Blessed Are You, My Friend

The Gospel (really good news for humans) Jesus preached, in Matthew 5:3-12, and the Kingdom He makes available, offers hope to the earthly down and outs.
(expanded by Dallas Willard and friends).

Blessed are the poor in spirit
["the spiritual zeros- the spiritually bankrupt,
deprived and deficient, the spiritual beggars,
those without a wisp of religion'"],
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn
["the weeping ones"],
for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek
["the shy ones, the intimidated,
the mild, the unassertive"],
for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
["who burn with desire for things to be made right...
in themselves" or in others],
for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful
[those who are "taken advantage of"],
for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart
[those "for whom nothing is good enough,
not even for themselves"],
for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers
[the ones "in the middle" where "neither side trusts you"],
for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
[those who stand up "for what is right"],
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account
[you've "gone off your rocker and taken up with that Jesus"].

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


May you and I be blessed and encounter the blessed today.