Sermon online 2026-02-01 “Beatitudes” by Rev. Dr. Mark Caggiano, 2/1/26

Micah 6:1-8, Matthew 5:1-12

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.

The Beatitudes of Jesus are many things. They are a sermon offered to guide people listening long ago. They are a description of behaviors and attitudes that Jesus declared as blessed. They are also a guide, a guide to happiness in the estimation of Jesus. The word “blessed” can also mean happiness. There are translations of the Bible in which we are told happy are the poor in spirit, happy are those who mourn, happy are the meek.

That might seem counterintuitive, particularly when we hear happy are those who mourn. These are contrarian sentences because they try to underscore that these qualities of human spirit are important, that they are sacred.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Hunger and thirst here are not literal. You are hungering for righteousness, for that which is right. Mercy is a gift, a gift given by someone able to offer it. Someone in power offering mercy to someone in need of it would in turn gain the favor of God when that powerful person requires mercy, as we all might require at the end of our days. For powerful people might be in the most need of mercy because power was already a gift given. If you hoard that gift without offering mercy to others, do not expect to receive mercy from others, including from God.

Pure in heart can be understood as simplicity. We are often challenged by the complexities of life and those can change our hearts for the worse. Suffering can make us hard-hearted. Adversity can make us cold and calculating. No one is going to protect me, so I have to protect myself, so watch out.

But as we shield ourselves from suffering, as we build up barriers against the troubles of the world, there is a cost. There are good people out in the world. There are kind souls offering of themselves. Cynicism might protect us in some ways, but it will also isolate us. It will isolate us from the people around us. And it will isolate us from God.