Perhaps the most surprising and countercultural of all the Beatitudes is the third (not included in Luke’s version): “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5; cf. Psalm 37:11). What does “meek” even mean?
Both mourning and rejoicing are a normal part of life. As the wise Preacher wrote, there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Eccl. 3:4). Similarly, the apostle Paul writes, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15).
Jesus’s well-known “Sermon on the Mount” in the Gospel of Matthew starts out with a series of blessings, or “beatitudes,” as they are also known (Matt. 5:3–11). How can pastors exhibit and encourage those kingdom virtues?
In the course of salvation history, God, who is the ultimate miracle worker, has enabled select individuals to perform signs…
The birth of Jesus is the true meaning of Christmas.
Jesus is the gift. The gift is Jesus!