The Daily Office · Matthew 5:3–10
Blessed are
Matthew 5:3–10
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
What's happening here
Jesus has gone up a mountain — a deliberate echo of Moses at Sinai — and instead of giving a new set of laws he gives a list of who is already in. Every category he names was, in the Roman world, a category of people you would have crossed the street to avoid. The Beatitudes do not tell you what to do; they tell you who God is paying attention to.
The word that matters
Greek · blessed, flourishing, deeply well
Makarios is not "happy" in the modern sense and not "lucky" either. Greeks used it for the gods themselves — the kind of well-being that does not depend on circumstances. Jesus pins this divine word onto the poor, the grieving, and the persecuted, and the sentence becomes a quiet detonation.
Where else this shows up
Isaiah 61:1–3
Jesus is consciously rewriting Isaiah's portrait of the messianic age, where the poor receive good news and mourners get comfort.
Luke 6:20–26
Luke's parallel sermon is shorter, blunter, and adds the woes — same theology, different camera angle.
James 2:5
James asks the church a sharp question: has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith?