Blog Post #6: The Beatitudes
A Written Response By Lily Jeffs
1. What were new things you learned about the Beatitudes?
As someone who isn't very knowledgeable about the religion of Christianity, I learned many new things about what the Beatitudes are and what role they play within the lives of the followers of Christ throughout this unit of Living The Gospel. With this, I learned that the Beatitudes are eight blessings recounted by Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount within the Gospel of Matthew that act as a primary list of the things one should do under God. The first Beatitude is "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" that defines as those who are compassionate will receive blessings in return for their work. The second Beatitude is "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth" that means those who are humble will be given the acceptance to make the world a better place. The third Beatitude is "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven" that defines as those who are upset will be healed once uplifted by Heaven and God. The fourth Beatitude is "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled" that means those strive for honor through a great passion they hold will be given success later on as a result of this work. The fifth Beatitude is "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God" that defines as those who are respectful with others will be honored for their ways of acting in God’s name. The sixth Beatitude is "Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted" that means those have suffered will be cared for and loved by others to make up for this loss. The seventh Beatitude is "Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God" that defines as those who are greatly connected to God and are kind and loving to others will later be embraced by his soul and those around them. The eighth Beatitude is "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven" that means those who are challenged for what they believe in will have God and others that they love to support them in return. All in all, learning more about what the eight Beatitudes are allowed me to incorporate them more into my day - to - day life as well as this enhancing my relationship with God as a whole. To illustrate this, an image is shown below in which Jesus is preaching the Beatitudes on the Sermon on the Mount to others that ultimately allows his message to be spread and for this group to later make the world a better place.
2. Which Beatitude resonates with you the most and why?
When reflecting on the eight Beatitudes and how they define as, the Beatitude that states "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" resonates with myself the most. This specific Beatitude means that those strive for honor through a great passion they hold will be given success later on as a result of this work. This greatly relates to my life in which I am always wanting to do the best I can within activities both in and out of school and hope that this hard work will pay off when being admitting into colleges and later having a career. Apart from just wanting to be successful within my own life, when with others, I hold a great passion for what I believe in. With this, if one is disrespectful to others, then I notify them by telling them what they did wrong and how they should instead treat people. All in all, the devotion I hold for the things I love allow me to be successful in life in which I consequently hope that the hard work found within this will be contributed as a result of this adherence. An image that illustrates this Beatitude and the resonation it holds with myself is shown below in which a group of people are similarly striving for their goals in life using the power developed from what they are passionate for.
3. What were some things you realized during the class discussion?
Many different thoughts and ideas were brought up during the class discussion about what each of the Beatitudes meant and how we can use them within our day - to - day life. Specifically with the Beatitude that states "Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God," at first I had trouble defining this and only thought that it meant that those who are caring and welcoming to others will be fully embraced by God's love in return. After speaking about this Beatitude with my classmates, I was also told that this can be incorporated within the relationship we hold with God in which those who are fully devoted to this figure will later be given the opportunity to become closer with him at a spiritual level. Apart from just learning new things from the class discussion relating to a specific Beatitude, as a whole, I realized that although I don't consistently follow the religion of Christianity, I can still use these as a way to guide myself into a successful and positive adulthood. The class discussion ultimately allowed myself and others to further our knowledge about what the Beatitudes are within Christianity and how we can incorporate them within our relationship with God and each other. To illustrate the concepts spoken about within the class discussion, an image is shown below in which the major theme found within the Beatitudes and our life is the love we hold with God and the world around ourselves.
4. How can you display the Beatitudes more in your life?
After learning many different things about what the Beatitudes are and how they relate to myself, I can greatly display them within my own life. Although I am not an avid follower of Christianity, these blessings can be used when I am with others as well as when I am wanting to strengthen my relationship with God and strive for success. Specific actions include caring for and respecting those that go to school with me, especially when they are in need of help as well as holding a great passion for what I believe in such as gender rights within sports. This will consequently allow me to live a happy and stronger life within the arms of God and my family. Other ways that I can display the Beatitudes more in my life is when I spend time with my grand parents in which I will always treat them with love and respect to follow the blessings God has given me as well as being humble when receiving awards such as doing well on a math test. Conclusively, the lesson based on the Beatitudes has allowed me to relate this major part of Christianity into my life within the modern day as well as strengthen the relations I hold with Jesus and others I have met within my current life. To illustrate this, an image is shown below in which one hand represents myself and the other represents those that I love or meet that expresses the comprehensive theme of compassion, respect, and honor found throughout all of the eight Beatitudes.
Works Cited
“The Sermon on the Mount - Jesus Preaches to the Multitudes.” Educational Technology
Clearinghouse, etc.usf.edu/clipart/187800/187856/187856-the-sermon-on-the-mount-jesus.htm.
Front View Fist Men Reaching Pictures, Images and Stock Photos - IStock, www.istockphoto.com/photos/front-view-fist-men-reaching?excludenudity=true&sort=mostpopular&mediatype=photography&phrase=front%2Bview%2Bfist%2Bmen%2Breaching.
“Cross Heart Jesus God Heart Love Graphics Design SVG DXF PNG Vector Art Clipart Instant Download Digital Cut Print Files Cricut Silhouette.” Zibbet, www.zibbet.com/vectordesign/cross-heart-jesus-god-heart-love-graphics-design-svg-dxf-png-vector-art-clipart-instant-download-digital-cut-print-files-cricut-silhouette.
Two Hands Holding a Heart Icon – Free Icons Download, www.free-icons-download.net/two-hands-holding-a-heart-icon-85798/.


















