BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT
(The Sermon on the Mount I)
Matthew 5:1-12
Key Verse: 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
1. What does being blessed mean to you? How is Jesus’ idea of being blessed different from our conventional thinking?
2. Who are the poor in spirit and why does the kingdom of heaven belong to them? (3) What is the blessing given to those who mourn? (4)
3. What is the irony of the meek inheriting the earth? (5) Is being meek the same as being weak? What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness? (6) What do you hunger and thirst for?
4. How can we be merciful? (7) What does “pure in heart” mean? (8) How can we be peacemakers? (9; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
5. Why does Jesus say that those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed? (10-12) What can we learn from the Beatitudes about Jesus’ character and the character of those who belong to the kingdom of heaven?