'm referring to how Matthew, after thoroughly rooting Jesus in his own Israelite heritage, tells of his family's sojourn (='exile') in Egypt, due to his life being threatened by a ruler (='pharoah's killing of Israel's first-born sons'), after which Matt. 2.15 quotes from Hosea 11.1 where YHWH declares, "Out of Egypt I have called my son" (=exodus; Jesus' departure of Egypt also fulfills Isaiah's and Jeremiah's multiple promises of a new exodus [cf. Jer 31.16-17 and context]). We are then informed that Jesus goes through the waters (=crossing of the Reed Sea), in his case via baptism (cf. 1 Cor 10.1-2 [see also vv. 3-5 for further exodus themes]). Afterwards he is led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days (=Israel's being led by YHWH in the wilderness for 40 years) where he is tested in three ways: 1). to make miraculous bread (=manna); 2). to test YHWH himself (=Israel's testing of YHWH at Massah); 3). to worship another (=Israel's idolatry re: the golden calf). But whereas the exodus people of Israel failed these tests, Jesus showed himself faithful, hence establishing himself as the true, faithful 'son of God' (=Exodus 4.22: "Then you shall say to Pharoah, 'Thus says YHWH, "Israel is my son, my first-born"';" notice how Satan keeps challenging Jesus with, "If you are the son of God...."). Note also how Jesus repeatedly responded to Satan's challenges with citations from the book of Deuteronomy. Furthermore, just as Moses led the people of Israel to Mount Sinai where he received the Law from YHWH to instruct Israel, Jesus then "went up on the mountain" where he also expounded on the Law to instruct his disciples, of which there are twelve (=the twelve tribes of Israel, thus symbolizing a restored, reconstituted Israel) with the 'Sermon on the Mount'. Immediately following this, Jesus then performs ten sets of miracles/mighty deeds (=likely a symbolic blessed reversal of the ten plagues visited upon Egypt). These mighty deeds also symbolize the restoration and redemption of Israel. For example, the haemorrhaging woman, where all bodily fluids represent uncleanness, had been bleeding for "twelve" years and the dead daughter of the synagogue official (who acts as another rather obvious symbol), a corpse again represents uncleanness, who we are informed was "twelve" years old. I hardly need mention that to any Jew of the 1st-century, the number '12' would have reminded them that Israel, in its wholeness, was made up of twelve tribes, at least ten of which were irrevocably lost in exile. It would therefore require nothing less than a full-blown act of YHWH to restore, redeem, or save her.