The Beatitudes are a road map for today’s challenges

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most famous religious texts in all of history.

The message of this sermon, and particularly the Beatitudes, applies to people of any time period under any circumstances. Jesus’ words seem to shine brighter and more urgently now in light of the current economic, emotional, mental, and physical turmoil in which we currently find ourselves.

It almost feels as if Jesus was looking through the centuries directly at us when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3).

Many of us fit the description of “poor in spirit.” Whether it be through a sense of spiritual disconnection, sadness or hopelessness, our spirits are brought low from the challenges we face. And yet, Jesus reminds us that to be so is blessed, for we cannot enjoy the heights of heavenly happiness without the valleys of sorrow and grief that humble us and draw us toward God.

For our fears and sorrows, he provides eternal perspective: the pain we feel now will be brief in the grand scheme of things, and if we can hope on, trust on, and move forward, we will see our circumstances improve. In fact, he promises that by coming unto him, we can obtain residence in “the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).”

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

To those that lament lost loved ones, torn marriages and families, financial crises, strife, poor health or other disappointments, the God of miracles reminds us that he has “borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows ... and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5). His peace and comfort can fill our lives, if we will let him.

“And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

The perceived value of meekness has declined over the centuries. And yet, even when Jesus advocated meekness, the people he taught expected him to be a great military leader. Instead, he was meek, law-abiding, and gentle, teaching the people to “love one another” (John 13:34).

Meekness, not arrogance, is the key ingredient in the Savior’s recipe for harmonious living, though the natural tendency of humans is to be arrogant. When we are meek we can better hear God’s voice and are more peaceful neighbors. This harmony ultimately yields greater joy and satisfaction with life.

To these teachings Jesus adds that it is blessed “to hunger and thirst,” to have mercy, to be “pure in heart,” to be peacemakers, and to be persecuted. Like many of his words, these teachings can seem contradictory—how can poverty, self-denial, or persecution yield anything close to the joyful and abundant life we all so eagerly desire? (Matthew 5:6-10)

As humans, we want things right away—to be happy right now, to be fulfilled right now, to have all our needs met right now. Yet the Master teaches a different way—we must know sorrow to recognize true joy, must feel a lack before we can appreciate a fullness. In this ongoing dance of opposites, Jesus teaches that contradiction itself ultimately yields to happiness. Without the bitter cup, how can one truly appreciate the sweet?

Righteous living, while full of sacrifice and contradiction, is ultimately the path to peace and prosperity, and the only remedy for a world that would otherwise seem intent on tearing itself apart.

Let us make these truths our road map in moving forward as we seek to find greater peace, purpose, and harmony in our lives. Particularly, as we experience the challenges and contradictions of our day.